Dauntless

Dauntless by Lynne Connolly The Shaws #2 Lady Drusilla Shaw is having her last season in London and has been told she will marry this year…someone she chooses or someone chosen for her by her parents. She loves to write, has ink stains on many cuffs and is not sure she wants to marry without love but…what is she to do? At a ball one evening she literally falls into the arms of Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel. She says something that offends him without knowing what it is and in spite of that disastrous beginning the two do manage to hit it off, find chemistry aplenty and end up married. However, there is someone out to sabotage their relationship and perhaps even kill one or both of them. Who that person is and the reason behind it is…quite a story…perhaps even more riotous and despicable than the one that ended up without Dru’s permission published and scandalously being read by society. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe that Oliver and Drusilla are a great match and will be very happy together. If I have a quibble it might be that Oliver was so much taken in by someone in his family and listened to that person rather than listening immediately to his heart and instincts. Did I enjoy this book? Definitely Will I read more in this series? Yes Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing-Lyrical Press This is my honest review. 4-5 Stars

Lady Drusilla Shaw may be a bit introverted, yet she has the observant mind of a writer, capturing all of society’s quirks and scandals. But when the novel she’s been working on disappears from her room, that is just the beginning of her problems. Confident, magnetic Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel, has taken an interest in Dru, and when he proposes, she is both thrilled and anxious. Her book depicts a ruinous family story that is uncannily similar to Oliver’s real-life, not to mention libellous. The manuscript could surface at any moment and eventually it does, in published form, for all to read. Oliver is bewildered by his new wife and her blasted book. This is the third book in the series & whilst it could be read as a standalone book to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading the earlier books & also The Emperors of London series. The author’s attention to detail is second to none & she makes the era come alive. The pace is very good & the story flows effortlessly, I was drawn into the book from the beginning & was engrossed all the way through. The characters are well drawn & have plenty of depth. Oliver & Dru were very likeable & their attraction was there from the start. There are misunderstandings, secrets & ‘accidents' that all work to derail the romance. I look forward to more in the series My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The first two books of The Shaws were excellent, but DAUNTLESS is in a class of its own! The theft of Drusilla Shaw’s manuscript has unimaginable consequences that she could not have foreseen in her worst nightmares. What started out as a private outlet for her creativity turns out to be disastrous on several fronts, as Dru’s life slowly unravels. Lynne Connolly has written an exceptionally compelling story, masterfully crafted, with so many twists and turns, and characters of such astounding complexity, my mind is still reeling. I don’t think there is one single thing that happened how I expected to, and best of all, it all made sense, which makes the whole thing even more chilling. Fear not, the romance is very present, and a fantastic romance it is. Dru and Oliver are wonderful, and as a couple they grow stronger through adversity. DAUNTLESS is such an amazing book, I fear I don’t quite have the words to express myself coherently! Ms. Connolly’s writing and historical exactitude is as exemplary as ever, and her descriptions of Georgian London are mind-boggling in their clarity. DAUNTLESS is an extraordinary book, not to be missed!