The second exciting book in the bestselling 1797 Club series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Jess Michaels.Simon Greene, Duke of Crestwood has been obsessed with Margaret Rylon for years. There is only one thing standing between them: her fiancé, who also happens to be his best friend. He is desperate not to destroy everything in his life by giving in to his desires, but when Meg and Simon are … but when Meg and Simon are trapped alone together overnight during a storm, the resulting scandal not only breaks Meg’s existing engagement, but forces Simon to offer for her instead.
Margaret is sorry to have hurt her family and her fiancé, but all she’s ever wanted was Simon. Her determination to make a happy life with him is only heightened when they submit to passions that have long dwelled beneath the surface. But while Simon may give her his body, he withholds his heart out of guilt and fear of what a connection to her may expose.
And if he doesn’t learn to fight for her soon, they both may lose a chance at happiness.
Length: Full length book
Heat Level: Yep. So much.
This is the second book in the 1797 Club series, but can be read as a standalone.
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4.5 stars rounded up.
Having known her since he was a young boy, Simon Greene, the Duke of Crestwood, has always felt quite a bit more than friendship for Lady Margaret Rylon. Unfortunately, she is betrothed to another man, who also happens to be one of his best friends. Simon is determined to keep a tight rein on his control and not ruin any friendships, but when he and Meg wind up stranded in a small cabin together overnight during a storm, a scandal explodes, breaking Meg’s engagement and leaving Simon with no choice but to offer her.
Meg never wanted to hurt her brother, who arranged the match, or her fiancé, but she’s only ever wanted to be with Simon. When she finds that Simon returns her passions, she’s all the more desperate to be close to him in other ways and create a truly happy marriage. But outside the bedroom Simon is too wracked by guilt to allow himself a happiness he believes he is unworthy of and if he doesn’t soon join Meg in the fight for their future, she might soon give up as well.
This was a delightful listen full of angst and pining. Simon was as adorable as he was idiotic at times, willing to sacrifice his happiness and Meg’s for the sake of honor. Thankfully, he overcame that eventually but the guilt and self-loathing he experienced were heart-rending. I loved that Meg was so protective of Simon and didn’t hesitate to stand up for him, especially to his awful mother. I really think Graham was a bit more of a villain for me here than a wronged party, simply because he suspected Simon’s feelings for Meg but would’ve been content to marry her anyway and never say a word. In fact, several of Simon’s friends suspected his feelings and yet they were willing to stand by and do nothing but were happy to criticize Simon for the wrong done to Graham. Sure, the circumstances could’ve been better, but I think Simon and Meg were very much let down by their friends and family, much more so than Graham was. Anyway, I loved the closeness and communication that manifested between Meg and Simon as the story drew to a close and the chemistry between them was explosive. This was a rather hard-won HEA, but I loved that a lot of the conflict arose after the main characters were married in the form of them working things out, rather than leaving me stressing the whole book about how they were going to wind up together.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/01/audio-review-of-her-favorite-duke-by.html
Emotionally Charged
This story tugs at the heartstrings for all the characters involved. There is no true villain here, just a lot of unintended hurt, for the sake of protecting loved ones. It’s a tale of how the immaturity of youth and inexperience snowballed into catastrophe. Fortunately, Simon and Meg had their happy ending.
4.75 stars
Simon Greene, Duke of Crestwood has been obsessed with Margaret Rylon, sister of his best friend James for over seven years. There is only one thing standing between them: her fiancé, who also happens to be his best friend Graham. He is desperate not to destroy everything in his life by giving in to his desires, but when Meg and Simon are trapped alone together overnight in a caretaker’s cottage during a storm, the resulting scandal not only breaks Meg’s existing engagement, but forces Simon to offer for her instead.
Margaret is sorry to have hurt her family and her fiancé, but all she’s ever wanted was Simon & has loved him for years too. However guilt & honour almost ruin their marriage before it’s begun.
Another brilliant book from the author, I was loathe to put it down & read it in under a day. I like forbidden love stories. The characters as always are very well portrayed & I felt for Simon & Meg. My only quibble was why they didn’t tell James & Graham how thy felt for each other. James adores his sister so wouldn’t want her to be unhappy, also Graham & James were Simon’s best friends & again would have wanted him to be happy, it wasn’t as if Graham loved Meg when they became engaged. However their reasons why are explained later in the book & are intertwined with their personalities & history. The plot is well paced & had me reading into the early hours when it arrived on my kindle & a rainy afternoon ensured I stayed in glued to the story. The teaser about Graham has me waiting with bated breathe for the next in the series, it was also good to get to know more of the 1797 Club
Duty and loyalty are two things Simon Greene, the Duke of Crestwood, holds dear. When he had no family, the men of The 1797 Club became one. He would rather die than betray those trusts. He would even stand aside as the woman he’s loved for almost a decade announces her wedding date to one of his brothers.
When her cruel and uncaring father dies, Meg’s older brother James, the new Duke of Abernathe, arranges a marriage with one of his best friend’s, Graham. If only James knew he picked the wrong friend. After a seven year engagement, Meg and Graham agree on a wedding date, making both Meg and Simon miserable.
Meg was in love with Simon long before her brother arranged a marriage to Graham when she was sixteen. She saw no way to dash her brother’s dream for her, so she stayed quiet. That didn’t stop her from growing closer to Simon as the days to her wedding neared. After a walk catches her in a storm, Simon helps Meg find shelter in a caretaker’s cottage. When morning arrives, the duo is found and completely compromised. Meg is forced to end her engagement to Graham and marry Simon. This is a moment when you realize how true it is to be careful what you wish for. Even though they love each other desperately, Simon is wracked with guilt and self-loathing for what he’s done to Graham. Although they weren’t as close as they’d once been, Graham was still Simon’s brother. Simon’s relationships with several of his brother’s become strained as he marries the woman of his dreams. While Simon allows himself to connect with Meg physically, he cannot let her have his heart.
This novel was heartbreaking but oh so steamy at the same time. Simon and Meg’s love for each other is palpable and so brilliant, but because of their unconditional love for their family, they attempt to forgo their own happiness. I admit to crying a lot while reading this novel but that made the end that much sweeter. Michaels once again gave me a dynamic and compelling duke to cherish in the form of Simon. I adored Meg in the first novel of the series and came to cherish her will and spirit even more in this novel. Another 5 Stars for The 1797 Club!
I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I ended up giving this book 4-stars, but if I had had to rate it on the first half or even a little more, I would have ended up with 2.5 or 3 stars. So, if you are reading it – know that the characters – particularly the hero – do get better in the last third, but the story line is good throughout. It is very well written and keeps you moving right through.
For the first third of the book both the hero and the heroine annoyed me royally. Then she got better but he still didn’t get better for a good while. So – here is what bugged me.
Meg is the sister of James, Duke of Abernathe and the hero of the first book in the series. She is extremely close to James and they have a very open and loving relationship – he would do anything to make her happy. Meg also has a very, very loving, close and open relationship with James’ new wife. Yet, when James betroths Meg without even asking her, she doesn’t protest and say she is in love with someone else – because she doesn’t want to hurt James. Say what!!!!! James would be totally miserable if she married someone and loved someone else – especially since he’s so in love with his own wife. She is engaged for eight years and never says anything. I find it hard to believe someone would ruin the rest of their life just to avoid a short term pain for someone else.
Simon Greene, Duke of Crestwood is a member of the 1797 Club. The club was formed when an unusually large number of future dukes were at school and many of them had cruel, disinterested or uncaring families. They joined together to teach and help each other be better dukes and better people. They are like brothers – particularly Simon, Graham and James. Simon is in love with Meg and is shocked and hurt when James betroths Meg to Graham. Yet, Simon doesn’t say a word about caring for Meg – he doesn’t say anything to James and he doesn’t say anything to Graham. Wait – I thought they were very, very close.
Simon is portrayed as a peacemaker, but he really comes across as a spineless coward. He won’t stand up for himself nor will he fight for what he wants. That is what leads him to be caught in a compromising position with Meg and then they have to marry. So, he has hurt James, Graham and Meg because he was so spineless that he wouldn’t speak up. The, when he gets what he wants – he’s spineless again and wants to pay penance by not being happy. So again – he hurts Meg.
BTW – we do finally get a bit of an explanation for why he is a peacemaker – but still – the boy needed a backbone.
Meg has been in love with Simon since she was fifteen, but her brother betroths her to another without even asking. The groom doesn’t seem to be any more excited about the engagement than she is and they stay engaged for years. When they finally set the date for the wedding, Meg is caught in a compromising position with the man she’s loved all those years. Nothing happened, but in that time period – perception was everything.
Simon has to almost lose Meg before he finally gets it through his thick skull that some things are worth fighting for and that Meg is one of those things. It comes close, but they finally get their HEA.
I loved catching up with James and Emma and seeing their love blossoming (from the first book) and I look forward to Graham’s story in the next book. I didn’t care much for Graham in this book either – his reactions were just off the charts. Hopefully, we’ll get a better feel for the reason in his book.
“I requested and received this 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.”