Georgina North - Painting the Duke

There is nothing so important as putting space between herself and him—and nothing so hard.
Vivienne Emory runs in the first circles of London society, but there’s no telling how the ton would react if they knew she made a living as an oil painter. Her desire to follow her dreams means she must protect her secret—and her independence—at all costs.
When the Duke of Hazelhurst returns to the vibrant London social scene after years abroad, his presence and chequered past set tongues wagging. His mother is desperate for him to take a wife, but he faces a daunting challenge—winning the heart of a woman who doesn’t want anyone, especially him.
An impulsive decision by the duke forces Vivienne into a web of pretence and sparks an electrifying engagement between them. What begins as a ruse swiftly intensifies, and the line between what’s real and what’s pretend becomes harder and harder to discern.
Can Vivienne guard her secret and herself from the man determined to steal her heart? And when the truth unravels, will the duke’s own deceit destroy any hope of a future with the woman he loves?

Comment: I got interested in this book after seeing a positive recommendation at a site I usually check. The premise felt interesting and I'm glad to say it was a rewarding read.

Vivienne Emory is staying with her uncle and aunt during the season but, at 24, she is practically on the shelf, which is something she is relieved for, since it minimizes the chances of her having more offers. Vivienne is an artist and she very well knows women don't have many rights and even less so while married if their husbands deem it so, and she doesn't want to let go of her work. Her close family is proud of her achievements and she knows she is lucky but a husband might not think the same... which is why she is determined to stay away from the duke of Hazelhurst, even if he is a man she can't say no to as easily. 

The duke has returned from abroad and his mother wants him to finally marry but he seems to only have eyes for Vivienne, which is why he accepts a bet to win her hand, even if he regrets it later. But will Vivienne want to be him as much he wants to be with her?

This was a very satisfying historical romance. The setting and the plot might not always feel as traditional as a few other authors make it seem, but I think the environment of the regency and the social aspects were very well accomplished.

The plot is centered on the romance between the duke and Vivienne but the real core here is on women's rights and then, female artists. We still live in a society where things done by men and women tend to be seen differently, no matter their rights, so how much more frustrating is to think that the rights that do exist haven't been in practice for long. Vivienne is an artist, she has found a way to have her work accepted and exhibited but she knows everything would change if people knew she was female.

While she hides this part of herself, she is lucky to have family who not only supports her passion but admires her for it, and she is also lucky to be in a financial position which allows her to refuse marriage proposals which could put her in jeopardy, which means we do have some interesting exchange of ideas regarding this and art, and how the two can work together. I really liked her conversations with the duke about these themes and how this helped to reinforce their developing bond.

The duke is a man of honor, we get that from the start, so his acceptance of a bet regarding Vivienne is an obvious mistake to add drama at some point. This was used in an interesting way, however, because she learns about this at a later period and when she is already thinking about sharing her true feelings about her art, and this means that, to me, the bet wasn't as much a device as it would if the plot had developed differently. Still, is allowed for him to ask her forgiveness, and that includes romantic scenes, so all is kind of well at the end.

I liked the romance between them, full of longing and a slow burn falling in love, with them more dedicated to each other's feelings and personality and not physical aspects. Of course, when they finally get together, it is as passionate and as romantic as I hoped for. I liked who these characters were individually, but I liked them even more while they were interactions and together, so... romance accomplished.

When the story is ending, a certain situation happens, which is cute and romantic too, but very unlikely. I mean, it didn't ruin the book for me, but it was a little too far from the vibe we had throughout the book, and this felt a bit jarring to me. I also wasn't a fan of some secondary characters and how they were made to be antagonists without need. In the beginning there were also a few scenes I didn't feel much interest for, but for the most part, this story did work very well. 

I'm definitely curious in reading more by this author and it seems there is another book in this world, featuring secondary characters who will be a couple. I will try it at some point, hoping it is as charming as this one was.

Grade: 8/10