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Few knew the Duke had been murdered. Those few, which included Olivia, felt the Duke had gotten what he deserved. So the murder was covered up and kept quiet. The title fell to Andrew Thorpe, an American. Until he could settle his affairs and get to England, Livia was to be in charge.
Neville Thorpe, second in line for the title, was jealous. He stayed by his Aunt Olivia's side and took charge of everything in her for her. He used his time to plot and scheme ways of obtaining the title he so coveted. He was aided by Quinton's wicked valet, Antonio. Neville found Olivia to be easily controlled until ...
Clara Peabody was an advocate with the Ladies' National Association. She approached Olivia, a year after the Duke's death, about helping fight to help the suffering of the match factory ladies. Olivia's eyes opened to possibilities and she developed a backbone.
Willoughby Barnes was an unknown artist. Since his deceased father had worked in the Duke's garden, Will had grown up learning the trade. He was asked to design the garden around the Duke's burial plot. Out of money for paints, he agreed. There, Olivia and Will met and fell in love. Olivia felt true love for the first time. However, Livie was forty and a duchess while Will was in his twenties and a gardner. It could never work.
***** The author, Julie Beard, keeps the reader guessing as to who really murdered the Duke. At the same time, she succeeds in keeping romance, betrayal, compassion, and several wonderful sub-plots going in the story. Normally this would not work. However, Julie Beard MADE it work! It all blends smoothly together and becomes as beautiful as Will's painting of Olivia! An enlightening and graceful story that I highly recommend to one and all! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
What really is astounding though, is that Ms. Beard makes this whole May/December plot work. Completely.
Ordinarily, I don't really go for the older woman/younger man scenario. I have the usual hangups about it and wonder what will happen when she is 60 and he is 40. But the author really sells the whole kit and kaboddle. It's so well written and the characters are so well defined that I can picture Livie and Will falling in love. I can see them facing anything to be together. I can feel the love they share and I believe that they can each change enough to make a life together.
This is no small feat, let me tell you. ;-)
So if you're squeamish at all about the older woman/younger man scenario, please, don't be. It's a terrific book. One of the best I've ever read. I've read it many times now and it will definitely be on my keeper shelf for many years to come.
In addition to the wonderful love story, one that had me wondering how Beard would manage to come up with a happy ending, there are a number of wholly satisfying subplots, including a secondary love story that parallels Olivia's discoveries about love and life and a who-done-it murder mystery with plenty of red herrings, possible suspects, and titillating clues. On top of all this are penetrating looks at social mores, societal ills, and personal foibles, dreams, and heartaches. The doubts, joys, and anguish experienced by the characters ring true, allowing the book to do what the best literature should do: question ourselves and the world around us, reevaluating what we believe and how we live.
"The Duchess' Lover" is a riveting book that should be on everyone's to-be-read list, reminding us that real love truly is the most important thing. This is probably a book that needs to be read periodically, just to remember all these things when the tyranny of the urgent and the expectations of others begin weighing us down.
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