BOOK REVIEW: Not that Duke by Eloisa James

I received this book from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Not that Duke by Eloisa James is the third novel in the series, The Would-Be Wallflowers. It is a Regency Romance that works well as a standalone.

Lady Stella Corsham is not a typical heroine. She is short, stout, freckled, bespectacled, and worst of all, intelligent. Orphaned when young, she has been raised by her aunt and uncle, who despair of marrying her off. She has breeding and a good dowry, and a good number of suitors, but they are fortune hunters and third sons and Stella is not interested. She fantasizes about the Duke of Huntington, Sylvester, a man she considers something of a friend. But he is the most eligible bachelor in the ton and he is very obviously besotted with the beautiful, delicate, and somewhat scandalous Yasmin Regnier. 

Sylvester is not the only man chasing after Yasmin. And Sylvester is very competitive. He does not like to lose. He’s fond enough of Stella. He knows his mother would prefer Stella for a daughter-in-law. But he is determined to court (and win) Yasmin. His problem is that Yasmin seems to prefer another man, one of Sylvester’s best friends. This man is stodgy and intellectual. A much better match for Stella. Or so everyone assumes.

But as the Season progresses, and Sylvester and Stella spend more time together, he starts to appreciate her lusty charms. A lot. He just needs to convince her that it is more than lust that he feels for her. For that, first he has to convince himself.

This is a fun frolic of a Regency Romance with a high steam level. Fans of Eloisa James will not be disappointed.