| Title | : | The Duke Gets Desperate (Sirens in Silk, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0063247496 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780063247499 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 375 |
| Publication | : | First published September 26, 2023 |
Anthony Cary, Duke of Strickland, inherits his spendthrift father's title and can finally restore the family castle to its former glory. But at the reading of the will, Strick is stunned to learn that his father has secretly disentailed him, leaving the family manor--home to twelve generations of dukes--to Strick's American stepmother. Everyone knows Strick detests the dowager duchess, and when she dies mysteriously, damning rumors start to surface.
When Raya Darwish unexpectedly inherits her glamorous late cousin's castle in the English countryside, she clashes with the charismatic young duke who insists the castle is rightfully his. The estate is practically bankrupt, so she must find a way to work with the duke in order to save both of their futures.
The two cannot stand each other, but mutual disdain soon gives way to desire. When questions arise about how her cousin died, Raya cannot help wondering if Strick's sudden unbridled passion for her is part of a scheme to get his castle back...
The Duke Gets Desperate (Sirens in Silk, #1) Reviews
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✨Frisky Business✨
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN. It kind of felt like Mr. and Mrs. Smith chemistry?? I don’t encounter hate banging a lot, but when I do, it’s my favorite. The scenes of them making out and being so angry about it…new kink unlocked. This is just a fraction of their banter:"We should not continue." She pressed her body against his. She ached for him.
"We ought to stay a million miles away from each other." He kissed her neck.
"We've lost our minds."
"Clearly." She lifted her chin to give him better access.
"I don't even like you." He nipped her neck.
Pleasure shivered through her. "I detest you."*
Whenever a castle is involved, you know the book is going to be good time. She was given his family castle in his stepmother’s will; he was NOT happy about it. (It was his second time being disinherited—the first was his father leaving the castle to the stepmother.) He owned the grounds surrounding the castle (the parts that made money with tenants and such) and she owned the castle, so they had to work together to make it profitable again. Like I said, they kinda hated each other…but it was so hot. And then they really liked each other, which was even hotter.
Do I think this man who doesn’t have money should be purchasing expensive floral arrangements? Maybe not, but a literal custom bed of flowers is HOT change my mind. I loved how he took the time to learn her favorite things (traditional Arab cuisine, purple flowers, etc). Also when she called him her best friend??? Yeah, I’m obsessed with them.
Anthony was also so obsessed. His idea of flirting was either getting her very thoughtful gifts or telling her he couldn’t wait to be inside of her 🫶 The duality of that man!! He also had some very inspired dirty talk. I think he started the book off as a bit of a jerk, but once he was down he was down so bad!! Their chemistry was off the charts, mainly because they wanted each other so damn bad!!
Raya was such a strong heroine throughout the entire book, but my favorite moment was when she stood up to the butler and was like “where did the English alphabet and universities come from, hmm???” The way Quincy weaves Arab culture within her plots is always so seamless and rich with detail. Raya didn’t need Strickland to stand up for her at all, but it was also a nice moment where he supported her with zero hesitation.
Overall, while I really adored the main relationship, there were side characters I didn’t like and a lot of lies/keeping of truths that kept it from being an initial perfect five star read. It set up at least one of the next books in the series, and I’m already beyond excited. I love Quincy’s writing; the wit and humor really made this a delightful Saturday afternoon read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️**/5
*This quote is from an eARC and is subject to change. I’ll check against a final copy once available!
**The sex scenes and intimate moments really elevated my experience! They were so fun and super hot. The scenes were never that long, but they kept me invested when the castle shenanigans got to be a bit much.
Thanks so much to the publisher via NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are honest and my own. -
Don't think too hard about this book and you'll love it!
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What happens when an Arab-American merchant’s daughter inherits an English castle? The inaugural book in Diana Quincy’s brazen new Sirens in Silk series explores this question.
The Duke Gets Desperate is my first Diana Quincy novel and after reading it I am officially a fan. I can’t wait to read on in this series, not to mention her Clandestine Affairs series!
Publication date: September 26, 2023.
Summary:
At first glance, Anthony Carey, Duke of Strickland, is curmudgeonly and entitled (literally and figuratively). Following his stepmother’s funeral, our hero (who goes by Strick) is pleased to finally inherit his rightful legacy—the family Castle Tremayne. Though his father’s will bestowed him the surrounding estate, the capricious Deena Carey retained the castle. Consequently, Strick is appalled to learn that Deena has not bequeathed him the castle. Worse still—she entrusted the eight-generation Carey family home to her American cousin whom she never even met!
In contrast to Strick, Raya Darwish—the American in question—is loveable from her first introduction. Raya is smart, courageous, and uncowed by ridiculous British nobility and their foreign conventions. Despite being the brains behind Darwish and Company’s success, Raya’s brother pushed her out of the family textile business, encouraging her to marry instead. Recently untethered, Raya and her Aunt Majida have traveled to Yorkshire to meet Raya’s beloved pen-pal cousin Deena—only to arrive and discover Deena died in a tragic accident. Now, Raya owns a musty, old, unprofitable castle. Fed up with relying on men and confident in her proven business acumen, Raya is determined to gain independence by turning Tremayne Castle into a lucrative, self-sustaining operation.
Strick and Raya infuriate each other, each antagonizing the other at every opportunity. Unfortunately (wink), they have no choice but to work together as the castle and its grounds cannot function independently. Worse still, the adversaries cannot ignore the combustible attraction sizzling between them. And wouldn’t things be a lot easier if they just got married… for practical reasons, of course. Not to mention the overarching mystery—who was Deena really and was her death truly accidental?
The Duke Gets Desperate is charming and sharp-witted. This feminist enemies-to-lovers novel confronts various forms of prejudice and offers an exciting update to the traditional Victorian-era British aristocracy romance.
Things I Loved About This Book:
Raya and Strick’s dynamic. Their enemies-to-lovers energy is impeccable. I love how mean they are to each other; their love language is basically insults. But it is also clear that, even when they hate each other, each genuinely respects the other person. Even when he detests her, Strick stands up for Raya against bigotry. Their interactions are full of wit, humor, and passion. As Strick tries to court Raya, readers enjoy episodes of sweet gestures followed by genuine disdain. I loved watching the characters spar verbally.
Strick and Raya are well-matched lovers, fated to forever drive each other mad. Though their loathing is strong, their love is even stronger. Raya and Strick’s relationship is one of equal partners—long-lasting marriage material, not just instalust. Strick offers support when needed but trusts Raya to fight her own battles. At the most critical moment, Strick concedes power not for the sake of manipulating or indebting Raya, but because he wants her to be happy and free.
Strick is hilariously horny at all times. Raya and Strick’s attraction is really well written, and the love scenes are brazen and steamy.
Characters. Especially Raya, Strick, and Aunt Majida. There is also a superbly loathsome villain.
It’s really satisfying watching Raya’s business genius at work, coming up with scheme after scheme. Raya is unstoppable and confident. She doesn’t let polite convention hold her back, she calls out bigotry and injustice.
Despite first impressions, Strick is a very loveable hero. He’s an ass, for sure, but he reveals himself at heart to be ethical, intelligent, nerdy, and passionate.
Aunt Majida is a star. Her acerbic commentary to Raya in Arabic behind everyone’s backs is so enjoyable. She’s wise, funny, and cruel (in a fun way).
Exploring contrasts. Strick and Raya’s relationship is dichotomous, representing legacy and tradition vs. modernity and progress; patriarchy vs. feminism, women’s rights; aristocracy vs. merchant class; end of an era vs. beginning of an era; American vs. British, etc.
Confronting prejudice. Raya experiences discrimination for various reasons (ethnicity, nationality, class, sex); it is openly acknowledged, not glossed over. Readers will witness secondary characters expose their bigotry “behind closed doors” to other white peers. These instances are not gratuitous, but I appreciated that the author created a realistic representation of what a person a person of Raya’s identities would experience in these circumstances. More importantly, Raya, Strick, and Aunt Majida actively confront and tear down the ignorant rhetoric thrown at them. The book also challenges Raya’s assumptions about Strick.
Arab-American representation. This book feels very affectionately written, highlighting Arabic words, foods, and diaspora communities in the 1800s.
Conclusion: 5 stars.
This was my first Diana Quincy novel, and I was excited to start a new historical romance series, especially one featuring an Arab-American heroine. This book was a delight to read and an excellent introduction to this talented, innovative author. Moreover, through this book, I was excited to learn about Quincy’s Clandestine Affairs series, in which all books also feature strong, independent heroines and main characters of Arab descent. The Duke Gets Desperate will appeal to both old school and new generation historical romance readers.
Key Tropes: enemies to lovers; class differences; cultural differences.
Star Criteria:
1: Is the book engaging/enjoyable/entertaining? Yes.
2: Is the book creative? Yes.
3: Does the book offer educational value? Yes--Arabic language, history and culture; Anglo-Saxon history and culture; late 1800s Britain; 1800s Arab-American communities.
4: Does the book highlight voices traditionally underrepresented in literature? Yes--#OwnVoices (Arab-American author writing about Arab-American heroine); main character and a few supporting characters are Arab-American.
5: Does the book challenge existing literary norms and tropes? Yes—unique premise successfully executed.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and the author for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. -
Reread update: I think I like this even more the second time around?? I forgot how stellar their banter is 😮💨
WELL THIS WAS PHENOMENAL.
I am not a huge historical romance reader, but this may have just sold me to the genre. In addition to the remarkable banter and smut that was a lot hotter than I thought it would be, I really appreciated the thoughtful and heartfelt details about Palestinian culture and Arab culture as a whole. Truthfully, why isn’t this rated higher over here?? I’m about to go read all of Diana’s books now.
Spice: -
I really enjoyed this one! The heroine inherits a castle from a distant cousin. She shows up and the cousin's stepson is angry the castle was given to a stranger instead of him. The romance starts off as hate love as the heroine works to earn money for the castle and estate since she's very business savvy. There's also a mystery over how the cousin actually died and that starts to unravel at the end. I was never bored with their story and had a fun time! I loved how the heroine pushed the hero but also how they started to fall for each other!
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I really enjoy Diana Quincy's historicals. They are always so fresh and unique in terms of plot and characters.
The setup for this was so promising, our hero the Duke of Strickland hopes to inherent his family's castle after his stepmother mysteriously passes away, only to learn she has left his ancestral estate to an Arab American cousin she doesn't even know more than from letter writing.
There's a LOT of hate to love in this one and that's ultimately what didn't work for me.
There was too much reliance on physical attraction drawing them together while still hating each other. It lacked complexity and seemed a bit too surface level for what I was hoping for. And I greatly disliked how the hero thought of the heroine in terms of body parts only.
There was sadly little to no emotional development in the romance and it was my least favorite part of the book. Great side characters and background plot and our heroine's personality really carried it for me.
I received an ARC for review. -
Diana Quincy has made a name for herself writing spicy historical romance featuring Arab characters. In The Duke Gets Desperate, she gives us Raya Darwish, an Arab-American woman with a head for business, who unexpectedly inherits the Duke of Strickland's castle. Why's he desperate? Well, he desperately wants his castle back, and he's desperately trying not to have to marry for money. Inheritance shenanigans and mysterious happenings on the estate stack on top of communication issues until we finally reach the HEA.
For sure the best part of the book is how Raya's experience as an Arab woman is woven into the narrative. She faces discrimination and racism both at home in New York and in England. Her complicated feelings with her heritage aren't glossed over. And yet, she's more than just "an Arab character": she's a fully-realized romance heroine. What's more, although her Arab-ness is front and center, it doesn't form the central conflict of the novel. We loved it!
Sadly, the romance and plot were less thrilling. Both rely heavily on miscommunication and misinterpretation between the MCs. The first time Strick froze Raya out because he misinterpreted something she said, they got over it quickly. The second time, when she thought he meant something different than he did, we were willing to read on. But when he purposely hides something from her, then she finds out and hides that she knows he's hiding something, we were kind of done with these plot elements. (The book wasn't!)
All that aside, we are invested in the series premise and looking forward to the next one.
22-Word Summaries:
Meg: Raya has: 1. An endless source of moneymaking ideas; 2. A hot bod; 3. Strick’s castle. Strick really wants that castle. Whatever will he do?
Laine: This is the least-sensical inheritance shenanigans book ever, and that's saying something. You really can't trust gossip, and someone should learn that.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel. -
This book ended up being a slight struggle to finish, and now that I'm done I want to scream "I'M FREE!!!!" at the top of my lungs, but I'll settle for screaming it mentally. I am SO disappointed, the premise sounded amazing, the beginning was promising and then the rest of it??? I don't know what happened, but it was not good.
The romance started way too fast and every romantic scene came out of nowhere, it was so strange & awkward...on top of Anthony being extremely unlikable, I just couldn't take it seriously. All of his thoughts revolved about Raya's body or sex, it was honestly exhausting.
Raya gets bonus points for not being a doormat, and for being a diverse heroine which we rarely see in historical romance, but she barely had a personality outside of her interest in business.
Some of the language used was a bit too modern for me, not as bad as some other cases, but bad enough that I noticed. I don't know if they author's other historical romances suffer from this too since this is my first book by her, but if they do then I fear she's not the author for me. And I want to support her so bad, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
But please don't let me dissuade you from trying this out, it might work for you!! And if it doesn't, well then we can do a sad high five together.
P. S. Minor audiobook issue, for some reason the female narrator's parts are a bit quieter then the male's, I thought it was just at the start but it would happen every time they switched PoVs. Or maybe that was just Libby acting up, who knows.
2.5 -
Book 1 in the *NEW* Sirens in Silk series by Diana Quincy. Enemies to friends to lovers trope.
Oh how I adored these captivating characters that find themselves caught-up in a crazy predicament after both inherit a crumbling castle. Our wise Arab-American heroine alongside a cinnamon-roll hero have quite the unique dilemma to solve.. and how they go about it brings them into each others orbit by necessity. This is where the author uses wit, humor and passion to create two lovable characters that deserved finding their happily ever after. Such a fun start to this new series! ❥ 4.5 stars — Pub. 9/26/23 -
The Duke Gets Desperate is the first book in a new series by Diana Quincy and I really enjoyed this class difference, historical romance!
The story starts with the Duke of Strickland finding out his family’s run-down castle hasn’t been left to him for the second time! First when his father passed, the castle went to his stepmother, and now with her passing, the castle has been left to his stepmother’s cousin who has been living in America. Strick was ready to restore the castle to its former glory and now has to deal with someone else owning it, while he owns the lands around it. Now he has to work together with Raya, the new owner of his family’s castle.
Raya is Arab-American and I loved her business-mind and ideas. This book takes place in Victorian times when things are starting to change in England for the aristocracy, so I really enjoyed seeing Raya realizing the castle has an opportunity to start making money with tours of the estate. She isn’t afraid to get in there and get the work done, when a housemaid is taking way too long to clean a single window pane, Raya gets in there and cleans up the place herself. She is headstrong and goes up against Strick’s ideas many times, which was so fun to see play out. Strick goes on digs and collects Saxon relics and we see them connect over some of the items he has. I will say the romance didn’t feel super fleshed out, it’s a lot of lust, but I enjoyed the plot and story as a whole so I didn’t mind as much. -
SOUNDS AMAZING
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When Arab-American Raya Darwish travels to England to meet her cousin, the last thing she expects is to inherit a castle! Anthony Cary, Duke of Strickland, is blindsided by the reading of the will, thinking the house would finally be reunited with the land. The estate is practically bankrupt, and both their lives are now entwined. Raya and Anthony immediately clash, but mutual frustration soon gives way to desire.
This is the first book in the Sirens in Silk series. Readers are introduced to two of Strickland's friends, however it's not clear if they will be the protagonist heroes or if perhaps the connection might come from Raya's family in New York. Possibly both...?
This is a fun story, and I thought the enemies-to-lovers relationship was Goldilocks "just right." Strick and Raya had conflict that was believable, but never crossed into pure nastiness. It helped to fuel their chemistry and made Raya's changes at the castle more interesting. I also thought the background intrigue with Deena's death and the stolen items played perfectly, with plenty of suspicious characters that kept me guessing. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
Tropes: Class Difference, Unexpected Inheritance, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity
Steam: 3 (three full, but shorter, scenes and some interrupted scenes)
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. -
I really liked it!
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a historical romance with a palestinian fmc? don’t mind if i do
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“This attraction between us is a curse.”
I loved Quincy’s previous series, so it’s no surprise that this book hit all the right notes!
Arab-American businesswoman Raya unexpectedly inherits a a run-down castle in the English countryside—to the equal surprise of the Duke of Strickland, who was supposed to inherit it. Raya starts using her American business savvy to improve the castle. Strick is very British and very mad about this. Sparks fly. Arguments lead to kissing. Raya’s aunt insults everyone in Arabic and is also one of the best characters. Also there’s a murder mystery?
Y’all know that scene in the iconic work of cinematography, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, where they yell how much they loathe each other and she smacks him with her fan and then they kiss aggressively before falling in a fountain?? Those are the vibes. Like, almost exactly the vibes.
They hate each other so much. But they’re also *very* into each other. And they hate it. But they also can’t resist each other. And when they eventually stop fighting/kissing/fighting, it turns out they might just be perfect for each other…
CW: sexual content, racism, sexism, death, murder
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
Interesting conundrum!
Imagine if you will that you’re ready to finally have control of your Ducal lands only to find out things aren’t as you expected. The entail on Tremayne Castle had been allowed to lapse and the castle left to your stepmother.
Now Anthony Carey, Duke of Strickland can’t believe his stepmother had decided to leave the castle to her niece. Deena had assured him it would revert to him.
Raya Dawish can’t believe she’s been left a castle. She leaves New York with nothing to show for her expert handling of the very successful family business. Her role has not been acknowledged. She’s hurting.
Now the castle’s hers and she’s thinking of ways to make it pay, except it seems she only owns the castle and gardens, not the necessary outhouses or animals! Things have to change.
The Duke of Strickland is angry at what his step mother has done, but the more he sees of Raya the more he is attracted to her.
Then there’s the rumor that Raya might have pushed her aunt Deena to her death! What!?
A quirky tale. The attraction between the two reached its climax early on in the relationship. (I guess you’re allowed to be a little wild if you’re from New York, even in those days.)
Still something rang a jarring note. Was it the quick turn around from bitterness to love? Maybe the intimacy of the relationship felt too rushed. Still the title to the series says it all.
An interesting beginning to the Sirens in Silk series that had a fabulous premise but didn’t quite live up to its promise.
An Avon ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.) -
Ohh this was a DELIGHT! Historical romance tends to feel a little intimidating to me for some reason, but this one pulled me in right away, and I had so much fun all throughout. The dynamic between the main character and love interest was SO SO good. They had so much chemistry, and their banter was so hilarious to read.
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I really liked and enjoyed reading this historical romance. The banter was fantastic if you haven't read a historical romance just know they do banter and chemistry best.The plot is that the Arab American fmc Raya comes to England because her dead cousin left it to her in the will. She meets the Duke of Strickland who immediately dislikes her because she got the castle he thought would go to him. Because the castle has no money the fmc Raya shows her great business skills and comes leads the castle out of closure and bankruptcy.
I loved the fmc Raya she was a great strong heroine who knew her stuff and was very proud of her arab heritage despite some discrimination from people. Strickland the mmc was also good, his character wasn't as in-depth as the fmc though. They had great tension and chemistry and quite a few steamy scenes. There was a lot of dirty talk from the mmc though which wasn't that bad actually. I really enjoyed the mystery plot and Raya trying to figure out if her aunt was killed. Overall this was a good romance with good characters, banter and plot.
This author is Palestinian American and I loved that that the author wove a lot of the fmc's heritage and culture into the book.
Tropes/themes:
- Historical romance
- Victorian Era
- Dislike to lovers
- Arab American fmc
- Mystery plot
- Steamy scenes
- Strong business savvy heroine -
2.75 🌟's.
✨ tropes: enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, businesswoman heroine, poc/woc rep
🌶 spice: 2.75/5
this was relatively disappointing, primarily bc i found no emotional depth or connection developed between the MC's; the hero was just constantly thinking about having sex with her and the heroine was preoccupied with her castle enterprise 😐 quincy's writing and inclusion of woc are the only two saving factors but other than that, didn't really enjoy my time with this after the first like 30%
also, idk if others found this .. icky... but this white man referring to her as his arab queen was just not doing it for me 🥴
sadness bc i loved quincy's other books but alas, this one was just not for me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher Avon for the e-ARC via Netgalley. Releases September 26, 2023! -
4.25 stars!
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what a lusty man 🤭
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This historical romance centers around a castle as the titular Duke, Strickland, finds himself forced into proximity with Raya Darwish, a Palestinian-American daughter of factory owners who has, in a very romance-novel twist of events, inherited his ancestral home. Strick and Raya have one of the most classic, beloved historical-romance dynamics, where they can’t stand each other—she’s an opinionated low-class foreign upstart and he’s an arrogant, macho aristocrat—but they want to bone so bad. Sparks fly when they bicker. It’s so fun to watch them provoke each other as they wrangle with the castle’s failing finances and end up working together to save it. Incidentally, they also catch a thief, narrowly evade a few attempts on Raya’s life, and expose a murderer along the way. I loved all the little details in this, like Raya’s Auntie Majida doing tatreez embroidery and Strick’s passion for Anglo-Saxon artifacts, whether he was overseeing archaeological digs or recreating jewelry at his forge. It’s not lost on me that this is an ethical way for a nineteenth-century English aristocrat to love antiquities; he’s not stealing the treasures of other cultures, but celebrating those of his own.
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Okay so, this book was a delight… but, it really made me realize that I’m not a fan of the “when will you trust me” “withheld information” and “unintentional miscommunication” tropes.
I adored both Raya’s and Anthony’s personalities. This book was very atmospheric and infused with great cultural references. But the source of their sexual tension stemmed from both parties unwillingness to be 100% vocal about “things and stuff”. Which I got tired of.
Solid 3 stars. -
Perfect airplane romance book. They loathe each other! But grope each other! He plants her favorite color wildflowers in the abbey ruins to bed her in! Not to mention that mirror + jewelry scene!! 🤭
i will say i often struggle with Quincy's male main characters. They verge right on the edge of despicable stuffed shirts, and this one was no exception, yet he won me over a bit in the end.
That said, the ride was worth the price of admission!
thank you to Avon for the advance paperback copy -
4.5⭐️
rep: palestinian-american fmc
oh my goooood, i fully think i read this at the perfect time bc i was missing kate & anothony from bridgerton so bad AND THE ROMANCE IN THIS REMINDED ME OF THEM AND HAD THE SAME ENERGY AND IT FILLED THE VOID I STGGG IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!! the enemies to lovers and insane chemistry was PALPABLEEEE and i was gasping, running laps hellooooo it was so hotttt
i also loved raya sm!! she was so badass and independent and stronggg, i adore her!!! and the plot itself was so good and the relationship was everythinggggg -
Anthony Carey, the Duke of Strickland, is overwhelmed to have inherited his title from his spendthrift father but is eager to begin the process of restoring the family’s ancestral castle to its former splendor. Unfortunately, at the reading of the will it becomes apparent that his father has broken the entail and left the castle to his wife, Anthony’s American stepmother. It is known that there is no love lost between Anthony and his stepmother, so when she dies ugly rumors abound.
Raya Darwish was merely on her way to the English countryside to visit her aunt and is shocked upon her arrival to learn the lady has passed and left her a castle. Of course, Raya clashes with the handsome young duke who insists the castle should be his by rights. With the estate nearing bankruptcy, Raya and Anthony must work together as his inheritance of the grounds surrounding the castle means that neither can function fully without the other.
Raya and Anthony cannot stand one another, but the antipathy between them soon gives way to a different sort of passion, though Raya also cannot help but wonder if that passion is just due to his desperation to reclaim his castle.
I wanted to love this book way more than I did, though I thankfully did wind up pleased with the ending overall. Glancing over other reviews, it seems most everyone was annoyed by Anthony, but Raya was the issue here for me. I found Anthony’s valuing heritage and longing to keep the place that was home to his family for generations to be understandable, relatable, and noble. It was hard not to view Raya as an interloper, especially given her terrible attitude. Much of her behavior was just unaccountably rude toward Anthony and I was left wondering several times why he kept coming back for more. She was very annoyingly snappish with him and unwilling to concede even an inch. She just seemed like yet another who didn’t really see him as a person. Their enemies to lovers passion was on point, but I did think she took it a bit too far. Raya was also very quick to assert her rights to the castle but appeared to have zero concept of or respect for Anthony’s claims to everything else. He definitely handled her presumption far better than I would have. There were several times when she just completely missed the fact that he was a human too. For instance, she was upset that he could be hot and cold with her, yet she was somehow unable to see that she was treating him much worse than merely being hot and cold. I found myself wishing to see him with his best friend’s sister instead, definitely feeling that Raya didn’t deserve him and unsure of why he was so obsessed with her.
All told, Raya made way too many assumptions and got her feelings hurt a bit too easily. Even when she finally connected with Anthony on a deeper level, she was also still pushing him away, so the emotional development just wasn’t there in the way I wanted it to be. This issue also made the pacing feel weird. Anthony and Raya kept having essentially the same arguments because even when he gave a little, she was unwilling to bend at all to meet him. This was a recurring theme and felt like a missed opportunity for her to grow a little. Any time she thought he had done something wrong, she resorted to childish games instead of just talking to him, so I was once again left longing for open communication. Then she accused him of having nefarious motives for wanting to marry her, despite the fact that her reasoning was proven faulty over and over again because he’d been trying to marry her all along. He even told her that he already was devoted to her and considered himself her husband, but it was like she refused to listen to anything he said. Sure, he did keep something from her, but he did so to protect her. She had no sure kind motives for her actions. I found her all or nothing attitude infuriating when he just wanted her to pick him over business and she just wouldn’t do it. At this point their relationship felt very transactional and this kind of killed the romance for me.
In another instance of odd pacing, the resolution came very quickly and mostly off page, much to my frustration. In the end, I still never got the deep emotional connection this needed for me to be fully happy with it. It seemed Anthony had grown and broadened his horizons, but I’m not sure Raya had done so enough to ensure their lasting happiness, especially not with how much she still kept trying to guarantee herself the upper hand. I would’ve much rather seen them establish a true partnership and work through challenges together. Though I do think the ending overall was satisfying, this is a story that could’ve perhaps benefited from a brief epilogue.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link:
https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo... -
The Duke Gets Desperate is a charming and witty historical romance novel by Diana Quincy. It is the first book in the Sirens in Silk series, and it introduces a diverse cast of characters and a captivating plot. The story follows Raya Ali, an Arab-American woman who inherits a run-down castle in the English countryside. Raya is determined to restore the castle to its former glory, but she soon discovers that she is not the only one with a claim to the property.
Anthony St. Clair, the Duke of Ramsbottom, believes that the castle belongs to him, and he is not willing to give it up without a fight. Raya and Anthony are initially at odds, but they are soon drawn to each other despite their differences. As Raya and Anthony work together to restore the castle, they also fall in love. But their relationship is not without its challenges. They must face opposition from their families and society, as well as the secrets that they both keep.
Diana Quincy does a wonderful job of developing her characters and their relationships. Raya and Anthony are both complex and likeable characters, and their journey from enemies to lovers is both heartwarming and steamy.
Quincy also does a great job of creating a vivid and immersive historical setting. The reader can feel the atmosphere of the English countryside and the social and cultural norms of the Victorian era.
Overall, The Duke Gets Desperate is a well-written and engaging romance novel. It is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️| 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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I devoured The Duke Gets Desperate in just a few sittings. Quincy has a knack for pulling the reader in with rich characters and settings. I’ve enjoyed previous novels by Diana Quincy and was delighted to slip into this romance.
Raya, an America merchant and her grandmother, arrive to see her Aunt, but instead find out she died mysteriously. Raya inherits the castle that belonged to the Duchess. Strickland the Duke is none too pleased. The castle and surrounding properties have been in the family for twelve generations and are in dire financial straits.
What unfolded was a delicious “enemies to lovers” romance with a suspenseful undertone. Raya has a good head for business and immediately sets out to bring in funds. Of course, all of her ideas go against the “English ways”, and it was interesting seeing these two butt heads. Despite his anger and her frustration, the two have a sizzling chemistry and acts of kindness and joint passions bring the two together.
We have a suspenseful thread woven into the tale as the Duchess died fell from a ruin and town gossip suspects the Duke. It was well done. I loved the twists, Quincy added from the castle to staff. Our hero & heroine felt genuine, and I quickly rooted for them.
The tale wrapped up splendidly and I look forward to the next story set to release in 2024. The Duke Gets Desperate is perfect for fans of Tessa Dare.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer -
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I normally love Diana Quincy's books, but this one didn't do anything for me. I struggled the most with the heroine as I just felt that she was extremely unlikeable. I don't mind an enterprising woman who does whatever is needed to make ends meet or create a business plan. I liked that she was resourceful, but I found her in general just annoying and rude to Anthony for most of the book. I don't know why he continued to have anything to do with her.
This is an enemy to lover's romance, but there weren't enough moments for me from being enemies to not hating each other to falling in love, that it makes it very hard to believe in these two truly loving each other. Yeah, we get it they desired each other, but love isn't desire and wanting to jump each other's bones isn't enough for me to truly buy their love story. I felt like their relationship never developed and their emotional connection was lacking. It all felt too surface level for me.
This won't appeal to everyone, and who knows I am maybe I am in the minority here but just didn't work for me. -
Content warnings: death of a parent (in the past), death of a family member (in the past), xenophobia, classism, murder, alcohol, theft
This was my first Diana Quincy book but it certainly won't be my last! While some of the mystery-esque aspects of the story were a tad predictable, the hate-to-love dynamic between the two leads was FANTASTIC and I loved the way that Strick's interest in archaeology was woven into the story. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series, because I'm absolutely invested in Raya's family and the inclusion of their textiles business in the background of the story.
Basically? The characters were delightful. The banter was on point. And I had a truly fabulous time reading this.
