I adored this book. I really liked the heroine Gwyn but loved Joshua the hero. Great story!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love everything this author writes. Here the plot does not disappoint. Main heroes are lovable. Espionage. Romance. You got it all in this wonderful book!

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

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.

A compelling romance with plenty of intrigue and espionage, with two characters who are reluctantly attracted to one another. An enjoyable read!

The Bachelor is the second book in Jeffries’ Duke Dynasty and follows Lady Gwyn Drake and her bodyguard Major Joshua Wolfe. Wolfe is recruited by her brother to protect Lady Gwyn after a sleazeball from her past manhandles her and threatens to reveal her secrets. Wolfe is to accompany Gwyn to London for her debut, but he doesn’t know Gwyn’s got more secrets to come! Flirtation and sexy times ensue.

This story has it all: a surly hero with PTSD, a big family with complicated relationships, secrets, blackmail, an older heroine (unwed in her 30s! 🤭) and a hint at an underlying story arc that’s sure to be revealed throughout the series.

It was a quick, distracting read and I’m glad it really picked up in the second half. I haven’t read any other books in this series, but I will definitely read more because this family seems like some fun drama and I’m here for it.
Thanks to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Duke Dynasty series. This is not a stand alone book but if you haven't read the first book you can jump right into this one with out feeling lost. The story centers around
Lady Gwyn who is being blackmailed by an old fling. Her brother the Duke asks his cousin, Joshua to be her bodyguard. Sparks fly between Lady Gwyn and Joshua.
Thank you for the ARC. This was my honest review.

The Bachelor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Sabrina Jeffries

When Lady Gwyn Drake finds herself in a position of blackmail she is beside herself. She has long protect her family from knowledge of an affair she had in her youth. Now, the disreputable Captain Lionel Malet is coming forward threatening to tell all about the interlude years ago.

Her twin brother Thorn hires the gamekeeper to protect Gwyn. This is where the predictably comes in. They try to fight there attraction to each other, although Joshua Wolfe her bodyguard is quite the grouch. It becomes inevitable.

This was a sweet romance but predictable.

Another well developed continuation in the Duke Dynasty series. Heiress Lady Gwyn Drake is in danger, and only she knows the true reason. Her twin, the Duke of Thornstock, hires Joshua Wolfe to keep her safe from her former suitor but Joshua knows there is more to the story and is determined to find out the truth.

The truth is that Gwyn is drawn to the grumpy, calls it as he sees it, injured former military hero but feels she is not for the likes of Joshua due to her past. Joshua at the same time cannot fathom what he could offer the woman of his dreams.

While I appreciate lower levels of angst, the major secrets that each character was keeping from the other did not rise to a shocking level. Gwyn's revealed her niavety and Joshua's, his insecurity. There was minimal drama to their story, which could have used just a tad bit more.

Still an enjoyable read, as always, from this author.

Sabrina Jeffries is an autobuy for me. Rarely am I disappointed. This book was no exception. Engaging heroine and hero. Revisit characters from first book in series. Can be read as a stand alone, but recommend reading whole series.

The Bachelor (Duke Dynasty #2). By Sabrina Jeffries. 2020. Zebra Books (ARC eBook).

Jefferies’ lively bunch of step-siblings are back and this time it is Lady Gwyn Drake’s turn at finding love. Days away from her long-delayed debut, Gwyn is approached at the Armitage estate by a former suitor who blackmails her over a past affair she has kept hidden. When the meeting turns threatening and Joshua Wolfe, the family’s gamekeeper, intervenes, Gwen’s twin brother, Thorn, asks Joshua to travel with Gwen to London and act as her bodyguard during her debut season. And from there Jefferies delivers a charming romance with a bit of scandal and sabotage.

In The Duchess Project, there was the beginnings of Joshua and Gwen’s interest in each other. And as elusive and temperamental as Joshua proved to be, Gwen was as equally stubborn and provoking, so I was looking forward to their book. And in The Bachelor, Jeffries is deft at transitioning sweet and playful moments into steamy ones between the two.

DISCLAIMER: The book is given by NetGalley, the author and the publisher in exchange of an honest review. All the review written is not related to any personal issues or connection.

The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries tells about Lady Gwyn Drake. She holds a secret none knows even her own family. One day, her blackmailer-a man whom she has ever had an affair tries to threat her with that secret. Joshua Wolfe later appears and becomes her knight in shinning armour. He realises that Gwyn needs a protector. Gwyn's brother finally makes a certain arrangement to protect Gwyn- with the help of Joshua Wolfe of course. As Gwyn and Joshua spend some time together, they start feeling the little sparks between them. Yet what about her secret? will Joshua accept her after he knows the secret?

Full review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2020/03/17/the-bachelor-by-sabrina-jeffries/

3.5 Stars

When I read the first book in this series, I fell in love with the lively Lady Gwyn.  She's been getting ready for her London season and she's getting up there in age so she has to land a proposal. But before heading off, an old suitor comes back to threaten and blackmail her.  So her brother decides to send their estate's game keeper and ex-soldier with her as her bodyguard.  But things are not as simple as they all suspect and she's got plans and secrets of her own.

I'm always a sucker for a historical romance with a class disparity.  Due to the hero also having an injury from his time at war, he walks with a cane and has plenty of scars.  That doesn't detract him from wanting to fulfill some mission in his life. That might've been my favorite part about this story.  Joshua isn't a flashy alpha hero, but he's got a lot of heart and determination.  He doesn't let his shortcomings stop him from wanting and achieving more in his life.  That goes for both getting the girl and also with his career.

This was a fun read, even if maybe a little less memorable than the first book in the series.  However, I'm still looking forward to reading more from this series and author.

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.

We’ve seen the writing in the wall for these two for awhile now and yet, getting to watch them wrestle with their insecurities and fall in love is still so rewarding. I loved this read and highly recommend it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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!

The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries is book two in her Duke Dynasty series. Though part of a series, this novel reads well as a standalone.

Lady Gwyn Drake is a 30-yr-old spinster being presented at the royal court in London. She thinks fast on her feet and can talk her way around and/or out of a bad situation, skills she needs to protect her secrets. A shady character from her past is putting Gwyn in danger, so her brother hires Joshua Wolfe to protect her.

Joshua Wolfe is a major in the Royal Marines and the temporary gamekeeper at Armitage Hall, Gwyn’s current home. He’s grumpy and standoffish, but takes the job watching Gwyn out of a sense of duty, though he has secrets of his own to protect.

The Bachelor has a sound premise and plot. It grabs and keeps the reader’s attention. The characterization is strong with believable and likable characters. Overall the dialogue is witty and smart with interesting internal character dialogue. This is a 5 out of 5 star read. There is some explicit sexual content, but if you’re not sensitive I still recommend this novel to readers of contemporary romance.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

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.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of those authors whose books I really enjoy. I follow her on social media and pretty much buy all her books or request an ARC. I like the new Duke Dynasty series and enjoyed the first book Project Duchess and was excited to read the Bachelor. I read some criticism that this particular book was not directly about a duke and not true to the Duke Dynasty idea, but Lady Gwyn is the daughter of a duke and as we all know women did not have equal opportunity back then. I feel that this story balances the story of women through fiction and allows for the opportunity to imagine what things could have been like if women had more equality and opportunity in the past. So, I like that!
I would agree that the family tree in this series is quite complicated and those relationships come up in the story, but it does not distract the reader from the story. I don’t feel like I have to understand the complexity of all the ties to enjoy the story. For those readers really into genealogy, the family tree is all worked out at the beginning of the book.

Major Joshua Wolfe is our male protagonist and I loved his character. He was definitely not perfect and not particularly sociable, but I think that would be expected of a soldier who was injured in a battle. Wolfe is a second son and he wasn’t set in inherit much of anything, he chose a life in the military. When we meet him in the story, he is working as a gamekeeper on the Duke of Thornstock’s property and recovering from war. He comes to Gwyn’s rescue at the beginning of the story. As Wolfe marches Gwyn back to her brother’s, she tries to poke through his defenses and it’s charming. He doesn’t give in, but he does show a little bit of vulnerability. I think it sets the tone of their relationship through the rest of the book.

Lady Gwyn is being blackmailed in this story. She does not want her twin brother to find out and she certainly does not want Major Wolfe to find out. She tries to sneak around, but her brother has a bit of an alpha personality and knows that something is up with his sister and he wants to protect her. He asks Wolfe to escort her to the city and stay with her during her outings and balls. He is reluctant because his attraction to her is not appropriate, but he also has his reasons for wanting to go to London. So he goes and fear not, dear reader, things get rather interesting. The author writes a sexy archery scene that leads to more hot and steamy interludes. I love the seduction, the mystery, the unlikely chemistry between the two main characters and the happily ever after. If you are looking for a historical escape, this book is for you.

This one was only okay for me. I have not read the previous books in the series, so I honestly felt a bit lost, even 50% through on who our hero and heroine were to each other. I also felt like there was a bit of tension missing between the hero and heroine. I did feel they had some chemistry, especially their first kiss, but not enough for how suddenly the first groping happened and stuff. It was well written, but just didn't do it for me.