She’s totally unsuitable… …to be his duchess! Part of The Beauchamp Heirs: Dominic Beauchamp, Lord Avon, is a powerful duke’s heir and it’s his duty to marry well. His bride must have impeccable breeding, manners and grace. But can anyone meet his exacting standards? Certainly not the irrepressible Liberty Lovejoy, who’s been thrust into society after years of being a provincial nobody. … provincial nobody. She’s too bold, too bubbly…so why is she the only lady he’s thinking about?
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I loved this book! Janice Preston writes very relatable characters. Dominic and Liberty are burdened by duty. He is to marry well and she feels she must watch out for her brother and sisters. They both find kinship and love and ultimately are brave enough to accept it. Can’t wait for the next in the Beauchamp Heirs series “Christmas with His Wallflower Wife” coming out in November of 2019.
Liberty Lovejoy and her twin brother, Gideon, have always been close, but even more so over the last five years. When their parents died, they were only nineteen, yet took on the task of raising their younger sisters, Hope and Verity, and trying to make a success of their country estate. When Gideon unexpectedly inherits a wealthy earldom, he takes his sisters to London to provide a season for them. Unfortunately, the heady experience has seemed to turn Gideon’s head and he’s not the same person. He’s taken up drinking, gambling, and carousing, and the closeness he once shared with Liberty is gone. Liberty knows that he is spending much time in the company of Alexander Beauchamp, who she believes is the one leading him astray. Hoping to prevent Gideon’s ruin, Liberty decides to confront Alexander’s father, the Duke of Cheriton, and request that he rein in his wayward son.
Liberty, unaware of the social faux pas she is committing, goes to Cheriton’s home, only to encounter his oldest son and heir, Dominic, Marquess Avon. Liberty is outspoken and abrupt. When she learns the duke is away from town, she imposes on Avon to rein in his younger brother, which hopefully will curb Gideon’s wildness. Avon is as proper as a man can be. He’s the perfect son, the perfect duke-in-training, and the perfect society gentleman. He’s torn between amusement at Liberty’s name, and anger at her for coming to a man’s home uninvited and unchaperoned. The man in him is very aware of Liberty’s curves and attractiveness, though he’s careful not to show it. He tries to assure Liberty that most young men go a little wild at first, and then settle down. He also agrees to talk to his brother.
Early in this story, I was very unhappy with Liberty’s actions, shaking my head at some of the things she did and finding her overbearing. I was sure I was not going to like her. Oh, was I wrong! It became clear that Liberty wasn’t concerned for herself, but truly for her family. She didn’t want Gideon to lose his fortune, or to have his bad reputation filter down to her younger sisters. She only wanted their happiness and secure futures. Once she relaxed, her genuine charming personality began to show.
Avon, ever mindful of his duty, has decided that it’s time to find the perfect wife for himself – a high ranking socialite of good breeding, one who will be a superior duchess when that time comes. He actually prepares a list of ladies to focus his attentions on, determined to have come to a decision by the time his father returns to town. While Avon may have prepared his list, he didn’t prepare himself for his feelings for the most unsuitable Liberty. Aside from his physical reaction to her, he enjoys her outspokenness, her opinions, and her caring nature. All the other candidates seem to fade into a pale, boring blur compared to Liberty.
While Avon is proper and dutiful, he’s not a stick in the mud, especially with his family and with Liberty. Soon they are comfortably in a first-name, teasing relationship, which they both call “friendship.” The undercurrents between them fairly sizzle, and they are constantly seeking each other out. When passion finally overtakes them, Avon proposes, as any proper gentleman would do. But Liberty doesn’t want a dutiful proposal. She wants to be freely chosen and loved for herself. Will they find a way to be together?
DARING TO LOVE THE DUKE’S HEIR is such an outstanding love story! I loved both Liberty and Avon, and their developing romance. I kept cheering for Avon to get past a childhood promise he made to his deceased mother, and to embrace happiness and joy. I feel this book is Janice Preston’s best writing to date, as the ballroom scene at the end nearly took my breath away. The chemistry, the characters, and the pacing were all perfect, making this a book for my keeper shelf, and one that I most heartily recommend.
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-Za
Dominic Beauchamp, Lord Avon, is a powerful duke’s heir and it’s his duty to marry well. His bride must have impeccable breeding, manners and grace. So he makes a list of names. Then he meets Liberty Lovejoy who’s like a breath of fresh air she’s from a merchant background, too bold & forthright. They are constantly thrown together & their attraction grows as does their friendship. Liberty also becomes friends with Dom’s sister Olivia.
An engrossing read of the straight laced upstanding Marquis falling for the almost spinster, I loved their verbal spats & they way he was so drawn to her but insisted he’d marry for duty. I loved both Dom & Berty who were so right for each other & the road to their HEA was highly entertaining, his speech at his parent’s ball was lovely & brought a tear to my eye
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Following the heart over the head.
As my first read by Mrs Janice Preston, I might say I was enchanted.
Dominic and Liberty’s story entranced me from the very beginning. They are such lovable characters, despite their choices of action, I was never upset at them. It was their path, the one they needed to grow up m, the mistakes they had to do to comprehend where they were heading.
Dominic Beauchamp, the Marquess Of Avon has always behaved as the perfect Duke’s Heir. Never walking astray and because of wrong notions ingrained since his childhood by an uncaring and selfish mother, he is now looking for the perfect bride-to-be, one of perfect manner and breeding. Not once he questioned his duties, following them to the letter until a Miss Liberty Lovejoy stumbled at his door’s steps and shattered everything, leaving him with more doubts than certainties.
Liberty, since the sad event which has stolen her betrothed and her parents’ life, she became and overprotective mother’s hen to her two younger siblings and can’t stand to watch her bother lose himself in the sins of the London ton. Nor did she expected to feel reawakened after her first encounter with Avon. He stirs feelings she thought dead with her late fiancé.
Their tale is one of an unconventional wooing, as they come from enemies to friends, each very protective about their family. And it is said family which will bring them closer as they are not so unlike.
They both make their kin comes first, why they can appear rather overbearing when they think only to shield those they love. They are caring souls, not only contented with their inner circle happiness, they try also to better the world in their own way.
Liberty is such a wonderful woman, she knows she does not fill the qualities of the perfect lady from Dominic’s list, that she might never have his love but she wants only his happiness and tries at every turn, to see make him see the wrongness of his way, to let him choose with his heart. Dominic is so willing to be the perfect heir, he lost in the process the right objective, by needing to fulfill his carefree and self-centered late mother egoistical demand, he did not understood how wrong it was to select a future bride relying only on their blue-blood and haughty manners.
The narration was so perfectly paced, that smoothly they became friends, true friends until they were more and needed more from the other.
Now I need to get the previous books about this family.
Daring to Love the Duke’s Heir is the second book in author Janice Preston’s “The Beauchamp Heirs” series. I have to confess, I absolutely love Leo Beauchamp the Duke of Cheriton, he’s one of my all-time favorite heroes of Ms. Preston’s. So knowing that she was continuing the Beauchamp family stories with Leo’s children made me one extremely happy reader! I have been patiently waiting for Dominic’s story and it was everything I hoped it would be and more!
Dominic Beauchamp, Lord Avon takes himself and his position as heir to the Dukedom very seriously. He’s always set high expectations for himself. He feels it’s his duty to make his father proud, uphold the family name and to always behave as befitting a duke. So it comes as no surprise that he’s compiled a list of seven potential brides to consider, now that he’s decided to marry.
Liberty Lovejoy is desperate to save her twin brother Gideon. She believes Lord Alexander Beauchamp is leading her brother astray and goes to Beauchamp house to confront the Duke of Cheriton about his son Alexander. A case of mistaken identity has Liberty confronting Dominic instead.
Oh my, this was an absolute delight to read! Once I started it, I had a difficult time putting it down. I love the fact that Dominic was affected by Liberty from their very first meeting. But being Dominic and the Duke’s heir he knows she’s off limits and would never be acceptable to be his wife and future Duchess. But his feelings for her definitely catches him off guard. Besides feelings of lust, he actually starts to admire her and enjoy her company, and he feels his well-planned life going off course. Liberty was such a fun, loveable character. She’s stubborn and determined to make sure her family is safe. She’s devoted her life to her family ever since her parents and fiancé died five years ago. But lately, she’s felt lonely and dreams of finding love again. I absolutely loved the teasing and banter between them. Dominic shows a side to Liberty that only his family sees and I’ll admit he’s as charming as I knew he could be. As these two form an unlikely friendship, both yearn for what they know can never be. They were such a sweet couple together and I couldn’t help but root for Dominic to finally come to the realization she was the one he needed.
I honestly can’t describe how much I loved this book! I was so happy to see the Beauchamp siblings and Leo make an appearance in this story. And oh my… the ending! Ms. Preston gave us an absolutely perfect ending! I highly recommend this book along with all the books from The Beauchamp Betrothals & The Beauchamp Heirs series.
Daring to Love the Duke’s Heir is book 2 of The Beauchamp Heirs Series by Janice Preston. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. Preston sprinkles just the right amount of romance and humor into her stories. I fell in love with the hero Dominic Beauchamp, Lord Avon almost immediately. His desire to please his family and to honor his mother’s last wish is understandable, but it puts his ability to find true happiness at risk. Liberty Lovejoy is a hoot. Her spontaneous actions often put her and her siblings in jeopardy. I enjoyed the back and forth bickering between Liberty and Dominic. And I loved the growing attraction between the two. “Nerves fluttered deep in her belly as she got her first good look at his pale silvery gray eyes and the utter confidence they conveyed. And why should they not? Not only was he the son of one of the most powerful Dukes in the land but he was sinfully, classically handsome with a straight nose, sharp cheekbones and a beautifully sculpted mouth above a determined chin. Those silvery eyes of his seemed to penetrate deep inside her and yet they were as opaque as a silver coin, revealing no hint of his thoughts.”
You can’t go wrong reading Preston’s work. Every book is a wonderful ride. I was gifted a copy of this book.
The last time Liberty Lovejoy had been in London was five years ago, and a lot had happened since then. Her twin brother Gideon was now the Earl of Wendover and they were in the City so that Liberty and her sisters Hope and Verity could have a Season. Liberty, who has been a surrogate mother to her siblings, is concerned about Gideon’s dissolute behaviour, and this is how she came to meet the Marquess of Avon, Dominic Beauchamp. Dominic has been groomed from birth for the dukedom, and the time has come for him to marry. His reputation and conduct have always been irreproachable, and he is looking for the same in his future bride, whoever she may be. Is the luscious Miss Lovejoy about to make him forget everything he has been striving for?
Dominic had appeared briefly in book 1 of The Beauchamp Heirs, and The Beauchamp Betrothals, and he intrigued me to no end: so proper, so serious, so reserved and so different from his siblings, Alex and Olivia. I find it admirable that Janice Preston saw fit to leave him exactly as he we had seen him; Dominic hasn’t changed, and he is not an easy man to understand. I am also thrilled that both Dominic and Liberty are good, kind, honourable people, and that they are far from boring. Liberty is just as proper as Dominic, but definitely more daring and exuberant.
DARING TO LOVE THE DUKE’S HEIR is, in a way, a very simple story: a proper aristocrat looking to marry the woman Society expects him to choose, and a young woman determined to see her siblings happy, and who realises she is ready to start living again.There is nothing pedestrian about this novel; think of it as tea and cakes. The quality of the ingredients, the preparation, the service, and the company make a world of difference. DARING TO LOVE THE DUKE’S HEIR is exquisite, charming, heartbreaking, and witty; it embodies everything I look for in historical romance. We have two very strong, very complex and compelling main characters supported by an equally solid supporting cast, mainly the Beauchamps and the Lovejoys. The relationships are intricate and feel genuine; the environment and social milieu crisply defined; and the author’s knowledge of the Regency era and the aristocracy are a joy for the discerning reader. Pertinent little details also add to the atmosphere, such as dripping umbrellas; too many authors seem to forget that it rains in England. The romance is a magnificent slow burn, as Dominic’s heart battles with his reason, and Liberty wishes for a love that might forever remain unrequited, but she does what she can to try to make that proud, stubborn man see reason. The romance is close to absolute perfection: just the right amount of immediate attraction to be believable; credible hesitations on both sides; meaningful conversations highlighted by exceptionally witty banter, and what is primordial: seeing and feeling Dominic and Liberty acknowledging the inevitable. And did Dominic ever have some growing up to do! I found the hurdles this proper Marquess had to overcome so much more interesting than those of the ubiquitous rogues.
DARING TO LOVE THE DUKE’S HEIR is a marvel of intelligent storytelling: so subtle, so nuanced, rich and deep, and utterly captivating because of the glorious prose and the outstanding dialogues. I loved how Liberty and Dominic are a positive influence on each other, how they become better adjusted individuals, how they grow and learn to love, be loved, and be happy.