The Duchess Diaries

Sophie’s husband, the Duke of Mulford has passed away. He has left guardianship of his young son to Grant Chandler. Sophie and Grant had a past together and Sophie is not at all happy with him being part of their lives. It has been a decade since he left England and Grant finds himself still enamored with Sophie. Questions about how the Duke died and who may have wanted to kill him arise. Can Grant and Sophie find the answers before someone else is murdered?

Grant’s suspicions of Sophie disappear as he watches her, especially with her son, Lucien. He finds himself still in love with her and desires her physically. Sophie has her hands full when Grant reappears in her life. She adores her child and does everything in her power to make him safe. The chemistry between these two is palpable and the reader knows it will only heat up as the story progresses. The author delineates these two characters fully. Though there are many secondary characters, Sophie and Grant are the central core of the story as they move toward their happily ever after.

The Duchess Diaries is a complex story that spans generations. The author has entwined the diaries of the 3rd Duchess of Mulford within her story. What happens in the past plays a relevant part in what is occurring to the characters in the present. The Duchess Diaries is another entertaining historical romp from Ms. Smith. She fills it with historical details and the reader is transported to the 19th century. There is also a mystery to be solved but above all, it is a romance with a capital R.

Reviewed by: Susan T