Review: Romancing the Duke By Tessa Dare

  In the first in Tessa Dare's captivating Castles Ever After series, a mysterious fortress is the setting for an unlikely love...

     As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too.  The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

     And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off.

     One by one by one.

     Ugly duckling turned swan?

     Abducted by handsome highwayman?

     Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

            No, no, and.... Heh.

     Now Izzy's given up yearning for romance.

She'll settle for a roof over her head.

What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six-year-old woman who's never even been kissed?

   This one.

I am not usually a fan of historical romances but this story was so sweet and fun to read that it made me rethink historical romances. The story was an unusual one, I thought, for a historical romance but it worked.  Izzy and Ransom were quite a pair that clashed and came together in a touching story.

I liked that it was an unusual historical romance in that you wouldn't think that a young woman would move into a castle by herself.  It was so touching how she felt about herself and that she wanted more and was not judging how Ransom was with his faults. This is a great book and I will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series in Castles Ever After.