So here's a question. Why a novella and not a novel? I ALWAYS wonder this when reading one, and Second Son of a Duke was no different. I really liked the premise. (No surprise there; marriage of convenience is one of my favourite tropes.) I especially liked the writing:
Did he even know her Christian name? Best to just brush right past that, he'd figure it out tomorrow. "Of course. As I was saying - "
"It's Juliette. As in I take thee, Juliette Grace Fairchild..." She waved her hand as if to say etcetera. "You should jot it down somewhere in case you are in need of it again."
Excellent. Married twelve hours and she was already sniping at him. Tomorrow, when he killed his brother, it would be slow and unnecessarily painful. "Yes, well, it's probably recorded in the family Bible now; I'll just look it up the next time."
This was a great read - engaging and witty with characters I liked very much. And the cool little twist about the Duke came completely out of nowhere. Well done!
My only complaint is this: I felt the twist with the Duke and the end of the story were a little abrupt. I thought there was enough material here that the author could very easily have gone on to write a novel, rather than a 14,000 word novella. (I know, I know, talk about what you read, not about what you WISHED you had read, but I can't help it. I wished it was longer.) I liked the story enough that I wasn't quite ready to leave it.
I picked this up on Amazon for $.99, and I think right now it's on sale for less. If you're looking for a quick, enjoyable read, pick it up. I'd recommend it for the fresh take on a marriage of convenience alone. And if Gwen Hayes writes a full length historical, I'm all over it.
3.5 stars.