An Amazon Best of the Month SelectionA USA Today BestsellerA Publishers Weekly BestsellerNew York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries features an irresistible family in a series to savor, as the grown children of a thrice-married dowager duchess piece together the stories of their fathers–while pursuing passions of their own . . . Lady Gwyn Drake has long protected her family’s … their fathers–while pursuing passions of their own . . .
Lady Gwyn Drake has long protected her family’s reputation by hiding an imprudent affair from her youth. But when her former suitor appears at Armitage Hall, manhandling the heiress and threatening to go public with her secrets, it’s Gwyn who needs protecting. Her twin brother, Thorn, hires Joshua Wolfe, the estate’s gamekeeper, to keep her safe in London during her debut. As a war hero, Joshua feels obligated to fulfill the assignment he has accepted. But as a man, it’s torment to be so very close to the beauty he’s fought to ignore . . .
With handsome Joshua monitoring her every move, Gwyn would prefer to forget both the past and the parade of money-seeking bachelors at her coming out. But Joshua is unmoved by her attempts at flirtation, and the threat of blackmail still hangs over her. With danger closing in, Gwyn must decide which is the greater risk: deflecting a scoundrel’s attempts to sabotage her—or revealing her whole heart to the rugged bodyguard she can’t resist . . .
“Anyone who loves romance must read Sabrina Jeffries!”
—Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
more
I had such a fun time reading this book! Lady Gwyn was wonderful and refreshing and smart and sure of herself….if a bit traumatized from past events still. And the Major has been thoroughly traumatized by his time in the military and his injuries while there. They both hold people at a distance, but that is hard to do when you’re protecting someone from a possible kidnapper! All in all, I really enjoyed the story and the strong characters!
You can always count on Sabrina Jeffries to deliver interesting characters, sizzling dialogue, a few sexy scenes and a hint of humour. An interesting storyline with a bit of intrigue and danger makes The Bachelor an entertaining read. I didn’t care for the scene in the conservatory as I found it a bit implausible but otherwise I enjoyed the book.
The Bachelor, by Sabrina Jeffries. I like the drama around the romantic story. I found the book easy to read. I was very impressed that Sabrina focused in on the issues of soldiers coming home and suffering the effects of PTSD, although back then it wasn’t called that. Accompanied with the seriousness the book did have some lighthearted moments that made the reader enjoy the characters even more.
The romance between Joshua and Gwyn was a slow burn. Sabrina explores the long awaited passion between them to explode among the pages of the book. I liked the way the two got along together. Definitely they new how to push each other’s buttons. Reading the book provides the reader with good entertainment.
I recommend this book.
I wanted to give this 4.5 stars but I rounded it up because I definitely enjoyed it. but if you do not read the first book in the series it comes off a little insta-love. I started to read it, and quickly realized I wanted the information being alluded to and so stopped and read the first book first. I did enjoy the rather unconventional Regency hero especially.
This was a good Regency era story. I read so many of these historical romances, it’s a treat to have a few differences in the plot from the usual story line.
I loved the way they protected each other, the trust, and how they talked to each other. It was so romantic. They loved their families. They also had a good reputation. He was a major in the Royal Marines. She was the daughter of a duke and the granddaughter of a duke. He has a temper but she is calm. She easily attracts men He has a limp from a war wound that almost killed him.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
The second book in the Duke Dynasty a well written story with a very good storyline the story flows smoothly across the pages. Lady Gwyn Drake, needs protection so her twin brother, Thorn, hires Joshua Wolfe to keep her safe. There is suspense, drama, danger, twists, turns, a villain, and romance. I enjoyed reading this story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The favorite, so far, in this series!
I am following this series closely. I love the characters and already can’t wait for the next book!
Joshua Wolfe is more than a games keeper. He could possibly be Lady Gwyn Drake’s undoing. The former Royal Marine sees too much. Lady Gwyn is finding it more difficult to keep her secrets though she fears revealing the truth will cost her more than the blackmail she is being forced to pay.
Joshua might be the grandson of a Duke, but he knows he is no match for a woman like Lady Gwyn. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from wanting her.
When the two of them are thrown together for the season their passions ignite as the stakes rise. When Lady Gwyn has to reveal her truth, she expects Joshua to walk away, but can they overcome all of the hurdles threatening to divide them to have a future together or will they have to satisfy themselves with just one night of passion.
Two injured souls. One physically scarred by battle, one scarred by reckless youth and mistrust. Sabrina Jeffries combines intrigue, romance, action and passion into a historical backdrop that sits a reader down into the story and allows them to be consumed by it.
The narrator, Beverley A. Crick lends her talents to telling and enacting the story making each character come alive. She is a great asset to the audiobook. I’ve come to look for her when checking out audios, she is becoming one of my favorite narrators.
If you love historicals with a bit of intrigue, unique but strong characters and passionate romances, check out this book by Sabrina Jeffries and you won’t want to miss any of the Duke Dynasty series. The first book in this series, “Project Duchess” was another I’d highly recommend. There are few by Sabrina Jefferies I wouldn’t recommend. She is one of my favorite authors. I’ve mentioned before that “The Truth of Lord Stoneville” of the Hellion Series in one of my favorite books…ever! If you haven’t read her work, what are you waiting for?
I could not put this book down. It captured my attention from the start. Lady Gwyn Drake has a secret and will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Even allowing herself to be blackmailed by the man who tried to kidnap her.
Joshua, the gamekeeper, as he sees himself. But realistically is the duke’s cousin. Sees his life as being over; due to his leg injury in the war. He agrees to go with Lady Gwen to London for the season to keep a watch over her (due to the threat of her ex suitor) so he can talk to the war office to be reinstated. He has always loved Gwen from afar but believes he has nothing to offer. Gwen has always watched him and secretly wants him to notice her. They have to over come secrets and their pasts to be together in the end.
Great story and character developments.
Loved it!
A well paced story filled with mystery, intrigue and passion. Lady Gwyn Drake and Joshua Wolfe overcome the fears of their respective pasts and learn to trust and confide in each other.
Another one for my re-read shelf by one of my favorite authors. Anyone who loves a well-paced action filled story where the H/h really try to understand each other won’t be disappointed.
In this time I have time to wittle a bit of the tbr with this being on it too long but now enjoyed. Another one that takes you into the past with Lady Gwyn and Joshua in this grand romance. I have always found the coming out stuff entertaining but in this one it also holds a bit of danger. As that goes on we also get another layer that involves chemistry that builds. The times at times make you flabbergasted also but we get a good romance that takes us on adventure if only for a little while.
I do love a grumpy hero. Pair him with a heroine with a secret, witty banter, a family full of interesting characters and a murder mystery and I’m there! The second book in the Duke Dynasty series has me ready for more!
Good book. I’ve been looking forward to this story since seeing Gwyn and Joshua in the first book, Project Duchess. The sparks between them were evident even then and burst into full flame in this book.
The story opens as Gwyn attempts to deal with a past indiscretion that has come back to haunt her. Her confrontation with her blackmailer is interrupted by Joshua Wolfe, the estate gamekeeper. Believing that the man intends to kidnap Gwyn to gain her dowry, Gwyn’s brother, the Duke of Thornstock, hires Joshua to act as a bodyguard for Gwyn while she is in London.
At thirty years old, Gwyn is no longer a naïve young miss. Past experience has made her cynical about men, a feeling reinforced by the parade of fortune hunters she meets in London. She is spunky and not afraid to stand up for herself and go after what she wants. And what she wants turns out to be Joshua.
Joshua is a gruff, grumpy war hero, injured in the war against Napoleon. On half-pay from the Royal Marines, he is determined to get back on active duty. In the meantime, he works as the gamekeeper on Thornstock’s estate. He is attracted to Gwyn but believes that his injuries and the differences between them prevent a relationship.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Gwyn and Joshua. The sparks are there from the beginning, and I loved watching them build. One of the things I liked best about Gwyn was that she didn’t look down on Joshua for being the gamekeeper. He is the grandson of a duke and a war hero, and that is enough for her. She is also not put off by his injuries and is quite protective of him when she thinks he is being slighted. I liked how she saw the man beneath the grumpy exterior. I especially enjoyed her attempts to make him laugh and how good it made her feel when she succeeded. I loved Joshua’s protectiveness toward Gwyn, which goes far beyond his bodyguard duties. He senses from the start that there is more to the story with Captain Malet than Gwyn or Thorn has shared with him. It was fun to see Joshua thwart Gwyn’s attempts to get around him. I loved seeing them grow to trust each other and the boost that trust gave to the feelings that grew between them. I ached for Gwyn as her love for Joshua grew because she was afraid that if he knew everything about her past, he would reject her. The ending was great, as all the secrets were revealed and dealt with, and love conquered all.
The storyline with Captain Malet was excellent. His history with Gwyn created a lot of tension. There was Gwyn’s fear that he would expose their past, not just ruining her, but also affecting her entire family. This wasn’t his only run-in with Gwyn’s family, as he also made an appearance in Seduction on a Snowy Night, Heywood and Cass’s story. To complicate matters further, Joshua was also tasked with looking into Malet by the War Department. The final confrontation with Malet was intense. I loved how it worked out – Gwyn made me grin over what she did.
One of the best things about this series is the complexity of the family dynamics. One woman who has had three different husbands, all dukes. Five children by those three men, three of them now dukes in their own right. I loved the teasing and evident love among the family members and the way they support each other. The relationship between Gwyn and her brother has been strained, and we finally find out why. There are also ongoing questions and suspicions about the fathers’ deaths that seem to run across the series. Looking forward to how that will play out.
Thrilling, sexy, fun and engaging journey filled with interesting charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and exciting turns. Was a great read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this emotionally thrilling journey!
This is the second book in the series and I honestly was anxiously awaiting this book. Since I had read the first book, I liked Joshua and understood that this guy suffered however he did love his sister and would defend her honor again first book, since I liked and my heart went out to him I was happy that he got a story, and if you read the first one you knew it would have to do with Gwyn. I wasn’t crazy about Gwyn in the first book but after reading about her I ended up liking her and rooting for them both. I was happy to read of the secondary couples and will look forward to reading more of this convoluted family. We will have blackmail, lust, laughs and redemption..But we still need some questions answered.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author…(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
Loved it!!
Another 2 book series that was fun reading. Couldn’t wait to find out the ending.