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The Accidental Duchess
The Accidental Duchess
The Accidental Duchess
Ebook362 pages5 hours

The Accidental Duchess

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

Dear Reader,

I married the wrong man.

I had every intention of doing the thing right. Of saying my vows and walking out on the arm of Bertie Milburn. Nice, safe, easygoing Bertie. And that is precisely what I thought I had done.

But as it turned out, I'd been tricked! Tricked into marrying Bertie's twin brother Harry, the Earl of Cambourne and (as my mother would insist on reminding me at every opportunity) future Duke of Winfell! And the shocking way in which I found out -- on my wedding night, no less...well, it doesn't bear repeating here!

And the truth is that Harry, who is my husband, but should not be, makes my hands shake and my heart pound in a way that Bertie never has and never will. Vexing, dangerously charming Harry, who won't tell me why he had to marry me, why he insists on masquerading about town as his brother, or most bothersome still, why he won't stop that annoying (and rather excitingly successful) habit of trying to seduce me!

What is a young lady to do?

Gwen
LanguageEnglish
PublisherPocket Books
Release dateNov 24, 2009
ISBN9781439187821
The Accidental Duchess
Author

Jessica Benson

Jessica Benson has won numerous awards for her previous novels, historical romances hailed for their fresh and humorous voice. Her novels include The Accidental Duchess, available from Pocket Books. She lives in London with her husband and two children.

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Reviews for The Accidental Duchess

Rating: 3.375 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

24 ratings4 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The storyline was rather confusing. Didn't quite seem to have an head or a tail, but it was an overall ok read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a fun read and it's not often you encounter a romance novel written in first person, but the storyline was pretty ridiculous. Enjoyable but forgettable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great book, almost gave it a 5 star, but the ending left something to be desired, almost like she ran out of time to finish it properly. An absolute gem up to the last chapter, though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gwen has known from childhood that one day she will marry Bertie, Lord Milburn. So it comes as rather a shock when, while being seduced by her new husband on her wedding night, she finds she actually married his twin brother, Harry, Earl of Cambourne. She is futher outraged to learn that he knew the truth, her parents knew the truth and the real Bertie is missing, fate and location unknown. Determinded not to let 'things' go any further until she knows where Bertie is and why she has been lied to, Gwen stops Cambourne in his tracks. When he refuses to explain, she sets out trying to discover the truth and avoid falling in love with the husband that affects her in a way Bertie never has. All in all, this is pretty standard romance fare, although it has the addition of being told by Gwen, who is a fun narrator. Everything is here; identical twins, masquerades, a fiesty heroine (or at least, one who discovers she has it in herself to be so), mistresses and even the shadow of Napoleon. I don't think Benson does anything startlingly new here, but she tells a fun tale that if enjoyable to follow. I liked Gwen and I liked Harry and I certainly wanted them to work things out. I did occasionally want to yell at them that all they needed to do was talk to each other, but I had enough fun along the way not to be too annoyed. The ending is great as the twins try to outdo each other in putting the other on the spot and Gwen takes control of matters. My biggest complaint is probably that things between Gwen's friend Cecy and Cecy's husband are never resolved, nor is the issue of Cecy's mother and the footman. It was made a significant portion of the story and seemed to be abandoned at the last minute as Gwen and Harry's HEA took over centre stage. I realise that's where the book needed to end, but couldn't we have sorted Cecy out first then? A fun, light read that I recommend, not as something that will blow the reader's mind, but as an enjoyable way to spend an evening or two.

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The Accidental Duchess - Jessica Benson

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