• Home
    • Contact Me
  • Reading Challenges
    • CannonballRead 14 Bingo
    • 2022 Ripped Bodice Summer Romance Bingo
    • Completed Challenges
      • Pondathon II
      • CannonballRead 13 Bingo
      • SpringIntoLove Bingo
      • SnowInLove Bingo
      • JingleBooks Bingo
      • FallIntoRomBingo 2020
      • 2020 Ripped Bodice Summer Read Along Bingo
      • 2018 Romance Roundabout Challenge
      • Read Harder 2018
      • January – March 2018 Quarterly Challenge
      • Title Hunt Quarterly Challenge: January – March 2018
      • Cover Hunt Quarterly Challenge: October – December 2017
      • October – December 2017 Quarterly Challenge
      • Ripped Bodice Summer Read Along Bingo
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Series
    • Reviews by Year
      • 2022 Reviews
      • 2021 Reviews
      • 2020 Reviews
      • 2019 Reviews
      • 2018 Reviews
      • 2017 Reviews
    • Reviews by Rating
  • Rating System

Llama Reads Books

This llama reads - mostly romance, fantasy and science fiction

Reviews

Review: The Duke Who Didn’t – Courtney Milan

September 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

Review: The Duke Who Didn’t – Courtney MilanThe Duke Who Didn't
by Courtney Milan
Series: Wedgeford Trials #1
Publisher: Femtopress LLC
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Genres: Romance
Pages: 311
Source: Publisher

I received an advance review copy of this book from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

Miss Chloe Fong has plans for her life, lists for her days, and absolutely no time for nonsense. Three years ago, she told her childhood sweetheart that he could talk to her once he planned to be serious. He disappeared that very night.

Except now he’s back. Jeremy Wentworth, the Duke of Lansing, has returned to the tiny village he once visited with the hope of wooing Chloe. In his defense, it took him years of attempting to be serious to realize that the endeavor was incompatible with his personality.

All he has to do is convince Chloe to make room for a mischievous trickster in her life, then disclose that in all the years they’ve known each other, he’s failed to mention his real name, his title… and the minor fact that he owns her entire village.

Only one thing can go wrong: Everything.

Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Kobo

Goodreads

5 stars icon Historical icon m/f romance icon


Content warnings: View Spoiler »racism (micro- and macro-aggressions), loss of a parent (before the book starts), grief, social anxiety, toxic family relationship « Hide Spoiler

TLDR: Look, it’s a surprise new Courtney Milan book in 2020. Go buy it, because trust me, you need it.

I have sung the praises of Courtney Milan multiple times before, so it’s probably no surprise that I also absolutely loved this childhood friends to lovers book. It’s seriously a masterclass in fluffy banter, while also striking a careful balance with more serious matters (like revenge via a sauce empire, naturally).

“The problem had never been how serious Jeremy was about her; it had been how serious she thought he was. She had to convince herself first. How better to have her do that, than to make a list? He wasn’t precisely sure how that would work itself out, but Chloe had always been better at details.”

Chloe and Jeremy first met as teens during Wedgeford’s Trials, a quintessentially English competition involving hiding giant painted rocks. Chloe looked forward to Jeremy’s return to the village every summer, until he suddenly stopped coming three years ago after she admonished him to be serious. Jeremy’s tried to do want Chloe wants, but, well, he’s just not a serious person – though he is serious about her. Jeremy’s back in Wedgeford for one reason: to convince Chloe to marry him. How he’s going to do that, however, is still in question, until he comes up with the perfect idea. He’ll get Chloe, queen of lists, to make a list of all the qualities he wants in his future bride – someone, he says, is exactly like her. But Jeremy also has a secret he’s keeping from her, and he’s afraid it’ll ruin everything.

“He wasn’t like the heroes in any of the English storybooks Chloe had read as a child, but he hadn’t matched the stories her Ba told her, either. There had been a time, back when he’d focused on her so intently, seeking her out year after year, when she’d thought he was a story written just for her.”

I’m not usually a fan of books where the conflict between two characters revolves around a secret. But I trust this author, and I’m glad I did, because it’s handled extremely well. Overall, the book is surprisingly low conflict and comforting – I’m sure the presence of tons of mouthwatering food helps that along as well. There’s two main plots – Jeremy’s attempts to convince Chloe he’s serious about a relationship with her, and Chloe’s drive to avenge her Ah Ba, whose sauce recipe was stolen by two Englishmen, by creating an even better and more successful sauce.

“I can’t let you do all that.”
“Can’t you?” He looked over at her. “Can you truly not? Knowing what it is like to see your father not allow you to help, will you make me feel the same way?”
“That’s different,” she snapped. “I love my father.”
“Chloe.” There was a hint of reproach in his voice.”

Chloe loves lists. She makes a new list every day of what she can accomplish – if the day goes perfectly. Chloe’s drive for efficiency (and her checklists) make a lot of people think she’s cold and intimidating. Jeremy, however, from his first moments in town, recognized that it was shyness and not aloofness, and she’s always been thankful for that, even if he is her polar opposite. Jeremy is a more of a “seize the moment” sort of person, generally allergic to plans, and seemingly always prepared with a funny quip or a joke. He has his reasons for that. As the son of a British duke and a Chinese woman, he’s found it easiest to fit in as the clown as no one seems to take him seriously – not even Chloe, who’s Chinese as well. Subjecting her to the world of dukes and duchesses seems, well, not particularly kind, especially since he’s not sure he fits in there himself. What I loved about their relationship was how kind and patient Jeremy was with slowly making it clear to Chloe that she was he one he was in love with, and how he didn’t let her sell herself short. There are, of course, the requisite love scenes. They’re both virgins, but their first time manages to be both extremely honest and sexy – plus there’s a fun twist on the “only one room at the inn” trope.

“He looked at the smile on her face, the way her eyes shone. He looked at the little tassels at her ears and the tablet before her, with the character that was a part of Chloe’s name, the way that her Ah Me had been a part of Chloe’s life even after she’d gone. It was an incalculable loss, but it was not a complete one. Chloe’s Ah Me had never been entirely absent.”

And that has to be one of my favorite things about this book. Everyone knows that romances generally follow the same beats and use the same tropes, and it’s the way that authors assemble those blocks together that makes a book exceptional. Ms. Milan takes those tropes, flips them inside out, and rips your heart into pieces in the process – and makes you love it. There are a few themes that particularly struck me, as well, including one about toxic relationships with people who love you but can’t accept you for yourself. They may mean well, but intentions aren’t everything, and sometimes the only way to move forward is to shuck off those relationships. But my absolutely favorite part was how Chloe’s relationship with her dead mother was written. Even though all she has of her are her Ah Ba’s stories some jewelry, Chloe still talks to her every day, still tells her every one of her dreams and wishes and disappointments. It’s a small part of the book, in terms of all the other themes covered, but it was the one that was the most poignant for me.

“A kiss is for closing the door on old memories. A kiss is for good-bye.”
“Not mine.” He leaned over her. “Not mine. If I kiss you, it’s a beginning.”

Overall, I absolutely adored Chloe and Jeremy’s story. If you’re looking for something low conflict but still full of all the feels, I highly recommend this book!

Related Posts

  • By Courtney Milan
  • Same Genre
In Pursuit Of
Review: The Pursuit of… – Courtney Milan
Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure
Review: Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure – Courtney Milan
After the Wedding
Review: After the Wedding – Courtney Milan
Twice Shy
Review: Twice Shy – Sarah Hogle
Review: Rogue Christmas Operation – Juno Rushdan
Mr. Hotshot CEO
Review: Mr. Hotshot CEO – Jackie Lau
Deal with the Demon
Review: Deal with the Demon – Chace Verity

You might also enjoy

If I Were a WeaponReview: If I Were a Weapon – Skye Kilaen
Dawn's EnvoyReview: Dawn’s Envoy – T. A. White
The Wolf at the DoorReview: The Wolf at the Door – Charlie Adhara
Previous:
Review: The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi
Next:
Review: Real Men Knit – Kwana Jackson

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me


READING LLAMA

Hi, my name is Lauren, and I’m the Reading Llama! I love reading books. My favorites usually include a female protagonist with at least a little bit of romance.

Twitter    Goodreads    RSS    email

Follow


Currently Reading

Kalyna the Soothsayer Kalyna the Soothsayer by Elijah Kinch Spector

August Reviews

The Reinvented Heart by Cat Rambo, Jennifer Brozek, Jane Yolen, Seanan McGuire, AnaMaria Curtis, Lisa Morton, Madeline Pine, Sam Fleming, Felicity Drake, Premee Mohamed, Beth Cato, Naomi Kritzer, Sophie Giroir, Maria Dong, Lyda Morehouse, Devin Miller, Aimee Ogden, Anita Ensal, Fran Wilde, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lauren Ring, Xander Odell, Claire Smith, Justina RobsonNot Betting on Forever by Natasha Moore

Recently Read


Goodreads Challenge

2022 Reading Challenge

2022 Reading Challenge
Lauren has
read 7 books toward
her goal of
250 books.
hide

7 of 250 (2%)
view books

Reading Challenges

Ripped Bodice Summer Romance Bingo 2022

RB Summer Romance Bingo 2022
June 1 - August 31

hide

3 of 25 (12%)

CBR14 Bingo

RB Summer Romance Bingo 2022
July 15 - November 15

hide

1 of 25 (4%)

Badges

25 Book Reviews Reviews Published Professional Reader Frequently Auto-Approved Romanceopoly 2019 Participant

Latest Tweets

Tweets by llamareadsbooks
Eve
  • Ghosts, a secret library and magic collide in a dystopian Edinburgh. Highly recommended!
  • This month’s sticker from the #RomStickerClub is super cute and SHINY!
  • Finished up my ARC of Jackie Lau’s His Grumpy Childhood Friend (out this Tuesday) and I loved this quote! “Practice”
  • Starting off with a quote from one of my favorite books, Charlie Adhara’s The Wolf at Bay, second in Big

Categories

  • Book Tour
  • Challenge
  • Cover Reveal
  • Excerpt
  • lol
  • Most Anticipated
  • PondathonII
  • Reviews
  • Sunday Update
  • TBR
  • Uncategorized
  • Wrap-Up

Copyright © 2022 · Dreams Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in