About the Book:
Title: You’re the Duke That I Want
Author: Lenora Bell
Series: The Thunderbolt Club #1
Page Length: 334
Publication Date: Dec. 26, 2023
Publisher: Avon
Synopsis: Raised by an overprotective mother, bookish romantic Sandrine Oliver craves adventure, but nothing exciting ever happens in her sleepy seaside village. Until a handsome, mysterious stranger arrives and sweeps her off her feet…only to leave suddenly with no explanation.
Lord Dane Walker, brother to the Duke of Rydell, is infamous for racing fast carriages and breaking hearts. But when his brother is mortally injured, Dane inherits the responsibilities of the dukedom—duties that come with a dangerous secret which threatens everyone close to him.
In London, Sandrine is astonished to learn that the charming, honorable man she met at the beach is really a disreputable rake. And the infuriating nobleman acts as though he barely knows her.
Who needs a wild rake? Certainly not Sandrine! With a little help from her friends, she transforms into a glamorous belle. She’s out to make Dane pay…but can she stop her traitorous heart from longing to surrender only to him?
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My Review:
This is such a fun and romantic start to The Thunderbolt Club series. With major vibes from the film Grease, which I’ve seen a zillion times, I guess you could say this historical romance and I go together like ramma-lamma-lamma-ka-dingity-da-dinga-dong.
If you like the movie Grease, you will totally enjoy this story. It’s very much the musical put into a historical setting. Characters, plot elements, and even some dialogue are pulled right from the film, and I found myself comparing it to the movie throughout my read. There are times when the Grease vibes are a bit overboard, but overall they were a fun and cheeky addition to the story. Though, I have to say, if the couple jumped in their curricle at the end and lifted off into the sky while happily waving to their friends, I would have thrown the book. Luckily, that didn’t happen!
The romance between Dane and Sandrine has so much chemistry and emotion. Sandrine is an innocent, proper, and sheltered woman from a small seaside village, and Dane is a scandalous rake. They have a comical meet-cute, which leads to a swoon-worthy budding romance. I thought they made a great pair. They bring out the best in each other, and you can almost see them come alive when they’re together. And some of Dane’s declarations are positively swoon-tastic!
I also enjoyed the found family vibes with the men of The Thunderbolts and the women of the Pink Ladies, and there’s an underlying mystery that adds a sense of danger and suspense to the story. It’s a fun read and worked as a good palate cleanser for me after a pretty heavy read.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance.
- The found family.
Tropes:
- rakish MMC
- only one bed
- secret identity
- found family
That seems to be a trend lately. I’ve read two book where they took well known movies and wrote different stories using the main themes and vibes. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. Glad this one worked for you, Julie.
Thanks, Carla! 🙂