A Duke by Default

Everyone that I told I was reading this book, said it was their favorite. I can fully understand why, I loved it. Portia ends up in Scotland for an apprenticeship, as she tries to remake her party-girl life. Tavish (Tav) is the unexpected Scotsman-sword maker she works for and the sparks fly immediately. As in, she attacks him with bear spray because she thinks he's attacking someone and doesn't know it's not an attack or that he's her boss. It might be one of my favorite meet-cutes ever! Portia and Tav are both vulnerable people, both feeling like they need to prove themselves, but hiding behind the walls and armor they each have around them. Portia is wealthy and knows how to use that wealth to create an image, both good and bad, while Tavish has the strong guy who works with swords-big tough guy persona on. Portia struggles to not live down to low expectations, not recognizing that her sister and friends really believe in her. Her parents, though, (eye roll), need some serious talking to. Tav wants to save his neighborhood and the kids who need a mentor and hope and help, but doesn't want any kudos for it, and struggles against feelings of inferiority from not knowing his biological father. He's surrounded by his brother, sister-in-law, and a strong relationship with his mother and stepfather, and I loved that none of them was afraid to call his BS. I really loved these two characters, two imperfect people who helped each other bring out the best of each other. They made…

This book works best as a fairy tale, and, happily, fairy tales are hot properties these days. This particular fairy tale is expressed in some hella good writing. Cole is an excellent prose stylist; her wit and phrasing are just sheer pleasure to experience. Duke by Default is a worthy successor to A Princess in Theory, and one of this book's major enjoyments is reconnecting with some of the characters from the earlier books--most notably, Portia. Portia and Tav's connection is both improbable and vastly entertaining. Portia has gotten her act together, and is eager to tackle her internship with Bodotria Armory in Edinburgh in spite of the gigantic fissures that her parents and her own bad decisions have gouged into her self-respect,. Portia is sassy, clever, personable, tech savvy, and not at all what Master-at-arms and unashamed Luddite Tavish expects. After an unfortunate first encounter, Tav rapidly establishes himself as a first class d-bag. Yet, d-bag or not, Tav is pretty irresistible as a grump with a slowly revealed heart of gold. The supporting characters are particularly charming and diverse --each a beautifully limned miniature portrait. From Jamie and Cheryl, Tav's brother and his wife, to his long distance parents to "red-headed step-prince" Johan, each is a fully realized and likable character. Only--there are rather a lot of them. Still, solid characterization is at the core of this book. Cole talks about class, race, poverty, and immigration through the…