I just finished Secrets of an Accidental Duchess and I'm just all over the place. I'm feeling so many different emotions now that I've finished this book. I really enjoyed this book but there were a few times I had to put this book down because it became a little rough to get through. It wasn't bad at all but this book was definitely not a light read. In fact, the villain of this story is so heinous and brutal and some of his actions made me shudder. Besides my hatred of the villain, I really enjoyed the story and all of the characters that are in it.
Let me just start off by saying that I love Max. I love Max so freaking much! Watching him and Olivia both fall in love with each other was great to watch. Their interactions with each other and just the way they both opened up to one another was great. There really weren't any games between them and I liked that. I liked that they both fell and fell hard.
I'll admit that the first couple of chapters kind of dragged for me a bit, but once Olivia and Max started interacting with each other the story just picked up and I found myself unable to stop reading. I loved getting to know who both Olivia and Max were. The type of people they were inside and out. Both are caring and so full of love. I was worried that I might not like Olivia based off of reading the back of the book. I'm not the biggest fan of heroines that always need saving and are helpless. That wasn't the case at all with Olivia. Everyone may try to baby her and shelter her but she definitely doesn't need it. She is strong and if given the chance, independent. She is also selfless. She willingly put others first to save them even if it costs her so much more. She doesn't back down when times get hard and I loved that about her.
With Max, in the beginning he's portrayed as a womanizing rake that doesn't have a care in the world and could care less about another feelings. That was not the case at all. Max is so caring and considerate. He fights for what he believes in and the ones he loves and cares about. He is truly good even though it takes him a while to realize it.
As I said before, I really enjoyed this story. I loved meeting the rest of the Donovans and I am eagerly awaiting the next book from Jennifer Haymore. I can't wait to see how things end up for the rest of the Donovans. I also will be checking out the first book in this series, Confessions of an Improper Bride. I loved seeing the little tidbits of Serena/Meg and her husband and I am very curious about their book.
**ARC copy provided by NetGalley/Forever Romance Publishing**
RATING:
Vicky Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. Frequent business trips to the UK allowed her to indulge her passion for all things Regency England. Bath, Stonehenge, and Spencer House are among her favorite places. She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle. That unfortunate incident led her British colleagues to nickname her “Trouble.” When she’s not writing, Vicky enjoys reading, films, concerts, and most of all, long lunches with friends. A native Texan, she holds degrees in English literature and marketing.
With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires proper young ladies must never confess... 
Elise Rome has never forgiven Margaret Mitchell for making her fall in love with Scarlett and Rhett in Gone with the Wind and then not giving them a happy ending. She likes to think that she makes up for the injustice done to them with each romance novel she writes. When she isn't telling stories about sexy, headstrong heroes and intelligent, independent heroines, Elise stays busy chasing after her two young daughters, semi-attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.