She threatens to conquer his heart…

When Matthew Donovan, Duke of Brunswick, proposes to Sarah Townsbridge, she’s shocked. After all, she’s never met him before. One thing is clear though – he obviously needs help. So after turning him down, she decides to get to know him better, and finds out she’s right. But fixing a broken man is not the same as adopting a puppy. Least of all when the man in question has no desire to be saved. 

Matthew has his mind set on Sarah. Kind and energetic, she’ll make an excellent mother. Best of all, her reclusiveness is sure to make her accept the sort of marriage he has in mind – one where they live apart. The only problem is, to convince her, they must spend time together. And the more they do, the more he risks falling prey to the one emotion he knows he must avoid at all cost: love.

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Barbara’s Review:

I’ve enjoyed ‘The Townsbridges’ series so far and this is a nice addition to it. We’ve found HEA’s for the brothers, Charles, James, and William, so it is now time for Sarah to get her HEA. As always, the story is well-written and well-plotted.

Sarah Townsbridge is a caregiver, a fixer of things and people. She’s open, honest, straight-forward, and wants a marriage like her parents have. In other words, she wants love and open, honest communication. After six seasons, it doesn’t appear she’s going to find it – she doesn’t even have any suitors. However, her mother is determined and gives an entertainment – to which only gentlemen are invited. Oh! My! Things are actually going well enough – she’s had a few invitations for fishing and rides – until a man to whom she has never been introduced barrels his way through the guests, drops to his knee in front of her, and proposes. No proclamations of love – just more of an order – “marry me”. She knows who he is – and she doesn’t like him. Naturally, she says “NO”. Suddenly, the men who had invited her out withdraw those invitations. I mean – she’d just publicly humiliated a duke!

Three years ago Matthew Donovan, Duke of Brunswick, decided it was time to marry. He has specific requirements for a bride and he’s spent the last three years coldly assessing all of the potential candidates. Now, he’s made his decision and it is time to make his offer. What he didn’t count on was being denied. Who declines a proposal from a duke? Evidently, his chosen bride does. Being a stubborn male – once his choice was made up, he’ll not change his mind.

Matthew has a long way to go if he wants to win Sarah’s hand. Can he do it? Can he change? Can he allow himself to love? Can Sarah see him as more than someone she wants to heal? Come along for the ride with Sarah and Matthew and see how they manage to work their way to their HEA. Then, stay tuned for Athena’s book, An Unexpected Temptation.

I enjoyed the book, but I never really warmed up to Matthew. I felt as if I knew Sarah, but Matthew just didn’t seem fully fleshed out as a character. I think if there had been a few more pages containing his background, his traumatic childhood, etc. I might have felt differently about him.

About the Author:

Born in Denmark, USA TODAY bestselling author Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian with various degrees of fluency. But, most impressive of all, she’s been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.

When she’s not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.

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