Her Time Traveling Duke

Regency sensibilities clash with contemporary culture and science clashes with magic in Donovan’s goofy sequel to Her Knight at the Museum. In 1818 England, Henry Leighton-Lyons, the Duke of Beresford, mourns his wife, Charlotte, who died young, and dedicates himself to creating a time machine that will enable him to reunite with her, even for a brief moment. In present day Chicago, practicing witch Rose Novak, an employee at the Art Institute of Chicago, wishes to find love with “an old-fashioned gentleman.” She casts a love spell, unknowingly using a necklace containing the same moonstone that Henry also used in his time machine, and is shocked when it summons him to her side. Henry, a man devoted to logic and (often outdated) science, struggles to make sense of the modern day, while Rose struggles to find a way to send him back. Along the way, they agree to what Henry calls a “brief assignation” and Rosie calls a “fling.” As they grow closer, however, Henry comes to believe that Rose may be Charlotte reincarnated. The worldbuilding relies on an awful lot of hand-waving, and Donovan plays Henry’s culture shock for broad laughs. Unfortunately, his stuffy royal arrogance and period-typical views are often a turnoff, especially once he starts insisting to a disbelieving Rose that she is Charlotte reborn. This is best suited for devoted series fans. (Nov.)