A USA Today Bestseller and RITA® Finalist, The Demon Duke is the first in Margaret Locke’s new Put Up Your Dukes Regency historical romance series.______________________________________________________________________ “Locke has outdone herself with this sensitive, splendid Regency and her portrayal of its disabled hero. Damon Blackbourne has a little-known, completely misunderstood neurological … Blackbourne has a little-known, completely misunderstood neurological disorder (now known as Tourette syndrome) that causes involuntary, uncontrollable nervous muscle twitches.
The real value to this romance is Locke’s depiction of the lovers overcoming the social obstacles that others create out of fear and suspicion of Damon’s disability. This tale of hope and courage will appeal to Regency readers across the board.” – Publisher’s Weekly starred review, March 2, 2018
“Regency romance lovers will savor this story, interspersed with perfect amounts of romance, intrigue and redemption.” – InD’Tale Magazine, October 2017
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A man tormented by a painful secret meets the bookish miss who just might save him from himself…
Behind every good man is a great secret.
Banished to Yorkshire as a boy for faults his father failed to beat out of him, Damon Blackbourne has no use for English society and had vowed never to return to his family’s estate at Thorne Hill, much less London. However, when his father and brother die in a freak carriage accident, Damon must take up the mantle of the Malford dukedom and chaperone his sisters through the London Season–his worst nightmare come to life.
He never planned on Lady Grace Mattersley. She stirs him body and soul–until she stumbles across his dark secret.
Bookish Grace much prefers solitude and reading to social just-about-anything. Her family may be pressuring her to find a husband, but she has other plans, such as writing a novel of her own. She has no idea, however, how to deal with the all-too-alluring Duke of Malford.
Will she betray him to the world? Or will she be his saving Grace?
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If you love “beauty and the beast” stories, you’ll love The Demon Duke…
“Margaret Locke’s fourth book, The Demon Duke, puts her squarely in the senior ranks of Regency romance novelists. The balls, the social interactions, the rigidity of Regency society’s arcane rules, all come to life in a charming way. And, of course, there are a number of happily ever afters. An excellent read, and I can’t wait to see what adventures await the panoply of engaging characters.” – P. A. Duncan, author of A War of Deception
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Length: 278 pages
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The author gives a realistic, intelligent, and sympathetic portrayal of how Tourette’s Syndrome would have been viewed in Regency times. Bonus points for the scene in which Jane Austen has encouraging words for an aspiring author.
Oh my goodness!
Margaret ! Thank you for this book…
It touched me in so many ways. I cried for Damon! I cheered him on and encouraged him to succeed..Grace was such a pleasure as her life entwined with Damon’s.
As a gram of a special needs child I totally loved this book..and like Damon and Grace , your son and my grandson will find their HEA .
I can’t express what this book meant to whike I read it ..so many similarities..so many ” I can do this ” moments , lots of self doubt , and unfortunately self loathing BUT with love and patience and anything and everything can be attained. This book has just now become my favorite..and I’m looking forward to the rest of your books
Heartfelt and deeply emotional. Great characters that are charming and witty. Splendid plot line. Sensuous. Very detailed and descriptive. Excellent!!
I have heard many great things about this book and let me tell you…
They’re all true.
Grace is a well-developed heroine who I identified with on many levels. And Damon, well…
He can be my demon any day.
This is an original and touching story about a man shunned for being different. Cast out and left feeling unworthy of love and acceptance. Until he meets a woman who is not intimidated by his differences or his blustering.
You should read this book. Like, right now.
Why are you still here?
The Demon Duke was a very touching story, focusing on the life of a Duke who had what is now known as Tourette’s syndrome. Reviled and banished as a child by his father, Damon ascends to the title after the death of both his father and older brother. As Damon acclimates himself to his new title, society, and their expectations, he meets Lady Grace Mattersley one evening. She accidentally witnesses his secret when she escapes to the library for some moments by herself.
For the most part, I like the story that Margaret Locke has woven as it has mystery, secrets held, reprehensible characters, and a growing romance between two likable characters with a little steam added in. I had a problem though with some of the phrasings, almost a little too modern. Despite that, the romance between Damon and Grace was meant to be, as from the moment Grace observed Damon’s secret, she accepted him just as he was.
Excellent story, great characters. Really loved this book.
The Demon Duke by Margaret Locke
This is the first book I’ve read by Margaret Locke. I read the description on a Facebook ad and knew this was a book I had to read. I love characters that are different. Anyone can love the rich and beautiful but who will love someone who is less than perfect. Since I’ve yet to meet any of those perfect people, I’m interested in seeing how heroes and heroines can compliment each other. How one’s strength overcomes another’s weakness.
The Demon Duke is the first book in Margaret Locke’s Put Up Your Dukes series.
Banished from his family home because of his tics and outbursts, Damon Blackbourne has lived most of his life out of society’s view. His father proclaimed him dead but failed to disinherit him. When both his father and older brother die in a carriage accident, Daman is summoned home to become the Duke of Malford.
Despite his father’s claim that he is possessed by the devil, Damon is a man of honor. He returns to Thorne Hill to care for his mother and sisters though he’d much prefer to remain in the wilds of Yorkshire away from prying eyes.
There’s someone for everyone.
Damon never planned to fall in love, he didn’t believe in love. His lack of control over his body and thoughts made him feel no one would ever accept him even with the lofty title of duke. He wouldn’t marry, and he definitely wouldn’t court a lady. Yet, when he met Lady Grace Mattersley in a library during a ball after his uncle left him straining to control his body, he found he did want those things, and more. Could he have found the one person who wouldn’t judge him for his weakness?
Lady Grace Mattersley never planned to marry or fall in love. She’d seen her mother hurt by her father, time and again. Loving someone did not guarantee they’d love you back. For a woman, marriage was a prison unless there was love and understanding. But who would love a mouse who preferred books to parties? A duke who wasn’t comfortable in large crowds?
A mouse tames a lion.
This story is about amazing characters who find each other. I love the strength of each of these characters and how they rescue each other. If you want a love story that is a little different, with characters you’ll love, you need to check out, The Demon Duke.
Part of the proceeds from the sale of this book goes to the Tourette Association of America.
A fun read. I like the wonderful, handsome hero to a a bit of a flaw and the heroine to come to the rescue. It had everything to keep you reading, romance, sadness, happiness, surprise. I liked this book.
It was the first time I have read that a hero was less than perfect. He had a condition that was unknown then but now explainable. I liked the strong and accepting character of the woman. It was a little different but still had a happy ending for which we read these books!
I have just found this author and love her characters. They are so well written. I am going back to read everything she wrote before.
Learning about how someone with Tourette’s was treated in History was enlightening, to say the least. The characters were wonderful..
Short review. Sweet, touching, wonderful, enlightening story that at times will have you reaching for some tissue. I like the ‘Beauty & the Beast theme that was woven throughout the book and how the difficult subject matter was handled.
This is the first book that I have read by Margaret Lpcke, and it is totally the best book I’ve read that had me so into the story. In the era that this takes there has been no records of how people who had Torettes, or any type of body actions and tics that weren’t considered as the Duke was, that he was inflicted with the “devil”. That he wasn’t human.
To show how no matter your disposition, your health, or your position in society you can and will have love.
Margaret Locke has written a story close to her heart that will bring years of sadness, of frustration, of defeat, of totally fighting for what you want…love and acceptance in Damon and Grace’s story.
Margaret has brought me to understand Torette’s a little bit more than I knew, but she also brought me to love her books too, Grace and Damon are a couple of characters that will be in my heart forever and maybe Margaret might write about their children one day.
This is a wonderful book and now onto reading more by Margaret Locke…
This book was EVERYTHING—emotional, sweet, heartbreaking, healing.
I love these books, especially after I have read something deep or a procedural. Who doesn’t like a happy ending?
Damon Blackbourne, Duke of Malford has his share of problems including his illness. Sent off to live in an Abbey at age of 10 years to fend for himself until adulthood was painful. After the deaths of his abusive father and cowardly brother, he becomes Duke and has a history of being labeled the “Demon Duke” by the ton.
He meets his soul mate Grace Mattersley who lives in her own little fairytale book work. She is not phased by his tics and grows to care for the person inside and not the outer monster people paint him to be. Both H/H grow fond of each other through the banter they give one another.
Despite the frequency of backstories, the novel was an enjoyable read and I found myself turning page for page. I disregarded to some extent that this was a HR read and felt compassion for those that were less fortunate, including Damon.
I liked this book. It was different in that the main character suffered from Tourette’s. Some of it was a little too sweet for me but overall I thought it was good.
Great Premise
I loved Damon and Grace’s first meeting, how surprised he was that she wasn’t even slightly affected by his condition. Damon had been isolated so long he was confused by Grace’s easy acceptance of him. It is a sweet and sometimes exciting story where love and redemption prevails.
In this well written “Beauty and the Beast” romance, the author highlights the redeeming power of love as well as the torture experienced by sufferers of little-known conditions in the Regency era. Regrettably, society may well be more educated today, but sufferers still get bullied and made to feel less than perfect, driving them to extreme measures. When Grace sees Damon at his worst, he is amazed to realise that rather than repulsing her, she is kind and compassionate. Grace and Damon have so much in common that they keep meeting at places of mutual interest, thereby drawing them closer together and into an undeniable attraction. The fly in the ointment is Grace’s mother, who is appalled by the developing friendship due to Damon’s unsavory reputation. It is only when Damon’s past and present clash and Grace becomes a victim, that Damon comes to understand just how important she is to him. I love the main characters in this book, the attraction between them and the way in which they broke through the restraints placed on them to find each other. This book is part of a series but it is nevertheless a standalone and has a delightfully happy ending. I found it easy to read and the storyline carried me through from one chapter to the next, making it impossible to put the book down. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A great romance with witty, intelligent characters and a story you can get behind.