[Livro] Addicted to the Duke, de Bronwen Evans

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Título em Português: --
Série:Imperfect Lords #1
Autor(a): Bronwen Evans
Editora: Loveswept
Páginas: 260
Data de Publicação: 13 de Junho de 2017

Sinopse:

Alexander Sylvester Bracken, Duke of Bedford, has a mission: sail to the Mediterranean and track down Lady Hestia Cary’s missing father. It is a straightforward task, but for two rather vexing complications. First, the sea holds painful memories; second, for her own safety, Hestia is to accompany him. As Alex battles the demons of his past, he must also resist Hestia’s surprisingly skillful attempts at seduction. After all, Alex has sworn to leave her untouched, and he intends to honour that vow—until he can properly ask the Earl’s blessing.
Ever since His Grace rescued Hestia from the arms of a Turkish pirate six long years ago, her heart has belonged to Alex. So when he agrees to help find her father, Hestia is thrilled. Although Alex tries to hide it, there’s passion in his eyes—and a frisson of desire in the air—whenever they meet. On board ship, miles from home, Alex won’t be able to deny her any longer. But with scoundrels lying in wait, she may not live to tell the tale of her conquest.

~ Recebemos este eARC através do NetGalley, em troca desta opinião honesta. Obrigada! ~

Opinião:
Quando vi o tema que envolvia este livro pensei que seria interessante ver como a autora lidava com o problema do vício do ópio e láudano há uns séculos atrás. E devo dizer que não foi mal apresentado, apesar de ter tido alguns problemas para mim.

Alex Bracken esteve dois anos preso em cativeiro nas mãos de um pirata turco que o fez tomar ópio e depender deste. Quando finalmente conseguiu escapar, obviamente que teve uma luta difícil para largar o vício e essa luta continuava diariamente. Mas mesmo tendo largado o ópio, os pesadelos de tudo o que lhe tinha acontecido durante aqueles dois anos continuava a assombrá-lo e por isso Alex começou a tomar uma gota ocasional de láudano para o ajudar a dormir – o que poderia criar uma nova dependência (apesar de na altura não o láudano não ser visto como uma substância viciante).

Alex escapou com a ajuda do pai de Hestia e, por isso, devia-lhe a vida. Quando este lhe pede ajuda para salvar a filha do mesmo pirata que o tinha raptado, Alex não hesita e volta ao local que mais odeia e salva-a. Na altura, a jovem de 15 anos desenvolve uma paixoneta por Alex, por ele a ter salvo, e vê-o apenas como um herói. Alex começa a gostar dela mas o pai da jovem não aprova a união.

Anos depois Hestia recorre a Alex quando pensa que estão a tentar enganá-la ao dizerem que o seu pai morreu e este, com ela, volta novamente às ilhas gregas, onde o pirata turco dos seus pesadelos se encontra. Durante esta viagem, Hestia percebe que Alex não é só aquela visão apaixonada que ela tinha de menina, mas um homem com problemas e que continua a ser assombrado diariamente. Mas isso não a afasta, pelo contrário. Apesar dos meus elogios à força destas personagens, sinceramente não foram das minhas favoritas. Achei Hestia um pouco irritante e Alex... bem, não sei. Estava constantemente a ser relembrada de todos os efeitos que o ópio tinha e ao fim de uns capítulos já podia dizer de cor aquilo que autora ia repetir sobre esse vício. Claro que a luta é constante e dura, mas a história podia mostrar isso sem serem só diálogos internos.

O pai de Hestia é egoísta e não presta atenção à filha, deixando-a sozinha com a tia meses e meses enquanto se aventurava nas ilhas gregas. Além de que não trata Alex da melhor maneira.

Foi um livro diferente do habitual, mas acho que não resultou para mim.

Title: Addicted to the Duke
Serie: Imperfect Lords #1
Author: Bronwen Evans
Publisher: Loveswept
Pages: 260
Publication date: June 13th 2017

Synopsis:

Alexander Sylvester Bracken, Duke of Bedford, has a mission: sail to the Mediterranean and track down Lady Hestia Cary’s missing father. It is a straightforward task, but for two rather vexing complications. First, the sea holds painful memories; second, for her own safety, Hestia is to accompany him. As Alex battles the demons of his past, he must also resist Hestia’s surprisingly skillful attempts at seduction. After all, Alex has sworn to leave her untouched, and he intends to honour that vow—until he can properly ask the Earl’s blessing.
Ever since His Grace rescued Hestia from the arms of a Turkish pirate six long years ago, her heart has belonged to Alex. So when he agrees to help find her father, Hestia is thrilled. Although Alex tries to hide it, there’s passion in his eyes—and a frisson of desire in the air—whenever they meet. On board ship, miles from home, Alex won’t be able to deny her any longer. But with scoundrels lying in wait, she may not live to tell the tale of her conquest.

~ We've received an eARC directly from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you! ~

Review:
When I saw this book’s theme, I thought it might be interesting to see how the author would deal with the addiction to opium and laudanum a few centuries ago. And I must say it was well presented, in the majority of times.

Alex Bracken was captured by a Turkish pirate and was held hostage for two years. He made him an opium addict. When Alex finally escaped, he obviously had a very hard struggle to give up opium and that continued daily. But, what Alex could get rid of was the nightmares, and so he started taking the occasional drop of laudanum to help him sleep, which could create a new addiction (even though at the time laudanum wasn’t seen as an addictive substance).

Alex escaped with Hestia’s father help, and so he owed him his life. When he came to him to ask for help to retrieve his daughter that had been captured by the same pirate that had held him hostage, Alex doesn’t hesitate and rescues her. At the time, Hestia was around 15 years old and developed a crush, seeing Alex only as her hero. Alex starts to like her, but her father doesn’t approve of their union.

A few years later, Hestia asks for Alex’s help to uncover the truth about her father’s supposed death, and both of them returned to the Greek islands where they had been held hostages to see if her father is still alive and get him back to England. During this voyage, Hestia realizes that Alex isn’t just the hero she envisioned, but also a very troubled man who is haunted by his problems every day. But that doesn’t keep her away – on the contrary. However, despite these complements, neither Hestia nor Alex were characters I particularly liked. Hestia was a bit annoying and Alex…well, I don’t know. I was being constantly reminded of the opium’s effects and after a few chapters I knew by heart what the author was going to say (again) about them. Obviously that it is a constant hard struggle, but the story could demonstrate that without it just being shown with inner dialogues.

Hestia’s father is a selfish man who doesn’t pay attention to his daughter, leaving her alone with her aunt for months and months while he goes to Greek islands. Also, he doesn’t treat Alex the best way, although he claims to see him as a son.

It was a different book from what I’m used to, but I don’t think it actually worked for me.