After four failed seasons and a disastrous jilting, Lady Dorothea Beaumont has had more than enough of her family’s scheming. She won’t domesticate a duke, entangle an earl, or vie for a viscount. She will quietly exit to her aunt’s Irish estate for a life of blissful freedom. Until an arrogant, sinfully handsome duke singles her out for a waltz, making Thea the most popular belle of the season. … season.
The duke ruined her plans and he’ll just have to fix them.
Dalton, Duke of Osborne, is far too heartless for debutantes or marriage—he uses dalliances and public spectacle to distract from his real purpose: finding the man who destroyed his family. When his search leads to Ireland, the last thing he needs is the determined, achingly innocent Thea, who arrives in the dead of night demanding he escort her to her aunt. His foolish agreement may prove his undoing. The road to the Emerald Isle is fraught with unforeseen dangers, but the greatest peril of all might just be discovering that he has a heart…and he’s losing it to Thea.
more
Tortured hero? Check. Hot loving? Check. Strong heroine, snappy dialogue, intrigue, humor and tears? Check all. I loved this book and new author. Ms. Bell is now definitely on auto-buy. I totally enjoyed her first book, but for me, this one hit all the right notes. The characters’ internal dialogue just made me sigh, cry or melt. Give this author a chance to grab your heart.
This book had me from the first page, and the witty repartee through letter -writing is one of those things you hope continues right to the end. These two deserve each other!
After three unsuccessful seasons, Lady Dorothea (Thea) Beaumont, known as Disastrous Dorothea, doesn’t want marriage to stuffy repulsive old men. All she wants is freedom and to investigate the attic of Belfry, the home in Ireland of the Duke of Osborne. She’s forced by family to leave Ireland and return to London for another season and marriage. Much to the Duke of Osborne’s surprise,Thea is not what he expected and he’s intrigued. His secret life doesn’t give him the freedom for a wife and love, but Thea knows what she wants, investigating the paintings at Belfry and convincing the Duke to take a chance on love. One headstrong lady turns a swoon-worthy Duke’s world upside down. Steamy sex.
This is a good romance writer. I’ve read several of her book and enjoyed them.
This book was my first read by Mrs Lenora Bell, and I do loved it.
I know I had it for a while lined on my kindle shelves and I was continually postponing its read, every day bringing its lot of deals and already preordered books so I forgot I had it.
But as I was upset by last reading, I decided to give this one its go.
And I adored it from the beginning, the exchanged letters between Dalton and Thea just won me to their story.
She was the perfect heroine, no badass one but after years of being obedient, she wants to spread her wings and she does it magnificently and rather quietly.
I loved to see her moving from a shy wallflower unable to speak without stuttering to a young woman who knows what she wants and takes it. It was very fast but she just needed the right spark to lit what she had stored in herself all her life.
During their short journey from England to Ireland, she revealed the strong and smart woman she has always been but was hidden away by her controlling family.
Dalton has shaped his way of life after two dramatic events, one which bathed him in guilt while the other awakened his ire for revenge. Why he let no one enter between the wall he has built around his heart but with her innocence and boldness Thea quickly weaken the cage surrounding his longing soul for love. He is no dark knight even if he came to believe it. In his revenge road, he does also good to persons he thinks may just need a little impulse to choose the right path.
In all, I loved follow them on their voyage to find whom they really were and what they were truly expecting from life.
One word describes this book—– FANTASTIC!.
I loved this story! This original story, with its wonderful characters, was so entertaining. It was unpredictable and witty. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to ever end.
The second book in the series definitely had a rom-com vibe and the storyline flowed better than the first book. My favorite parts were the flippant banter between the Duke and Thea! Their notes had me in stitches and I loved the chemistry between the two. Good read.