I wish I had known when I started this book that it was part of a series. I have read Lynn Messina before and thoroughly enjoyed her books, so I couldn't understand why the romance was so ploddingly slow. The hero and heroine spend barely any time together. But the beginnings of a flirtation between a plain spinster and a pedantic duke are in this story. I wish we had seen more but I understand the need for a slow burn to make it through at least two more stories.Beatrice Hyde-Clare is unfortunate to meet the Duke of Kesgrave in the middle of the night when she's looking for a book. She doesn't notice him until after she's picked up the candlestick from the floor. The candlestick that has obviously been used to murder the man the Duke is now standing over.
Edited March 14th 2021: Upon rereading, my first instinct was absolutely correct. This book is much more enjoyable when I have no expectations. I had completely forgotten reading this story until about halfway through when I went to Goodreads and, yes, I had read it before. On the Kindle Unlimited books, you can currently read the entire series and the sum of these parts are definitely greater than the whole.
Three stars
