Book Review: Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes by Gina Lamm

Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes is the second book in the Geek Girls romance series by Gina Lamm. Leah Ramsey has always loved historical romance novels and dressing in period costumes, in fact she works at a local renascence fair while on summer vacation from teaching. When Leah has the chance to time travel and experience the history for herself, she jumps at it. Her best friend Jamie had done it and found her true love, so it could not be too hard. Unfortunate, the first person she sees is not the duke, but his valet. Avery Russell, valet and prize pugilist, reluctantly helps Leah gain a position in the Duke of Granville's household as a maid. Emptying chamber pots and cleaning was not quite what she imagined, but she's determined to win her happily ever after, even if the hero isn't exactly who she's expecting.

Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes is a solid follow up to The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl, in which Leah's best friend Jamie enters the past through a mirror. Leah uses the same mirror with the hopes of having the same luck as her now newlywed best friend. I liked Leah's character, while she is depressed with the fact that her best friend is off and growing apart from her because of her experiences and new marriage, she is also happy for her friend and maintains her spunk. There is a great interaction between Leah and her ex boyfriend in the beginning of the book that really gives the reader a good glimpse at her personality. Leah is a nice girl with a good heart, be she will not be taken advantage of and is not afraid to speak her mind. I loved her honest and spunk, particularly as she had to learn to self-censor while in the past to blend in. Avery is another great character, he is not just a valet. He is a boxer that does everything in his power to care for his ailing aunt. He is blackmailed and looked down on, be he continues doing the right thing (or as close as he can get in his personal circumstances). The side story about the duke and some of the characters that readers of The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl will recognize, are entertaining and a nice additional layer to the story.

Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes is a fun and enjoyable read. I love the combination of contemporary romance with historical and a little magic to make it all possible. If you have read The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl you will get a bit more out of the story, but newcomers to the series will not be lost or miss too much of the larger story. If you like romance that concentrates on the characters figuring out what they want rather than just falling into bed, then this is the book for you. I will definitely be taking a look at the next book in the series, The Geek Girl and the Reluctant Rake, when it comes out in 2014 for some more fun romance reading.