The Trouble With Being a Duke: At the Kingsborough Ball

When Isabella Chilcott sneaks out of her parents’ home to go to the Kingsborough Ball, she hardly expects to capture the heart of the duke, Anthony Kingsborough. After a romantic evening, Isabella escapes the ball, and Anthony pursues. When Anthony finds Isabella again, he must not only convince her that his intentions are pure, but he must also convince her parents, who have promised her to another and who hold a decades-long bias against aristocrats. Will Anthony and Isabella find their happy ending?

The Trouble with Being a Duke is a twist on a Cinderella story, though it gets off to a slow start. The first quarter of the book is just the goings-on of the Kingsborough Ball, and the rest depicts Anthony’s missteps in trying to capture Isabella’s heart. Isabella leaves the ball after someone is shot, but the shooting at the ball is never really resolved or mentioned again. The characters are lovable enough, but lacking in courage. Isabella and Anthony want to adhere to some societal conventions, but toss aside others.

Check the book out of the library, but don’t bother paying for it. Other historical romances are more engaging.