Booklist Reviews
When it comes to marriage, Georgina Stane has one ironclad rule: any man who wants her as his wife must also welcome Georgina's family into his life. Georgina knows this might be a deal-breaker for some men because her family might be considered a tad "eccentric." Fortunately, Georgina believes she has found the perfect fiancé in the person of Sebastian Gresham. Not only does Sebastian seem to be unfazed by the unconventional lifestyle of Georgina's family, his kisses have a way of melting Georgina's heart. What Georgina doesn't yet know is that Sebastian has a secret of his own that he has been hiding from everyone but his trusted valet, a secret that he is afraid to tell Georgina in case it might cost him her love forever. Ashford (What the Duke Doesn't Know, 2016) continues the Duke's Sons series with another marvelously inventive Regency romance with a cast of characters, including a pack of pugnacious pugs and a duo of meddling younger sisters who would be perfectly at home in You Can't Take It with You. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Ashford's third Duke's Sons Regency (after What the Duke Doesn't Know) introduces more delightful characters who feel appropriate to the period while dealing with challenges that resonate with the modern reader. She seasons the story with plenty of teasing brotherly warmth and good-natured hijinks in the name of love. Soldier and self-proclaimed dullard Lord Sebastian Gresham travels to the country home of his clever betrothed, Georgina Stane, and is welcomed by her distracted mother's roving pack of pugs, an elegant guest from India brought in to indulge her father's current obsession with reincarnation, and two younger sisters intent on pushing Georgina and Sebastian's wedding date up in the hopes of a quicker escape to their sister's future London household. Sebastian navigates the challenges of the Stane family with ease but fears humiliation if Georgina and her family discover that he cannot read. Ashford's vivid characters and lively plots that drop surprise adventures in the midst of courting give the series a spirit of fun. The underlying message, that quirks and struggles should be no impediment to familial or romantic love, is conveyed with warmth and tenderness. (Jan.) Copyright 2016 Publisher Weekly.