Megan Frampton has once again written a marvelous story filled with humor and romance. This is the third book in The Duke's Daughters series and it was just as wonderful as the previous two!
Lady Ida Howlett wishes she had the courage to be seen as more than just the talkative know-it-all she invariably turns into at social events when she gets nervous. Exhausted by having to attend balls only to watch people's eyes glaze over as soon as she opens her mouth, and by her mother's determination to marry her off to a gentleman whom she knows she'd be miserable with, Ida leaps at the chance to go find her runaway sister when evidence of her location comes to light. To this end, she steals a carriage and sets her course for the north of England, only to discover that she's not alone. Bennett, Lord Carson, the man who was meant to marry two of her sisters until they decided to marry his brother and best friend instead, is with her, and he refuses to let her travel alone.
Bennett is tired and frustrated by the responsibilities of his life and by his father's insistence he marry in order to obtain a large dowry. Especially since his father is the one to blame for the family's depletion of funds. Wishing he could escape from it all, just for a while, he decides to accompany Lady Ida on her adventure to find her sister and bring her home, even though he's never really thought much of the youngest Howlett daughter. In the past, his attention has been on her sisters whom he was courting, while Ida...she always struck him as far too talkative and opinionated - the sort of woman a man would not wish to get trapped with. But as their journey together progresses, he discovers another side to Ida - an amusing, intelligent and vulnerable side she never lets anyone see.
When the two discover their feelings for each other have evolved into something so powerful it cannot be denied, they must decide if they can risk taking a chance on a shared future. Because Ida is not the quiet and reserved Society lady Bennett needs and he won't be able to offer her the peaceful life in a remote cottage that she is convinced she wants.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was very entertaining, the dialogue and plot so engaging I found it impossible to put down. This is the sort of book where you simply have to know what happens next. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Megan Frampton knows how to keep the pages turning and this new installment in her Duke's Daughters series is no exception.
Lady Olivia is hopelessly in love with Lord Carson and she is convinced he loves her in return. So when she proposes to him and he turns her down, she doesn't quite know what to do, besides persevere. She concludes that all she has to do is to prove herself worthy and he'll come around. Which means she needs a project - some way in which to help Lord Carson - and what better way is there than to make a respectable gentleman out of his illegitimate best friend by getting said friend engaged to a lady? Tenacious and optimistic, Lady Olivia is certain she'll succeed, even if it will require resisting a man whose kisses are oh so tempting.
Edward Wolcott knows Society only tolerates him because of his father's wealth. He is keenly aware that he will never be 'one of them'. But when his ailing father asks him to find a bride and Lady Olivia offers to help him do so, he decides to go along with it. For his father's sake, of course. Not because he wants to spend more time with a woman as lovely and tempting as Lady Olivia. She is after all in love with his best friend and would never consider marrying a bastard, which becomes a bit of a problem with Edward must acknowledge that he's done what he never intended to do and fallen in love with the lady himself.
This was a fun read with an incredibly kind-hearted hero who's trying to find his place in a world he doesn't fit into, and a heroine whose tenacity prompts her to fight for what she believes in, including the right to marry the illegitimate man of her dreams.
An entertaining story about self-discovery and daring to live life to the fullest.
Lady Eleanor's marital fate is sealed. She will wed Lord Carson, a perfectly amicable gentleman with whom she can expect a comfortable life. The union will save her family's reputation while giving Lord Carson the fortune he needs. It's the perfect marriage of convenience, crafted by the parents. Until Lady Eleanor stumbles into a devil-may-care scoundrel during a visit to a book shop, responding to him and the wicked book he's buying, in a way she's never responded to any man before. Which leads to a tricky situation when she discovers that the man in question is in fact her intended's brother.
Lord Alexander Raybourn loves his brother and wants nothing more than to see him happy. A disappointment to their father, Alexander knows no one expects much of him, least of all after he gambled away a large chunk of the family fortune in an effort to fix his father's poor business decisions. So when his very busy brother tasks him with spending more time with Lady Eleanor in his stead, he agrees, even though he knows it's a terrible idea. Because there can be no denying his attraction toward her - an attraction that only grows by leaps and bounds when he also agrees to help her live a little before facing the dutiful state of matrimony looming before her.
This was a lovely story of two people torn between doing the 'right thing' and their own happiness. It's about taking a leap of faith, of risking it all for love and a chance at a better future than anyone could have predicted. Megan Frampton's writing is wonderfully witty and this new book in The Duke's Daughters series is definitely worth picking up.
Another lovely offering from Megan Frampton!
Perfectly groomed Isabella has accepted the fact that she is to marry the Duke of Gage. It will be a typical society wedding in which she will gain an impressive title while her husband to be will have his debts settled. Love isn't up for consideration since such a sentiment won't be playing a part in the negotiations. But then the unthinkable happens! It is discovered that the Duke of Gage isn't really the Duke of Gage at all but that the title belongs to someone else - a man so devastatingly handsome that Isabella can barely take her eyes off of him.
Nicholas is unprepared to be a duke. He's also unprepared to give up his bachelor ways and inherit another man's fiancée - which is what he must do if he's to save the dukedom he just inherited from ruin and protect the tenants who now rely on him. Plus, whatever would the queen say if she found out that he'd turned down his birthright? As he begins looking forward to his wedding night, however, Nicholas discovers that his bride to be is not at all eager to share his bed - in fact, she's terrified. Determined to make her want him, he chooses to pull back, rather than rush ahead, leading to a sensual seduction that leaves them both breathless with increasing frequency.
This was a wonderful story about a woman accustomed to a strict upbringing who finally breaks out of her shell and gains confidence through her husband's eagerness to discover who she really is beneath her perfect facade. It's a story of two people tossed together by circumstance and their growing appreciation and affection for each other as they face the ups and downs of high society. I found it to be extremely enjoyable and satisfying. A book that I would highly recommend!
