“Enchanting…Harrington combines suspenseful mystery and charming romance in this compulsively readable treat.” —Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewAll’s fair in war…and in love… Marcus Braddock, former general and newly appointed Duke of Hampton, is back from war. Now, not only is he surrounded by the utterly unbearable ton, he’s mourning the death of his beloved sister, Elise. Marcus believes … death of his beloved sister, Elise. Marcus believes his sister’s death wasn’t an accident, and he’s determined to learn the truth—starting with Danielle Williams, his sister’s beautiful best friend.
Danielle is keeping deadly secrets of her own. She has dedicated her life to a charity that helps abused women—the same charity Elise was working for the night she died. When Danielle’s work puts her life in danger, Marcus comes to her rescue. But Danielle may not be the one in need of rescuing…
Praise for Anna Harrington:
“As steamy as it is luscious. My favorite kind of historical!”—GRACE BURROWES, New York Times bestselling author, for Dukes Are Forever
“Harrington has created a richly woven novel, complete with romance, a touch of mystery, and wounded, believable characters.”—Publishers Weekly for Along Came a Rogue
“A touching and tempestuous romance, with all the ingredients Regency fans adore.”—GAELEN FOLEY, New York Times bestselling author, for Dukes Are Forever
“Thoroughly entertaining…seduction and adventure take center stage.”—BookPage for Along Came a Rogue
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As Marcus is going through his dead sisters belongings, he finds a note that indicates that she did not fall off her horse as he was told – she had a midnight assignation, and it appears she was murdered. At first, her best friend, Dani, tries to avoid the issue, but eventually Marcus confronts her, demanding the truth. They work together to find who was behind her murder, but the more they uncover, the more dangerous it gets. I received an ARC of this book.
London 1816 What could possibly be inconvenient about a Duke? When he refused to let you be and insisted on speaking to you about the death or your best friend, his sister. Danielle knew he might get too close to finding out her secrets, ones that his sister had participated in and possibly got her killed. What to do? She had no choice when Claudia, Elise’s sister, invited her to a party for Marcus, the new Duke of Hampton, having returned from the wars and awarded the title for his bravery. It was also his birthday.
The only reason Marcus had agreed to let his sister throw the party, which he had no use for, was one woman. Danielle Williams, daughter of a Baron and his late sister Elise’s dearest friend. The woman he knew lied to him. He had found a letter in Elise’s trunk.
Danielle helped batter women escape from their abuser’s and Elise helped her as well. She was a strong character that could hold her own but in the end she and Marcus worked together once danger found them!
Marcus was a wonderful hero. Kind of lost since coming back from the war and his regimented life with all the friends he had made. As you read the title will become clear and the entire premise is amazing.
Anna Harrington is one of my favorite authors and when she writes a new story, I automatically want to read it and know it will be fabulous. Her writing is inspiring in that it pulls you into the atmosphere and thoughts of the characters. Prepare to be enthralled because there is a little of everything, suspense, murder, secrets, a terrible villain, danger and a growing attraction that cannot be denied! I cannot wait to read more of this series!! Perfect!
Anna Harrington has another great story, another great series, starting with An Inconvenient Duke. Marcus is a war hero who has returned home to England with a new title as a Duke. While fighting the war, Marcus’ sister, Elsie, was killed in what he was told was a riding accident. Her best friend, Danielle, Marcus is convinced knows more about why and how she did. Danielle does her best to avoid the Duke since his return but can not refuse attending his birthday party, thrown but his other sister, Claudia.
Danielle always loved Marcus and she feels guilty about the cause of his sisters death as she thinks it has something to do with the underground organization she runs to help relocate abused women.
This is an action packed story that draws you into the world of the men of power and what they will do to keep and exploit that power. Marcus and Dani must trust one another to discover who killed Elsie but also they must deal with the feelings they have for each other.
Will they find love or will secrets and the evil that wants them stopped tear them apart.
Anna Harrington has well developed characters and a truly amazing story that will keep you turning the page.
I volunteered to read and review this story.
An Inconvenient Duke by Anna Harrington is book One in the Lords of the Armory Series. This is the story of Danielle ‘Dani’ Williams and Marcus Braddock, Duke of Hampton.
Marcus went off to war but he is now back and given the title of Duke for his heroic actions. But Marcus is grieving for the lost of his sister, Elise. But then he starts to find clues that she may have been murdered, so he turns his attention to Elise best friend Danielle. Danielle always had a crush on Marcus and those feelings don’t seem to have slowed down. Danielle helps to run the Nightingale pipeline and home for battered women and families. Elise did help her with this work which she thinks too may have lead to her death. Both start to look into what actually happened to Elsie which leads danger towards them…especially Danielle. This was a page turner for me. I always love this author’s writing so it was a must read for me.
I loved every minute of this wonderful read. This is book one in the Lords of the Armory series and what a terrific start it was. Marcus and Danielle were great characters. They were easy to like and I thought that they had great chemistry. The interactions between these two are engaging, smart, witty and heat filled. Marcus was everything you could want in a book boyfriend. He was a perfect blend of hero, valiant soldier, alpha male and determined protector. I felt that Danielle was truly a special heroine. So often we use words like strong, spunky or fierce to describe the best female characters. And while she is all those things, what word describes her best is: Champion. When I think about it, I am almost ashamed to say that it is a term that very rarely ever crosses my mind in terms of a romantic heroine but in this instance it was the perfect fit. That this brave, brilliant and big hearted woman would take such a stand and risk so much was a beautiful and powerful thing. The book features a well written story that will capture your heart while it shines a light on a terrible ongoing injustice that never seems to go away. Filled with romance, mystery, suspense, intrigue, tension, excitement, drama, danger and action this is a read that should not be missed. I can’t wait for book two.
Marcus Braddock, a former general has returned from the war against Napoleon & has been awarded the title of Duke of Hampton for his endeavours. Now, not only is he surrounded by the utterly unbearable ton, he’s mourning the death of his beloved sister, Elise. Marcus believes his sister’s death wasn’t an accident, and he’s determined to learn the truth—starting with Danielle Williams, his sister’s beautiful best friend. Danielle is keeping deadly secrets of her own. She has dedicated her life to a charity that helps abused women—the same charity Elise was working for the night she died.
This is the first book in a new series & what a starter! Fast paced, strong believable characters & a lovely, lovely romance. As with all of the author’s books they are very well written & she draws you in from the start & leaves you breathless by the end. I loved both Marcus & Danielle, he was the upright, often uptight former soldier who is finding it hard to adjust not only to civilian life but to his new title too, so much that he has his hideaway where he can let off steam & hence the name of the series, he’s also fiercely loyal & caring. Danielle has been in love with Marcus since she was a girl, she’s also feisty, brave & strong & I loved how the pair locked horns at times. However for me the sheer delight of the book was the chemistry between the pair & Oh my! that first kiss was scorching. There is a secret group Scepter that Marcus & the rest of the men of the Amory swear to bring down & that very nicely sets up the next book in the series & leaves me looking forward to it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Anna has done it again!!! She has created characters and brought them to life in Marcus and Danielle. He knows she’s hiding something about his sister’s death and he’s determined to find out what it is. She however is determined to steer clear of Marcus if at all possible. Fate has other plans for them though because Marcus’s sister becomes engaged and needs help planning the wedding. Guess who she chooses? Danielle, lol. This fits into Marcus’s plans perfectly and this is where things get really interesting. These two cannot seem to keep their hands and lips off one another any time they are alone! They say they dont like the other but still their lips tell a much different story. The passion between these two is off the charts steamy hot!!! I’m really surprised that children didnt come to them quicker because they couldnt keep their hands off one another when alone. Great read if you enjoy historical romance! Anna Harrington is an amazing author. I recieved this book free but the review is all mine. Love historical romances!!! Check it out! Due out Tues February 25th!!!!
He’s an exGeneral, now a new Duke looking for a purpose in his life.
She is helping abused women get a new chance at life. Vanishings – dangerous work but rewarding if not stressful. Did it really take the life of her best friend.
A wonderful story of dealing with life, society,secrets and helping your fellow man.
Great read.. Mystery, betrayal, outrageous tales, murder, military men and love, hot sweaty Love.
An Inconvenient Duke is the first book in Anna Harrington’s Lords of the Armory series. Ms. Harrington is a recent new favorite of mine; I get so immersed in her stories that I totally lose track of time! Since the first book of a series often sets the tone for the installments to follow, I was thrilled that this one started out with a bang. I will post a trigger warning here: This story deals with domestic violence. It doesn’t happen to our heroine, but there are references to same.
Marcus Braddock is a former general and the newly minted Duke of Hampton; he was awarded the title due to his bravery in the battles against Napoleon. Not only is Marcus feeling lost in his new role, but he’s also mourning the death of his sister Elise. He doesn’t believe that his sister’s death was an accident. He also thinks that Elise’s best friend, Danielle (Dani) Williams, may have information regarding her death, and he’s determined to discover that information. Dani is working for a charity, Nightingale, that helps abused women escape. Elise was also working for that same charity the night she died. Marcus saves Dani when he believes her life is in danger, and they begin to work together to find out what happened to Elise.
This story had everything that I look for in a historical romance – engaging characters, mystery, excitement, wit and steamy bits. Oh, the steamy bits! Ms. Harrington excelled in writing those! Both Marcus and Dani were wonderful characters. I love a military man, and it was interesting to watch Marcus having trouble adjusting to civilian life, never mind becoming a duke! He was a fierce protector of his family and would give his life to keep those he loved safe. Dani was a strong heroine with a mission to help abused women; she started her charity due to the abuse her beloved Aunt Harriette suffered at the hands of her husband at a time when women had no rights and were considered to be property. Not only did I love the main characters, but I found all of Marcus’s friends to be intriguing. I cannot wait to see how their stories all play out!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Danielle Williams has to write to Elise’s brother about her death. She had fallen off a horse and broken her neck.
Dani didn’t want to see the Duke, She was afraid that them talking would just magnify the pain of loss. When he returned he started looking into her death and did not like what he read. She had been helping abused women and trying to get them out of England, so they could find new and good lives.
Marcus Braddock, General and newly appointed Duke of Hampton, had been given a Birthday Party and Dani was there. She had gone because Claudia, his next oldest sister had asked her to come. His young niece, Pippa was the daughter of his sister, Elise.
This was a marvelous story of action, threats, murder and finally love. There are a lot of twists and turns, but it is well written, easy to read and the awful emotions that go with the death of a family member can be overwhelming. It does have some mature themes. It is entertaining, interesting and you can’t seem to put it down.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
She accepted his terms of surrender but not before her own terms were met. Anna again is creating a world of intrigue with this first in a series story. I do love a good mystery in my stories. Marcus is a general turned duke and buys an armory and what does he do with it…turns it into a bat cave! His plan is to unveil and bring to justice the nefarious Scepter. Who is along for the journey but Danielle who runs a super secret organization called Nightingale that helps women who have been abused. Danielle is one of my favorite heroines in Anna’s stories. She is very smart and does not fly off the handle while saving these women. The interaction between Marcus and Danielle is rocky but they each learn that they have to give and take to make their relationship work. Absolutely adored this story. Looking forward to more stories in this series.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it so much!
Danielle Williams is a very interesting woman. She’s the daughter of a Baron, and she’s still unmarried at 25. She is secretly running a charity called Nightingale, where they work to disappear abused and endangered women from their lives, before they can be killed by their abusers. This is all done in secret, of course, and her best friend Elise helped her with that by handling the money that passed through the charity. Elise was a widow, so she was the only woman in their network who had free reign over her own banking, without a husband or other male family member being involved. But, when Elise died 2 years earlier things started to become more difficult. But, Dani had no idea what had really happened to Elise, until her big brother came home from the war.
Marcus Braddock, the new Duke of Hampton, was a general in the army, who recently retired at the end of the war. He’s come home to a life he barely recognizes anymore. His one younger sister, Elise, is dead, and has left behind a young daughter, his other sister, Claudia is about to become engaged, and once she’s married she’ll be leaving him with sole caretaking of their niece, Pippa. When he finds evidence that perhaps Elise’s death happened much differently from how they all thought, he wants to confront Danielle, as she’s the one who wrote to him to inform him of Elise’s death. He doesn’t expect the giggling young lady he remembers to have grown into a beautiful, headstrong woman, who he is attracted to, even while suspecting she’s lying to him.
Marcus and Dani had wildly strong chemistry, but they both mistrusted each other, for various reasons, throughout a large part of the story. I really liked their push and pull, and how they finally came around to the idea that they really were all in with each other. I loved both their families, and how much they all cared for one another, which all seemed to originally stem from Dani and Elise’s lifelong friendship.
Marcus’ 2 best friends from the military, one of whom is also a new Earl, were both a delight. I loved how the three of them really bantered and teased as brothers would, but were always there for each other. They were also super helpful to Marcus with the suspense side plot and all they did to help him discover everything about his sister’s death. That part was exciting, as they discovered piece by piece what was involved in his sister’s death, and how to prevent the same fate from befalling Dani.
I enjoyed this story very much and I look forward to more stories in this world! I’m assuming the next stories will involve Marcus’ friends Brandon and Merritt, and I can’t wait to learn more about them. I definitely recommend this one!
Anna Harrington’s first entry into this new series is a lovely sensual romance, and an exciting, breath-holding, fast-paced mystery. The characters are relatable and likable and the writing, as always, is excellent.
The Napoleonic wars are over and the soldiers have returned home. The life that awaited them in England wasn’t what they would have thought. The military had no use for them and there were few, if any, jobs available. The war office was slow to pay pensioners and those who remained on the payroll. It was common to see a soldier in his tattered uniform begging on the streets. This treatment of the men who had sacrificed so much for king and country really rankled returning war hero, General Marcus Braddock, newly minted Duke of Hampton. He’d lost so much while he was away at war – and now he felt lost, restless, and unsettled.
With the wars over, there is a new, home-grown menace afoot in England. It is growing in power and influence every day – and its name is Scepter. Nobody knew it even existed until, unwittingly, Elise, sister of Marcus Braddock, stepped into their path and was murdered for it. Once Marcus realizes that Elise was murdered rather than being killed in a riding accident, he will stop at nothing to find her murderer and see him punished.
Elise was Danielle Williams’s best friend – closer than sisters. Danielle was bereft at the loss of her best friend and when she learned she’d been murdered she was riddled with guilt.
Marcus is convinced that Danielle (Dani) knows what happened to his sister and he is determined to get the information from her. Danielle has many secrets, but knowing about Elise’s murder isn’t one of them. As she learns more and more, she and Marcus begin to draw closer to each other. Marcus is beside himself when he realizes that Dani is also in danger – because she and Elise were doing similar things. Dani’s passion has been rescuing battered and abused women from the men who have control of them. She’s always very careful and nobody knows that she is involved – or do they?
Fasten your seatbelts for this exciting, romantic ride. It is filled with passion and pain and a delightful HEA. The story sets up the premise for the Armory versus Scepter very nicely and leaves us looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A fantastic story that you will love and kept reading until the end…
Wonderful characters and plot…
A young duke, a former general, in search of the true about the dead of his sister…
A young lady, the best friend of his sister, with a big heart and a lot of secrets…
Women abused, kidnapped… an organization that will do anything for money…
A fantastic beginning for a new series…
I’m looking forward to read the next book…
While serving in the Napoleonic War, General Marcus Braddock is informed that his sister, Elise has died in an accident leaving her five year old daughter an orphan. Her best friend, Danielle reassures him that his other sister and niece will be taken care of until he returns. Two years later, the war is finally over and Marcus returns to London. He is first and foremost a soldier, however he has been awarded a dukedom for his service. Although the title will be helpful to his family, he crinches at being sought out just because he is a duke. Then he finds that his sister may have been murdered. Does Dani’s secret life have anything to do with her death? As Marcus and Dani’s relationship develops so does their investigation into what happened to Elise. I have read many of Anna Harrington’s books, this is one of my favorites. A reader can always count on wonderful characters in this author’s stories, but there is also mystery, intrigue, danger, all with a little humor (love aunt Harriet) thrown in. One of the best parts is the epilogue which promises more awesome tales like this one.
This is the first in the Lords of the Armoury series and what a wonderful way to start. There was action, mystery, suspense and romance. I enjoyed the way women’s rights and the brutality of the times was covered. All the characters were well written with feeling, humour and strength. There was a fair bit of sex but this reviewer skipped it as always and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I liked how the future books were set up and look for having the mystery finally exposed and coming books. I have always enjoyed a series with an underlying story. This book can be read as a standalone but you will be hanging out for the next one as much as I am. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.
I received an ARC of An Inconvenient Duke from the fabulous author, Anna Harrington. Intrigue, mystery, romance…..ohhh, this author can do it all. I could vividly see everything she was describing. This story follows the lives of Danielle, and Marcus. I have no words to describe this story as it had me glued page after page. I couldn’t stop no matter what. Marcus is a frustrated newly appointed Duke, just returned from war, who still believes in everything being clearly discernible as right or wrong. The agony of trying to help the plight of abused women and making them “vanish” is what gives Danielle strength and courage.. a purpose in life. Fabulous first book in an amazing new series.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and I think Anna Harrington has done a wonderful job of introducing us to the Lords of the Armory with this first book in the series! Taking place in an era when women had no rights, you will meet Danielle who is helping women escape abusive marriages. You will also meet Marcus, a general, who comes home from the war and finds out that his sister did not die from a fall off her horse…she was murdered! Danielle, who was his sisters best friend, ends up helping him try to uncover the truth.
As one clue leads to another, Danielle and Marcus end up not knowing who to trust anymore and the story is filled with on going action that will leave you not wanting to put the book down! Amidst all the danger, they fall in love and passions run deep but the road to HEA is not an easy one. Well written, filled with action and intrigue, now I look forward to the next books in the series.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.