The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister, #1)

by Courtney Milan

Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly--so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.

But that is precisely what she gets.

Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's up to, he realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match...

• ISBN10: 1481207474
• ISBN13: 9781481207478
• Publish Date: 1 December 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Createspace
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 268
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

I got a late start on this book and didn't manage to get it read in time for August book club. (In part because it's an Audible exclusive. I find that SO ANNOYING!). But I had started it AND the reviews from the group were really good, so I decided to read it on my own. And I'm really glad I did as this was a particularly good HR and I would like to read the rest of the series actually.

I think the characters are probably what made this book. Minnie is a fantastic character - she's quiet/softspoken and tries really hard to be overlooked. Due to a mysterious past mishap that we learn about as the book progresses, she has set her life ambitions very low. To be married to basically anyone. And yet, you quickly see that she deserves so much more. She has a brilliant mind and is a good friend.

And then there's the Duke... Robert. He is far from your typical Duke. He recognizes the privileges that he enjoys and wants to do something with that privilege. He also is running from his past - but in a very different way that Minnie. And, like Minnie, because of those past experiences he is expecting to settle for so much less than what he deserves. So CLEARLY they deserve each other.

They each have some friends/family members that we learn enough about that I really am hoping we'll see more of them in future books - a couple I hope HAVE their own books. I have suspicions, based on the series name "Brothers Sinister" but we'll see.

Another great thing about this book is that the HEA is not at the marriage. In fact, after their married, a god 30-40% of the book remained. There is a lot more to contend with in the town, because of the factory and Roberts attempts to correct some wrongs in that area. I really enjoyed that there was so much more to this story than the romance - even though the romance was pretty brilliant because of how great the characters were. And the ACTUAL HEA moment in the epilogue was even more great as a result. Even though I'm not a big HR reader and I HATE that I can't listen to these books because of them being Audible Exclusives, I do plan to continue the series hopefully .

[Linda]

Ms. Milan has a new fan! I loved The Duchess War - because there was so much going on. I recommend reading it after the prequel, as I thought that brought an extra layer to the characters, knowing what happened before.
Minnie was the kind of heroine in HR that I love to read about. Of course, she’s a little bit anachronistic, but I’m fine with that! She had a very interesting childhood, and it felt great to see her dare opening her wings once again.
Robert was such an earnest man, he wanted to right all his father’s wrongs, and I am pretty sure he will continue to do so in the next Brothers Sinister books.
I’m off to start the next one - love the characters, the setting, and the overall story and plot.

[Nicole Lynn]

3.5 stars. Review to come!

[nitzan_schwarz]

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE BLOG POST :)

Honestly, I am shocked at how much I loved this. I was not prepared to fall head over heels in love with this novel the way I did, but the characters pretty much won me over instantly and the romance between them swept me off my feet accordingly.

First we have Minnie. Here is a woman who is smart, clever and funny, but most refreshing - she isn't a bumbling virgin who knows nothing of anatomy and pleasure like so many historical heroines out there. She's very aware and she isn't going to apologize for this. Furthermore, she is just so brave. I'm not sure I would've been able to face my fears the way she has.

Her other half is Robert. Now, Robert, where do I begin with him? Firstly, he's not a rake or a womanizer, which was just delightful to me. What he is is a smart, funny, loyal and honest man who just wants to help those who have been dubbed "beneath him". Can't think of a better hero.

Now, the relationship between them. There was an instant attraction there, and a kinship that comes from two active minds recognizing someone they can talk to. And from this point, the attraction starts to grow until they can barely hold it in--and then they can't! It's beautiful to behold.

But the absolute best about this couple?  NO ANGST. I repeat: no angst. These two talk about their issues. They confront them head on instead of holding them in, thereby eliminating any lengthy, drawn up separations or misunderstandings. There are still hitches and glitches along the way, but these two love each other too much to just let things unbalance.& 

Around these two are a crew of great side characters. I loved each and everyone of them, but my favorite was hands down Robert's mother. I didn't expect to like her at first, but she grew on me super fast!

Another great point in this novel is the hinting of a lesbian relationship between two characters. So many historical novels ignore this facet of life, that I've come to be positively surprised every time one of them dares to even hint at it.

My only complaint about the novel was how the speech sometimes felt too modern to come across as authentic to the times, but it was such a small thing compared to all the overwhelming positives!

[Amanda]

2015 reread: I think I actually like Robert more this go around. He's so unlike the typical historical romance hero (except that he's so broken and you want to hug him), and it was refreshing. Minnie was exactly what Robert needed.

--

Whee! More Courtney Milan. After reading The Governess Affair, I was excited to dive into The Duchess War and see the brothers in action. I wasn't disappointed.

One aspect of The Duchess War I enjoyed was that Robert, our hero, was not suave. By any means. He was passionate about his causes and funny and moral, but not a charmer of the ladies. Unless you're charmed by lines like, "You have magnificent tits." He's not the typical historical romance hero, and I found that I liked it.

But Minnie was fun. She has secrets. Scandals. Backbone. Robert never stood a chance. I always enjoy a heroine who's progressive and smart beyond the times. Minnie certainly fits that role. Strong heroines for the win!

The Duchess War also introduces other characters in the Brothers Sinister series and I can't wait to dive into their own stories. Though the series surrounds the brothers (and their group), there's a strong focus on women and as much as I love a good hero, woman power is where it's at.

[journalingirl]

I thought it was a nice story, but it was very slow moving, the sex scenes weren't that interesting, and I didn't wholly engage with the main character, Minnie. But I did enjoy Robert and the premise of the story.

[Angie]

I really liked The Duchess War, and would have rated it higher had it not been for one major annoyance, which I will get to later. I absolutely adored Minnie and Robert. Separately and together! Minnie is quiet and wishes not to be noticed, but that's not to say that she's timid. Minnie has lots of ideas for social reform, which she is active in, and she's super smart although she downplays it to keep eyes off of her. Robert is the duke, and he also has ideas for social reform, but he's more vocal about it, at least in secret. He's printing pamphlets under a false name, and the authorities suspect it's Minnie. She wants the attention off of her, and cleverly figures out that the real person responsible is Robert. Both have their secrets, and both have the means to expose them. Game on!

Even though I've only read two books by this author, I have noticed that she focuses on more real life problems of the era than other romances. The Duchess War talks a lot about the unclean working conditions and how peers aren't tried for crimes like the lower class is. Minnie and Robert both want to change these things, and have their own strategies for doing so. While I did enjoy the plot at first, it did drag at the end, and I was a bit annoyed at the change of pace.

My only issue with The Duchess War was that there is no way it was 265 pages. It was at least twice that long! I was reading it ALL day, and I can normally finish 500-600 pages when I read all day. Not just one book that's supposedly under 300! It's not that I didn't enjoy what I was reading, because I did. But at around two-thirds in, everything had happened already. Minnie and Robert came together, broke up, made up, and were getting married. What else is there? Well, that's where it went more into the social injustice plot and then made more problems for our happy couple, which they solved in no time, because it really wasn't a problem at all. I could have done without that last 30%, because it really added nothing to the story for me, despite it being interesting.

Other than it's length being a total lie, I enjoyed The Duchess War a lot. Mostly thanks to the huggability of Minnie and Robert. Both of them have had horrible things happen to them, and they just want more, despite thinking they don't deserve it. I wanted to gather them up, bake cookies, and hug them! They're such sweet people and none of the other characters really appreciated them.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[celinenyx]

So far I'd only read novellas in the Brothers Sinister series. It took me a while to piece together how this story fit within the frame of the two I read, The Governess Affair and A Kiss for Midwinter. The Duchess War was a well-written romance, which was perfect to pull me out of a small slump I'd been having. However, if you're looking for something light, this book might not be your best bet - the heroine, Minnie, goes through some pretty bad things, and the tone of the book is rather heavy for a historical romance.