Ten Things I Hate About the Duke: A Difficult Dukes Novel
London, 1833. Cassandra Pomfret is a headstrong young woman who can’t manage to keep her political opinions to herself, much to her lordly father’s dismay. At his wits’ end and worried about his daughter’s reputation, he declares that Cassandra’s younger sister will not be able to marry until Cassandra herself does.
Cassandra dashes off in a pique with some servants. Their phaeton promptly runs into the dastardly Duke of Ashmont, a drunken, but gorgeous young fellow who causes the vehicle to crash and scatter about the ladies and driver. Upset, Cassandra goes so far as attempting to shove him off a balustrade to his death. For some reason the duke then proposes marriage. But what will make this recalcitrant woman fall for his charms?
The duke’s personality is laid-back and generally good-natured, while Cassandra’s is strident and humorless, making her hard to sympathize with. The novel’s frequent flashbacks interrupt the narrative flow.
Based loosely on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, this novel is part of the related Difficult Dukes series. Characters and events from previous novels are frequently mentioned, to the extent that reading this as a standalone is not ideal. However, readers of the series may find enjoyment in this installment.
