How to Capture a Duke by Tina Gabrielle

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

How to Capture a DukeHow to Capture a Duke by Tina Gabrielle

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Raven Club #3

Release Date: 10/14/19

Lady Olivia Swift and Tristian Cameron, the Duke of Keswick met by chance when Olivia, who is attending his grandmother’s house party, escapes out the stables. She mistakes Tristian for a groom and he makes no attempt to correct her. When she comes back to the stables to ride, Tristian accompanies her and they share a kiss. Later when Olivia is accused of a crime, she names Tristian as her alibi. This leads to a hasty marriage of convenience.

Tristian has a speech impediment, he stutters and has been shamed and ridiculed for a good portion of his life. He keeps to himself and has refused to marry and have children. He is content to let his cousin Spencer inherit. He is enraged and believes that Olivia trapped him into marriage – he makes it clear on their wedding day that he will never be a true husband – he then proceeds to tell her she is to stay in the country and leaves for London.

At first Olivia is devastated, but his grandmother sets her straight and sends her off to London. Once there Olivia meets Spencer and learns that Tristian never plans to father children, she is stunned, especially after she saw him interact with her niece and nephew, she knew he was angry, but assumed eventually he would want an heir. When she confronts him, he confirms, he will not share her bed. Olivia doesn’t give up and enriches Tristian’s life in many ways. For his part, Tristian wants Olivia, but he is not willing to risk having a child, yet the more time he spends with her, the more he is falling under her spell and finally gives in to his desire, but almost immediately regrets it and stubbornly refrains from physical contact, but still spends time with her. Olivia is encouraged and is ready to tell him she loves him and to share her secret, but her hopes of a HEA are shattered when someone leaks a secret about Tristian to the papers and he immediately accuses her and her sister. It is the proverbial straw and leads her to leave him. Will he finally open his eyes and see Olivia is perfect for him or will he keep them closed and lose the love of a lifetime?

The idea of this story was good – mistaken identity, marriage of convenience and a hero who has to overcome emotional and physical impediments – but for me, it fell flat and I place that blame squarely on Tristian, he was such a jerk to her, always assuming the worst and pushing her away, right up until the last chapter and then he did a complete about-face about everything – I just didn’t believe it. There were also formal address issues and I was not happy that the reader never finds out what happened to the villain. Otherwise, it was well written and the story had a lot of potential and if I had been able to connect with Tristian, I might have felt differently, because Olivia was great and I LOVED Ellie in this book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

Leila’s Legacy by Madeline Martin

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Medieval (1066-1540), OtherLeave a comment

Leila's Legacy (Borderland Ladies #5)Barbara’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Borderland Ladies #5
Publication Date: 10/15/19
Number of Pages: 284

Proper preparation is a requirement for reading this book – you need a comfy chair, a full box of tissues and your bottle of digitalis to revive you after your heart stops. This is a story that stays in your heart and on your mind long after you’ve read the last word and closed the book. I think this was my favorite book in the series and was the perfect wrap-up. Everything was tidily completed with no loose ends. All of the villains got their just desserts, all of the heroes and heroines got their Happily Ever After and the reader gets a wonderfully sweet and contented feeling to last a long, long time. The epilogue – OMGoodness – the epilogue – heart palpitations! We even got a couple of wonderful nuggets that I had hoped for but didn’t actually expect.  I don’t usually gush over books – but – gush, gush, gush!

Lady Leila Barrington has always known that she was different from her sisters in more ways than one. She looks different – they are very blonde and fair and she is small and dark-haired – and – she has visions – terrifying visions usually. She sees the past on occasion, but usually it is the future she sees. All of her life, she has been plagued with visions of her death at the hands of the man she loves. Now, the pestilence that Leila had long foreseen is spreading across the land and the people are dying. Leila knows her time is coming nearer, but she cannot hide in the castle, she has to help nurse her people as long as she can. Once she meets the man, The Lion, can she stop herself from falling in love with him? How could she possibly love someone who will take her life?

Niall Douglas, Deputy to the Keeper of Liddesdale, hates witches. He has hated them since one caused the death of his father – and now one is bringing death across the land. It is his job to find her and bring her back to Liddesdale for trial. Niall is the honorable man that Lord Armstrong, Keeper of Liddesdale, and his son Alban are not. Niall is fierce, loyal, steadfast, and determined. He is determined to find the witch and to see her tried for the damage she has caused. Then, when he does find her, he cannot believe this small, beautiful, kind, and caring creature is a witch. How can he save her? Surely the priest who is coming from Edinburgh to try her will be able to see that she isn’t a witch.

Niall is in for some rude lessons about his employer. He’d always believed the best of the man and thought that one of the reasons Armstrong employed him was that he was honorable and Armstrong would listen to him. Niall quickly learns that everything he thought he knew isn’t so. Now, he isn’t sure he can save Leila or himself.

I highly recommend this book and this series! However, I wouldn’t read the book as a stand-alone. You really need to read the other books in the series to understand the full impact of the series. If you don’t read the other books, at least read the first one, Marin’s Promise. BTW – we met some of the Armstrong’s in Ella’s Desire, and I was a bit unhappy that the Armstrong’s didn’t pay a high price for what they did.

I absolutely cannot think of one thing that would have made this book better – it was perfect just as it was. The author gave us some beautiful memories and some heart-stopping suspense and a romance that was to-die-for (literally). The only thing I wonder about is how things went at Liddesdale in the aftermath of everything. There were some good people there and I had to wonder if Lady Davina married and she and her husband took the lead there – that is how I’m going to think about it anyway.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.