A Deal with the Duke
by G.L. Snodgrass
My review:
“A Deal with the Duke” is the first book in ‘The Davenports’, a new series by G. L. Snodgrass. It’s a ‘sort-of enemies’-to-lovers Regency romance with a mystery woven through it. There’s some serious drama in this story, but it’s easy to read.
Lady Elizabeth is willing to do anything in order to find her missing brother, Johnathon,
Earl of Leicester. Her desperate search is taking her to places that no respectable young woman should go. Noah, Duke of Cambridge, is shocked when he sees her trying to force their way into a gaming hell where he is playing cards. Even though their families are friendly and their houses located close to one another, Elizabeth and Noah harbor a mysterious dislike for one another. They therefore usually ignore each other. But he can’t ignore that. She won’t tell tell know anything except that she must find her brother immediately because of a family matter. Noah certainly isn’t happy about it, but he helps her.
The more time they spend together, the more the attraction grows between Elizabeth and Noah – and the more confused they both become. There are some great twists and turns in the story, one of which I found particularly startling. I appreciated the emotional tugs on my heartstrings as both main characters tried to understand and navigate their own emotions at key points in the story. This book was well-written and nicely paced. There are some excellent secondary characters who really added to the story. Each main character has a charming younger sister. Noah also has two interesting younger brothers, and I’m hoping Simon will be featured in book two. Even Peabody, the butler, adds humorous punctuation to the story. This was such a good read, and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book in the series.