The Bachelor drew me in from the beginning and didn’t let go easily. We met Gwyn and her twin brother, Thorn in the previous book, Project Duchess, and now they both get to shine a bit more, each in their own way in Gwyn’s story. Most of what you’d want to know before picking up this book can be found in the cover description. But that doesn’t really show the emotions going on between Gwyn and Joshua or the thoughts racing through their heads that need some direction.

On the surface Gwyn and Joshua seem to be total opposites in everything, personalities included. Yet, below the surface when you begin to see the real woman, the true man you’ll see past Gwyn’s so-called airheadedness to a mind that knows what she wants and will do anything she can to protect her family’s reputation – even at her own cost. Joshua may be the grandson of a duke but he’s more accustomed to the putdowns, the looks he’s received most of his life and certainly now that the war he fought so bravely in has left him with a lifetime injury that nothing is going to change, those attitudes of others has only increased. There is a strong attraction between these two, one that both will fight long and hard to not acknowledge or do anything about for way too long. But when they set aside those notions, the resistance to what they are feeling, well, nothing can stop them now… and no one should get in the way of their true, and hard-fought-for love.

I enjoyed returning to the world of The Bachelor very much. There is an underlying mystery, a thread delicately woven throughout these books that I cannot wait to see fully developed when we approach the end of the series. You’ll find intrigue, secrets, dastardly villains, laughter, sizzling chemistry, a strong love worth fighting for and two people who fit so well together if they’d just get over themselves and take the risk that loving someone will always involve.

(oh, I’ve seen this cover with a beautiful pink dress – I like that one better, but that’s me)

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Secrets often cause one problems and they always seem to find their way to the ears of others. Especially youthful indiscretions caused by a blackguard! Lady Gwyn Drake is being blackmailed by Lionel Malet, the man that she wanted to forget. But he is determined to obtain funds from her to keep his mouth shut. When she meets with him to ask for more time, he manhandles her and luckily their estate groundskeeper, Major Joshua Wolfe comes to her rescue. Gwyn has long been attracted to him but she does not want him to know what was going on with Malet.
Joshua is cousin to the current Duke and is doing his job until he can return to duty. He had been terribly wounded and still had problems with his leg but when Gwyn's brother the Duke of Thornstock requests he be her bodyguard while she is in London, he agrees. He wants answers though as to what is happening.
I loved these two and they were a perfect match. He, the wounded soul striving to get back to his work to feel useful I think. She a little wounded at what happened when she was young and trying to trust which was hard. Intrigue, humor secrets and an explosive attraction that will only make you sigh. Don't miss this story or anything written by this author. She is amazing!

The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries is another lovely addition to her Duke Dynesty series. I had eagerly awaited this book, as I found the hero to be intriguing throughout the previous book and I like the idea of the “guardian love interest” trope. All in all it was a satisfying book although o was a bit disappointed with the hero’s continued refusal to trust the heroine. His ongoing distrust and jealousy became tiresome. I thought we’d entered an era where the hero’s are expected to be more rational and trusting so this part I did not enjoy.

I read books by Jeffries before but none of them got me so confused as this one. Even though we get a family tree at the beginning this book is for me all over the place. This is my first book of this series and from the beginning, I didn’t know what to think.

First things first, if I got this right, the heroine’s mom married three times, once even with the hero’s father. So, she’s his stepsister but not blood-related. Hero’s sister is married to heroine’s stepbrother so again, they are relatives but not blood-related. See? I know there’s no incest but I just got so confused with all of them marrying each other and there were so many names that I just couldn’t follow along.

The hero is such a bae, really. I have nothing against Joshua. He has a lame leg because he was hurt in the war and thinks himself unworthy of Gwyn but does and says all those nice things to her…*sigh*

Gwyn, on the other hand, …for a girl such age she is so whiny and naive words can’t describe. She wants Joshua but lies to him from the beginning and when I had hoped she will tell him the truth about her past what did she do? Oh, she told him, alright, she just didn’t tell him all. They could’ve been a couple waaay sooner if they just communicated better.

There were just so many things that could have been improved. With all those relations, secrets and lying I just didn’t feel connected to the MCs. I didn’t feel any passion between them because other things needed my attention so their relationship really wasn’t anything special and wasn’t even in the spotlight.

3 stars.

Major Wolfe will surely make you howl at the moon!
******
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
******
Oh my goodness! I don’t think it’s possible for Sabrina Jeffries to write a bad book! I love them all!

This book is book 2 in the series and it just keeps getting better! Major Wolfe was the perfect, swoon worthy hero! Gwyn was a perfectly sassy, smart and stubborn heroine. The two together had chemistry off the chart and could cause an explosion! It was fantastic!

Both have baggage, secrets and trust issues. Each for reasons of their own, watching the secrets come out one by one allowed the character growth that truly drew me in! It’s 2 am and I had to stay up just to find out what would happen, what they were both scared of:

I’m not going to tell, no spoilers here. But what I will say is this book was amazing! I loved it!! Do I recommend? YES! A thousand times yes! Will I keep reading? Based on this ending....and the snippet of the next book...YES!!! If you love grumbly hero’s with hearts of gold, and heroines with intelligence and strength, READ THIS BOOK!

Sabrina Jeffries writes smart books, especially when she writes a short series. Too many writers just produce HR books that are just about the romance and sex. Not a problem for me, but I enjoy the smart stories better.
The The Bachelor is one of the smart books, filled with smart characters that usually make smart choices. But then there is always that someone who will make a true bonehead mistake.
I’m talking to you Lady Gwyn. What were you thinking? That you could outsmart the dashing Major Joshua Wolfe and your brothers The Duke of Thornstock and the Duke of Greycourt? Your other two half brothers are barely on-page, so they aren’t really a worry.
Major Wolfe is a Royal Marine on half-pay due to a serious injury. He is also the game-keeper on his cousin’s estate, Armitage Hall.
After Major Wolfe rescues Lady Gwyn from an ugly encounter, Lady Gwyn’s twin, The Duke of Thornstock asks Major Wolfe to be Lady Gwyn’s body-guard. Her upcoming debut in London and the social whirl that accompanies it would give a blackguard plenty of opportunity for harm.
There is a definite need for a bodyguard, as a seducer, and blackmailer from Lady Gwyn past has come back. Her bonehead mistake is lying to her twin Thorn and Major Wolfe. Thornstock’s bonehead mistake is also lying to Major Wolfe.
The intelligence is in how the story proceeds logically from there, with the characters behaving as they should, with not too many hare-brained actions. The romance is romantic; it is steamy but not seedy.
There is not an evil relative trying to prevent the romance from proceeding due to perceived class difference and/or terrible decisions of the past. The hero and heroine do all that themselves. (Aw come on Lady Gwyn, don’t be so hard on yourself and Major Wolfe, need I remind you that you are the grandson of a duke and a nephew of a duchess? Not to mention all of those cousins, half-cousins and courtesy cousins roaming around in your story)
A common enough trope, true; but in the The Bachelor it is handled with both sensitivity and humor. I mean how funny is it that the Major laces Lady Gwyn’s stays and buttons her dress as they have a knock down drag out argument?
Have I mentioned the Major Wolfe is rather a surly chap, who suffers from PTSD and his war injury presents true disability? The PTSD and disability prevent Major Wolfe from attaining one of his dreams, but open new pathways for him. See, smart writing.
There is also hints, as there was in the first book Project Duchess, of an on-going murder plot, with the entire family at risk. Just vague hints, but if true, a plot going back to the murder of the Duchess of Armitage's ducal husbands..
Thank you to NetGalley for and ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

Loved this Historical Romance by Sabrina Jefferies! I love how she brings her characters to life! Next book please!

The Bachelor by Sabrina JeffriesLady Gwyn Drake is the twin of a duke and the half-sister of two more (it's complicated) so, even at the ripe old age of thirty, she is considered a catch. So her family is taking her to London for the marriage mart even though she's not exactly excited about it. You see, she has a Secret Past. And while her twin knows part of it, he doesn't know everything. Too bad the Secret part of her Past is threatening to reveal the Super Secret part if Gwyn doesn't pay him off. She decides to threaten the man with a gun (that she doesn't know how to shoot) but ends up being saved by the brother of the woman marrying her twin (who is also her mother's third husband's nephew... it's still complicated).
Joshua Wolfe gives Gwyn all the feels and he feels the same. But he's "damaged" having been hurt in the war to the point that he has to walk with a cane and his injuries (and, tbh general disposition) make him super grumpy. He rescues her from the blackmailer and is asked to come to London to be Gwyn's bodyguard.
So forced proximity ensues as well as a touch continuation of the mystery from the first book (which you don't have to have read but it would make it a lot easier to understand what the heck is going on in this book.) Overall, an okay book with a lot of drama and misunderstandings. Gwyn was a little more "Woe is I" than I expected and the ending was a bit twee but I'm still excited to see the next book go on sale.

Three stars
This book came out February 25th
Follows Project Duchess
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Lady Gwyn has kept a youthful affair secret to protect her family’s reputation, but now her former suiter has returned and will to share her secret. Her twin brother hires Joshua to be her bodyguard for her debut. What will happen when sparks fly between them? Fast-paced historical read with plenty of drama and steamy chemistry. Entertaining historical read with plenty of twists and turns. I liked it.

Lady Gwyn Drake has had a secret for ten years. A secret that could ruin her as well as her family’s reputation. She had been seduced by Lionel Malet and then bought off by her twin brother Thorn. She has not forgiven him. Now Malet is blackmailing her for money for him not to tell her family or everyone what happened. Thorn has hired Joshua Wolfe as her bodyguard to protect her as she is also an heiress. It doesn’t take long for Joshua to figure out everything isn’t as it seems. A great story once again by Sabrina Jeffries that anyone that likes historical stories should enjoy reading. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I’ve been a fan of Sabrina Jeffries for quite a few years now and am always anxious to read her latest offerings. The Bachelor, #2 in the Duke Dynasty series is exactly what I was hoping for. I’d recommend reading Project Duchess, the first in the series before this book because that’s where many of the characters, including our hero and heroine, are introduced to us. Gwyn and Joshua seem to be made for each other. He is a dark tormented marine who was wounded terribly during his service. She is an older “debutante” who has been hiding a secret which has held her back from choosing a husband for many years. This past secret now threatens her in the form of a blackmailing scoundrel. Joshua is hired to be Gwyn’s bodyguard to protect her from the villainous Malet. I was totally engaged with this story. There was danger, mystery, and of course a charming (sometimes steamy!) love story thrown in the mix which made it hard to put down. I cannot wait for book #3!!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great entertaining story! Gwyn is a force to be reckoned with, she's knows her own mind and is willing to express it and she's no shrinking violet, wanting to learn to shoot...not exactly the role of a lady. When it's time for her debut into social, a little later than norm at thirty she has to handle a problem from her past. Major Wolfe is not ready for his newest assignment as bodyguard to such a spitfire. This book has it all, great banter, fun characters, sexual tension, blackmail, humor, wounded hero and high spirits, a really engaging story.

3.75 stars--THE BACHELOR is the second instalment in Sabrina Jeffries adult DUKE DYNASTY historical romance series focusing on the children of a thrice-widowed dowager Duchess, and her extended family of nieces and nephews, by marriage. This is thirty-year old Lady Gwyn Drake, and thirty-one year old, British Marine/gamekeeper Major Joshua Wolfe’s story line. THE BACHELOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gwyn and Joshua) THE BACHELOR follows the building relationship between thirty-year old Lady Gwyn Drake, and thirty-one year old, British Marine/gamekeeper Major Joshua Wolfe. Ten years earlier Gwyn’s brother Thorn paid off one of her suitors to protect his twin and the family estate. Fast forward to present day wherein said suitor has returned in an effort to blackmail our story line heroine who is reluctant to reveal the truth, to her brother, about what happened years before. Witnessing the back and forth between Gwyn and a man he didn’t know, Major Joshua Wolfe comes to Gwyn’s defense, only to find himself hired by Gwyn’s brother Thorn to protect our heroine from a possible abduction, a story Gwyn told her brother to hide the truth. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Gwyn and Joshua, and the potential fall-out as Gwyn’s blackmailer follows the family to London, to demand more than Gwyn is willing to pay.

Lady Gwyn Drake believes she is a tarnished spinster with no hopes of love on the horizon but discovering Major Joshua Wolfe has been hired to protect our story line heroine, Gwyn finds herself falling for a man to whom she has lied, time and again. Major Joshua Wolfe is damaged goods having been injured in a battle on the seas. Surviving on a partial pension from his Marine days, Joshua gladly accepts Thorn’s offer of a job, to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love. A cross-country trip to London to present Joshua’s sister as Grey’s duchess, and Gwyn’s presentation as a potential wife, are the perfect set-up to hide the truth as to Gwyn’s need for a personal bodyguard.

The relationship between is Gwyn and Joshua is one of immediate attraction but neither one is looking for any long-term commitments. Gwyn’s limited history with men, and her age, means her prospects of finding love are few and far between; and Joshua struggles in the face of his injuries, and the possibility that he may never be able to afford a wife. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Dowager Duchess Lydia Fletcher; Gwyn’s twin Marlow ‘Thorn’ Drake, and their half siblings Sheridan Wolfe, Heywood Wolfe; Fletcher Grey and his wife Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess #1). The requisite evil is Captain Lionel Malet- a man willing to sell anything for a price.

THE BACHELOR is a story of betrayal and vengeance; deceit and blackmail; romance, relationships, family and love. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are charismatic, feisty and energetic.

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/the-bachelor-duke-dynasty-2-by-sabrina-jeffries-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3161627803


AMAZON. COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R23U767W0LBWQZ/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3743996693


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_the_Reading_Cafe) posted

Ibooks (Sandy Sch) posted

I just finished reading The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries, which is the second book in her Duke Dynasty series. I am totally sold on this series and this book! Gwyn and Joshua, the two main characters, are both strong, stubborn, wounded people who don’t believe themselves worthy of each other… but they’re completely right for each other. And I loved seeing them come to recognize it.

The outcome of Gwyn’s youthful affair has left her emotionally scarred and at odds with her twin brother, for reasons that slowly become apparent. Joshua, wounded in battle, is also scarred, in his case physically as well as emotionally; I suspect he has PTSD. The grandson of a duke, he serves as gamekeeper on his cousin’s estate… but he’s no mere gamekeeper. When Gywn’s twin hires him to be her bodyguard after she is nearly kidnapped by the man who is blackmailing her (unbeknownst to Thorn or Joshua), the sparks begin to fly. Gwyn and Joshua are both strongly attracted to each other but are hiding that fact as well as other secrets. Joshua is fiercely protective, and not just because it’s his job; and Gwyn is trying to save herself and her family from ruin. They are bound to come into conflict, and neither is the type to back down from a confrontation. But both of them capable of empathy and understanding, and as they get to know each other better, and their secrets are revealed, they just might discover that they are perfectly suited… not just for marriage, but to heal and support each other.

I first discovered the series last fall, through a short novella in the anthology Seduction on a Snowy Night. The novella was charming, and it left me eager to read the rest of the series… so I bought and read Project Duchess, the first book in the series, which I also really enjoyed.

It can sometimes be a little tricky to keep track of who is who in this series about a family of siblings, half-siblings, and cousins. Especially when three of the half-brothers are dukes (their mother must have been a duke magnet!) who are referred to by either their title or their name/nickname. But it’s worth it for the sibling squabbles and the underlying familial love… and the very well-written romances. (And there’s a very handy family tree in the front of the book, which helps.)

There’s also an hint of an underlying mystery arc running through the series. Since I love mysteries, I’m eager to see how that thread develops over the next few books. We still have the dukes of Thornstock and Armitage to marry off, and (fingers crossed) possibly cousin Vanessa as well.

DNF at 54%.

I really liked the premise of this series about an oft-married woman whose male children have each inherited a Dukedom, the first book contained a murder which was not solved and I was looking forward to the murder forming an arc over the series.

This second novel concerns the woman's daughter, Lady Gwyn Drake. She has had some kind of youthful indiscretion(view spoiler) with Captain Lionel Malet and he is blackmailing her as a result. Malet is the sort of bounder who has previously attempted to kidnap a wealthy young woman and force her to marry him. Gwyn fabricated a story that Malet is following her when she and Malet were seen by the estate’s gamekeeper, Joshua Wolfe, to cover up the blackmail threat. Gwyn's brother Thorn then decides that Gwyn must be accompanied everywhere by either himself or Wolfe as protection. At this point I struggled to understand why Thorn wouldn't just warn Malet to stay away from his sister and therefore what merit there was in Gwyn keeping her "secret".

Anyway, Gwyn and Joshua have a secret attraction but she thinks he would reject her when he finds out her "secret" and he thinks that, as a wounded marine and an illegitimate son, he isn't good enough for her, yawn.

They go to London for Gwyn's debut, she is trying to see Malet to pay him off (because that always works, not!), Joshua is keeping an eye on Gwyn and also trying to get put back on active duty. There's a lot of kissing each other because they are angry, or to prove something, or to hide their faces from saboteurs.

I had some issues with the first book in this series and I'm afraid that they were also present here, unfortunately I didn't warm to either Gwyn or Joshua and therefore what led to a low rating for the first book just led me to give up on this book instead. What spoiled it for me was page, after page, after page of heavy petting and sexual encounters with little to no plot development. There seemed to be no furtherance of the murder from the previous book and I found it frankly inconceivable that a young society woman could have done something which could ruin her if anyone ever found out and then continues to behave inappropriately with another man eg fondling and kissing and assignations alone.

Anyway, I stopped and started this novel several times but it didn't engage me and I eventually decided to DNF at 54%.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the second in a series and I did not read the first. There are relationships involved that were confusing to me - a lot of steps and half-sibings - and I can only assume they were covered in the first one. I recommend reading in order, not as a standalone, unless you believe you can ignore that. The two main characters stand clear but their family relationships were confusing to me.

Gwyn has a history wtih a former soldier. When he tries to blackmail her, Joshua interrupts it, not knowing what is happening, just knowing Gwyn needs his help. Subsequently Joshua is hired to act as her body guard during her season in London. Of course there has always been attraction between them, with Gwyn finding Joshua to be surly and Joshua believing he is not good enough for Gwyn. In spite of being a Duke's grandson, he is also a former soldier living with disability from his injuries, and he has feelings of inferiority from that. Both characters are interesting and there is some good banter between them. The sexy times are on the page and steaming. Their relationship develops over the entire story, as Gwyn tries to keep her secrets hidden and Joshua discovers them.

I liked the arc of the story. I did like both characters and I wanted them to find their happy ever after. However I just didn't love it. It's a solid and safe story but it didn't grab me. I found some of the pacing and storyline to be a little jumpy.

**Edited - After several days, this one has stayed with me more than I thought it would initially.. I do love a prickly hero. Originally I'd have given this 3.5 stars (seriously we need 1/2 stars), but I'd bump it to 4. I still have some issues with the pace while reading, but if characters stay with you, that says something. Specifically the way that Joshua's PTSD is handled by Gwyn, has resonated with me. I like the small moments of caring and notice that Gwyn has for him. It both shows love being in the small things, and it allowed Joshua's character to be fully realized and not be only portrayed as disabled or only as always fighting against his injuries and PTSD.

CW: miscarriage, disability, PTSD

. Lady Gwyn Drake, half sister to the Duke of Greycourt, and twin sister of The Duke of Thornstock, who we first met in the first book of this Duke Dynasty series, is about to have her London come out at then advanced age of 30, together with the new Duchess of Greycourt, Bea. This has caused a furore in the society pages, because her mother has only recently been widowed again. Before she travels to London she receives a blackmail demand from a former beau, Captain Lionel Malet. They meet near the dower house, where her brother’s friend and gamekeeper and brother to Bea, Major Joshua Wolfe lives. When Gwyn is manhandled by Lionel, Joshua intervenes, and scares him off, Gwyn promises Lionel the money in London, and tries to convince the taciturn Major to keep this from her brother. He refuses, and as a result, he is appointed as her bodyguard for her debut. Gwyn is irresistibly attracted to Joshua, but he is brusque and uninterested... will he remain so when they are forced to spend so much time together in London? When Major Wolfe finally comes to London, he hopes to keep an eye on Gwyn, and also lobby the military top brass to be a full pay officer again. Gwyn chooses what she considers to be the lesser of the two evils, Major Wolfe as a bodyguard rather than her brother Thorn. Gwyn is still smarting from Thorn’s interference in her burgeoning relationship with Malet years ago.

Gwyn tries to disconcert and distract Joshua from her interactions with Malet, with some flirtatious teasing. He soon realises Gwyn is hiding something, and he is determined to find out what hold Mr Malet has on her.

In the meantime Joshua manages to get involved in a new mission for the war office. As he discovers how much Malet has taken from Gwyn, and while he works on his new mission, he is determined to protect her. He has his own demons to fight, feeling lost and self conscious about his injuries, and this colours his interactions with Gwyn.

As they learn more about each other, they are drawn to each other more and more, until they realise how they feel about each other. I really like a tortured hero, and that is exactly what I got, and I also liked the older heroine, with her own history, working through her own demons. The intrigue was also well done.

I would definite recommend reading the first book first as the relationships and background are a bit difficult to understand. I read the first book some time ago, and had forgotten some detail myself.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

II am always up for a good romance. Last year I read and quite enjoyed book one of The Duke Dynasty series, The Project Duchess. Grey and Beatrice made a great enemies to love match and so I was excited to read Gwyn and Joshua's story.
.
.
While I liked both main characters, and appreciated their back stories I just couldn't get into the flow of their tale like I did with The Project Duchess. The chemistry wasn't there for me and so the pacing of the book felt long. Due to this I found myself skimming a few sections because I wanted to find out what was happening but didn't overall feel very invested in the outcome.
.
.
As we know books speak differently to each person so while this
wasn't a match for me it may be for you. I will say I definitely will pick up the next in the series when it comes out as I did so like the fact first book.
.
.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington books for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries is the second book in her Duke Dynasty series. I do think you should read the first book in the series before reading this one, not so much because of the story but because you will find it helpful if you already understand the relationships between the supporting characters in this book. Joshua Wolfe was severely wounded in battle and spent a year recovering from a wound that nearly cost him his leg. Miserable and unhappy about being unable to continue his military career, he’s been acting as gamekeeper on the estate that formerly belonged to his uncle and now belongs to his cousin. He felt an instant attraction to Lady Gwyn Drake, whose mother is his aunt by marriage, although she is no relation to him (see what I mean about the relationships), but he feels that he is not good enough for her and that she deserves better. When Joshua interrupts Gwyn in an altercation with a former suitor who’d gotten the upper hand and taken her pistol, he rescues her, and when her brother the duke hears of the situation, he hires Joshua to act as Gywn’s bodyguard during the season. The story is opposites attract with the grumpy one being charmed by the sunny one, although Gwyn is not all sunshine as much as she takes every opportunity to make Joshua smile because she has a secret that she’s sure will end any chance of a relationship between them. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to the next book in the series. Medium Steam. Publishing date February 25, 2020. #NetGalley #TheBachelor #SabrinaJeffries #KensingtonBooks #HistoricalRomance #Bookstagram

The Bachelor is the second book in the Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries. If you haven't read the first book, will you be totally lost? Yes...and no. I didn't read the first one, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. However, I did feel a bit lost. I got very confused as to who was who, since the mother of our heroine herein was married three times, so there were multiple half siblings along with other relations to try to figure out. But it was well worth the time I spent, befuddled though I was!

Lady Gwyn Drake had a physical relationship with a man who turned out to be a reprobate when she was young; she didn't tell anyone in her family because she wanted to protect their reputations. So when said scoundrel shows up years later threatening Gwyn with blackmail, she's understandably upset. While she is being manhandled, Major Joshua Wolfe, her family's gamekeeper, comes to her rescue. When he escorts her home, she informs her brother the man was attempting to kidnap her for ransom. Her twin brother Thorn requests that Joshua accompany them to London for the season to act as Gwyn's bodyguard. When given the choice between being guarded by Thorn or Joshua, she chooses Joshua; she believes it will be easier to slip away from him to pay her blackmailer. Thus begins a fun flirtation on Gwyn's part and then a burgeoning romance between the two as danger approaches.

I absolutely loved Joshua, as he is my favorite type of hero. A damaged, gruff military man, he is lost since he was injured while serving his country in the Royal Marines. His leg was severely damaged and he was stuck with half-pay, unable to go back to his previous duties, but perhaps there was another way he could serve...He was very self-conscious about his injury and was afraid Gwyn would be turned off by the damage. He was a strong, stubborn and protective man. Gwen was quite the interesting heroine. She too was a stubborn one, a good match for Joshua. She was very attracted to him and teased him unmercifully. When the two finally gave into their attraction, the result was combustible. Their chemistry was off the charts. When the situation with Gwyn's blackmailer came to a head, there was much suspense and excitement. Besides Gwyn's relationship with Joshua, her connection with her twin Thorn was very complex and touching. Dive right into this fun story; just be sure to read the first book beforehand.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.