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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too charming, 11 Jun 2008
Highwayman Jack Audley chooses the wrong carriage to rob one faithful night. The occupant is the dowager duchess of Wyndham and quickly she comes to the conclusion that Jack is her grandson. Jack looks (even masked), acts and sounds so much like her beloved dead son that Jack simply must be his son. And once she has him in her clutches the dowager will do everything in her power to prove that Jack is the legitimate Duke of Wyndham. Grace, a long suffering companion of five years, is shocked by the turn of events. And even more so when she realizes that the more time she spends with the charming rogue the more she's falling in love with him. Even if he seems a bit smitten with her -Dukes, if he proves to be, do not marry lowly companions.
A mixed review. Although I liked The Lost Duke of Wyndham in general, I found it to be an average book. Jack is a very lovable hero but perhaps too charming for me. I really enjoyed his quick wit and his delightful verbal sparing -up to a point. It got to be a bit too much by the middle of the book. Just went over the top IMHO. It seemed (to me anyway) that Jack was rarely serious perhaps when he should have been. I can take a joke as well as anyone, and I did find his antics very amusing most of the time -but still....I don't know perhaps I was looking for some strong emotions from a character who is light-hearted/carefree to the core.
And Grace seemed to be a bit underdeveloped as a character. I still don't really know who she is. I felt like I was missing a puzzle piece in her makeup while reading the book. A totally unremarkable heroine. Not unlikeable, mind you, but just....there.
So while the book is entertaining while reading it, I didn't find anything particularly exciting about it. The ending was extremely predictable as well. I was also disappointed by the lack of sexual tension and love scenes -there didn't seem to be enough sparks between these two. I felt like a great scene began and then just fizzled out in the end. Not very satisfying. But the one bright light in the book is the secondary characters, especially the stiff and proper Thomas (the Duke). He did capture my interest and I will be getting his book Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 2). .
In comparison to Quinn's other books, Jack is most similar I think to Colin of the Bridgerton series. So if anyone loved that book (Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgerton Series, Book 4)) they may like this one. Of all of Quinn's books my favorite will remain When He Was Wicked (Bridgerton Family Series). I prefer broodier and more emotional hero's. But if you like charming hero's then you might want to check this one out.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Duke and the Companion, 24 Jun 2008
This book is paired with the book "Mr Cavendish, I Presume" to be published in Autumn 2008 and the two books approach the same story and events from different characters' views. When highwayman Jack Audley is recognised by an old lady, apparently he is the image of her dead son, he finds himself drawn into an extraordinary situation. If Jack's parents were married then he, not Thomas Cavendish, is the Duke of Wyndham. Thomas has grown up knowing that he will be Duke and has carried out that role for ten years since the death of his father; he even has an engagement arranged years before to a suitable wife.
Jack doesn't want to be a duke. For a start, he's not trained to the position, doesn't think he has the skills and it's clear that Thomas makes an excellent duke. However, as the household travel to Ireland to consult parish records, Jack finds yet another reason not to want to be the duke. His grandmother's companion, the lovely Grace Eversleigh, might be willing to marry Mr Cavendish but she knows she's not good enough to be a duchess.
This was an interesting book and it started particularly well. However it felt like it lost its way somewhat about halfway through and the second half didn't live up to the promise of the first. The Dowager Duchess of Wyndham felt too much like a pantomime portrayal of a sour old woman, the romance between Grace and Jack didn't quite convince and the scenes with Thomas often felt incomplete (presumably they are explored further in the next book). Grace as a character was also rather nebulous - she was present in many scenes but I didn't feel that I really got to know her. The resolution of the book seemed rather too facile to this reader and I didn't feel entirely convinced by the emotions and behaviour of many of the characters. It almost felt like a farce towards the end with various characters travelling across Ireland and being rude to each other.
Despite these criticisms it was still a reasonable book, as long as the reader isn't looking for historical accuracy particularly within the writing. Julia Quinn has a lively way with dialogue and it's an easy read which will no doubt appeal to fans of her other books.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank God for Julia Quinn, 14 Jun 2008
I was really looking forward to reading this book after finishing the Bridgerton series, which I loved and never wanted to end.
I wasn't let down.
This book captures me from the start, all I wanted to do was read and read. Although it isn't a Bridgerton series it still has all of the best qualities of one.
I loved all of the characters in this story, they were all well described and lived up to the expectations I had of them.
This book is a definite read and 5 star quality, every page leaves you wanting more!!
This is truly a brilliant book
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