Lisa Berne

Actual quotes from the book as Livia arrives in her new home: "It was a place to LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE!" and "Now it was filled with LIGHT, LOVE, JOY." (attempting not to gag)

Good story but so, so poorly written. It feels like it's trying way too hard to be a Jane Austen romcom.

At first I didn't like a single character in this book. Livia comes across as immature, constantly playing the victim with a "woe is me" attitude. And Gabriel? He's just a Mr. Darcy wannabe.

Now, I love cheesy, over-exaggerated historical romances, but this book takes it to a whole new level of bad writing. The cheesy elements just don't stick.

Finally, just when I start to gain some interest, the book takes a sudden turn in a completely different direction. It's frustrating how it often starts on one storyline, like a tense conversation in the parlor, and then abruptly shifts focus to Livia's internal monologue for the next three pages. Did the conversation even finish? How did it end? And then, it tries to snap back to said conversation or without warning, it's suddenly the next day.

The book rambles on, leaving stories hanging in the middle of the page. It leaves important things out and then overstuffs it with random nothings.

Overall, liked the story, detested the writing.… (mere)

The Worst Duke in the World is a sweet romance novel that would be a fun weekend or beach read. A man and a woman meet and fall in love. The reader learns separately about their individual past experiences that affect their present actions. Complications both real and imagined drive them apart. You will have to read the book to find out if they end up back together.
I am a longtime fan of historical fiction. I enjoy imagining the world not talked about in history books. Lisa Berne provides good background information with details that make it easy for the reader to see the world she is creating. The characters are fully developed and easy to like or dislike based on the storyline. Jane, at times, is unbelievably innocent for a woman almost on her own in a big city. Her street smarts do shine in a few opportune moments. I believe the author did this to keep the novel from getting steamy.
If you are looking for some good clean fun, this would be a good book. It is in keeping with my expectations of Avon Romance novels. I enjoyed reading it and would like to read more by Lisa Berne.
#goodreadsgiveaway… (mere)