Wishing I Had A Duke

Expected Publication: July 31st, 2012
When You Wish Upon a Duke (Wylder Sisters # 1)
By: Isabella Bradford
Ballantine Books
ISBN-13: 9780345527295

In a sparkling new series filled with irresistible charm and sizzling romance, award-winning author Isabella Bradford introduces us to the eldest of three Wylder sisters—unruly country girls whose passion for life leaves their London suitors breathless.

Raised in the Dorset countryside, Lady Charlotte Wylder doesn’t care one bit about well-bred decorum. The dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty would rather ride a horse than attend a stuffy ball. So when Charlotte learns that she is to leave immediately for London to wed the Duke of Marchbourne, a perfect model of aristocratic propriety, she is less than enchanted with her arranged marriage.

But to her delight, their first encounters are brazenly flirtatious, and their wedding night burns with passion. March’s broad shoulders and dark countenance make Charlotte want to rip every button off his waistcoast. She may even be falling in love with her new husband. Yet whenever their desire boils over, March reluctantly pushes Charlotte away. Will past secrets and present misunderstandings mire their marriage in scandal, or serve to strengthen a bond that is destined to last a lifetime?

Review

   Charlotte Wylder is a lady - in theory at least.  Since the death of her Father, an Earl, her Mother has raised she and her sisters in the countryside.  Charlotte has been the bane of her poor Mother's existence, with her improper behavior and passionate spirit.  Now that she's of age, an arranged marriage that her Father put into place just after her birth comes to light.  The Duke of Marchbourne, known as March to his friends, has known of the union his entire life.  The purpose is to improve the name of his family, due to an extremely scandolous past.  Curious about the woman who is to be his wife, March arranges to meet her along the road to London without forewarning her.  The result is that he comes upon her climbing a tree to save her younger sister's rather naughty kitten.  He climbs the tree to 'save' her and though he ends the encounter with injuries, they are both highly attracted to one another.  After the wedding their passion in the bedroom is undeniable, but March pulls away after every encounter.  Can Charlotte figure out why before her heart is broken?  This book was a very breezy, easy-going romance.  It is not like others of its genre with a secondary storyline, a murder mystery or some such other complication.  The only real complication between Charlotte and March is both of their resistance to the passion they feel for each other.  While the seemingly endless tug-of-war became annoying closer to the end of the novel and it eliminated a lot of possible action from the plot, it was still quite a cute story.  Considering the lack of action, there really were no secondary characters in this novel.  While it worked for the first book in the series, if it becomes a habit I don't believe that any charm will be able to sustain in such dry circumstances for long.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 31st, 2012.*