The Shaws are one of Britain’s most influential, dynamic families, but one Shaw prefers to keep a low profile. Unfortunately, the limelight can shine behind-the-scenes . . . Lady Drusilla Shaw may be a bit introverted, yet she has the observant mind of a writer, capturing all of society’s quirks and scandals. But when the novel she’s been working on disappears from her room, that is just the … from her room, that is just the beginning of her problems. Confident, magnetic Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel, has taken an interest in Dru, and when he proposes, she is both thrilled and anxious. Her book depicts a ruinous family story that is uncannily similar to Oliver’s real-life, not to mention libelous. The manuscript could surface at any moment—and eventually it does, in published form, for all to read . . .
Oliver is bewildered by his new wife and her blasted book. Worst of all, how can he love a woman he no longer trusts? But when it becomes obvious that someone is taking their cues from the book in a series of attacks, he has no choice but to stick close to her. Their explosive connection in bed should take care of the heir-making, but for that to happen, Drusilla has to stay alive—and so does Oliver.
Praise for Lynne Connolly and her novels
“Lynne Connolly writes Georgian romances with a deft touch. Her characters amuse, entertain and reach into your heart.” —Desiree Holt
“With plots, deviousness and passion galore, Temptation Has Green Eyes by Lynne Connolly is a truly enjoyable read.” –Fresh Fiction
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Dauntless by Lynne Connolly is book Two in The Shaws series. This is the story of Lady Drusilla ‘Dru’ Shaw and Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel. This I thought could easily be a standalone book.
Dru is has taken to writing and one of her manuscripts has been taken from her and she not sure where it went or when it will turn up. When Oliver proposes to her Dru goes for to accept the marriage proposal but when the manuscript turns up in book form which when read is similar to what has been going on indie Oliver’s family. Oliver goes froward with the marriage but has conditions with watch happens next.
Enjoyed their story.
Dauntless by Lynne Connolly
The Shaws #2
Lady Drusilla Shaw is having her last season in London and has been told she will marry this year…someone she chooses or someone chosen for her by her parents. She loves to write, has ink stains on many cuffs and is not sure she wants to marry without love but…what is she to do? At a ball one evening she literally falls into the arms of Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel. She says something that offends him without knowing what it is and in spite of that disastrous beginning the two do manage to hit it off, find chemistry aplenty and end up married. However, there is someone out to sabotage their relationship and perhaps even kill one or both of them. Who that person is and the reason behind it is…quite a story…perhaps even more riotous and despicable than the one that ended up without Dru’s permission published and scandalously being read by society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe that Oliver and Drusilla are a great match and will be very happy together. If I have a quibble it might be that Oliver was so much taken in by someone in his family and listened to that person rather than listening immediately to his heart and instincts.
Did I enjoy this book? Definitely
Will I read more in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing-Lyrical Press This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
4.5 stars rounded up.
Lady Drucilla Shaw is the eldest daughter and middle child of the infamous and powerful Shaw family. Dru spends a lot of time alone and has an overly active imagination, which she uses to write stories – not to publish, just for her own enjoyment. She is introverted and at 26 it seems like she is on the shelf and well on her way to spinsterhood, much to her mother’s dismay.
Dru meets Oliver, the Duke of Mountsorrel, when he saves her from taking a tumble at a ball. Oliver is on the hunt for a bride and even though he doesn’t feel Dru is right for him, he dances with her. As they dance, he goads her and she fires back, causing him to leave her on the dance floor.
Her mother has had enough, Dru will marry one of the men vying for her hand or her parents will choose for her. She is upset and begins to write, painting Oliver as her villain. Oliver comes to call the next day, to apologize and make things right – there is already enough gossip about his family and his treatment of Dru has not helped. They ride in the park and Oliver has a complete change of heart – Dru will be the perfect duchess for him, he uses the current scandal as an excuse to get closer to her, saying they will have to spend more time together, so the ton knows there are no hard feelings. He is feeling good about his plan when his horse stumbles and they are both thrown from the carriage. He saves her from serious injury and impulsively kisses her, but the event reminds him of another carriage accident. Dru has also had a change of heart and re-writes her story. Oliver seems serious about his intentions, even driving away other suitors, but a talk with his brother has him reconsidering and he decides to let things between them cool a bit.
Days pass and there is no communication from Oliver, Dru begins to think she misjudged his intentions, she is on the verge of accepting her parent’s choice of a husband, when Oliver charges in and stops the proposal. He propose and she accepts, happy, she cannot wait to write in her journal – but the story is missing! Her maid tells her, her mother ordered it burned. Slightly relieved, she doesn’t think too much of it, until the next morning when her father tells them of an advert for a new book – HER BOOK! Frantic, she tries to stop the publication and believes she has succeeded.
She and Oliver days later and there is a lot of snickering and whispering – then she learns that she was double crossed – the book was published. Oliver is livid, but doesn’t know she is the author and the events in the story – complete products of her imagination – are surprisingly similar to Oliver’s real life. She confesses to him and he is angry, but he will marry her anyway.
They marry and he is cold, he insists that she spend time with his crippled brother Charles as penance – she will do whatever is necessary to atone. He is still angry, but tells her that they will leave their differences at the bedroom door – they share an amazing wedding night and she has hope. But it is clear, someone doesn’t want them to be together and will do whatever is necessary to ensure they do not have a HEA.
This was a great story! I thought it was well written and flowed well, the love scenes were steamy, the story interesting, the characters likable and the ending was amazing, I knocked off a 1/2 star because I felt the villain was a bit too obvious. This is the second full length novel in the Shaw Series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone title with no problem.
Lady Drusilla Shaw may be a bit introverted, yet she has the observant mind of a writer, capturing all of society’s quirks and scandals. But when the novel she’s been working on disappears from her room, that is just the beginning of her problems. Confident, magnetic Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel, has taken an interest in Dru, and when he proposes, she is both thrilled and anxious. Her book depicts a ruinous family story that is uncannily similar to Oliver’s real-life, not to mention libellous. The manuscript could surface at any moment and eventually it does, in published form, for all to read. Oliver is bewildered by his new wife and her blasted book.
This is the third book in the series & whilst it could be read as a standalone book to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading the earlier books & also The Emperors of London series. The author’s attention to detail is second to none & she makes the era come alive. The pace is very good & the story flows effortlessly, I was drawn into the book from the beginning & was engrossed all the way through. The characters are well drawn & have plenty of depth. Oliver & Dru were very likeable & their attraction was there from the start. There are misunderstandings, secrets & ‘accidents’ that all work to derail the romance. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
A story with touches of gothic suspense, mystery and secrets that will keep you glued to the page! Lady Drusilla Shaw was not an outgoing person. She had a wonderful imagination and used that to writes stories with some truths but mostly imagination. She longed to find a hero as she read and writes about in her books and felt she never would. Well as fate would have it, Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel was that man. Pushed by his mother to find a wife and marry, he found Dru, although from not the best of families, he was certainly attracted to her. They soon become engaged because the spark was definitely there. But as luck would have it, her current manuscript (that she had used Oliver and his brother as the hero and villain of her tale) was stolen and then published. The suspense and mystery comes into play when someone is trying to recreate some of the more harrowing scenes and puts Dru in danger. Can they find out who is behind all the strange things that start happening? The author does a wonderful job of keeping the reader guessing and really enjoying the characters!
If you love historical accuracy rather than historical fantasy, then you might want to try this author. The Shaws is a spin-off series from The Emperors of London series and while it doesn’t have the panache and excitement of the Emperors, it is still a very good series and is very well done. I wonder if the difference might be that this series is missing the over-arching theme that was present in Emperors.
Lady Drusilla Shaw isn’t shy, but she is a bit of an introvert and at five and twenty, she is pretty much on-the-shelf. Her parents have told her that this is the last season they will actively support her on the marriage mart. She must either choose from one of the suitors who has asked to court her or become a full-fledged spinster. Dru isn’t excited about any of the candidates on the list, but she has sorta-kinda resigned herself to choose among the suitors on her mother’s list. Then, she has a dance with Oliver and is entranced – until he turns and leaves her mid-dance at her aunt’s ball. She’s not entranced any longer – she dislikes him thoroughly. How does she display that anger? Well, Dru is a bit of a writer – not for publication, but for her own enjoyment. So, she writes a story with Oliver as the villain. Her vivid imagination invents some scenarios that hit too close to the reality in Oliver’s life.
Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel, is being pressured by his mother to marry and, to be honest, he feels that he needs to marry as well. He needs to produce an heir since his brother is unable to step into that role should the need arise. So, while he is in London on other business, he will just find himself a bride. His plan? Well, he’ll attend balls and dance with all of the debutants until he decides on one. Then, he dances with one of the older unmarried ladies and finds himself enchanted – until – she teasingly starts throwing out potential answers to a question. Some of those answers are dreadfully close to his real life and his anger flares. He spins around and walks off the dance floor leaving her standing.
Oliver comes by Dru’s home the following morning to apologize and he’s even more entranced by her. Then, accidents start to happen to them. Their curricle crashes and it could have killed them both – then a horse with a stone that could have thrown Dru and caused her harm. What is behind all of these accidents? Who would want to harm Dru? Or, is it Oliver who is the target? Well – the answer is that there is a real snake-in-the-grass with a deadly plot and you’ll just have to read the book to find out who it is and why they are doing it.
The reason that this is my least favorite of the Shaws/Emperor’s series is that the characters are both pretty milquetoast. I loved them, but neither of them was an alpha. Each of them gets intensely angry at times, but neither of them really does anything about it. He just gives her the cold shoulder and she writes nasty things about him in a story. Neither of those solves anything. They don’t talk. If either of them had talked to the other or even to someone else, most of the problems could have been smoothed over. Also, both of them are perfectly willing to believe the worst of the other with absolutely no evidence. She is too easily the ‘poor pitiful me’, wallow in self-pity type and he is not one who takes the bull by the horns, stands up for himself and Dru, and solves whatever issues they have. While Beta heroes can be wonderful and interesting leads if done well, Oliver seems to have missed the mark just a bit.
All-in-all this was a lovely read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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