Jude DEVERAUX : The Duchess - Montgomery/Taggert #16

Claire Willoughby risked losing her millions in her inheritance if, as decreed by her grandfather, she did not wed an "acceptable" man. Harry Montgomery, the eleventh Duke of MacArran, seemed perfect. He owned a historical castle, he looked manly in a kilt, and he was as much a titled Scotsman as Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.
Their engagement announced, Claire's future as a duchess was assured - and she set off with her family to meet the Montgomery clan in Scotland. Bramley Castle was a damp, chill place, overflowing with eccentric relatives. But there was also Trevelyan, a secretive, brooding man who lived in Bramley's ancient halls. Whoever he was, he wasn't at all like Harry : Trevelyan was the most exasperating, arrogant, know-it-all of a man Claire had ever met. And the most fascinating...

 

 

Ha ! Yessss, book, I fought you and I won, I finished you ! 

Hem...

Hello, fellow readers, I haven't turned mad, non, but I struggled to finish this novel. But I did ! Because I read it for The historical literature challenge, so I kind of had to, more or less. I sound imprecise, don't I... I also read it to diminish my physical TBR.

It's a book that was given to my library, but as it was old and yellowish, and the person who gave it absolutely loved it, and the reviewers on Goodreads mostly absolutely loved it, I thought this would be a great escapism book while baby it's cold outside. I'll bring it back to the library and offer it to anyone who wants it.

However, I liked it, mostly, but wasn't crazy about it. If I hadn't told anybody I was reading it, I think I would have DNFed it and moved on to another book. I kept reading because the "hero" reminded me a little of Richard Burton (the explorer). I've read his biography long ago but the memory stuck, he had a wonderful, crazy life full of adventures and Trevelyan is clearly inspired by him (up to the mustache). I love adventures, I admire people of these times who travelled around the world without any public transports or hotels, learned other languages, religions, people who wanted to share their knowledge through books, who translated classics from all over the world, what isn't there to love ? 

 

But the love story ?... I liked the Scottish part, I liked the bookish part, I liked the diverse part (this was written in 1991), I liked the almost JaneEyresque encounter, but the whole novel lacked some consistance for me. I'm 55, I find it hard these days to read about coming of age stories with the errors that come along, I like people to have a brain, to stand up for themselves, to think, to not have miscommunication issues, I want a story with adults. I could understand why those characters acted the way they did, but it doesn't mean I enjoyed reading it.

 

So, not bad, but I'd rather read another book about Richard Burton, I would sink my teeth into it with much more pleasure.