Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 2)
Format: Paperback; 288 pages
Publisher: Zebra (February 25, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1420148567
ISBN-13: 978-1420148565
Author's Website: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher for review purposes. This in no way affected by review or rating.
Lady Gwyn Drake is about to have her first season at age thirty. It could all be ruined, however, by a former suitor who's decided to blackmail her. What transpired between the two is partly to blame for why Gwyn doesn't wish to wed. If the secret gets out she, and her entire family by association, could be ruined.
Major Joshua Wolfe is a retired soldier who is currently acting as the gamekeeper for the Armitage estate. As he's seeing to his duties, he comes across Lady Gwyn Drake being threatened by her former suitor. When Joshua informs Gwyn's brother about the incident, Thorn hires him to be her body guard. Joshua, however, soon finds he may be in over his head as he realizes his feelings for Gwyn may be the one thing he can't protect her from...
This is the second book of the Duke Dynasty series. It can be read as a standalone, but I don't recommend that. The series centers around Lydia, the Dowager Duchess of Armitage and her family. She's been married three times, each time given birth to a future heir of a dukedom. With the untimely passing of her third husband, her sons are now wondering if someone is targeting their family or, more specifically, their mother. Perhaps someone with a grudge, like a former suitor, is trying to inflict pain on her. The first novel of the series goes into this more deeply which is why I suggest you read it first. All three of Lydia's former husbands died untimely deaths and now her sons are calling all of them into question. Whether or not foul play is involved remains to be seen, but with each new book the question seems to become more and more relevant.
Gwyn is not like other women of the ton. Once she dreamed of marriage and a family, but that dream was shattered long ago. Something happened years ago that she's still not completely come to terms with. She's smart with no aspirations of marrying, or at least not to any of the men she's met thus far. If she marries she wants it to be for love, but love doesn't seem to be in the cards for her. There is one man, however, she's got a tendre for, Major Wolfe, but every time she tries to flirt with the man he seems to think she's mocking him. She just can't seem to win where he's concerned.
Joshua is handsome former soldier, but has no idea just how appealing he is to the opposite sex. He feels his lame leg paired with his PTSD makes him undesirable thereby making him believe that any dreams he may harbor of love and a family are out of the question. As a coping mechanism, he's distanced himself from others. If Gwyn wants to make a go of it with him, she'll need to break through the thick prickly barrier he's erected.
I gave this book 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. It was an entertaining read with moments of brilliance like when Gwyn caught Joshua telling a tall tale full of lies. To me it seemed the only thing truly standing between this couple and a HEA were themselves. I guess that's true to life, and another reason why the phrase, 'sometimes our own worst enemy is our self' rings so true. I confess, however, that I would have liked it a little more if a few additional hurdles had been thrown between this couple. While I thought the blackmail added a nice dash of drama, I kind of wished there had been some additional twists and turns to keep us guessing. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
The order of the Duke Dynasty series: