Lovers reunited & a dukedom reclaimed—the Regency meets the OdysseyLord Cheverley, son of the Duke of Ithwick, never wanted to go to war, but when he eloped against his father’s wishes, the furious Duke forced him to choose—either take a naval commission, or have his marriage annulled. Devastated physically and emotionally by seven years of war, a shipwreck, and six years in the captivity of … captivity of a brutal pirate, Cheverley returns to England to find that the courts have declared him dead, and his wife is entertaining suitors. Should he demand his rightful place, disrupting his family’s lives, or should he return to sea, seeking vengeance against the pirate? He sets out to find the answer in disguise.
Penelope once believed in love, but then the man who swept her off her feet deserted her, leaving her and her unborn child utterly alone. Now a widow, she will do anything to protect her son, including enlisting the aid of a mysterious sea captain to uncover the true intentions of her devious suitors. When the captain awakens something in Penelope she thought long dead, she begins to suspect he is no stranger. But, as they peel back the layers of a deadly plot, can this broken family heal their wounds in time to save what really matters?
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His Duchess at Eventide is a tale that is all things fabulous, mythical and epic.
This is such an emotional book with amazing characters. Lord Cheverley the hero and Penelope the heroine are complex interesting characters that have been through trials over an extended period of time before the book even starts. Cheverley has been lost at sea tortured, imprisoned and unable to return to his wife and son. Penelope has been home dealing with the hostile manipulative relatives of her husband, as well as managing her husbands estate and raising her son without his father.
Once Cheverley returns home in disguise the intrigue begins. Chev isn’t sure if and when he should reveal himself to Penelope. He has suffered terribly in both body and mind in the time away from his family. Penelope on the other hand has grown from a young woman into someone who handle just about anything. Penelope is a terrific strong character and how she handles the conflict that she faces is really clever. One of my favorite lines is when she says, “You always told me never to accept a challenge you did not define.”
The romance is bittersweet but tender. The attraction between Cheverley and Penelope has not dimmed and how they come together is handled beautifully.
The Odyssey theme is underlying but you don’t need to have read the Odyssey to enjoy this book. If I have read the Odyssey it’s long forgotten. Who am I kidding, I’ve never read it! You do get a sense that this story is epic and that the challenges the characters face are part of a bigger picture. The authors notes at the end of the book fill in any gaps for the curious and I really enjoyed reading where Wendy’s ideas and research came from.
His Duchess at Eventide is absolutely a terrific read. It reminds me of one of my favorite John William Waterhouse paintings, Miranda -The Tempest. A complex, emotional and romantic read on many levels. This is the first book that I’ve read by Wendy LaCapra but it definitely won’t be the last.
Read the review at Lady Celeste Reads Romance: https://bit.ly/2AOuXzN (less)
His Duchess at Eventide by Wendy LaCapra is book Two in the Mythic Dukes Series. This is the story of Lord Cheverley ‘Chev’, son of the Duke of Ithwick and Penelope. I have read the previous book but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Chev and Penelope married young and only together just a short time because his father gave Chev a ultimatum to annul the marriage or take a military commission. Chev choose to take the Navy commission and not annul the marriage. But that choice would leave him to danger and for his family to think him dead. Several years later Chev escapes the brutality that he was in to return home but doesn’t admit to who he is at first. Penelope was left abandoned by her husband to find that she is expecting a child. Now all these years later she has a son who she is doing all that she can to keep them above water. Penelope doesn’t recognize Chev but she is drawn to him and is thrown off by that…but love wins as it should. This does have some dark scenes. This was another great story by Ms. LaCapra.
WOW! This was such an amazing emotional story! The author did a phenomenal job on the retelling of Homer’s Odyssey.
This was a gripping story full of emotional upheaval for Chev his torture and abuse at the hands of his captor left him scarred and full of rage, after his escape he didn’t believe he was good enough for his wife and son.
Circumstances have brought him to the shores of his home and everyday away from the woman he’s loved and never forgotten make him realize that fighting his inner demons is worth everything in the world to be with her. It’s an uphill battle that needs to be fought, but will it be enough to rekindle the love they once shared?
Penelope has never forgotten her husband, in the thirteen years he’s been missing she’s grieved for him daily. Her memories of their short lived marriage keeps her going, as well as the son she gave birth to. When a mysterious man appears and sets her world on its axis she feels that he’s her other half. Can this be her imagination and the feelings this man evokes be the truth of what her heart believes is true? Her husband has finally returned? But if it’s truly him why the deception?
I loved Penelope and Chev their chemistry was amazing and explosive. The way they danced around the truth trying to reconnect and relearn the other was so emotional it made my heart hurt. Lots of mystery and intrigue is intertwined a horrible villain and plenty of heart stopping action kept this reader on pins and needles till the end.
I highly recommend this as well as each and every Wendy LaCapra book out there.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
His Duchess at Eventide is the first book I’ve read by Wendy LaCapra. It’s part of a couple series, but it totally stood on it’s own. There was only one time within the book that I had the feeling that I was missing a little information, but it was quite minor and a short-lived thought.
This book is a reunion story. Penelope and Chev married young and were forced apart by Chev’s father, the duke. Years later, he’s back on English soil, a broken man and not entirely sure he wants to see his wife and son. But as the blurb tells us, he can’t stay away and finds that not is all as it seems at home.
Let’s start with Chev. I love a wounded hero. In particular, I love a physically wounded hero as I get tired of reading about the perfect, handsome man with no real obstacles in life. Chev was a second son, his father didn’t approve of his choice of wife and ultimately had him join the navy. Now he’s home, mentally and physically broken, not sure what to do with himself. Chev is very much a relateable character. How often does a person have something unfortunate to happen to them and they feel as if they’re not loveable or worthy of love? He’s depressed and needs help finding purpose and yes, love.
And Penelope is such a strong woman. She’s pregnant and abandoned by her husband. She makes the best of what life has given her and flourished… until some of Chev’s family want to challenge her son’s claim as the duke’s heir. But she’s smart and holds things together for the sake of her son. And while Chev’s reappearance shakes her, she also doesn’t doubt their love and doesn’t care that he’s a changed man. I also appreciated that she wasn’t part of the ton… it gave her a little more leeway in many ways.
I really did enjoy this story. I found myself reaching for the tissues more than once and my attention never wavered as I needed to know how it was going to end. I was glad for the twists and turns as there were a couple times I got tired of being in Chev’s head when he’d start to feel sorry for himself. In the end, I was glad to have picked up this book and look forward to reading more by Ms. LaCapra.
This review originally posted at Romancing the Book.
Wendy LaCapra’s ability to weave such an emotional tale is awesome – I was hooked a few pages in and couldn’t put it down until “The End”! Lord Cheverley “Chev”, son of the Duke of Ithwick and Penelope married when they were very young and were only together a short time – Chev’s father The Duke gave him an ultimatum to either take a military commission or he would have the marriage annulled; Chev took the military commission. Thirteen years pass and he returns home disguised.. He has been ravaged by war and then imprisoned by pirates – can he ever get back to his wife and son and will he ever get past the torture of war and prison. I highly recommend this series and you will love Chev and Pen as a couple and the secondary characters are wonderful also.
She will rip your heart out in the first few chapters ! But then she gives it back a piece at a time. So much heart ache shows you how bad it can get can always be made better. She based it on the Odyssey ,she did a better job!
A highly charged emotional story with well written characters, that pulled me in from the first page and would not let me go until the end. Two people torn apart after they were just married due to the machinations of Cheverley’s father, the Duke of Ithwick. Chev’s wife Penelope was left behind thinking he had just abandoned her and their unborn child. Heartbreaking for them both! Forced to take a naval commission, Chev endured more than anyone ever should and after 13 years finally made it home.
But he finds he has been declared dead and his wife has suitors looking to marry her. What? With all of his scars and demons he has to fight after his ordeal, he takes on a disguise as a sea captain. Penelope enlists his aid to help her determine if her suitors are truthful or not but she begins to have feelings for this man. The attraction and chemistry between these two is off the charts and as they both try to find their way, there is a mystery filled with intrigue and a terrible villain that tries to destroy everything.
There is so much more I could say about this emotional story but believe me, you want to read and find out what happens. So well written and with my favorite trope of the wounded hero, this filled everything I look for in a great story!