Julia Quinn: Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume: B
Amelia Willoughby & Thomas Cavendish

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting . . . for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all . . .

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her . . . eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love . . . with his own fiancée! (amazon)

This highly anticipated novel from Julia Quinn satisfied, buuuuuut it could have been better.

I know, I'm a brat. (I almost said the other 'b' word. By 'other b word' I meant boob. LOL.) I whine about how the book takes forever to be released, how I have to wait at the library, how I want to read it RIGHT NOW, and then.. I read it and am cavalier about it.

What can I say?
I'm high maintenance.

Anyway, I don't think I loved this novel as much because it was taking in the same time as the first novel was. I knew this. But in all honesty, I read that novel months ago (okay, maybe one. I have notoriously awful memory.) and I couldn't really remember the specifics of what was happening.

So when sly glances were cast from Grace to Thomas to Jack to Amelia, I couldn't remember why. Why was Grace looking so flustered again? Did she kiss Jack? Did she have some special moment with Thomas? What what what?

And knowing that something was happening that had been explained before but being unable to remember what it was just sucked.

Also, there wasn't the element of surprise... not that I was expecting it, but at the same time, the book wasn't filled with newness as all new novels do. It was a little more disappointing than I would have assumed.

However, Thomas proved to be a very loyal hero.
And Amelia? Nothing spectacular. Something like, she's unique and somewhat witty and ...uh... she's pretty and hm, very cordial and...

I liked the scene where Thomas and Amelia were truly able to connect with each other (in the atlas room! Aw.)

I can't seem to remember why I can't really remember the ending/ epilogue of the story, so I'm thinking it didn't make a huge impression on me, other than the expected sighs of "aw, they got together!"

So. Read this. It's cute - I think. I don't remember crying tears of boredom.
But, as with most other Julia Quinn novels, it's-a nothing too extraordinary.

PS, atrocious cover. Slightly better than The Lost Duke of Wyndham but that's not saying much because the raptor-esque model on the cover frightened the heeby jeeby out of me.