The Duke's Holiday

It's been a really long time since I could laugh out loud while reading.

I'm currently finishing The Duke's Holiday by Maggie Fenton - a recency romance. But boy, so different from the others!

In this novel, a duke named Cyril (a name he hates) is about to get married to the most boring lady in society. He doesn't particularly want to get married, but he knows it's his duty to produce an heir and spare.

One day he finds an interesting letter between his correspondence - neatly ordered, as everything in his existence. He so learns about the death of Mr. Honeywell, who has a brewery in Yorkshire. That brewery sits upon land owned by the duke, but for centuries there is a contract between the duke and the Honeywells. As long as there is a male Honeywell living, they shall be allowed to live in the castle and keep the brewery going.

The duke sends out his man of affairs to investigate, because he wants the Honeywell land back. But weeks go by and he hears nothing. So at long last he sets out to investigate himself, although he hates travelling. In Yorkshire he meets the Misses Honeywell: Aunt Annabel with her wig like Marie-Antoinette, Astrid and her three younger sisters. As the oldest, Astrid has been keeping the brewery and the affairs going long before her father died.

When the duke arrives at Rylestone Hall, he is attacked by a pig and lands in a pool of mud. And from then on, one hilarious incident follows the other.

You can imagine a fine romance flowers between Astrid and the duke, however unlikely bedfellows they make.

I shall be looking forward to the next novel of this author!