I have to say I expected this book to be a pleasure. And although it had its moments, I just couldn’t get in to it. American + Duke has, in the past, been a fun combination for me. But this is one of those books when I really just wanted to slap some sense into the heroine.
The hero is sexy in kind of a creepy way. That sounds weird, I know. But he is always lurking and smirking. He’s like that super smart older guy in your college philosophy course who is smarmy, yet somehow appealing. You like the way he stares at you with those bedroom eyes, but then something about the way he uses words like “mereological” and “myopic” just make your skin crawl.
Then you get this ending that is just ridiculous. I don’t know, its just ridiculous. I like melodrama, honestly I do. But….really? Candace, reallly?
It just feels…campy?
There are some writing chops displayed in the pages of the book. I think this series might actually be really fun, as her eccentric Duke and Duchess and brood are charming and whimsical.
That being said, I do think there are readers who will enjoy this book. I don’t think its an all around stinker, just more of an acquired taste. So if you like secret revenge mission driven plots with a little melodrama thrown in and a fair amount of sexual tension you might enjoy An Unexpected Pleasure.
