Series:
Duke's Guard (Book 10)
A lecherous lord out for revenge and the black sheep of
the O'Malley family complicate this Regency Romance on the Duke's Guard's
latest assignment—to find a missing woman.
O'Malley doesn't believe in coincidences, nor that his
cousin has somehow managed to stumble upon the missing woman he has been sent
to find. He arrives at the inn to discover O'Ghill has locked the vicar's niece
in her room at the inn and left him to face the fireworks.
When O'Malley opens the door, a winsome lass with eyes
the color of morning mist—magnified by her spectacles—wild red curls, and
freckles falls into his arms. Her expression of wonder and attraction goes to O'Malley's
head like three fingers of the Irish on an empty gut. But it is a kiss in the
garden at midnight that has O'Malley falling hard for the enchanting lass.
Caroline Gillingham has lost everything: her older
brother and his best friend—the man she promised to wait for—on the battlefield
on the Iberian Peninsula, and her parents, both of whom succumbed to illness.
In order to pay their mountain of debt, she is forced to sell their home and
its contents.
She journeys to Summerfield-on-Eden to stay with her
uncle the vicar and his family, but ends up a few hours away stranded at an inn
with her mother's locket, her father's pocket watch, and three shillings in her
reticule.
O'Ghill may have saved her from the crooked pawnbroker,
but it is the blond-haired, green-eyed giant of a man who captures her heart
when she tumbles into his arms.
Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past
the Duke's Rapier before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to protect
with his strength, his honor, and his heart.
Another fantastic entry into the Duke's Guard series. Just
when I think it can't get any better, a new book proves me wrong. This book
picks up where
The Duke's Mercenary leaves off. Prudence Garahan and the vicar's
and blacksmith's daughter have been rescued and returned to their families. But
word comes that the perpetrator of their abduction was released because he has
friends in very high places. Baron Summerfield and the Guard members believe he
will be looking for revenge. When the vicar's niece, Caroline, disappears on
her way to stay with her uncle, Thomas O'Malley is sent to find her.
After her mother's death, Caroline is penniless and
jilted by her suitor. On the journey to live with her uncle, she runs out of
money for the coach and visits a pawnbroker. O'Malley's cousin O'Ghill saves
her from the unwanted attention of the shopkeeper and locks her in her room at
the inn while he waits for Thomas's arrival. When Thomas arrives and lets her
out, something about him speaks to her heart.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Caro
and Thomas. After seeing so many of his brothers and cousins fall hard and
fast, it doesn't take long for Thomas to recognize his feelings. But he also
knows his duty to the baron and must subdue those feelings while carrying out
his duties. I enjoyed seeing Caroline and him get to know each other while the
sparks of attraction grew with each encounter. Thomas's arguments with himself
are amusing, and I laughed out loud at the teasing he endured from his cousins.
There is also a terrific scene where Thomas deals with Caro's former suitor.
The story's suspense is intense as Baron Summerfield and
the Guard members prepare to protect their loved ones. Matters are complicated
by the headstrong actions of the vicar's daughter, who unthinkingly puts
herself and others in danger. The tension builds as the danger draws nearer,
and Thomas is injured. The conclusion is somewhat anticlimactic but satisfying.
Each book can be read as a standalone, but the backstory
and family dynamics are best if you start from the beginning. I love these men
and their loyalty, commitment, and support for each other. Their interactions
are frequently funny, especially when accompanied by their stubbornness and
competitiveness. I also recommend reading the author's Lords of Vice series to
understand the relationships of the Duke of Wyndmere and his family.
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