Struggling with a case of writer's block as her deadline draws ever closer, romance writer Ellie Aarons decides to take her best friend's advice and get away for a while. She packs up her ill-tempered cat, Sir Winston Purrchill, and leaves London for Greygarth Lodge, a rental property in the Lake District owned by Max, the Duke of Windermere. Grumpy Max isn't exactly welcoming of his new tenant, but his eccentric grandmother, Esme, immediately takes Ellie under her wing. She seems determined to push the two of them into being friends, if not something more, even though Max has made it clear that he has no intention of ever getting married or starting a family. However, when he accidentally finds out that he's the inspiration for Ellie's latest hero, he can't stop himself from offering to help her with "research" for the book. If his grandmother happens to think that they've actually started dating, so much the better. It's not long before spending time with Ellie (and Winston) becomes the best part of Max's day, but he's sure that he can't be the man to give her the life she wants. Can he find a way to overcome the baggage of his past before he loses Ellie for good?
Max and Ellie's banter was absolutely the highlight of this book for me. I loved the way her mind worked and that she was so quick to respond with a witty, teasing remark. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, Max's backstory was heartbreaking, but it perfectly explained his decision to forego marriage and children. It took him some time to come to terms with everything, but I appreciated that he took ownership of his issues and admitted that he needed help working through them. Meeting Ellie was the catalyst he needed to make positive changes in his life, and I was rooting for him (and their relationship) the whole way.
I've said it before, but it's worth saying again how much I love Hart's ability to create lovable, quirky secondary characters, and the ones in this book were no exception. My favorite was Max's delightful grandmother Esme, who kept me laughing from the first time she appeared on the page.
Overall, "Big Duke Energy" gave me all the feels, and I completely adored it. I highly recommend this story for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. Hart really has been at her best with these last few books set in the world of the British aristocracy, and I can't wait to find out what she comes up with next.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Big Duke Energy"
When bestselling romance author Ellie Aarons finds herself with chronic writer’s block, she’s pretty sure all she needs is a change of scenery. A beautiful lakeside cottage with her cat seems like a good idea.
She’s wrong. She needs more than a change of scenery—she needs a muse.
Which is why it’s so irritating that she’s drawn to the enigmatic but grumpy Duke of Windermere who owns the estate she’s staying on.
They don’t get along—not in the slightest. They could not be more different, which is why it’s so irritating that Max seems to be the muse she’s been looking for. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but picture him as the hero in her next book.
Oh, well. There’s really not a lot she can do about it. The muse wants what the muse wants.
Except Sir Winston Purrchill keeps exploring the goat barn, and Max’s delivery of him for the fiftieth time means he sees her manuscript open on her laptop.
He knows instantly that she’s writing about him. The story she’s written reflects their entire relationship until now, but that spicy scene?
That hasn’t happened. Yet.
Max is ready to compromise—he’ll give her the inspiration she needs for her novel, but she has to stop asking why he’s so against the relationship his grandmother desperately wants him to have.
With her deadline looming, Ellie has no other option but to agree.
She just hopes that she won’t do what her heroine is doing.
And fall in love with the duke.
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