ABOUT THE BOOK
When the Duke of Hurstbourne receives a letter from his childhood friend asking him to marry his sister Ophelia, Hurst declines. He’s not adverse to taking a bride, but he believes in love at first sight that stirs his desire—not marriage sight-unseen.
Adhering to society’s strict propriety for ladies, Ophelia Stowe has no choice but to present herself as a man to seek the Duke of Hurstbourne’s favor. If not for the dire situation she finds herself in, she wouldn’t have asked for help from the handsome man who had rebuffed her. When the alluring duke’s response is a plan of his own, Ophelia never dreams it would be a proposal of a marriage of convenience.
But the stakes are high, and the good name of the Stowe family will be damaged if a missing antiquity isn’t found. When she accepts his offer, she quickly finds she isn’t immune to the passion building between her and her new husband–or how real the marriage begins to feel.
MY REVIEW
We have come to the end of Amelia Grey’s Say I Do Series and this is Hurstborne and Ophelia’s story. A stubborn and reckless vicar’s daughter is on a quest to find a missing artifact to save her dead brother’s reputation. She faces many struggles having no clue what she is doing, and to make things more interesting, an equally stubborn duke won’t even back her up or help her out.
Ophelia is fierce, headstrong, and not afraid to voice her opinions. She sometimes felt like more of a handful than a heartthrob. Throughout the book, I found myself shaking my head when she ignored the advice of those around her and barreled into risky situations. I totally understood her fierce desire to protect her brother, but Ophelia really went above and beyond to the point where I found her more abrasive than endearing. She could not see past her own perspective, which felt a bit foolish at times.
Hurst is equally stubborn but in a different way. He seems to want to lock Ophelia down more for control than out of genuine affection at first. I get it that she is captivating, and he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. However, his protective nature comes off as a bit bossy. That said, I have to admit, he does learn a thing or two along the way and shows his agreeable side.
The crux of the plot revolves around a missing artifact, which, to be fair, adds some mystery and intrigue to the backdrop, but it took away from the romance. A lot of their conversations get weighed down by the artifact chase, leaving me skimming past the slow part and looking for more of the charming moments where they truly connect.
The chemistry between Ophelia and Hurst just didn’t do it for me. They spend most of their time bickering and felt more like a constant tug-of-war than the sweet falling in love I was hoping to see. In a typical marriage of convenience, you expect both characters to be on somewhat level ground. However, when Ophelia is clearly at a disadvantage due to her social status and desperation to save her brother’s reputation, it creates this uncomfortable tension that overshadows the story and feels like an unfair partnership. Is it a blossoming relationship based on mutual respect and real autonomy or does Hurst just want to control the situation by making her his wife?
This clean romance with a hint of intrigue was okay, but not my favorite of the series.
Thank you to Ms. Grey for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
Say I Do Series
1 Yours Truly, The Duke (2023)
2 Sincerely, The Duke (2024) – My review
3 Love, The Duke (2025)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Grey read her first romance book when she was thirteen. She’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since.
Amelia has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.
She is a two-time winner of the prestigious Booksellers Best Award, and she has also won the Aspen Gold, and Golden Quill awards. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the Maggie Award. Amelia’s books have been published in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and Japan. Several of her books have been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs.
Follow Amelia on her website, Facebook, Amazon, and Instagram.
