Lady Gwyn Drake made a grave mistake many years ago and she's still paying for it, literally. Gwyn's being blackmailed by the very man she once thought she'd marry. A little money seems like a small price to pay to keep her secrets, but when Gwyn doesn't readily have the funds to pay, he threatens to tell her secret. Thank goodness for the estate gamekeeper, Joshua Wolfe.

Joshua doesn't want to be attracted to Gwyn, but something about her draws him in. He willingly agrees to be her bodyguard in London during her debut. Joshua just hopes that while he's there, he can convince the War Office to put him back on full pay so he can go back to doing something useful. Leaving Gwyn will be easy then, right?

Sabrina Jeffries is and continues to be one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her plots are great, her characters relatable and complex, and her detailing is just incredible. Her books really come to life for me. THE BACHELOR is another phenomenal read. Can't wait to read Ms. Jeffries' next book.

The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries is the first book I've read by this author in some time, and I'm asking myself why.

Gwyn and Joshua were such a great couple. Growly, grumpy and a bit reclusive, Joshua is delicious. He's also struggling with physical and mental wounds from war. Gwyn is a fiesty and fierce heroine with her own secrets who can match Joshua's temper when necessary.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this historical romance as well, and I loved the rest of the family, especially at the end when we saw more of them together.

I'll definitely need to get back in the Sabrina Jeffries game.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I really enjoyed this story.
This is the second in a series, and I didn’t get a chance to read the first book. This is the story of Gwyn and Joshua. Gwyn is preparing to have her season, to meet eligible suitors. But she has secrets she doesn’t want anyone to know. Joshua is a war hero, wounded in battle, and unable to go back to war. And he feels no women would want him beyond his scars. They both feel the attraction to each other. But neither feels that they are good enough for the other. When Gwyn is in danger, Joshua is set to be her bodyguard.
This story was interesting right from the start. The characters are wonderfully written and Gwyn seems like a strong and resilient women. I was drawn into the story and did not want to put it down. After reading this, I need to go back and read the first book, the story of Beatrice and Greycourt. This seems like a series i definitely want to read more of. And I’d definitely recommend it.

Sabrina Jeffries’ Duke Dynasty continues as we get better acquainted with Lady Gwyn Drake, the Duke of Thornton’s twin sister…

Heiress Lady Gwyn Drake is keeping a secret from her family, one that has left her unmarried at the ripe age of 30. All is going well until her family decides its time to give her a London season… Just when she thinks that is enough of to contend with at the moment, one of her former suiters (and herbest kept secret) comes out of the woodwork intending to blackmail Lady Gwen!

In need of protection from her blackmailer, Lady Gwen’s brother enlists the handsome and illusive estate gamekeeper to stand in as her bodyguard. Joshua Wolfe may not be as whole as he was before he was placed on half-pay from the army, but he is still as observant and one hell of a crack shot. This could work to Lady Gwens benefit!

This is a fun continuation of the series> I really enjoyed the brooding hero Joshua and fun back and forth dialogue the characters have. I am definitely on board for the next instalment of the Duke Dynasty and recommend you catch up with The Bachelor before any more stories from this family drop!

The Bachelor by Sabrina Jeffries is scheduled to release February 25, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this first chapter from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheBachelor #SabrinaJeffries #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

3 stars

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one as much as Project Duchess. Right from the beginning, I could tell that this story wasn't connecting. I wasn't very interested in the blackmailer plot since I felt that Gwyn's family would have immediately helped her.

I couldn't drum up the interest in either plot or characters which is why it took me so long to finish. Disappointing after a fun first installment.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. The Bachelor is the second title in the series, but I think it could work as a stand-alone. Lady Gwen Drake is the only girl with 5 brothers, 3 of whom are dukes in their own right; her mother married and buried 3 husbands. Captain Malet who courted her years ago in Berlin re-enters her life and threatens to reveal details of their past unless she buys his silence. While attempting to frighten him away, she is caught by the dour Joshua Wolfe who scares off the Captain. Wounded fighting Napoleon, Joshua is determined to convince his superiors that he is fit for service despite a lingering leg wound.

Joshua and Gwen are both surprise when her twin brother proposes that Joshua accompany the family to London for the season to serve of Gwen's body guard to help protect her from Captain Malet. Reluctantly, Gwen agrees and the two are forced to spend time together and both realize that the other is hiding from love. Overall, I really liked Gwen and Joshua and found their relationship developed at a nice pace. The plot involving Joshua and his attempt to rejoin the military was nicely done and added to my enjoyment. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to learn more about the mystery surrounding the death of Gwen's step-father. Fans of Sabrina Jeffries won't be disappointed by this latest offering.

This is the 2nd book in the Duke Dynasty series. The series about a Duchess who marries 3 Dukes and has a son with each one and one daughter.
This story is about Gwen, the daughter and Joshua, a major and the brother of the heroine in the 1st book. You see a little bit of the attraction between them in the 1st book. So I couldn't wait for this story.
Gwen is being blackmailed by a scoundrel who seduced her and took her virginity when she was just 18. She tries to keep this a secret and handle it herself but when the scoundrel attempts to kidnap her, her brother Thorn, hires Joshua to be her bodyguard. The story progresses from here with various things happening to Gwen that Joshua has to protect her from.
Somewhere along the way, I felt the story lost its chemistry. I think because Gwen had already lost her virginity, there was nothing to stop them from jumping in to bed together. The storyline lacked the little things that built a relationship to that point. It felt rushed.
Overall I thought the story good. I enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more about her twin brother Thorn.
I want to thank Netgalley for allowing me review this book

This was a solid book. I definitely loved Gwyn more than I loved Joshua. He just didn't come across as well as I thought he would when in the first book. I am interested to see when the Duchess' story leads.

Oh! I LOVED this book. I loved Joshua and Gwyn in the first book and couldn’t wait to see their story. We learned of Joshua’s war injuries and how he’s still suffering and trying to come to grips with his limitations – and we also learned that there is more to Gwyn that one would believe. She has some deep secrets. Now, we get to learn what those secrets are in this wonderfully well-written, romantic, and well-plotted book.

In case you missed the first book, Project Duchess, – well – you shouldn’t miss the first book because it was wonderful – but if you did… This series is about a Duchess who was married three times – each time to a duke – and she has five children from those – meaning that three of her sons are dukes. While each of her children, Fletcher (Grey), twins – Marlowe (Thorn) and Gwyn, Sheridan, and Heywood, will get their own story, there is an overarching mystery regarding the entire family. At this point, it appears that the mystery concerns the mother, but that could easily change through the course of the series.

Joshua is the grandson of a duke, but his profligate father died leaving Joshua and his sister destitute. His grandfather paid for Joshua to have a commission in the Royal Marines – at the age of sixteen – which doesn’t speak too well of the grandfather (to me). Joshua loved the military and was very good at it – until he was horribly injured in a sea battle. Now, he works as a gamekeeper on the estate that had belonged to his grandfather. He’s grouchy, irascible, unhappy with his role in life, and inordinately attracted to Gwyn.

Lady Gwyn Drake, twin sister to Thorn, the Duke of Thornstock, has secrets – secrets that could impact her entire family. Those secrets are back to haunt her -- she’s being blackmailed. She can’t tell Thorn about it because he’d just go out and kill the man, so she just has to find the money to pay. At thirty, she had hoped the past was behind her, but she’d always worried about it – and now it is here.

When Joshua witnesses what he thinks is an attempt to kidnap Gwyn, he immediately rescues her, but the kidnapper gets away. What he actually witnessed was a meeting between Gwyn and her blackmailer. When Joshua tells Thorn about the ‘attempted kidnapping’, Thorn immediately hires Joshua to be Gwyn’s bodyguard during her upcoming debut season. Great, now how is she going to escape to pay her blackmailer?

Gwyn is attracted to Joshua and Joshua is attracted to Gwyn, so can you imagine what being thrown together constantly in London is going to do to them? Yep! You are absolutely right and it is a fun ride. Two troubled people, each with trust issues, fall for each other, but their path is neither clear nor smooth. I loved watching them work their way toward their HEA – not exactly fighting the attraction, but reluctantly accepting it – and then – well, you’ll just have to read the book.

I highly recommend this book. It is a great read with great characters you’ll quickly come to love. Now, I can hardly wait for the next book, Who Wants to Marry a Duke, which features Gwyn’s brother Thorn and Miss Olivia Norley who is a chemist. How cool is that?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The 2nd book in the Duke Dynasty series

I love Sabrina Jeffries’ books. The heroine in “The Bachelor” is Lady Gwyn Drake. She has a secret in her past that would cause a major scandal for her family if it became public. Joshua Wolfe, the estate’s gamekeeper is hired by her twin brother to keep her safe during her coming out in London because a former suitor tried to kidnap her. There is danger and shenanigans afoot.

Go buy this book and her other book in the series, They are all a fun read.

The second in Sabrina Jeffries' newest series, "The Bachelor" was a bit of a let down to me. Focusing on Lady Gwyn and Joshua, they dance around an attraction to each other, how far to trust each other with secrets and with what those secrets might reveal. Joshua is acting as Gwyn's bodyguard to protect her from being kidnapped by Lionel Malet, while Gwyn is trying to meet Malet under the mistaken assumption that a blackmailer will only want to be paid once. There wasn't much mystery or suspense involved, and even the relationship between Gwyn and Joshua seemed pretty standard. Joshua had a few good poetic moments and both of them had decent 'aha' moments when they realized they loved each other, but overall I didn't feel like "The Bachelor" lived up to Jeffries' usual sparkling wit and humor. Hopefully this was a bridge book to Gwyn's twin bother Thorn's book and that will be more entertaining.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Lady Gwyn Drake has a terrible secret that she has kept from everyone including her twin brother Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. Her former lover is threatening to reveal her secret if she does not pay him to keep quiet. Lady Gwyn must try to survive her first season as well as kept from being kidnapped by her former lover. Enter in Joshua Wolfe, the estate's gamekeeper whom Thorn has hired as Gwyn bodyguard. Joshua is a war hero that suffers from the scars of his past. These two characters fall hard for each other. The text radiates with their passion and heat. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I am giving a fair and honest voluntary review, in my own words for this ARC. A damaged war hero, a damaged lady who has reached the age of 30 without being presented a villain (or more) and Sabrina Jeffries as the author. It lives up to what you expect. Good book.

When Lady Gwyn is blackmailed by Captain Malet, a previous suitor, she intends to pay him off and have done with him. Unfortunately she does not have the funds immediately available and must ask for time. Time that Malet refuses to give.

Major Wolfe, seeing Gwyn meeting with Captain Malet sets off his alarms. He knows something’s afoot. Separating them, then bringing her meeting with Malet to the attention of her brother, he plans to have done with her but instead gets roped into being her chaperone. Definitely not what he wants to do but is in agreement as he intends to meet with the War Office to see if he can be re-instated.

But, the best plans go awry. Major Wolfe is denied reinstatement and instead is set out as a spy to collect information on Malet. His attraction to Gwyn also becomes stronger than ever. He knows he is not good enough for her but it does not stop him from wanting to be with her any less.

Captain Malet is not all he seems and Major Wolfe is set to find out who he is and what he truly wants.

Can Captain Wolfe and Lady Gwyn find love and a happily ever after amidst danger and lies?

From the very first chapters I was caught, hook, line and sinker. I couldn’t wait for more. The Bachelor is entertaining, passionate and sweet and has a little mystery and suspense peppered in.

Gwyn is smart, sassy and brave. She is a little more brazen then the times call for but is a wonderful and caring heroine none the less.

In the beginning, Joshua came off a little humbled and rigid. As the story progressed however, his passionate and caring nature shone through. What he feels he lacks due to his lameness is made up ten-fold with his passionate nature.

Joshua and Gwyn as a couple are on fire! Even when simply kissing. I could feel their kisses right down to my toes.

Lady Hornsby is outspoken and more than brazen. She brought color to this read while the family dynamics brought intimacy and caring.

I didn’t know where this story was headed when I started but it ended up being a great read. The characters are ones that you cannot help but feel for and love.

I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

<b>

Reading the first in this series made me really look forward to Gwyn and Joshuas' story. They had such fun chemistry, with Gwyn being the aggressor and Joshua being the shy one, that was a nice twist.

<b>👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍</b>

<u>Joshua</u>: I loved the surly, grumpy Joshua who was insecure about his bad leg. He was a very likable and relatable hero, and quite original as compared to other HR male protagonists.

<u>Gwyn</u>: Gwyn was not my favourite character in the first book. I felt like she was a bit of an airhead. So I really liked seeing a deeper more vulnerable side of her in this book.

<u>Thorn and Gwyn</u>: These twins have the sweetest, most disturbed relationship that ultimately is all about love for one another!

<b>👎 WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 👎</b>

<u>That something more</u>: Honestly, this was a perfectly fine historical romance book - it had a sweet, lovable couple, a lot of chemistry, some originality as well. However, I lacked that certain something more, that deeper 'meaning' that would have made me love it instead of just liking it.

As always, Sabrina Jeffries has woven a well written story with interesting and flavorful characters. This book is a good addition to the Duke Dynasty series. I enjoyed it very much. The story of The Bachelor was good, I really enjoyed the characters of Gwyn and Joshua, much more than I thought I would. I think Ms. Jeffries did a good job with them, and I adored the early parts with Joshua as Gwyn's bodyguard. I just wish the love/attraction between them was more obvious. I didn't really feel their attraction, one moment they were talking, the next they couldn't keep their hands of eacother and I didn't know why or how that happened. There was no build up to it. Maybe because the build up to their relationship/love started in the previous book of the series and it's been a while since I read it. It felt like Ms. Jeffries just breezed over it. I appreciated the maturity of the couple though and found both of them learned from their mistakes and were willing to admit it and fix things. I really liked that.
It can almost be tedious wading through all of the historical romance titles to hopefully find one with a little originality and depth. The Bachelor is one of the rare finds. And on top of that, Ms. Jeffries' writing is so beautiful and gripping, she draws me into the story from the very first page and hooks me until the end. Everything that would annoy me in other novels, secret keeping/too much suspense, is irrelevant, Jeffries can write anything she wants and I'm sucked in and loving every minute. All in all, this book is a romance worth reading.

Five amazing wounded and healed stars!!! With a gruff, grumpy hero, a feisty heroine, drama and danger...this book had it all!

When Gwyn’s past rises up to threaten her, Joshua steps in to help out. He soon finds himself in her brother’s employ as her bodyguard, a position Gwyn is not happy about for a few reasons. But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that their preconceived notions about the other was not completely accurate. They each have a past filled with pain and uncertainty that has left it’s mark on their hearts and souls.


’Like the torn ligatures and muscles in Joshua’s leg that still ached after five years, he wound was hidden…’


Oh man, I absolutely adored Gwyn! She said what she thought without a moment’s hesitation but was still sweet and caring. Once riled up, she really let it fly, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the way she stood up to Joshua.

Joshua was exactly how I like my heroes. He rarely smiled, was often curt, and just wanted to be alone. Gwyn, however, was able to reach deep inside of him and watching him slowly rise up from the ashes of his previous pain and suffering was wonderful. His main priority was protecting her, even when she was determined to waylay him at times. She certainly kept him on his toes.


’She was holding his hand. She was complaining about her suitors. He liked both things better than he should, especially after an evening of being forced to watch her dance with every fool in creation. Of fighting to keep his jealousy under control when all he wanted was to punch her partners in the face.’


I loved watching this couple together! Their banter was quick and smart, their chemistry creating a tension that is felt throughout the book. And when they finally yielded, holy heck! I’m surprised my kindle didn’t go up in flames.

This plot has several layers to it and I was completely engrossed as each one was revealed. With just enough drama and danger, interspersed with the romance, I found myself turning the pages as quickly as possible. The angst is what I would consider mild as both Joshua and Gwyn have a lot of fears, distrust, and uncertainties to deal with but without consuming the story. While they totally clicked together, theirs is not an easy happy ever to obtain. Watching them get there was pure perfection.

*Review of eARC from NetGalley*

Another fun and intriguing romance from one of my favorite authors! One thing that I love about Sabrina Jeffries’s books is how the overarching plot of the main series works its way into each individual story. I feel like I’m reading one of those classic serialized novels from years and years ago. For example, the mystery of what Lionel Malet is up to is just as important as the love story between Joshua and Gwyn.

Speaking of the hero and heroine of this book, Joshua and Gwyn are both excellent characters on their own and together. They both have their secrets in the beginning, but those secrets slowly get revealed as the story progresses. And those secrets never veer into the realm of “Stupidly Obnoxious,” as sometimes happens with such plots. Just when I’m about to get tired of the main characters avoiding their pasts, one of them explains another detail. So I don’t get annoyed with the constant secrecy. It’s a good balance between revealing backstory and keeping enough back so that I stay interested.

A solid second entry in the Duke Dynasty series and I am excited to read the next one!

A ten-year-old secret, blackmail, kidnapping threat, grumpy wounded war hero, and debut in society make for a fun read. Lady Gwyn is desperate to pay her blackmailer to hide her secret from her family and society. Her brother Thorn hires Joshua as her bodyguard to protect her in London during her debut. The villain in this book is not connected to the previous book in the series. The fact that the half-brothers think their fathers were murdered was barely mentioned until the end. (the mystery from the first book). Another strange thing was the casual mention that their brother Heywood was newly married to a woman whom the villain attempted to kidnap along with her cousin. No other explanation given. I enjoyed the book but was expecting more development in the mystery from book one.

I just discovered this series, but I can see why Sabrina Jeffries is a New York Times bestselling author.