The Duke's Dream by Giovanna Sinisalchi [ARC review]

 Shoutout to Giovanna Siniscalchi who offered me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

The Duke’s Dream by Giovanna Siniscalchi is a Regency romance set in London during the Napoleonic Wars, telling the story of brooding William Harcourt, Duke of Albemarle, and the French ballerina Hélène de Beaumont. For years, William has been plagued by dreams of a mysterious, siren-like woman who, no matter the treatment, haunted him night after night. That is, until one day, the woman of his wildest fantasies stands before him in flesh and blood. Hélène de Beaumont is the rising star of Covent Garden, and her dedication to her art is finally beginning to pay off — when William storms into her life like an untameable force. While Hélène is determined not to fall in love with the brooding duke who ignites her deepest passions, William finds himself increasingly intrigued by the real woman behind La Sylphide. But trouble looms on the horizon, as Hélène’s true identity threatens to shatter both of their dreams in a single, cruel twist of fate.

This book has so many things I adore: a brooding duke who falls first — and falls hard — for a ballerina at his local ballet, a forbidden love story that stretches far beyond the bounds of class difference, and plenty of rich history surrounding the Napoleonic Wars, the world of ballet during the Regency era, and so much more. It’s clear that a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this beautiful novel.

I’ve rarely read a couple with as much chemistry as Hélène and William. Right from the start, there’s this sizzling, air-cutting tension between them. William can’t believe his eyes when the embodiment of his haunting dreams stands before him, and Hélène, for the first time, feels passion for something other than ballet. This is probably one of the best-written instalust moments I’ve ever come across — it felt both realistic and incredibly intense. The fact that this overpowering chemistry is paired with a slow burn kept me glued to the pages. And let me tell you, the slow burn pays off so well. It almost feels like a disservice to reduce the book to how good the spice is, but damn… it was very, very good.

Both Hélène and William are well-written, complex characters. Giovanna is actually one of the authors I spent some time chatting with about my recent frustration with male leads in historical romance, and I have to pat her on the back: William was an excellent male lead. He’s brooding, cunning, and definitely acts out of self-interest more than once — but never to the point where he could be described as morally grey or cruel. He has his intentions, and he’s willing to do almost anything to have Hélène. What I especially appreciated was how well his journey was written — from lusting after the fantasy Hélène represented to falling in love with the real woman she is. It was a rough, sometimes messy progression for him, as he fought hard against losing control over himself and his passion for her.

Hélène, on the other hand, was the perfect match for the brooding duke who was terrified of losing himself to his passion. Though, through William’s eyes, she appeared to be a beacon of passion and surrender, in Hélène’s reality she was a dedicated artist with clear goals and a carefully laid plan to achieve them — a plan William wasn’t so willing to follow. Even in Hélène’s role on stage, La Sylphide beautifully represented the dichotomy between her idealized, perceived identity and the truth of the life she was living. I loved getting to explore the world of ballet during the Regency era through Hélène’s perspective. I’ve always admired the art form, but I’d never submerged myself this deeply into the history of ballet before.

The atmosphere of this novel is unmatched. I loved how the pendulum swung between the almost dream-like frequency of the moments between the two main characters and the harsh reality of the circumstances they lived in. There was a certain gloominess to this story that I absolutely adored. The entire novel feels like nighttime with a full moon hanging overhead. Almost trance-like, I felt myself being drawn deeper and deeper into the story. So much of that atmosphere was conveyed through the writing itself. I haven’t read too much of Giovanna’s catalogue yet, but so far, this has been my favorite of hers in terms of writing style. It had something distinct — something that set it apart from her other work in a way I really loved.

It’s clear that a lot of research went into this novel. Not many authors are willing to truly dwell on the major historical events of the Regency era, and I really appreciated that Giovanna chose to engage with the Napoleonic Wars. It was such a significant part of the period, yet it’s so often brushed over hastily in romance novels. I’ve already touched on the exploration of the ballet world during the early 19th century, so I won’t dive into that again. But I also appreciated how Giovanna subtly addressed several socio-cultural issues of the time, like the persecution of gay men under English law and the suffocating purity culture surrounding young women. I loved how deeply rooted this story was in its historical context without ever taking away from the magic and escapism of historical romance.

There were moments in this story where I did lose a bit of interest. Overall, I think most of the plotlines were important to the main narrative, but at times it felt like there was just a little too much happening, especially considering the overall intensity of the story. That said, I also acknowledge this might have been down to my current mood or simply my personal preference when it comes to storytelling.

Overall, I can only recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good historical romance. It’s steamy, emotionally rich, with fascinating main characters and a plot that keeps you engaged and glued to the pages. If you love your historical romance with an extra side of actual history, I think you’ll adore The Duke’s Dream. And if you, like me, love a besotted man struggling to stay composed while being completely ruptured by the intense passion he feels for a woman — you’re going to love this one too.