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    What to Do With a Duke
    What to Do With a Duke
    What to Do With a Duke
    Audiobook9 hours

    What to Do With a Duke

    Written by Sally MacKenzie

    Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Miss Isabelle Catherine Hutting would rather be lounging in the library than circling the ballroom in search of a husband any day. So when Cat hears that the town's infamous Spinster House is open for a new resident, she jumps at the chance to put all this marriage business behind her. But first she must make arrangements with her prospective landlord, Marcus, the Duke of Hart-the most handsome man she's ever seen, and the only man who's ever impressed her in the least.

    With her wit, independent spirit, and great beauty, Marcus can't help but be stirred by Cat. It's terribly unfortunate that he's not looking to marry, given the centuries-old curse that left his family with the Spinster House to begin with. No duke shall live to see his heir's birth. But is there a chance the curse could be broken-in true fairy-tale fashion-by an act of true love?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 25, 2015
    ISBN9781494580803

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    Reviews for What to Do With a Duke

    3.5/5

    37 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Sally MacKenzie's books keep getting better! I was totally going to just make sure the book was in my kindle app to read on the commute the following morning, but instead I ended up staying up WAY past my bedtime starting--and finishing--the book.

      The overall premise--a hereditary curse, the result of an illicit affair that ended tragically, and the physical representation of the curse, a house left for the living of a local spinster--is nicely unique, and while the exact plotline this book followed was not necessarily original, it was nicely done and very engrossing.
    • 2/5
      "Your name and title will continue after you're gone," she said, looking up at him. "But can you understand at all how fleeting a woman's existence is? We give up our lives and possessions---even our name---to our husbands. Our bodies become little more than vessels for children, to continue our husbands' lines." Her voice hardened. "I want something else. Something more. Something that's mine, with my name on it."

      First off, that cover is delightful, the light colors and the kitty cat (who plays a bit of a role in the story) make for a very eye catching and pleasing image. Moving on to the actual story, I was a bit disappointed in the insta-lust and later love. From the moment our hero and heroine meet, their bodies are just drawn to one another; the personality of their attraction and relationship was missing. I can't say I felt any chemistry between the two and with both characters not realizing they actually love one another, which felt insta also because they never really communicate and don't spend a lot of time together communicating and building a relationship, until the very, very end of the story. It feels like I'm running into that problem a lot lately in stories.

      The bit about the curse felt very uneven, on one hand we have the hero believing it but on the other we have all the other characters making fun of how anyone could be so superstitious and believe such a dumb thing. I also had some slightly uncomfortable moments were the heroine and other woman characters say some off putting things about women. When the heroine is discussing the curse, she says something along the lines about if the Duke did rape the merchants daughter, it doesn't really matter because it happened over 200 yrs ago. There are other lines that aren't blatantly sexist but I was uncomfortable with their line of thinking.

      The hero and heroine didn't interact enough for me and their chemistry just wasn't there. The ending was a bit abrupt, especially concerning the curse storyline, and I think it might continue on in the next in the series (but I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger). It's a lighter feeling story, a bit anachronistic, has a slight touch of paranormal, and if you're looking to escape the ballrooms, it never ventures there. I've never read a book by this author before, it seems she might tend more toward the silly and light side, so maybe the writing style is just not for me.
    • 4/5
      Good book. It begins with Marcus, the "Cursed Duke", nearly getting trapped by another fortune-hunting woman. He has been contemplating his life, admitting his loneliness, but also hampered by the family curse. One of his ancestors had gotten himself cursed, and as a result, every Duke of Hart since then had died before his heir was born. He had decided to put off marriage for as long as possible, but now that he's turned thirty it is getting worse. When business calls him to Love's Bridge, he's glad for the distraction, but not so much about having to return to the birthplace of the curse.Cat is twenty-four years old and the oldest of the local vicar's ten children. She has absolutely no desire to be married, seeing it as a trap that would be the death of her dreams. Cat wants to be a writer, but finding somewhere at home with the peace and quiet necessary is impossible. When she hears that the Spinster House is available, she is determined to gain it for herself. From the moment they meet, the sparks fly between Marcus and Cat. Both try really hard to resist them, as marriage isn't what either has in mind, but they can't stay away from each other. Cat's family and friends do their best to push them together, not believing that life as a spinster is truly what Cat wants. Her youngest brothers, twins Michael and Thomas, are absolutely adorable with the way they took to "Dook". Cat's two friends, Anne and Jane, are also pushing her toward Marcus, though they also have ulterior motives. Each of them also wants to be the next resident of Spinster House. Cat's inner arguments with herself as she tries to convince herself that she does not want Marcus are pretty amusing. Marcus is really attracted to Cat and finds himself thinking about her constantly. He begins to yearn more and more for a family of his own, but the curse prevents him from believing it is possible. Supposedly the curse can be broken if the duke were to marry for love, but Marcus doesn't believe that love really exists. He's seen far too many matches made for profit, and even the ones that are supposedly for love fall apart. There was one surprising twist that softened that outlook just a little bit, enough to make a crack in his determination not to marry.In the end, certain circumstances brought them back together, and they had to decide if they were willing to take the risk. I loved seeing how a certain kitty had a hand (paw?) in resolving some of the questions about the curse. I was looking forward to seeing the wedding and if the curse was broken or not, but that was left hanging. It will be interesting to see how the next two books are handled.
    • 4/5
      From the author of the *Naked* series comes more fun and hi-jinks but with less nakedness (drat). There's a ducal family curse, a small house designated to be only for spinsters (one at a time), several young women vying for the right to live in that house, and a duke and a spinster who do not want to admit the attraction that they feel. Much silliness ensues and a lighthearted read is enjoyed.Beverly gives a fun tongue-in-cheek performance as narrator.Purchased on the cheap as Whispersync courtesy of BookGorilla.
    • 4/5
      UnusualAn amusing tale with serious overtones. Curses follow the Dukes of Hart. They are condemned to marry, beget an heir, and die within a short time after that event. And thus it has been for five generations.Marcus, the current Duke of Hart has determined to live his life fully, marry later in life and dodge the curse for some goodly years.That is until he met Miss Isabelle Catherine Hutting, a spinster vying for the chance to live out her years at Spinster House in Loves Bridge. Marcus is the decision maker in the matter of whom shall inhabit Spinster House. Isabelle thought she was a shoe in, that is until two other contenders came forward...and there's no denying the attraction between Isabelle and Marcus. However, Isabelle is determined that Spinster House should be hers!But, the best laid plans of mice and men etc. etc. Now Isabelle is caught in a conundrum and Marcus is wondering just how short his life will be.A NetGalley ARC