{Never a Wallflower Review} The Spinster and the Rake by @EvaDevonAuthor

The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower, #1) by Eva Devon
Series: Never a Wallflower #1,
Published by Entangled: Amara on February 9, 2021
Pages: 400
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The marriage game is afoot in this clever blend of My Fair Lady meets Pride and Prejudice with a twist!
Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave quickly turns to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught.
So of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in, and thereafter announces Miss Georgiana Bly is the future Duchess of Thornfield.
Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke, learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her.
As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade?

I received The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower, #1) for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Also in this series: The Duke's Secret Cinderella (Never a Wallflower, #3)

Miss Georgiana Bly has a very thin thread attached to the aristocracy. Her mother, the daughter of an earl, married a mere mister, a mister who is quite inept when it come to the family finances. Georgiana and her sisters are so far down on the ton ladder, she never expects to ever marry. That is until she mistakes the Duke of Thornfield for a servant and is caught with him in an unusually passionate kiss.

Edward, the Duke of Thornfield, at first believes Miss Bly is a schemer like all the rest of the single ladies at his house party. Even after he accepts his fate to make her his duchess, he has severe doubts about her abilities to stand by his side. To ready her for the position of a lifetime, Edward with his Aunt Agatha, begin giving Georgiana “duchess lessons” to teach her what her mother never thought to prepare her for. As things progress and the wedding date nears, the duo can’t deny the passion that flairs between them even if Edward is somewhat frosty most of the time.

While Devon keeps an air of mystery around the reason for Edward’s personality traits until later in the novel, I understood his slow thaw where Georgiana was concerned. Georgiana was true to herself throughout the entire novel. While she found herself in a situation she never expected to be in, she wanted to learn all she could about being a successful duchess and wife. I really loved the little moments between the duo that brought them inches closer. By the time the end of the novel arrived, they were so naturally at the perfect place for their burgeoning relationship.

Devon has a five star novel to begin this unforgettable new series. While we know Georgiana’s sister begins a romance in this novel, we don’t get all the juicy details. Maybe Devon will grant us the story of a jovial earl and another Miss Bly as the Never a Wallflower series continues.