⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Somewhat. Hurst’s life got an unexpected infusion of excitement and fear when Ophelia blew in like a tenacious, appealing little tornado.
When the Duke of Hurstbourne receives a letter from his childhood friend asking him to marry his sister Ophelia, Hurst declines. He’s not adverse to taking a bride, but he believes in love at first sight that stirs his desire―not marriage sight-unseen. Adhering to society’s strict propriety for ladies, Ophelia Stowe has no choice but to present herself as a man to seek the Duke of Hurstbourne’s favor. If not for the dire situation she finds herself in, she wouldn’t have asked for help from the handsome man who had rebuffed her. When the alluring duke’s response is a plan of his own, Ophelia never dreams it would be a proposal of a marriage of convenience. But the stakes are high, and the good name of the Stowe family will be damaged if a missing antiquity isn’t found. When she accepts his offer, she quickly finds she isn’t immune to the passion building between her and her new husband―or how real the marriage begins to feel.
MY THOUGHTS
I suppose that in that time period where reputations were paramount, Ophelia’s actions were reasonable. If it wasn’t for her paranoia, she probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with the duke. Although, she wasn’t very concerned with her own reputation, just her brother’s. It was amusing following her madcap plans, while Hurst tried to rein her in.
As much as I wanted to love this story, it just didn’t quite get there. The plot hit a lot of slow moments, where it felt like they weren’t making any progress at all. I liked the characters, though. Ophelia was delightful and chaotic versus the serious, suspicious duke. They had an instant attraction that developed into more as their illicit investigations continued.
This book is for you if you like a low-spice historical romance with amateur detective vibes. It’s part of a series, but each book stands well on its own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: April 1, 2025
Sensuality Rating: Warm (fade to black)
Series: Book 3 of Say I Do
