If you’re looking for a sweet, whirlwind of a romance, look no further! My Last Duchess is the perfect prequel to one of my favourite series by Eloisa James. Her writing is always captivatingly sweet, and I wish this had been a full length novel rather than a novella because I definitely could have kept reading this story. Not only do you get a wholesome helping of single parents trying to do right by their children, you also get to see those children pop up to give the story this lovely rosy glow. It’s the perfect palette cleanser after reading so many dark and dreary fantasies, so if you adore stories with love at first sight tropes, then you’ll definitely want to add this to your TBR list.
This book is a prequel to the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, and I would suggest reading the rest of the series before picking up this book in particular…but in this case, it might not make much of a difference!
Hugo Wilde, Duke of Lindow, is a single parent with a castle full of eight children, and he needs a wife. When he lays eyes on Lady Ophelia Astley, mother to one very well behaved daughter, he decides no one but Ophelia will do for his wife. Unfortunately for him, Ophelia isn’t interested in a household of children or a castle. In his desperation to find a wife, Hugo decides to court an appropriate woman for his children. However, when he sees Ophelia again, he realises that no one has his heart the way she does. He’ll need to convince her that their chemistry, children, and castle are a match made in heaven.
Going into this story, I was excited. The Wildes series has been one of my favourites so far, because the love interests tend to be quirky and nothing like we expect them to be. I wasn’t disappointed in this regard. Ophelia is such a wonderful woman, and I especially love that this story normalises parenthood among the upper crust of historical romances. It’s fascinating how much detail Eloisa James manages to put into a shorter story. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself though, so let’s begin with Hugo. He comes off as a very honest man with an unfortunate predicament of having to find a wife because of his divorce with his second wife. Even as he’s stressing about this, his relationship with his twin sibling is highlighted positively, as well as his love for his kids.
The further we get into the story, the more readers get to see how important family is to both characters. Eloisa James always highlights some of the more unfortunate aspects of high society relationships (cheating specifically), and the misogyny towards women. Hugo and Ophelia’s meeting is a little unconventional, and I will acknowledge that it borders on creepy. However, what I loved even more is the acknowledgement of this by Hugo as well as how other characters react in order to make sure Ophelia is protected. Their romance is certainly steamy, and for once, I appreciated that it forgoes all the shyness that happens a lot in historical romance. There’s no shy and flirtatious glances from across a dance floor, but there is an undeniable chemistry and sensuality from two consenting adults.
I honestly wasn’t expecting to love the scenes with the kids half as much as I did! For one, it always feels odd to see our love interests as children, but it works so stinking well! The kids are all troublemakers from the beginning, but also, add a charming level of humour to the story as the rival love interest comes into the picture. My favourite scene has to be the questioning scene (which is not a spoiler and I implore you pick this up if you’re looking for a laugh).
This was such a satisfying read, and even thought it was a little predictable, it is an adorable addition to this series. I’m fairly certain there’s another book in the works, and I’m dying to know which Wilde we’ll get to see next. Like I said in the beginning, if you’ve been reading a lot of serious fiction, need a break from reality, or are looking for a cute story to get lost in over a mug of hot chocolate during the colder months…put this on your TBR list! Better yet, add the whole darn Wilde series to your list, especially if you haven’t read it yet.
The Last Duchess is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The Last Duchess? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Wildes series with a prequel about the Wilde children’s parents, Hugo, Duke of Lindow, and Ophelia, Lady Astley.
Every Duke needs a Duchess…
Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has a drafty castle, eight naughty children—and no wife. Ophelia, Lady Astley, has a fine house, one well-behaved daughter—and no husband.
Hugo takes one look at Ophelia and loses his heart, but she doesn’t want more children or a castle. She takes one look at him and heads for her carriage.
Desperate to find a duchess, Hugo identifies an appropriate lady to woo. Yet when he meets Ophelia again, the duke realizes that he will marry her, or no one.
Now he faces the greatest challenge of his life.
He must convince Ophelia that their blazing sensuality, his exquisite castle, and his eight charming children add up to a match made in heaven.
When duke finds his duchess, can he win her heart?
A Wildes series prequel about the Wilde children’s parents, Hugo, Duke of Lindow, and Ophelia, Lady Astley.
