Author: Eloisa James
Genre: Adult, Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Source: Bought
The arrogant Duke of Trent intends to marry a well-bred Englishwoman. The last woman he would ever consider marrying is the adventuresome Merry Pelford - an American heiress who has infamously jilted two fiancés.
But after one provocative encounter with the captivating Merry, Trent desires her more than any woman he has ever met. He is determined to have her as his wife, no matter what it takes. And Trent is a man who always gets what he wants.
The problem is, Merry is already betrothed, and the former runaway bride has vowed to make it all the way to the altar. As honor clashes with irresistible passion, Trent realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined. In his battle to save Merry and win her heart, one thing becomes clear: All is fair in love and war.
I've been really feeling historical romances lately! Normally, I'm not a huge fan because I feel like they all tend to be very similar (or, at least, more similar in my view that contemporary romances are to each other) but the past few weeks . . . I don't know, they have just had the perfect mix of what I've wanted in my romance books! I especially love reading them when they feature strong female characters and My American Duchess has just that!
Merry was probably my favorite part of this book. I loved her, even if she did sometimes frustrate me. She was very level-headed and strong -- it was refreshing to see her holding her ground and staying true to what she wanted. I also really appreciated that, despite the societal backlash, she wasn't afraid of embracing her American-ness (though I wish it wasn't mentioned as often as it was -- it was a bit overboard) and always stayed true to who she was. In general, she was an amazing lead and I loved reading about her journey toward fully embracing herself as well as her journey with Trent!
Trent was lovely. He was definitely the typical arrogant Duke so often found in historical romances but he held a certain charm that endeared me to him. I liked how respectful he was and how he also fully accepted Merry, despite what his peers thought or said about her. They had a lot of really sweet and cute moments that, while not necessarily crucial to the plot, made me root for them and want to keep reading. They made a nice couple and I enjoyed seeing them slowly grow from acquaintances, to friends, to more.
One of the problems with this book (and so many other historical romances) is the insta-love. Like, I get couples back then didn't get to know each other as intimately as we do now but I'm not a fan of how Trent had one conversation with Merry and then knew that he *had to* marry her. At that point, I just didn't feel the connection between them and it seemed a bit far-fetched that he could feel so passionately after about five minutes. But I get this is kind of a staple in historical romances (at least the ones I've read) so I tried not to let it bother me too much!
This was my first Eloisa James novel and I enjoyed it a lot. I plan to read more of her books soon and more historical romances in general! This book definitely left a smile on my face so if you have any recommendations for other books to read by Eloisa James, let me know in the comments!
“She was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman, and nothing he'd ever thought to find in a lady.”
I dont read many historical romances, but I tend to enjoy them when I do pick them up. This sounds like it is a fun one. Great review!
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