Dedicated: The Duchess Effect By Tracey Livesay (Review by Stephanie Rowitz)
Rating 4
American rapper, Danielle “Duchess” Nelson and Prince Jameson have beat the odds and fallen in love. Who knew that falling in love would be the easy part? As the new couple navigates the complexity of being in the royal family with Dani’s laidback, American style, will it all be too much for the pair to handle, or will Dani and Jameson find a way to merge their two worlds together?
I thought it was interesting that this book starts with the couple’s relationship already established. Typically, romance novels show the couple meeting and getting together with an obstacle or two thrown in before its satisfying conclusion. I like that this book sort of turned that trope on its head and showed what happens after a couple falls in love. How do you blend two completely different lives together? I enjoyed seeing the realistic unfolding of this couple trying to build their life together.
I also like how strong Dani’s character is. She’s a rapper who also runs her own skincare line. She’s been taking care of herself for so long that she has a hard time letting other people take care of her. Her fierce independence not only draws Jameson into her orbit, but the reader as well. You really get a sense of how hard Dani has had to work to get to where she is, and why it’s so important for her to remain true to herself. Jameson is the calm, protective force that Dani doesn’t know she needs until their relationship is put to the test, and she realizes she just may lose it all.
Overall, The Duchess Effect is an engrossing novel about two people falling in love and trying to make it work despite coming from very different backgrounds. While I still missed the “falling in love” aspect that you usually see in romance novels, I enjoyed reading about what happens after the whirlwind romance settles down a bit. The Duchess Effect is a realistic, yet still, fantastical book to curl up with that will leave you wanting more.
Buy the book!
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