Review: Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes by Gina Lamm

Title: Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes by Gina Lamm
Geek Girls Series Book TWo
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Romance, Time Travel
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

All Leah wanted was a little gallantry, a bit of chivalry. What she had was Kevin, the ex-boyfriend who’s asked her to be his new fiancee’s bridesmaid. Fat chance. Why can’t it be like the good old days? It’s as though someone hears her plea because the next thing she knows, a plump housekeeper full of mischief sends her back in time to Regency England. And now Leah is determined to snag her very own duke…

Avery Russell was polishing boots when the woman fell through the mirror into his arms, breathlessly babbling some nonsense about “my one true love, Your Grace.” If the chit couldn’t tell a valet from a duke, she was in a sorry state indeed. And as much as he wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn’t be proper. No, he’d take his time wooing this one… as long as necessary to convince her that sometimes a duke just won’t do.

The Review:

Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes is another fast-paced and charming novel in Gina Lamm’s fun time travel series. I absolutely loved The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl so I was quite eager to read Leah’s story.

Ms. Lamm does an excellent job keeping the Geek Girls series fresh and unique and Leah Ramsey’s trip back in time has a few distinct differences. Unlike the first novel, Leah’s time travel is voluntary so she is able to bring a few items to make her stay in Regency England a bit more comfortable. She has more knowledge of the time period she is traveling to. But the biggest difference is Leah knows that she is destined to fall in love with someone in the Duke of Granville’s household. Since her friend Jamie’s true love turned out to be an Earl, Leah arrives at the Duke’s home anticipating a love match with the Duke. So she is a little confused by her attraction to the Duke’s valet, Avery Russell. And when she meets the Duke? Well, let’s just say he is definitely not what she was expecting.

Part of Leah’s desire to travel back in time stems from her beloved grandfather’s desire to see her happily married. So she gamely accepts a position as maid in the Duke’s home. The work is much harder (and more disgusting) than Leah thought it would be, but Avery is there to lend a helping hand. With the other servants openly hostile towards her, Leah is grateful for Avery’s assistance and his steady friendship.

Avery is a wonderful hero and there was not anything about him that I did not like. He cannot quite escape his past career as a boxer and although he is an honorable man, he is forced to make unsavory decisions to protect those he loves. Avery is quite protective of Leah and he does an admirable job looking out for her. But his past collides with his present and puts Leah in danger. His feelings of inadequacy override his love for her and their future together looks bleak when someone from Leah’s life arrives bearing bad news.

As with the first novel in the series, Ms. Lamm does not downplay the less than ideal living conditions in Regency England. Leah’s repugnance over cleaning chamber pots and the unsanitary street life dispels a little bit of the romance of the era and provides historical accuracy to the overall story. It is also a refreshing change of pace that the main characters are not nobility. Leah does experience a more glamorous life when a well-meaning member of the peer offers to introduce her to the Duke but she is soon disillusioned by the daily lifestyle of her patroness.

A wonderful addition to Geek Girls series, Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes is a highly entertaining novel. Full of appealing characters, plenty of snarky humor and a wonderfully unpredictable storyline, it is a must read for fans of time travel and historical romances. I have my fingers crossed that Gina Lamm has more stories planned for this delightful series.

Please click HERE to read my review of the first book in the series.