Book Review: To Catch a Lady by Pamela Labud
Media Type: Ebook (ARC)Series: Hunt Club Book #1
Ashton Blakely, the Duke of Summerton, cannot stop his aunt from meddling in his affairs. So rather than let her select a most disagreeable mate, Ashton decides to fire the first volley by holding a ball as a scheme to bag the ideal wife: a deferential girl eager to produce and raise an heir, leaving Ashton to his beloved hunting lodge and titled friends. But when Ashton falls for the one woman who isn’t willing to play his game, all his plans scatter like buckshot. Suddenly, the chase is on!
Caroline Hawkins has no interest in marriage. In fact, she has devoted her life to defending women from the indignities visited upon them by their husbands. She only chaperones her beautiful younger sister to Summerton’s ball in the hopes of saving her family from bankruptcy. She certainly doesn’t expect to catch the Duke’s eye . . . nor is she prepared for the heat that rises every time she thinks of his powerful build or his dark, tantalizing gaze. Caroline can run, but she cannot hide—for Ashton has already captured her heart.
At a little over 300 pages I feel like some editing would do this book a lot of good. I kept hoping things would pick up, but page after page seemed to get longer and longer. I wasn’t really invested in either of the main characters and though I understood the tension the author was trying to create between them, it felt flat. Caro had some fire and spoke her mind, but only occasionally and usually not about the important parts of their relationship. Most of the novel was focused on the internal thoughts and struggles of both Ash and Caro and much of it could have been addressed with a single conversation. The tension was forced and extremely drawn out.
The ending was predictable and left little to be desired. Unfortunately this was not a read that I enjoyed.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
