Title: Duke of Pryde
Author: Mariah Stone
Published: February 25, 2025
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Type: e-copy
Blurb:
A marriage of convenience forces a powerful duke to choose between his ferocious pride and love that melts his icy heart.
Reputation is everything in the ton. And no one’s is more pristine than Constantine Buccleigh, Duke of Pryde’s. But when a blackmailer threatens to expose his devastating secret and have him lose everything, he’s forced to marry Miss Modesty Fairchild, a woman far below his station.
A budding archeologist, Modesty would rather dig in the dirt than host a gala. But a deathbed promise has left her the guardian of an orphaned baby. She’ll do anything to protect her little ward…even marry the heartless duke who made the most offensive proposal in the history of womenkind.
Lonely in Pryde’s elegant Mayfair home, she despises the cold, unyielding duke who expects her to become his perfect duchess. She loathes his arrogance. He resents her defiance. But as dance lessons and etiquette tutorials force them together, Modesty refuses to shrink beneath his iron control. And with every act of rebellion, she shatters his carefully crafted armor, revealing the lonely, broken man beneath.
Glimpsing the tender heart beneath her husband’s haughty exterior, Modesty dreams of a loving future.
But a villain in the shadows plots Pryde’s downfall. And as the Seven Dukes of Sin hunt for clues, the blackmailer raises the stakes.
Faced with a dreadful choice, will Constantine sacrifice his pride and his title for the wife and child he has come to treasure?
Check it on Amazon & Goodreads
Introduction
In January this year I had one of the best discoveries: Mariah Stone. I was expressing then my regret of not reading her books earlier. Today I am back with a review for the third book in the “Seven Dukes of Sin” series, “Duke of Pryde”, Obviously, I enjoyed it very, very much to say the least. But let me tell you my thoughts in detail.
My Thoughts
A series of anonymous letters send our Duke of Pryde into a state of panic. His secret may be soon uncovered, unless he pays a hefty amount of money. Coincidently, a vicar’s daughter, Miss Modesty Fairchild informs him that he has a son whose mother passed away. The child, now in Miss Fairchild’s care, needs a father. After initially refusing to recognize the baby, the duke is forced to marry Modesty, in the hopes of protecting his secret. But, as with every story, things are not so easy, and the English ton may not be fooled so easily. While Modesty’s only interest is the little one’s wellbeing, her now husband seems to have a cold heart, and an interest only in his reputation and fortune. On top of everything, there is still the blackmailer to deal with!
His eyebrows lowered. “Do you ride at all? I have some of the finest thoroughbreads in England.”
“I’m more familiar with cows. Do they handle similarly?”
Both characters are flawlessly created, and I would not have expected any other way from Mariah Stone. Modesty’s heart is full of warmth and love. Her dedication to the less fortunate and, of course, the love she has for the baby in her care are some of her strongest character traits. Her passion for history and archeology, the respect she has for the promise made to hare late friend only make her exceptional. Constantine Buccleigh fails to see them initially. When she accepts to become his wife in exchange for recognition of the child, her disinterest for his fortune and just the life of a duchess seem absolutely strange to him.
Modesty will have to learn the rules of the ton and how to behave, including the amount of respect she has to pay to different people, depending on their station. I loved seeing her grow in this new role. She becomes exceptional and manages to peel away the layers that Constantine covered himself with to protect his heart.
He will learn to trust his wife and appreciate her efforts. But, while his life at home may not be as bad as he would have expected, the threats keep on coming. He is now scared for his wife and the baby, not just for himself. Pride is a complicated feeling to have. Seeing beyond that pride may not be that easy.
But the higher she soared on hope’s wings, the harder she feared she’d fall.
Their relationship is put to the test and our duke of Pryde will have plenty of lessons to learn.
Constantine has made enemies because of his pride and soon he will have to learn the meaning of humility. His pride almost got in the way of his friendships, but the seven Dukes of Sin are thick as thieves. The support they show to each other and to each other’s families is amazing.
As opposed to book 2, Modesty’s intelligence and her discoveries are not taken in stride, even if she doesn’t take credit for them. She understands that a message has a different weight if it is delivered by a man. With her character, the author reinforces the idea that behind a powerful man, there is always a strong woman. But she does that with elegance and tact.
Ireverence chuckled. “Well, look at that – our flawless duke is human, after all. Rather refreshing, actually. Though your timing could use a little work.”
Mariah Stone’s writing is expressive, her construction is smart and her characters exceptional. With every chapter, the tension builds to an unexpected turn, leading to our MMC having an important lesson in modesty. The author does not leave anything to chance, and the plot unfolds at an appropriate pace. One of the scenes that speak to the level of involvement the author had in the accuracy of the historical elements, is the one in which Modesty must learn how much to curtsy for every title and how to properly place the guests at a diner party. Expressive, funny, smart, elegant, Mariah Stone is amazing!
Cover Review: The cover fists the story. We have the colors of our duke, we have a woman in a simple dress. It’s a nice cover. For some reason, I keep looking at covers for historical romance books wanting to find something more… historical. But still, I like this one.
Conclusion
This is my second book by this author. You will probably be sick and tired of reading my praises for her, but I am right. This is one of the best historical romances I’ve read. It has left me thinking about all the ways in which people were respected back in the day. Society may not be that rigid anymore, but we are less respectful. In a position of power, image is everything, but it has to be genuine. Secrets ALWAYS get uncovered.
Let me know in the comments what are your thoughts abour Mariah Stone, if you have read any of her books. I would also love to know your take on historical romance in general. There is a lot of discussion in the community that people no longer read as much, with the rise of other type of romance books.
Until next time, happy reading!
About The Author
When time travel romance writer Mariah Stone isn’t busy writing strong modern women falling back through time into the arms of hot Vikings, Highlanders, and pirates, she chases after her toddler and spends romantic nights on North Sea with her husband. Mariah speaks six languages, loves Outlander, sushi and Thai food, and runs a local writer’s group. Subscribe to Mariah’s newsletter for a free time travel book today!
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