#Review: MY DARLING DUKE by Stacey Reid

 

  5 of 5 stars

Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, is reclusive and hasn't been seen in society in years. While there have been much gossip and rumors about him in the past, none of it was true. However, when he receives word that he is betrothed to Miss Kitty Danvers, he is intrigued especially since he's never met the young woman. The more he reads about Kitty, the more he wants to meet her. The ballroom is shocked when his name is announced and no one is more shocked than Kitty. She came up with the scheme of their betrothal to save her mother and sister from impending poverty. Having her name linked with the duke has helped her sister attract gentlemen. She never meant to hurt anyone and when she comes face to face with the duke who wears a mask covering half his face and is in a bath chair, she is fascinated with the elusive man. When he orders her to visit him in Scotland, neither of them could predict where the visit would take them. Can Kitty help Alexander out of the darkness in his mind or will he ruin her disavowing their engagement?

I absolutely loved this story. Alexander was such a strong character having endured and fought to recover from a devastating injury when his home goes up in flames. I felt such empathy for him and admired him as well. He is determined to live a lonely existence in the silence of his castle, that is, until Kitty comes to visit. She fascinates him and begins to chip away the ice around his heart. Kitty was such a strong and fiesty young woman especially how she is willing to do anything and sacrifice everything to help her mother and sisters. As she gets to know Alexander, she begins to understand his reluctance to interact with anyone, but she also is not willing to walk away from the scarred duke who is slowly worming his way into her heart. Ms. Reid does a masterful job with Alexander's character teasing out the details of his injury and all that he endures to reclaim even a shred of independence. I loved the interactions between Kitty and Alexander especially the humorous ones. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.