Title: Good Duke Gone WildAuthor: Bethany Bennett
Series: Bluestocking Booksellers #1
Pages: 368
Publication Date: Aug. 20, 2024
Publisher: Forever
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:
A bookseller and a duke? She couldn’t have written anything more perfect.
Dorian Whitaker, Duke of Holland, needs an heir after his so-called “fairytale marriage” ended in disaster. When the intriguing bookseller he’s hired to liquidate his late wife’s library finds love letters revealing an affair, he is drawn into a mystery alongside a lady whose sharp intellect dazzles him and dares him to imagine a new adventure outside the gilded cage of the Ton.
If anyone found out Caroline Danvers writes erotic novels under a pen name, she’d face utter ruin. Except her latest hero inspiration is none other than the Duke of Holland—a man with the power to destroy her family’s bookshop. And yet the real man proves to be so much more than the character she created. Even as they expose the dark secrets of his past, she knows he can never discover her own. But the more time they spend together, the more tempting it is to rewrite their ending and turn fantasy into reality.
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Good Duke Gone Wild is a wonderful start to Bethany Bennett’s new Bluestocking Booksellers historical romance series. I loved the characters and the romance as well as the strong messages about literature and equality. The story follows a duke and a bookshop worker who secretly authors erotic novels. Caroline also appraises books and is hired to appraise, organize, and sell Dorian’s late wife’s extensive book collection. She is happy to help Dorian, but the job becomes quite complicated when Caroline finds old love letters between Dorian’s wife and a mysterious man.
This novel totally spoke to my book-loving heart. A bookseller who writes and appraises books who also finds mysterious love letters in the collection she appraises? I was intrigued from the start and knew I’d like Caroline before I even met her. She’s a strong, intelligent, and passionate woman, and it’s no wonder she caught Dorian’s eye. And Dorian’s great too. He shows a tremendous amount of growth over the course of the story as he finds out more about his wife and begins to forgive himself and heal.
I also loved the strong support system both Caroline and Dorian have in their lives. Caroline’s cousins and aunt and uncle are fantastic, and the way they support Caroline after such a harsh rejection made me adore them from the start. And Dorian’s friendship with Oliver felt so authentic and comfortable. I loved how they teased each other but knew when to listen, commiserate, and advise too.
Of course, my favorite part of the story is the swoon-worthy romance between Caroline and Dorian. My word, they have an incredible amount of chemistry! They connect on such a deep level despite their socio-economic differences. And I love that he falls first, and he reads and likes her books before he even knows she is the author. It’s also lovely that they inspire each other so much. There’s a lot of admiration between the two, and the intimacy and passion they share is exceptional.
Many obstacles stand in the way of Caroline and Dorian’s relationship, including their disparate social statuses, the mystery surrounding Dorian’s wife, Caroline’s unwillingness to be a duchess, and Dorian’s pressure to obtain a wife and heir. Plus, Caroline keeps her writing secret even after she writes her story’s hero in Dorian’s likeness, and people become suspicious. I love how Bennett wove such interesting conflicts and subplots into the story.
I would definitely recommend Good Duke Gone Wild to lovers of historical romance, and I can’t wait to see who the focus of the next book will be. Fingers crossed it’s Oliver as he faces an arranged marriage. Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- The romance.
- The characters.
- The messages.
I won’t tolerate your entitled outrage when I’m only guilty of existing as a woman within the real world instead of the castle on a hill you inhabit.
Let me into the pause.
Any woman who commanded attention without needing words would never be content with being partially adored.
Bethany grew up in a small fishing village in Alaska where required learning included life-skills like cold-water survival, and several other things that are utterly useless as a romance writer. Eventually settling in the Northwest with her real-life hero and two children, she enjoys mountain views from the comfort of her sofa, wearing a tremendous amount of flannel, and drinking more coffee than her doctor deems wise.
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Great review. I enjoyed this as well.
Thanks! Glad to hear you liked it too!