The Lady Is Daring
A Duke's Daughters Novel
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- 5,49 €
Publisher Description
Five well-bred sisters, one sensational scandal. Now the Duke of Marymount’s daughter Ida is about to find love in the most unconventional way . . .
It was easy for society to overlook Lady Ida Howlett; they found her bookish, opinionated, and off the marriage mart. But little did they know that behind a calm exterior beats the heart of an adventuress, one who, determined to discover her runaway sister’s whereabouts, steals a carriage and sets off on a daring mission. Then she discovers she’s not alone! Bennett, Lord Carson, is inside, and he refuses to leave.
Lord Carson’s plans had always been to find a soft, gentle wife who would run his home and raise his children. Still, he makes a bargain with Ida—he won’t desert her during her mad adventure. He’ll make sure she’s safe, and then find a suitable lady to fall in love with. But when rules (and garments) become discarded during this long, intimate journey, it’s soon clear that this surprisingly daring lady is the woman he’s needed all along.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Amiable leads and clever dialogue mitigate the predictable plot of Frampton's third Duke's Daughters Victorian romance (after Lady Be Reckless). Both Bennett, Lord Carson, and Lady Ida Howlett chafe against their prescribed 19th-century roles and the sudden pressure to find suitably advantageous spouses. Bennett, a beleaguered steward of his family's finances, wishes for more carefree times. Ida, longing for adventure, impulsively steals a carriage to visit her disgraced sister. She discovers Bennett napping in the carriage, and his unyielding sense of honor compels him to accompany her. Together they navigate dubious lodging, financial pressures, lack of supplies, and their growing attraction to each other. The presumption of mutual lack of interest clashes with rapidly escalating physicality, creating awkward conversations. Ida's fierce intelligence sometimes feels at odds with her na vet but provides a reason (beyond the steamy sex) for Bennett's attentions. The pair's return to London sets the stage for a final showdown against societal disapproval. Frampton does not break any molds here, and her critiques of Victorian convention feel somewhat worn, but this is a serviceable romance with decent repartee.
