The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Twelve years after fleeing their burning chateau, Julien Harcourt, Duc de Valère, searches for his lost twin brothers. His frequent travels between England and France at a time when the exiled Napoleon is reported to be marshalling his troops raises the suspicions of English authorities who set secret operative Sarah Smith on his trail. A risky game of cat and mouse leads the two from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris and into a fragile love that neither dares to hope for."

My Thoughts:

The Making of a Duchess was a great way to spend a few days as it was filled with romance, intrigue, and passion. The story begins with the main character Sarah, a governess, being coerced into becoming a spy and pretending to be a long lost duchess from France. As Sarah meets Julien, her "future husband to be", passion instantly begins to ignite between the two of them. What I liked about this book is the hidden secrets between the two main characters. Neither of them are being honest with each other at the beginning of the book which is a recipe for disaster. Especially as they are almost instantly attracted to one another....the passion in this book was HOT! The romance between these two built slowly and came across realistically. I really enjoyed it and wanted to see them get their happy ever after. I liked the way that the author shared Julien's past from when he was a child and how it tied into the rest of the book. It was the set-up for a really great storyline in my opinion and I can't wait to read more. The book was a really fast read and I couldn't set it down.

All in all, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and a solid romance. I'm looking forward to reading more with these characters as this is the beginning of a trilogy. And I've found myself a new romance author to watch. Recommended to romance lovers!

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library :)