Quickie Review: Of Dukes and Deceptions by Wendy Soliman

Of Dukes and Deceptions

by Wendy Soliman

Kindle Edition

Published March 14th 2011 by Carina Press

ASIN B004MPRZES

Courtesy of NetGalley

When Nicholas Buchanan, the Duke of Dorchester, accepts an invitation to visit a country stud farm, he counters his boredom by striking a wager with his henchman that he'll bed the poor relation, Alicia Woodley, before the end of his stay. But he reckons without Alicia's disdain. She's disgusted by Nick's cavalier attitude, unimpressed by his grandeur and wants as little as possible to do with him.                                                                                                                                         Between her newfound role as family charity case and fending off the attentions of both her clueless cousin and the arrogant Nicholas, Alicia Woodley has quite enough to contend with...but when her life is endangered, quite possibly from those closest to her, surprisingly it is Nicholas who seems determined to ensure her safety. As they conspire to uncover secrets that the family wants hidden at all costs, they discover a passion that surpasses all obstacles.

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My Thoughts:

Of Dukes and Deceptions was a fun little read, if you’re not looking for a serious plot.

The story line was weak, the relationships unbelievable and the characters undeveloped but Nick and Alicia’s dialogues with each other were hilarious and it’s why I gave this novel a two and a half. Now, Nick the hero is an arrogant ass with little to no redeeming qualities but you know in real life how there are just some people who think they are God’s gift to the world and all you can do is just shake your head and give a little laugh, that’s how you have to take Nick. He did show some signs of redemption at the very end though. =)

As to the writing, It seemed like the author was trying to use too big of words, which was a bit confusing in some scenes, ex: “Alicia’s precipitate departure went unobserved by all, with the exception of Nick.” This is the first I've read from this author so maybe I'm just not getting it (though I did ask the hubs to take a peak and he had a big question mark over his head about some of the word usage as well) or she is trying something new. 

But it was awesome to see BDSM in regency times! Nick and Alicia had some seriously sexy scenes together though terms such as ‘rampant’ were so over used I found myself laughing instead of being turned on.

A fun and light little read for beside the pool or on the beach but don’t expect too much.
Now, I have seen a few positive reviews on this so if you like historical romances and you don't mind riskay sex scenes then you might want to check it out for yourself. 

Rating: 2 1/2 - Okay