Aphrodite and the Duke

A story in two full parts, both full of romance and intrigue, although you know something horrendous must have happened to stop Evander marrying Aphrodite, you just don’t know, with all the machinations of siblings and parents something is going on and I wasn’t quite sure who to root for. The second part of the book develops and mystery further and tension builds beautifully as the baddie is revealed but not caught and someone is going to get caught in his snare. A really good read, with well balanced tension, some funny bits added by the siblings and a great few lines from Aphrodite’s dad.

Umm.. this was amazing?

How do I even begin to describe this book? It’s like no historical romance I’ve ever read. This book unlocked a secret desire for a sub-sub-genre I didn’t even know I had… for the very modern historical romance that reads like a classic.

This was a childhood friends to lovers second chance romance. And believe me, when one of Evander’s first lines is “Forgive me. I beg you”, I felt it all the way down to my toes.

But then everything about this book was so unique! First, there were the Bridgerton tv show vibes. The BIPOC heroine in a lush Regency setting where different races are equal. And her family!! Six kids, loving parents, Kennedy-esque banter. I was genuinely laughing out loud during the scenes in her family home.

But also—and this is where this book blew me away—it had major Tolstoy vibes? Middlemarch by George Eliot vibes? It was like everything that gets crammed into the normal historical romance’s epilogue finally got its time in the sun. In the first half of the book, this couple (re)fell in love in all the ways we’re used to—dancing at a ball, a clandestine conversation in the garden, walking with a chaperone in the park. But then in the second half, they fell in love for real. Being together, growing together, making mistakes and forgiving each other. This plot was so human and moving. And the pacing felt like reading a classic.

I swear my IQ increased while reading this. Take her name: Aphrodite. There was the usual living up to a divine name, beauty as a motif and all that. But then I loved the all Hellenistic philosophy—Epictetus, Seneca the Younger, and Plato of course. And little things like a reference to her parents being English nobles during the French Revolution, Shakespeare quotes but also Sophocles quotes. I was living!

This couple was so compatible, they grew so much as characters, and they truly brought out the best in each other. The side characters were amazing. It was just amazing. I need this to be a series! This paced-like-a-classic historical romance needs to become a trend!

Okay, so we're getting a multi-season TV show and sequels, right? RIGHT?!

Ladies and gentlemen who have been missing Bridgerton - may I introduce you to 'Aphrodite and the Duke', your newest historical romance obsession. I read this book in 48 hours, something I have not done in a very long time, and it's a tribute to how immensely entertaining and delicious this novel is.

A second-chance romance between Aphrodite and her childhood love Evander, the novel is a tale of two halves. The first, centred around the London season and the rekindling of the romance between these jilted lovers. The second, of Aphrodite learning to become a duchess and getting entangled in the mad family drama of Evander's extended clan.

Let's quickly discuss the Daphne-shaped elephant in the room - yes, there are a lot of similarities to the first season of Bridgerton. The Duke's family drama, the steamy scenes, the accidentally catching people getting dirty in the gardens - it's packed with very familiar tropes. I can't comment on how much of an influence it was on this book because I don't know when it was written/redrafted, but it's easily looked past for something this fun. And that's the best way to describe this book. It's just so much fun. It's swoon-worthy, it's juicy, it's packed with those Regency-era details that made millions of us go mad for the aforementioned show.

The family dynamics of Aphrodite's side were funny and charming - hopefully giving more space for greater expansion in this world - and McAvoy did an incredible job building the world and the atmosphere of Regency England, right down to tiny details in the prose. This book provided such escapist joy for the whole time I was reading it and scratched an itch that a lot of regency romances haven't been able to for me.

The last 10% of this book is CRAZY. Like, ridiculously crazy. If I were to take a more critical eye to it, I would suggest it might be a little too crazy, but ultimately, it all pays off to a satisfying conclusion that leads the door open for sequels (please god let there be sequels I want Verity to be happy). But that's my central criticism. This book pays homage to the regency romance that has come before it - but does something different. This book will capture you like reality TV and keep a vice grip until you've hit the last page. What. A. Joy.