Series:
Duke's Guard (Book 9)
Dermott O'Malley, The Duke's Mercenary, expects trouble
but not the lovely lass perched on the stone wall, arms spread, prepared to
jump. He calls out a warning, and rushes to save her as she falls.
Caught in his arms, she opens her eyes, unable to tear
her gaze from the devastatingly handsome man with the brilliant green eyes
hovering above her. She blinks. Who is he? Her heart begins to pound…. Dear
Lord, who is she?
The nameless woman captures Dermott's heart, but trouble
follows her from London.
As the threat against the lass with no memory increases,
Dermott's vow to protect her with his life is called to action until he
realizes the only way to truly protect the lass is to marry her. But will the
brave lass trust him with her heart and her love?
Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past
The Duke's Mercenary before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to
protect with his strength, his honor, and his heart.
Another terrific entry into the Duke's Guard series. Dermott
is one of the sixteen handsome, protective Irishmen who work for the Duke of Wyndmere,
guarding his immediate and extended families. I love these men who are tough on
the outside but have an inner softness brought out by the women they fall for.
The story opens with Georgiana Eggerton discovering that
her father has gambled away their homes, his fortune, her dowry, and her hand
in marriage to the vile Viscount Trenchert. Devastated by what happened, he suspects that the Viscount cheated and challenges him to a duel, but he also
knows that Georgiana is in danger. He quickly sends Georgiana off to the
country, telling her to seek assistance from the Earl of Lippencott.
Dermott is making his rounds of the Earl's property when
he spies a beautiful young woman about to jump from a wall. He races toward her
but isn't in time to catch her. He scoops up her unconscious body and races for
the manor, all the time worrying about her, wondering who she is and what she is
running from. His protective instincts are aroused, as is his heart, and
something in him says, "Finders keepers - she's mine."
Matters become complicated when Georgiana regains consciousness
but can't remember who she is or what she is running from. Dermott vows to
protect her, as do his fellow Guard members and the Earl himself. But it is
Dermott who has Georgiana's complete trust.
I loved watching the relationship develop between Georgiana
and Dermott. As her memories return, the danger she is in becomes clear. I
enjoyed seeing Dermott's protectiveness combine with the tender feelings that
were new to him. Georgiana's feelings for Dermott grow the more time she spends
with him. But she is no frail flower, and there are times when her strength of
will runs up against Dermott's stubbornness, and sparks fly. The tension ramps
up as the viscount attempts to claim his prize, but the Duke's Guard members
thwart him. Meanwhile, Dermott comes up with the perfect plan to put Georgiana
out of the viscount's reach. I liked that neither took long to admit their
feelings, and there were no misunderstandings to keep them apart.
The confrontations with the viscount were intense and
exciting. It's always fun to see the feisty Guard members have to rein in their
more violent instincts to adhere to their employers' rules of engagement. However,
I found the final confrontation with the viscount a little anti-climactic, as I
would like to know what happened to him.
As always, I love the interactions among the men of the
Duke's Guard. The brothers and cousins always have each other's backs, but they
do not hesitate to roast each other whenever they feel like it. It was entertaining
to see Dermott on the receiving end of post-marriage teasing and the payback
from the others.
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