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The Duke Undone

The Duke Undone


Unnamed series - Book #1

by Joanna Lowell


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5


This was a great start to a new series following characters from the Royal Academy of arts! 


I’m a sucker for historicals featuring artist and this art school crew harkened me back to my own college days… 


Lucy Coover is trying to find a subject for a painting to make her mark on the Royal Academy, but this is hard to do when the female students are prohibited from attending the life drawing classes. Lucky for her, she walks right into… or should I saw on to, the perfect male form as  she is on her way to classes. This nude body, passes out in the streets soon becomes the inspiration for one of her greatest works!


Too bad the node form is actually the Duke of Weston (Anthony), and he can’t afford to have a scandal attached to his name… so scandalous picture of him nude must be stopped! 


This chance encounter of Lucy stumbling across Anthony in a moment of weakness alights the spark and a relationship between the two of them when he finds the mysterious artist painting his likeness and they strike a deal to help each other out.


Lately, I have been finding historical romances featuring dukes falling for unsuitable matches unbelievable and repetitive- but in The Duke Undone, Lowell has found a good balance with her second son who has been told his whole life that he stupid and bound to fail,  unexpectedly inherits and the artist fighting to make a name for herself in a work where being female automatically limits you. These two have a lot in common and bring out the best in each other. I loved how their relationship and trust is tested and grows throughout this book. Yes, they are from different spectrums of society, but the threads that connected them made their relationship more believable. I think being written in the Victorian age also helps create a bigger spear of possibilities in their relationship prospects.


This was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it. Please note the following triggers: alcoholism,  historical perspective on mental health (negative), verbal abuse from a parent.




The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell is scheduled to release April 6th, 2021.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



 

#TheDukeUndone #JoannaLowell #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

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