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Title: The Duchess War
Author: Courtney Milan
Genre: Victorian-era romance
Thingummies: 5
Synopsis: A wallflower with a secret blackmails a duke who's secretly agitating workers to protest, but ends up with flying sparks.
Thoughts: This is everything a historical romance should be. The characters are interesting, well-developed and not stupid--while there are a bunch of conflicts, none of them are because people are being unreasonably stupid. They make some stupid decisions, yes, but they're in-character decisions that were set up well ahead of time. The plot makes sense, and is compelling even after the protagonists initially get together. The reasons keeping them apart are resolved in a manner that actually works. The history is meticulously researched, terminology is correct, and the political situation underlying the plot is specifically detailed in a way that makes it clear the author knows and cares for what she's talking about.
But most importantly, it's just plain fun. The dialogue is clever and engaging. The main characters are likeable, with distinct and memorable personalities. She's a spitfire with excellent reasons for hiding every trace of spirit from most people. He's a would-be revolutionary with a burden of wealth that both leads him to some really ill-considered (but understandable) mistakes but also to see behind her facade when no one else can. Many of the minor characters are equally engaging, with elaborate backstories of their own that promise further exploration in later novels. The duke's relationship with his illegitimate brother as well as his two scandalous friends are especially intriguing. And there are some surprising twists on archetypes, including a Lady Catherine-style encounter that turns out to be a very different kind of conversation than you expect. The relationships between many of the characters are touching, with the focus not just on the protagonists' relationship with each other. Steamy scenes are appropriately steamy, with a nice dose of realism thrown in. And there's just enough costume porn to satisfy longings for corsets and fripperies. It's a charming read, even if romance is not your favorite genre--there's really none of the stuff that gives the genre a bad name, and everything that makes it shine.
Author: Courtney Milan
Genre: Victorian-era romance
Thingummies: 5
Synopsis: A wallflower with a secret blackmails a duke who's secretly agitating workers to protest, but ends up with flying sparks.
Thoughts: This is everything a historical romance should be. The characters are interesting, well-developed and not stupid--while there are a bunch of conflicts, none of them are because people are being unreasonably stupid. They make some stupid decisions, yes, but they're in-character decisions that were set up well ahead of time. The plot makes sense, and is compelling even after the protagonists initially get together. The reasons keeping them apart are resolved in a manner that actually works. The history is meticulously researched, terminology is correct, and the political situation underlying the plot is specifically detailed in a way that makes it clear the author knows and cares for what she's talking about.
But most importantly, it's just plain fun. The dialogue is clever and engaging. The main characters are likeable, with distinct and memorable personalities. She's a spitfire with excellent reasons for hiding every trace of spirit from most people. He's a would-be revolutionary with a burden of wealth that both leads him to some really ill-considered (but understandable) mistakes but also to see behind her facade when no one else can. Many of the minor characters are equally engaging, with elaborate backstories of their own that promise further exploration in later novels. The duke's relationship with his illegitimate brother as well as his two scandalous friends are especially intriguing. And there are some surprising twists on archetypes, including a Lady Catherine-style encounter that turns out to be a very different kind of conversation than you expect. The relationships between many of the characters are touching, with the focus not just on the protagonists' relationship with each other. Steamy scenes are appropriately steamy, with a nice dose of realism thrown in. And there's just enough costume porn to satisfy longings for corsets and fripperies. It's a charming read, even if romance is not your favorite genre--there's really none of the stuff that gives the genre a bad name, and everything that makes it shine.
