| Title | : | The Duke's Undoing |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 202 |
| Publication | : | First published April 18, 2012 |
The duke has just returned wounded from the Napoleonic wars. He is weary, cynical, and very bored. Known as the worst rake in England, he finds he has no interest in upholding that distinction, when his friend, the Marquis of Somerset, proposes a bet: "Five thousand guineas says that seducing Miss Elise Edwards will cure your ennui." Because his friend has just lost a packet to him, he agrees that the bet be posted in White's famous Betting Book.
The following day, while walking in Green Park, he spies a mysterious young woman, veiled, and obviously grieving. A disembodied voice, sounding strangely like that of his late adjutant, informs him, "The jig is up. That is the girl you are going to marry!" He scoffs, but is nevertheless intrigued by something about the slight figure. He even sketches her and asks if he can be of assistance to her. She declines his offer kindly.
At the opera that evening, he is captivated by a beauty across the Opera Hall. He hears the same voice, saying the same thing. The marquis informs him that the woman in question is Miss Elise Edwards. When he meets her, he recognizes her voice as that of the woman in the park. Now she is surrounded by a surfeit of ex-fiance's, one of them dangerously unbalanced. Ruisdell discovers an actual bond between them which renders him honor bound to protect her.
Thus begins a train of unstoppable events--dangerous, humorous, devilish, and amorous--that carry his life along at such a pace that the duke soon knows not whether he is on his head or his heels. And then there is that bet . . .
The Duke's Undoing Reviews
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If you love a good Rouge story with the amazing determination to never marry and continue for life in a bed um never wed um manner then this book is for you. Until the moment that you realize he is such a great person. He has seen things. He has been affected by what he saw in the war and now just wants to be the man he was before he left for the continent. Can it happen, can he go back to his carefree ways? Let running into a beautiful sad veil covered woman not interfere with his life plan. No, not if you are a rogue.
What happens when the Duke is taken with the veiled woman and finds himself wanting to truly change his ways? He just has to fight it and fight anyone that wants to hurt her. Did I mention this woman has been engaged three times and has always begged off in the end? His chivalrous nature shines through in the story. He is one extraordinary Duke.
Peter, the Duke of Ruisdell is just that man and he has found Elise the thrice engaged woman that threatens his entire lifestyle. It is a wonderful, enjoyable story filled with death, love, happiness, revenge and deceit. It is in other words, amazingly through. I loved the hero and the heroine. The compliment each other so well. It is a well written exciting book with women that are in unexpected vocations, unusual house pets and glorious clothing. It has all the details that make an historic romance a dream come true. -
It didn't feel right
I did not like this one so much. Peter was a....peter. I did not like him or his thoughts about Marianne his former DEBUTANTE mistress!!! What the heck??? She was a debutante but she was his mistress!!??? No it didn't make sense to me and his thoughts about her 'delectable' body were just gross. He did not impress me and neither did this book and no, Marianne was not the heroine by the way. But even then it was just a mess of a story. I didn't buy the HEA or the book! Lol. Thank heavens. I will try this author again but so far she hasn't won me over. But she probably doesn't care, a lot of people love this so it's probably me. I do like the writing style just not the plots. Sorry. -
The Duke's Undoing had a lot of potential but failed woefully short!! G.G. Vandagriff the author needs to study history about Dukes before tempting to write one. The Duke of Ruisdell was so badly written. I felt like I was in some kind of joke. Dukes would never have taken a Hackney, public transportation, No one would ever dare not challenge a Duke weather he was telling the truth or not. No one arrested a Duke or attempted to arrest one no matter what they were accused of. A lowly commoner had more clot then The Duke of Ruisdell and he was also a war hero!! PLEASE Don't write about Dukes or the upper titles of the ton if you don't know the power they held . This entire cast of characters was so out of the realm of possibility for the era. This story really frustrated me but I did finish it.
The H/H have a bazaar none sexual relationship not eve a kiss until the last few pages. I don't need a lot of sex in my story but some kind of sensual intimacy is necessary. This I guess is what some reviewers refer to as a Clean Read. Well you can keep your Clean Read. This was just awful!! -
First of all let me say I love regency novels. I have read quite a few of G.G. Vandagriff's books, but was disappointed and shocked that this novel is not a clean read.
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Miss Elise Edwards has just lost her third fiancé. Her first died in the Napoleonic wars, her second turned out to be mad and fled to Italy, and she suspects the most recent of being in love with her best friend—who is most certainly in love with him.
Through a strange set of events and coincidences, she becomes engaged a fourth time: to the Duke of Ruisdell, reputed to be a rake and a rogue. For his part, the Duke used to be a rake but three years fighting in the Peninsula has left him a changed man.
What follows is a typical Regency: lots of Ladies and Lords (some of whom are not ladies or gentlemen), beautiful clothes, misunderstandings, balls, a duel and a madman. No, it’s not realistic, but that’s Regency Romance. “Normal” people never lived like this, even during the Regency—Regency Romance is centred around the ton, the Upper 10,000, who comprised around 1% of the population.
The Duke’s Undoing is a classic Regency Romance in the style of Georgette Heyer, which means it’s free of language, sex and violence, and is faithful to the established facts of the time (as established by Georgette Heyer). The heroine is intelligent with some interesting personality quirks, the hero is heroic and titled, and the supporting characters are excellent.
I did get confused on occasion between George and Gregory, particularly when the men were often identified only by their titles, and I can imagine some readers would get annoyed by the way George speaks, but I enjoyed it-it reminded me of one of the characters out of Cotillion, my favourite Georgette Heyer novel. The Duke’s Undoing isn’t Christian fiction (actually the author is a Latter Day Saint, and there is no faith element), but it’s an enjoyable read for fans of traditional Regency Romance. Recommended for fans of Regency Romance. -
Found this on Goodreads (this is my best source of new books to read!) and picked it up because I love a witty Regency-era romance.
Things I liked about this story included a heroine who was engaged multiple times before she met Her Real Hero (the Duke of the title) and that struck a humorous chord in my psyche. The Duke, Peter (I'll call him Peter because I like him, now) did not at first have much to recommend him, in my opinion, but he grew on me.
Reforming the Rake is a rather old cliché among romances, but I think Vandagriff did a playful job with her treatment of the theme.
There are bad guys (like scary bad), eccentric relatives (and their pets! Henry Five is my favorite!), and even a dead fiancé involved in the plot. It was a romp of a story, I found myself liking pretty much everyone I was supposed to and wanting to shake His Grace Our Hero and Our Miss Uniquely Beautiful Heroine for their idiocy on occasion, but that is rather par for the course.
If you choose to read this story, bear with the initial chapters and pay attention to them. Though Vandagriff does weave about a little in her introductions, there is a method to it. I do think she tried rather too hard to weave in "Regency Romance Phrasing" here and there, but as a longtime fan of the genre, I smiled fondly and continued. The subject of physical passion was touched on more frequently than is the norm in this genre, but nothing terribly untoward actually happened. It was, however, thought of. One cannot blame an acknowledged Rake for thinking...can one? :)
Rating a 3.75, rounded to a 4. -
It has more depth than the usual romance novel with lots of different characters and plot devices. However, it's all too much. The first half of the novel is excellent. The hero and heroine get to know each other and develop a relationship. Then after that the plot speeds up into sheer madness. So many things happen that the plot is simply unbelievable. Characters are dropped and never mentioned again and the story went on way too long. Yet the conclusion was super rushed and unsatisfactory. This would have been a much nicer novella without the melodrama in the last half. Also, the previously clean romance (I swooned at one point) developed into something that Georgette Heyer would probably find smutty. Historical purists beware there are a few inaccuracies. The characters are good though. Elsie is strong, brave and kind-hearted, all traits I admire in a heroine. Peter is a wonderful hero for most of the book. He's devoted, kind, proud and flawed. His traits make him a unique and well-developed character. I especially liked the secondary characters, Elsie's aunt Clarice and her companion Lady Susannah and their pets. Their scenes add a lot of comic relief. If you're looking for a squeaky clean, sweet romance a la Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, do not read this book. If you want an interesting story with just about every crazy plot device tossed in, then I highly recommend this one. I noticed a few typos on the Kindle edition which drove me crazy.
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Apparently this is a wildly popular genre, and this book is diverting, although not anything but fluff and not meant to be. This is the first Regency romance I've read, so I'm not familiar with the conventions of these books, but I like Vandagriff's other books and thought I would give it a try. After a slow, or perhaps just a little scattered beginning, I became interested and enjoyed reading the ups and downs of the romance between the Duke of Ruisdell and Elise Edwards. Toward the end, the book was too repetitively "steamy" for me, with characters imagining their wedding night and sexual relationship, talking about it with each other, barely restraining themselves, etc. etc. (although it's pretty tame stuff compared to what it could have been), more than the once or twice necessary to convey their enthusiasm, if that was needed, and certainly more than was wise if they genuinely wanted to remain chaste until they were married. And the whole thing got a little boring and repetitive in that respect. But I guess that's better than a graphic description of their failure to restrain themselves, and it's a small point in the overall acheme of things. Character motivations are well-explained and the supporting players are interestingly quirky. If you like Regency romances, this book should be your cup of tea.
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Why is it that so many romance books start with a bet? We know that it's going to come back to bite the hero later, but for some reason, he thinks he won't fall for said girl anyway.
If you like young adult books, I recommend
Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram. For the first time I can remember, the guy told the girl exactly what he was up to from the start. Refreshing! -
It was ok. Nothing to fawn over.
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I read The Baron and The Bluestocking prior reading this one, if I don't know any better I thought the book was written by a different author--I think what killed this potentially a great story is the overt melodramatic element that undermined the fluidity of the story, should heed the wisdom: less is more.
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The heroine of The Duke’s Undoing, with her three ex-fiances, her writing of novels under the pen name “A Gentlewoman,” and her unconventional personality, intrigued me from the start. What sounded in the description like an unlikely scenario was presented quite believably by the author.
I really liked both the hero and heroine. The supporting characters were interesting, entertaining, and villainous where applicable. I was pulled into the Regency time period, with descriptions and dialogue that felt authentic and encompassing. There were scenes of fast-paced action intermingled with more sedate, dignified discourses that resemble traditional Austen-like prose. (Didn’t that sound so Regency-ish?)
There were a few unexpected plot twists, some of which made me wonder of the Duke and Elise would ever get their happily-ever-after. The romance, when they were together, was toe-curling but clean. The main characters had some great chemistry that the author effectively portrayed without using graphic description, something I appreciate. It was easy to get caught up in the main characters’ emotions, particularly during one heart-wrenching scene that I don’t want to spoil.
The story slowed for me near the end (about 80% in) but picked back up. I liked the ending but felt like I wanted to know more. What happened later? Did things ever get resolved regarding the Duke’s circumstances? Were they ever able to settle at his palace? Considering that this is Book One of a series, I’m hoping we will get to see glimpses of the Duke and Elise’s future and have those questions answered.
The Duke’s Undoing was an enjoyable read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone who loves a good Regency romance. I look forward to reading about the other two rogues and their ladies.
Content: some innuendo; a few references to breasts; one “curse” word; mild violence (a stabbing, a duel, attempted kidnapping) and references to war experiences
Review originally published on LDS Women's Book Review -
www.ldswbr.com -
An utterly fabulous one-day read. Miss Edwards is precisely what I think a modern woman in a long-past time would be like. She is fiery and sensitive and caring - and unfairly marked by her past. Set in a time where women are expected to marry young and well - or be branded as untouchable.
Miss Edwards had one engagement that ended in tragedy, one that ended in fear, and one she's fairly beating off with a stick. And then there's the one she's counting on to rescue her. It's the last one that ends up truly changing her life. Although, after reading of a certain harrowing kidnapping and carriage ride, I think it's clear that Miss Edwards is more in control of her life than even she realizes.
This book was a very good read. So many real elements of life that are often left out of romance novels were present, and I felt that made for a more interesting and riveting story. Having ennui and other difficulties in coming back from the war, the frustration of not being believed when a person is not a good match for you, mental illness, and more.
Vandagriff is an extremely skillful writer, and I find myself looking forward to finding another book and another by the same author.
Please read this and other reviews at
www.memoirsofabookwyrm.com -
This one was just okay for me. I actually started it and put it down a couple times and when I finally came back to it I was able to get into the story a little better. I thought the story was enjoyable enough, but I wanted to like the characters more than I did. Elise was a likable heroine, I would have preferred if we could have gotten to know her personality instead of being told how great she is. If that makes sense. I also have a hard time relating to a character that is supposedly so perfect and one that men are literally falling all over her. I did like that she was intelligent and stood up for herself; she doesn’t fall for the usual rakish charms. She is also kind and has a forgiving heart. Our hero, Peter, was okay. I liked him. The villains were a little silly. Especially Robert. I would have liked it if he was more a villain than simply “mad”.
Overall, it was enjoyable and reminded me a bit of Heyer.
Content: Clean, PG-Subtle. I was surprised by the amount of innuendo throughout. -
To be quite honest, I don't believe I've read many Regency Romance novels, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, GG Vandagriff did not disappoint. This novel is filled with intrique, turmoil, a bit of comedy, and a LOT heart-fluttering romance. I loved the characters, especially those of Elise Edwards and the complex duke of Ruisdell. Elise is the perfect heroine. She is intelligent, snarky yet sweet, and passionate about life. In my mind, the duke is as handsome as ever, and exhibits just the right amount of dark brooding mixed with heart-warming sincerity. Vandagriff weaves romantic tension between these two characters in a way that will leave your heart thrilling. The plot, though a little slow at first, picks right up and keeps you turning the pages until the very end. This story is definitely one that you will want to read over and over again. I can't wait to read more by G.G. Vandagriff.
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3.5/5.0
What a wild romp of a story! The hilarious twists and turns just keep coming as both Elise and the reader try to figure a way to happiness.
Read full review in the
2012 Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine. -
This is one of the more unusual regencies I’ve read. Not necessarily in a bad way, although it did make the novel a little long. That was okay, though, because there were some interesting issues. The first is Robert Waterford, who obviously has a mental illness. He is one of Elisa’s three fiancés. She really does have bad luck. Robert has good “spells” and bad ones, and eventually stabs Duke Ruisdell (Elisa’s eventual fourth fiancé) and is sentenced to hang for attempted murder. The sad thing about this is that even were his mental disorder taken into consideration, the only alternative for him is Bedlam. I think at that point he may actually be better off being hung, unfortunately. He wouldn’t have been treated there, that’s for sure, and he probably would have gotten worse.
The second thing is that it actually shows wounded soldiers and Ruisdell talks about his war experience. I can’t speak to how accurate it is to the Napoleanic War, because I don’t know much about it—it’s never really discussed except as a backdrop, background information about someone coming or going. I liked the fact that Ruisdell knew Joshua. I think that makes their relationship even more special (both Joshua and Ruisdell’s and Elisa’s and Ruisdell’s).
I also loved Elisa’s Aunt and Sukey, along with Queen Elizabeth and George Five. There were just such interesting characters that were awesome characters, and then there were the characters I wanted to strangle, like Chessingdon and Marianne.
George Somerset deserves special mention as a friend of few words who is a stalwart and true friend. Everyone needs a George.
One of Elisa’s flaws is that she’s willing to trust people (like Chessingdon) who have shown their true colors yet she expects him to suddenly change and be a different, better person, which ends up causing a lot of unnecessary hardship.
I liked this, though, and would read other books by this author. -
Engaging!!
Duke of Ruisdell a rogue finds his life entwined with Elise. Elise known to have many fiancés could not understand the Duke and his games.
In their separate lives they found something connecting them. Meanwhile, Elise was still in mourning of her only love Joshua who died in battle.
Love has a very strange way of finding and connecting people.
I don’t know if I liked the Duke. The author painted his character as roguish but towards the end he seemed saintly. I’m not sure if I could peel off the intuition the author created about the Duke.
Also, Elise seemed childish at some point for her age and other times, she seemed very mature.
Overall, the story was good. It was mostly engaging. The writing style wasn’t unique but everything else was good -
Parts of this book I liked others were too long winded the characters were good but our Heroine Elise incredibly gullible.
Contains SPOILERS
After dismissing too fiancees, one of them is mad and one of them (Chessingden) who molested her, she believes this one when he lies through his teeth to her about the man she loves, who at the time she believes dead!
Then she proceeds to put these lies into a book, it doesn't make sense to me our hero kills Chessingden and they have to flee to the continent???
I liked the hero Peter Ruisden, and the introduction of the eccentric relatives and pets but overall it only just scraped 3* it should be 2.5* but there isn't that value -
A delightful story!
A delightful story filled with humor, but also deals with serious issues such as mental instability, multiple personalities, PTSD, overcoming tragedy and misunderstandings, and not least of all forgiveness. Then pulling yourself back up and becoming a stronger person for it. Ms Vandagriff also deals with the question about possible life after death, could those who have passed on somehow communicate with those of us who still live? This all sounds more like a book on philosophy but Ms Vandagriff cleverly incorporates these ideas into a powerful historical romance with a delightful HEA. I highly recommend reading this as you will not want to miss out. -
This author doesn't quit
Yet another awful Regency Romance from this author. The mary-sue love interest, the handsome hero who we're told is a rake, the idiotic former fiance, the crazy ex. Every potential is stifled with bad writing and the progression of the plot refuses to even remotely associate itself with being linear. Of course the book is supposedly structured to work as a play, but a high school student can do better. Avoid this book and this author of you want a good Regency romance read. -
The plot is VERY thin. This is the most boring and generic Regency Romance I've ever had the misfortune of purchasing. $2 was too much for this book. The characters are flat, despite the author explaining HOW COMPLEX AND UNIQUE they are on every other page. Plus, the author is very fond of a particular sentence construction that requires more commas than she is willing to allot. No, thank you. Will not finish.
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PG
I really, really like Georgette Heyer, and I'm loving what I've read so far by GG Vandagriff - Heyer with the occasional smooch! I loved Elise Edwards and how practical and unaffected she was about everything, and I loved how she turned Ruisdell on his head. Cute, funny, fun, entertaining. It's a 200 page pick-me-up! I'm going to continue the Six Rogues and Their Ladies. -
Review
I absolutely loved this story! One of the best I’ve ever read, I enjoyed all the characters in it and the intrigue and romance in it, there was so much going on in this woman’s life I couldn’t put book down, I honestly and truly recommend this book to everyone, you’ll be glad you read it!
