The Spinster and the Rake

by Eva Devon

[Lindsey Gray]

Miss Georgiana Bly has a very thin thread attached to the aristocracy. Her mother, the daughter of an earl, married a mere mister, a mister who is quite inept when it come to the family finances. Georgiana and her sisters are so far down on the ton ladder, she never expects to ever marry. That is until she mistakes the Duke of Thornfield for a servant and is caught with him in an unusually passionate kiss.

Edward, the Duke of Thornfield, at first believes Miss Bly is a schemer like all the rest of the single ladies at his house party. Even after he accepts his fate to make her his duchess, he has severe doubts about her abilities to stand by his side. To ready her for the position of a lifetime, Edward with his Aunt Agatha, begin giving Georgiana “duchess lessons” to teach her what her mother never thought to prepare her for. As things progress and the wedding date nears, the duo can’t deny the passion that flairs between them even if Edward is somewhat frosty most of the time.

While Devon keeps an air of mystery around the reason for Edward’s personality traits until later in the novel, I understood his slow thaw where Georgiana was concerned. Georgiana was true to herself throughout the entire novel. While she found herself in a situation she never expected to be in, she wanted to learn all she could about being a successful duchess and wife. I really loved the little moments between the duo that brought them inches closer. By the time the end of the novel arrived, they were so naturally at the perfect place for their burgeoning relationship.

Devon has a five star novel to begin this unforgettable new series. While we know Georgiana’s sister begins a romance in this novel, we don’t get all the juicy details. Maybe Devon will grant us the story of a jovial earl and another Miss Bly as the Never a Wallflower series continues.

I received The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower, #1) for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.