By Susanna Allen
I’m not completely sure why I kept reading this series. It’s just okay. It does have some different elements in shifter/regency romances that you don’t usually see. There are a variety of shifters including small prey animals. The animal puns, variety of shifters, names and titles makes reading this series a little slower than I like.
A Wolf in Dukes ClothingBy Susanna AllenFiction, romance, fantasy, historical fictionSeries – Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde
Not a great historical romance, not a great shifter book. Put them together and you get an okayish book. These shifters are a variety of animals and include small prey animals. I don’t recall any adult books with these kind of shifters. The mouse shifter helps with the sewing. It’s hard not to picture Cinderella with her mice.
Even with all these elements in the book it is still a little boring in parts. My biggest complaint is that the leading couple doesn’t spend any time bonding. She spends all her time proving to the staff she is a worthy duchess.
Her intuitive control of the household seems unlikely due to her background. This made it hard for me to understand her. Her actions did not match her history. She seems to run hot and cold with her affections. This also makes it hard to like the female lead.
As for the duke, the story starts out promising. He whisks her away from the ball and kidnaps her for himself. After that though, he spends very little time with her. He seems like an okay person and leader of his pack. Nothing really stands out.
Book 2 – A Most Unusual Duke
The beginning starts off promising with a forced marriage. However the leading lady is too cold. The leading male too lazy to thaw her or take any responsibility for anything.
The overemphasis on her being cold is frustrating. It’s like the author is romanticizing this type of behavior. The beauty in a romantic lead like this is watching the softening and relaxation between the characters. This does not happen.
There is a nightingale she talks to. This again makes me think of Cinderella.
The leading male is lazy and whinny. He finally takes his position as alpha after she does all the work. This isn’t a relationship that I envy. Quite frankly it sounds like hell.
The romance of this book was probably my favorite of the three.
I am a sucker for a woman saving her man from his inner demons. Also this leading female’s defining feature is not household management. I am thrilled about that.
The shifter story is also an improvement. It does get confusing towards the end with all the characters, their many names and alternative selves to keep track of.