"The Making of a Duchess" is full of adventure, suspense, romance, and love. Set in London, 1801, the novel's hero is Julien Harcourt, the exiled French due de Valère. Julien is intent on going to France to look for his brother, Armand. Enter the comtesse Serafina Artois. Will the attractive comtesse prove a distraction for Julien and his plans?
Julien and his mother barely made it out of France with their lives when the revolution occurred. Julien has been looking for his brother and finally has a tangible lead on Armand. Unfortunately, his activity has drawn the attention of the British Foreign Office and Sir Northrup. When a female operative is unable to approach Julien, Northrup sends in his children's governess, Sarah Smith.
Sarah is a capable governess and fluent in French, but she's not a very good spy. Sarah is supposed to pretend to be the comtesse du Guyenne, Serafina Artois, but she's not comfortable acting as a noblewoman. When Sarah meets Julien, she finds herself attracted to him, but doesn't dare give into her feelings. Julien is also smitten by Serafina, and despite her standoffishness, he finds her intriguing.
Northrup puts pressure on Sarah to find out more on Julien's activities regarding the continent. Sarah begins to question whether or not Julien is the traitor Northrup thinks he is. Giving into the feelings Sarah trusts, she confesses her duplicity to Julien. Can Julien ever trust Sarah again - especially with his heart?
The story is sharp and the plot has several unexpected twists and turns with a surprise or two that will sneak up on the reader. Galen has a crisp writing voice the reader will enjoy.
It's easy to picture the novel's setting. The descriptions are vivid and they don't slow the reader down. The dialogue is witty, engaging, and peppered with easy to understand French.
The characters are rich and compelling and the novel has a strong supporting cast. Julien and Sarah's individual voices stand out. What makes Julien unique is his French heritage in regency England. He has a nobility to be admired - especially with how patient he is with Sarah and how determined he is to find his brother. Julien is also loyal to the bone to those he loves.
It's Sarah who goes through the most growth in the novel. The readers meets her as a mousy governess, but as she takes on the comtesse identity, she learns what it truly means to be noble and find courage. She takes a big risk trusting Julien with her true identify and when she tells him who she really was, I found myself cheering at the page.
The love scenes are sensual and capture the wonderment and beauty of true love. "The Making of a Duchess" is a delicious read from the first page to the last.
Book Review for: "The Making of a Duchess"
Written by: Shana Galen
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3865-9
368 pages
$6.99 US
5 Stars
Reviewed by: S. Burkhart
By Steph Burkhart
