When Meagan Tavistock’s friend makes her accompany her on a harebrained scheme to visit a witch, she does albeit begrudgingly. Apparently, Meagan’s married friend has got it bad for the Grand Duke (of a make believe country) and wants a love potion to help lure him to her bed.
In the way of hist-ro, the spell backfires and ends up knocking the heads and boots together of none other than the Grand Duke and Meagan! (a little sarcastic on that exclamation mark)
From there, this book gets more supernatural than historical. I mean, I guess its historical because its set in Regency England, but with all the other shapeshifting and oogey-boogey going on its more supernnatural romance.
So, I am obviously not a fan of supernatural romance. A couple of Nora Roberts are tolerable, but the rest of it pulls me straight out of the story faster than you can say “love potion #9.”
Plus, I am also not a fan of titles that are misleading. Granted, the Grand Duke is said to be called “The Mad, Bad Duke,” but really there is nothing mad or bad about him. I was hoping he would be dirty like the Earl of Mayne (Eloisa James) or a bit of a jerk like Lucas Tyler (Jenna Petersen). Instead, he is this self-obsessed head case who happens to fall hard for the quintessential English miss.
I think Ashley shows promise, but she’s got to more firmly pick a genre (or at least tell her publisher to highlight supernaturalness as not to mislead those of us who would prefer to steer clear).
“Meagan Tavistock can easily see how Alexander earned the nickname Mad, Bad Duke. His deep blue eyes promise sinful pleasure and his rich voice intimates that as soon as they are skin to skin, he’ll fulfill desires she isn’t even aware of. When a love spell misses its intended target, Meagan can no longer resist the temptation…until the magic wears off, leaving the pair in a most compromising position. Their only option is a marriage that thrusts Meagan into a new world of high danger, dark secrets, and a passion so intense she can’t help wondering: Is it the lingering power of the spell or true love at last?”
