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Book Review
Sep. 10th, 2023 10:22 pmAfter Dark with the Duke
by Julie Anne Long
In this historical romance, opera singer Marian Wylde takes refuge at the Grand Palace on the Thames after a scandal drives her from both the stage and her home. There she encounters James, Duke of Valkirk, hero of the Napoleonic Wars. He judges her harshly and she, being largely innocent in the scandal hanging over her, is having none of it. So they trade barbs across the parlor. When he goes too far, James agrees to give Mariana Italian lessons to make amends, as he speaks it fluently and she sings it phonetically.As they get to know each other better, they begin to actually appreciate one another, and then fall passionately in love.
This romance made me so happy. I do love it when one half of the couple is a musician. Mariana is delightful: clever, determined, unashamedly fond of the good things in life, brave. James is initially very buttoned-up and overly reserved, hemmed in by the weight of his reputation as an honorable hero and national treasure. Over the course of the Italian lessons and his growing feelings for Mariana, he grows and changes, thawing and throwing off the confines of his public image. I adored the way their relationship developed - it was subtle and a bit of a slow burn. It was very intense without being angsty or melodramatic. I love how they work through the barriers to their happy ending as much by talking to each other as by romantic gestures. It was all so satisfying and really delivered on all the feels.
by Julie Anne Long
In this historical romance, opera singer Marian Wylde takes refuge at the Grand Palace on the Thames after a scandal drives her from both the stage and her home. There she encounters James, Duke of Valkirk, hero of the Napoleonic Wars. He judges her harshly and she, being largely innocent in the scandal hanging over her, is having none of it. So they trade barbs across the parlor. When he goes too far, James agrees to give Mariana Italian lessons to make amends, as he speaks it fluently and she sings it phonetically.As they get to know each other better, they begin to actually appreciate one another, and then fall passionately in love.
This romance made me so happy. I do love it when one half of the couple is a musician. Mariana is delightful: clever, determined, unashamedly fond of the good things in life, brave. James is initially very buttoned-up and overly reserved, hemmed in by the weight of his reputation as an honorable hero and national treasure. Over the course of the Italian lessons and his growing feelings for Mariana, he grows and changes, thawing and throwing off the confines of his public image. I adored the way their relationship developed - it was subtle and a bit of a slow burn. It was very intense without being angsty or melodramatic. I love how they work through the barriers to their happy ending as much by talking to each other as by romantic gestures. It was all so satisfying and really delivered on all the feels.
