A Most Unlikely Duke by Sophie Barnes
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
Sometimes the right book shows up at just the right time. I didn't even realize that I was in the mood for a historical romance until I started reading this book and I couldn't put it down. I have never read anything by Sophie Barnes before picking up this book but since this was the start of a new series, I decided to take a chance. I am so glad that I did because this story was a lot of fun.
The characters in this book were wonderful. Raphe was my favorite character in the book. I always seem to like characters that are a bit of an outsider which definitely describes Raphe. When he learns that he has been named a Duke, he is shocked since he has spent the past 15 years supporting his sisters as a dockworker and boxer. When he shows up to take on the role, he doesn't quite fit the mold.
Gabriella spends her days trying to make her parents happy. They are pushing her to marry someone that they think is respectable and are hoping for a match that will benefit the family. They don't bother to ask her what she wants in life. Gabriella loves studying insects and is herself often considered an outsider.
I really liked Raphe and Gabriella as a couple. They really seemed to understand each other and worked hard to help each other through several situations. There was a lot of respect shown between the pair and I really liked their chemistry. This wasn't a really steamy romance but I didn't miss the heat. It was fun to watch this pair fall in love and fight to be with each other.
I would highly recommend this book to others. There was always something exciting happening in the story plot-wise and all of the characters were very well done. I am very much looking forward to seeing some of the secondary characters again when the next book in the series is released.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts
This one was a lot of fun. I was definitely in the mood for a historical and this ended up being a fantastic choice. Raphe and Gabriella were both wonderful characters that I enjoyed watching come together.