Review: The Duke of Ice

The Duke of Ice by Darcy Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

And the reading meh continues.

Nicholas Bateman, Duke of Kilve, is known as the Duke of Ice because he is cold and distant. His only friend, Simon Duke of Romsey, known as the Duke of Ruin, persuades Nick to accompany him to a house party thrown by the Linfords. Simon has been ostracised from society because of his wife's mysterious death and hopes that this party might help him to find a new bride, but the invite clearly expects him to bring the Duke of Kilve. With bad grace Nick agrees to accompany Simon only to find that the hostess' best friend is none other that Violet Caulfield, Lady Pendleton, the woman with whom he had a brief but passionate fling when they were much younger, the woman he fully intended to marry until she threw him over for a man with a title.

I thought this book could have been over a lot earlier than it was. Nick spent most of the book metaphorically wringing his hands and bemoaning the fact that he was cursed because everyone he had ever loved, except Violet, was dead. To love is to feel and then when they die it is devastating so wall off your emotions and don't have any friends! Good plan. I was bored of him and his rinse and repeat 'get close to Violet then push her away' behaviour. In contrast, Violet started off as a great character and then at one point became a complete doormat.

Overall, meh. I am so tired of not enjoying books and I'm hoping that February will herald a new joy of reading.

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