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Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite
The Grand Duke’s Masseur by Rori Thornton is the story of Nie Wahnera, a human and adopted noble who resides in the country of Rabahn, a land populated with horned, four-armed bipedals similar to dogs. He is a masseur to Grand Duke Abuin, a man who appears gruff at first glance. As the story starts, Nie is abruptly fired as the Duke’s masseur, but soon he is on the receiving end of the Duke’s marriage proposal, and even more surprisingly, he finds himself accepting it. Through world-building, we learn so much about Abuin to explain his seemingly odd behavior, which also explains why he and Nie made such a good match. Eventually, Nie begins to fall for his intended, adding another layer to this intriguing story.
Rori Thornton has written such a fun and engaging story in The Grand Duke’s Masseur. Not only is it part romantasy but also part Regency romance with dukes, nobility, manners, and marriage prospects, which added a wonderful sense of whimsy to this story. Nie is such an interesting character with his stoicism and perfectly logical reasons for accepting the duke’s proposal that it felt as if I was reading one of my favorite historical romance novels. The story overall was unique in so many aspects, combining two genres that seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum and making them work so well, which made this a truly unforgettable story. I enjoyed the diversity and representation as much as I enjoyed the cast of characters, as well as the plot.
