Lady E's Reviews > Desert Island Duke

Heroine: Caroline Montgomery, age unknown. Nickname: Caro.

Hero: Maximillian Cavendish, age unknown. Duke of Hayworth.

Date: unknown

How they meet: The two met off-page. Max is a friend of Caro’s brother. Their dynamic is a little bristly, but it is only because they secretly like one another.

What happens: Caro and Max are involved in a shipwreck and end up alone on an island (the rest of the group is on a nearby island which they can see, but is too far to swim to). When Max comes to, he doesn’t remember who he is. Caro decides to play a little joke, letting him think he is an indebted stable hand instead of a wealthy duke.

(view spoiler)[Max goes along with the story even though he remembers who he is after a short wile. The two work together to find water and food, make a shelter, and prepare a signal fire. They also do a bit of exploring. Caro eventually comes to the realization that their being stranded together will leave her ruined, even though Max hasn’t truly compromised her. Max teases that if everyone is going to think something happened between them, shouldn’t they just go ahead and take advantage of the opportunity? She gives the idea some serious thought. Max comes clean that he really doesn’t have amnesia, and also follows through on a plan he had been waiting to put into action with Caro. (hide spoiler)]

Verdict: This is a cute novella. The two characters have pretty good chemistry. The plot and character development are limited, as one expects in a novella. While characters from earlier books in the series are mentioned, this reads fine as a standalone.

Steam-level: steamy and explicit

Rating: 4 stars