The Accidental Duke by Barbara Devlin

(The Mad Matchmaking Men of Waterloo #1)

Published: April 14th 2021

Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Blurb:

A WOUNDED WARRIOR
British Army Major Anthony Erasmus Hildebrand Bartlett, 7th Marquess of Rockingham, returns to London a tortured soul after losing an arm at Waterloo. Suffering incomprehensible terror from his wartime experiences, or what is referred to as nostalgia, Anthony is now the sole heir to a dukedom and a betrothal he doesn’t want. He wishes he died on the front lines with his elder brother, and the last thing he needs is a wife. Can Anthony find the will to live again?

A RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE
Lady Arabella is not so sanguine about her prospects, because she doesn’t want to marry anyone. That Anthony is injured and may be mad is the least of her concerns. Smart and perceptive, she sees through the tormented soldier’s pain, offering comfort and support that reaches through the fog to awaken him, and she is drawn to her fiancé.

When the duke imprisons Anthony in an asylum, Arabella must rely on her wit and wisdom to free the man she loves.

My Review:

This book provides a stark reminder of how vulnerable anyone was in the Regency area. Anthony suffered PTSD (it’s not identified as such) and because of this he was vulnerable to be declared a lunatic and locked away without any recourse. Arabella considered Anthony’s property once married was also without any rights whatsoever. They were both taken and held against their will just on the word of Anthony’s father who wanted an heir and wanted his son out of sight.

The romance evolves and is a true partnership which is rare in historical romance. There is plenty of chemistry and the level of trust they have in each other helped weather the worst.

My only issue was with some of the language used. That is just a personal preference, I am not a fan of the word chum and it comes up way more than I would like.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.