Title: Duncan the Third
Series: N/A
Author: Trina Solet
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (224 pages)
Publisher: Trina Solet (July 25th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts
Blurb: Patrick and his little sister, Wendy, have just moved into Duncan’s building and that means trouble. Patrick is exactly the kind of guy Duncan can’t resist. Together he and his little sister might be the family Duncan has been yearning for but only if he takes a chance and lets them into his heart.
Unfortunately, Duncan hasn’t been lucky when it comes to relationships. After getting his heart broken too many times, he has sworn off younger men.
While Duncan struggles against his attraction to him, Patrick is determined to win him over. As Patrick tries to change his mind, can he also heal Duncan’s broken heart?
ISBN: 978-1-91174-941-3
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Third-Romance-Trina-Solet-ebook/dp/B00M56Z50W
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This is a sweet story featuring two MCs working through their own issues with an incredibly precocious nine-year old thrown in to steal the show and generally be hilarious. After the death of their parents, Patrick Duncan is the guardian to his little sister Wendy and now has to work to support her. He moves into a new apartment and meets Duncan Jeffries. He’s basically a hermit who is reluctant to get into another relationship, particularly one with a younger guy. He’s recently been dumped by his younger boyfriend and has been having trouble coming to terms with things.
This leads me to state the obvious: the recurring theme in this book is all about healing. Patrick is an adorable sweetheart and the death of his parents has forced him to grow up. He’s strong for the sake of Wendy. Often he seems to be the more mature between him and Duncan. In fact, it’s more like he’s thirty-one instead of twenty-one. Duncan’s healing is very different – he’s nursing a broken heart and adamant he won’t get together with a younger man again. The problem for Patrick is that Duncan is so determined about this fact it often feels like he’s pushing Patrick away. However, the relationship that forms between the men is strong and true; it’s also incredibly sweet as you see the friendship become something more.
The problem for me as a reader is that Duncan’s behaviour – destructive and indecisive – bordered on irritating. Duncan’s stubborn mindset sometimes set the plot back, I feel. I suppose you can say Duncan was written as a wallower, and though he is likable when he finally gets his act together he did come across as tedious in the beginning half of the story because he was so deep into his shell from his broken heart it took a lot of effort to get him out. In the end, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with unless the reader is impatient like me.
On a final note, I have to devote some words to Wendy. She is a show stealer! The nine-year old who seems to act about five years older when she’s in her smart-arse mood (which is often), is hilarious. She’s the one that comes up with Duncan’s nickname, Duncan the Third. She also gives one of Patrick’s friend’s younger brother hilarious nickname. But she also has a serious side too. She is acutely aware of the fact that her brother dropped out of college to raise her and this makes her feel guilty. It’s times like these that she truly does act like the nine-year old she is written as. By the end of the book, one thing is clear, this girl is the boss of Patrick and Duncan!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *