Review

With school coming to an end, the Husband Hunters Club at Miss Debenham’s Finishing School are picking their prey and Eugenie Belmont must give a name. The only one she can think of is Sinclair St. John, the Duke of Somerton. Unfortunately, she has only met him once and that was when Erik, the family pet goat, caused a bit of a mess. Eugenie knows she could never wed a duke and figures she can write to her friends in a few months saying they do not suit.

Sinclair remembers Eugenie but he doesn’t remember her being so attractive and witty. Despite her common upbringing, he finds himself drawn to her company and enjoys being with her. She makes him want to paint again and stop being a stuffy, proper duke. She turns his whole world upside down.

“I’m glad you decided to take up my challenge, Your Grace,” she said with a husky laugh. “I like you better when you are reckless.”

But, of course, things can’t always be easy. Sinclair knows that Eugenie is not the proper woman to be his wife but he wants her so he comes to the conclusion that she will be his mistress. Eugenie fights him at every turn because she doesn’t want to be his mistress. But just as she starts to pull away, she is pulled back in when her brother runs off with Sinclair’s sister and she finds herself on the way to Scotland with Sinclair.

I really wanted to love this story but I just felt disconnected from the characters. I couldn’t understand why Sinclair was so drawn to Eugenie. And the secondary story going on with Sinclair’s sister Annabelle and Eugenie’s brother Terry detracted from the primary narrative.

I will say that I liked Eugenie. She stood her ground against Sinclair and becoming his mistress. Even though she is not an aristocrat, she knows that she deserves more than being hidden away. Her family, on the other hand, I wanted to slap. Her father is a con artist, her mother is useless and Eugenie is stuck trying to make amends for them.

Sinclair is a pompous, arrogant man but I found myself really liking him. He is not the charming, rakish duke that we are used to seeing. Sinclair is a bit awkward when it comes to dealing with women and I found that amusing. Everything comes so easily to him because of his title that when he has to work for something, especially with Eugenie, he gets all flustered.

To Pleasure a Duke is not my favorite of Sara Bennett’s book but I did enjoy reading some of it. I just wish it had connected more with me.

Reviewed by Jamie