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Book Review of The Duke of Shadows

The Duke of Shadows
The Duke of Shadows
Author: Meredith Duran
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
reviewed on + 503 more book reviews


A compelling story in two parts about Julian Sinclair, a part-Indian heir to an English dukedom and Emmaline "Emma" Martin, a very young woman artist who lost her parents on their voyage to her wedding in India.

Emma encounters much pain and loss throughout the book, she's a tortured young woman but never so much as to be totally maudlin. Julian lives on the periphery of "good" English society in India, racism keeping him out, his title and status keeping him in. They meet, wind up on the run together, fall in love.

The heroes in most romance novels are pretty compelling, books are special when the heroines are more than one dimensional or memorable in any way. Duran succeeds here with Emmaline who is complex and talented and interesting. She's suffered but she manages to always keep going, she has a strength of character and will to live that always moves her forward.

There's love and loss, a bit of mystery to keep things moving. I can't say it was the most romantic story but the storytelling was engrossing and made the book difficult to put down.

Duran includes a couple of pretty steamy but not tawdry love scenes. I wouldn't say her love scenes are the epicenter of the book as you might find with other authors, but just another nuance to the romance.

Great book.