Up All Night with a Good Duke

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were several things that I really liked, but a few that bugged me. 

I really enjoyed the main characters, especially Artemis, and the banter, as well as the family bonds. In fact, I wish we'd gotten more of this. I liked the aspect of the FMC, Artemis, being a secret writer and her aspirations of opening a women's college; I also wish we'd gotten more of this, especially involving her plans or maybe even gotten to see her in action. I liked how much of a role Artemis' books played in the story. I really liked the respect Artemis and Dominic had for each other, and the way Dominic encouraged her dreams; I also really liked that there was no third-act misunderstanding-fueled breakup; Dominic could easily have made a huge deal over discovering Artemis' secret, and he handled it with maturity. I really appreciated that. 

However, I wasn't such a big fan of the writing style in some places - it felt overwrought and overwritten (which was maybe intended to go with the time period in which the book was set but it occasionally felt over the top and pulled me out of the story. A few times, I caught myself rolling my eyes. But then, I've never been the biggest fan of Gothic romances, so maybe it just goes with the territory.) I also wasn't a big fan of how the story occasionally dipped into almost soap opera territory (or just over the top plot twists) but again, maybe that just goes with the territory of a Gothic romance and I'm merely judging the book for following expected tropes. Another thing that bugged me a bit was the pace at which Dominic and Artemis' relationship moved - the “I love you”s seemed to come too soon, especially considering Artemis seemed to think she was holding out on him. Maybe this is simply because we're not given a clear timeline? And lastly, the villains seem so one-dimensional, especially the male villain. He's bad because... he's bad? 

Overall, I did enjoy this book - the positives outweighed the negatives - and I plan to continue with the series... Eventually.