The Trouble with Dukes

Forever

The Trouble with Dukes
Grace Burrowes
2016

The Summary
"USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes brings us the first book in her new Windham bride series!  The gossips whisper that Hamish MacHugh, the new Duke of Murdoch, is a brute, a murderer, and even worse--a Scot.  But Megan Windham sees something different, someone different.  She isn't the least bit intimidated by his dark reputation, but Hamish senses that she's fighting battles of her own.  For her, he'll become the warrior once more, and for her, he might just lose his heart."

The Good
The Trouble with Dukes is lovely, light reading for an evening.  It's amusing, witty, fun and sweet, and it's a nice novel to read when you want to unwind and believe that all is well with the world.

Personally, I enjoyed Burrowes' book.  While I wasn't fond of the incredibly embarrassing situations in which Megan and Hamish seemed to continually find themselves stuck, I found I liked the characters and I liked the story.  Megan is a bright young woman and Hamish, despite his brutish exterior, is a genuinely nice man who cares for his younger siblings.  I liked them both, and I enjoyed watching their lives and stories intersect.

More importantly, I liked that Hamish wasn't your traditional knight-in-shining-armor.  He sees the strength and ingenuity of Megan, he respects her for her capabilities; however, he'll rescue her in a heartbeat should the need arise.  He doesn't seem to treat her like a damsel-in-distress, which I appreciated, but he's more than willing to act as a rescuer.

Overall, I liked reading The Trouble with Dukes.  Romance novels are my guilty pleasure, as you probably know, and The Trouble with Dukes was a nice respite from some of the drearier things I've read.  Plus, I enjoyed meeting Megan and Hamish and watching their unfolding adventure, their budding romance.

It's nice to pick up a book and just know there's going to be a happily-ever-after.

The Bad
It's not the best book by Grace Burrowes that I've ever read (I've reserved that honor for The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, a historical romance from another series); however, I can't say I've read anything bad by Burrowes.  Like I said, it's a nice book.  Not great, but it's worth spending an evening with The Trouble with Dukes.

The Ugly
I despised Sir Fletcher.  Honestly, I (like Megan) found Hamish less terrifying than Sir Fletcher, despite his dark reputation as the "Duke of Murder."  Hamish is a warrior, an honorable one at that, and he's a survivor; Fletcher is a conniving, blackmailing rat who isn't above tormenting young women or stepping on others to get what he wants.

I hated him.