Nobody’s Duke by Scarlett Scott

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

Nobody's Duke (League of Dukes Book 1)Nobody’s Duke by Scarlett Scott

Series: League of Dukes #1
Publication Date: 1/8/19
Number of Pages: 277

This is an absolutely lovely second chance romance. Two wonderful young people who were very much in love and were torn apart by a nasty fiend. Eight years later, they get their chance to find love with each other again. The story is well written and excellently delivered. I loved both of the main characters and could absolutely feel the love they had for each other even after all that was done to them. Great read.

The story jumps back and forth in time – part of it telling the events of eight years earlier and part of it telling their current story. The main setting is London in 1882 – during the time the Irish Finians are using terrorism to gain home rule for Ireland. Many of their tactics are the same as terrorists use today.

Clayton Ludlow is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Carlisle. The duke raised Clay alongside his legitimate son. The Duke loved Clay’s mother and they all lived together as a family – leaving the Duke’s cold and unfeeling wife on her own. I didn’t understand the little I saw of Clay’s brother, Leo. He was raised in a very loving home with a woman who loved him and treated him as if he were her own. However, he appears to be very aloof and unfeeling in this book. I guess we’ll learn more about him in the next book.

Lady Araminta (Ara) Winters is the youngest child of the Earl of Wickham. She’s bright, funny, loving, and unspoiled. It is kind of hard to imagine her being so sweet given the parents she has. She had two seasons but just hasn’t found anyone who curled her toes.

When she’s out riding one day Araminta sees the most gorgeous young man running down the path. She conceals herself so she can admire him without being seen. She returns the next day and the next and the next before he finally confronts her. They spend more and more time together and fall in love with each other. They finally make plans to marry without her father’s consent and agreed to meet at dawn to leave. Dastardly deeds intervene and each thinks the other has betrayed them.

Eight years later, Clay works for an elite organization in the Home Office and Ara has just become the widow of a duke who was killed by the Finians. The Finians are now threatening Ara’s life as well and the Home Office assigns Clay to her protection. He fights the assignment, but in the end, he has no choice but to accept.

It was a wonderful time watching these two very lovely people find that their love had never died. They slowly come to realize what happened to them all those years ago and they realize that they can now have all they lost.

I definitely recommend this book!

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

How to Blackmail a Highlander by Michelle McLean

On By TracyIn Restoration Era (1660-1714), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

How to Blackmail a HighlanderHow to Blackmail a Highlander by Michelle McLean

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The MacGregor Lairds, #3

Release Date: January 14, 2019

Lady Alice Chivers is trying to enjoy her last night of freedom before her parents betroth her to the Earl of Woolsmere, a man old enough to be her grandfather and who has already buried 3 much younger wives. Her parents refuse to listen to her pleas or give any credence to the rumors that his wives all died under questionable circumstances. She wishes her dearest friend Elizabet was here to talk to, but she hasn’t heard from her since she left England to join her husband in exile. Desperate for a moment alone, she slips out on the terrace and is grabbed by a man. Philip MacGregor is cousin to John, Elizabet’s husband. He delivers a letter and tells her he will meet her in the morning for her reply.

Alice hatches a plan, she will ask Philip to take her to Elizabet and when he refuses, she forms another plan, she follows him to his inn and blackmails him. Philip agrees to take her to Scotland, but that is as far as he will go, he warns that Ramsey (Elizabet’s former betrothed and enemy) might be watching her and will not place John or Elizabet in danger. He tells her to meet him in Dover and he will escort her to Scotland. Philip doesn’t expect to see her again and when she turns up in his cabin on the ship, he is more than a little shocked and if he is honest, impressed.

Alice and Philip are about as opposite as you can get, they bicker constantly and Alice’s impulsive nature lands them in trouble time and again. Most notably when she declares they are married and he agrees, she is surprised to learn that in Scotland that is all it takes to be truly married. She is fine with being married to Philip, but he is sure she will regret it sooner or later.

They finally reach Elizabet and the two begin to think there might be a future for them, that is until trouble in the form of Ramsey comes calling.

Personally, I found the first 75% of this book to be repetitive and didn’t feel any real connection between Philip and Alice. The story does become very interesting after they join Elizabet and John, but even at the end, I didn’t really “feel” the love between them. This is the third book in the series and can be read as a stand alone, but there is a lot of crossover from the previous books and while there is some backstory given, you would probably enjoy this book more if you read the books in order.

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