Love, Honor, and Duty

Patrick vowed to protect the duke. In fact, his entire family was dedicated to protecting the duke and his household. Then Gwendolyn Alexander walked into Patrick’s world. She captured his heart in an instant, but did that mean that he would shirk his duty? Did it mean that he would be distracted? The duke might have thought it was the case. All the sudden he was cross with Patrick, with no explanation. However, the duke’s twins were in danger, and the villain was determined to kidnap them. Everyone must work together to defeat this enemy. How will the drama play out in the end? There is romance, suspense, and mystery in this story. As in any good tale, there are heroes and villains. We first met Patrick as well as the duke and his duchess in “Mending the Duke’s Pride.” You don’t need to read that story to appreciate this one, but if you want to know Jared and Persephone’s story, you will find it between those pages.

Patrick O'Malley is sworn to protect the Duke of Wyndmere and his family and is known as The Duke's Sword.
There is a kidnapping threat to the Duke's twin children, when the new nanny, Mrs. Gwendolyn Alexander.
The feelings they arouse in each other will interfere with the fulfillment of their respective roles of protecting and caring for babies.
A story with interesting secondary characters, a romance story permeated with moments of action.

3.5 stars

My first experience with this author was with Rescued by the Lyon, and I really enjoyed that book, so I was excited to give this a try. I was not disappointed! This is the first of a new series, The Duke's Guard, and it is off to a wonderful start! The story is filled with mystery and intrigue and held my interest all the way through. Patrick and Gwendolyn meet when the Duke of Wyndmere is looking for a nanny for his twins and Gwendolyn applies for the position. She is a widow and has made quite a reputation for herself as a nanny. Both Gwendolyn and Patrick have an instant attraction to each other. They both find themselves in the position of protecting the Duke's babies and work together to keep them from harm, all the while growing closer to each other. They both had wonderful chemistry and along with the mystery and romance, there was witty dialogue and humor that kept me turning the pages. A very entertaining and enjoyable first installment! I am looking forward to following the rest of the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I loved this story and thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it. The Dyke isn't the love interest in this story the man who is his personnel guard and head of his guards is the sword. The Nanny that comes to take care of the Duke's twin babies. The babies seem to know what they want for a nanny and Gwendolyn is a widow who lost a baby of her own. There is a threat against the Duke's family which he loves very much. Patrick was taken with Gwen right away and though he is devoted to the duke and family he tells Gwen he must have the Duke's interest first. She doesn't think she can marry again but he can change her mind.

The Duke’s Sword by C.H. Admirand is the first book in the Duke’s Guard series. Widowed Gwendolyn Alexander is one of the most sought after governesses. The Duke of Wyndmere hires her on to care for his twin babies. Patrick O’Malley is head of the Duke’s personal guard. When he first sees Gwendolyn, he is captivated by her. Gwendolyn is also instantly drawn to him. The twins are under threat of kidnapping, so Patrick and Gwendolyn must join forces to protect the babies. They also must contend with desire.

I liked the mix of romance and intrigue in this one. The way Patrick and Gwendolyn were together when it came to the babies was great.

Love at first sight! Both as a reader and for our main couple. Admirand writes strong characters full of strength and value. Patrick O’Malley lives to serve and protect, but the moment he lays eyes on Gwendolyn Alexander he is lost. And she is equally shook. Having lost the love of her life, she never expected to care again. She blocked of her heart, fearful of growing attached to anyone. These two characters both possess an over abundance of stubbornness and refuse to shirk their duties or be distracted. The pull of love has different ideas in mind. The tension of the kidnap attempts on the Duke & Duchess’s twins has them working together, as they will do whatever it takes to protect this family. I loved Gwendolyn’s fire and strength, she is no push over. Also, Patrick’s determination and single mindedness. They both share so many characteristics that compliment each other and make them the perfect match. Of course, the Duke and Duchess are an equally strong couple. Their love for each other smoothed the for Patrick and Gwendolyn to come together. All in all, the entire household, prove to be a family of unmatched kindness and love. Each character brought something monumental to the story. Beautifully written and engaging.

The Duke’s Sword by C H Amirand is the story of one of the men the Duke of Wyndmere has chosen to protect his family. There were people out there who represented a threat, mostly based on the actions of his dead older brother, but a threat none-the-less. Patrick O’Malley was the captain of his guard and the head of his family of brothers and cousins, all of who worked for the duke. His equanimity was upset when the new nanny had arrived for an interview. They had gone through two already and the twins were only a month old. The duke and duchess were very involved with their children, eschewing things like a wet nurse. She made his heart flutter when she descended from the carriage and it got nothing but worse as time passed. She was the perfect nanny and had been hired by the duchess before he and the duke had a chance to talk to her. They didn’t argue with the duchess and despite the fact his nickname was The Duke’s Sword, his power stopped at the duchess. It turned out she was right.

Patrick O’Malley was all man. His weapon of choice was not a sword but he had defended the family several times using knives and his fists, mostly, and his wits. His cousins and brothers were blindly loyal to him, having 100% confidence in his abilities. He had formulated a plan to protect thy baby even before it was born. When it turned out to be two babies, he quickly modified his plan. He was savvy enough to let the perpetrators get close so that they could be prosecuted for their crimes instead of denying them. He was a terrific character and the perfect mate for Gwendolyn, the nanny. Everyone saw it even as he denied it, citing his duty to the duke. The duchess put a stop to that. It had a good plot and excellent characters, many reappearing from past books. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Duke’s Sword by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #chamirand #thedukessword

A great start to a new series, with mystery, intrigue, danger and humor, which is always needed if possible!

He was head of the Duke's guard and he was their to protect the family and of course those surrounding it. When the new nanny arrives to care for the twins of the Duke, he cannot take his eyes off her!

She was one of the most sought after nannies and when she saw the head of the guard, she was memorized by him!

But as danger surrounds the twins and these two have to work together, a little clash might just spark some flames that cannot be put out!

Patrick O'Malley is the leader of the Duke of Wyndmere's guard. It's a very busy household that faces a credible threat of danger. Our hero and his men are willing to put their lives on the line to protect the Duke's family, especially the infant twins.

Gwendolyn Alexander has a reputation as an excellent nanny. It will be her great pleasure to help the Duchess with her precious babies. Our heroine has faced tragedy in her past and still struggles with the memories.

There is a lot of danger in this historical romance. Our exceptionally stubborn characters have lots to deal with. Plenty of lighthearted moments with the guards personalities.

This is the first book in a new series , but this series connects to another so you will meet characters that you might remember from previous books. Each book has it's own stand alone story that links to the next.

Great fun.

Unable to finish.

Filled with tropes that I do not like–insta-love with no explanation; "flirting" that is not at all interesting. It's just them being rude to each other; written-out dialect; overly angsty characters who angst their way through angst.

In addition, I was disappointed by the writing. From random POV switches in the middle of paragraphs (wait, WHO wants to take the Duchess to bed?? The guy that was just narrating or her husband? No one knows!); overly wrought emotions (oh no, he's mad. I must self-flagellate for two pages).

In short, it feels like a romance book driven by the plot–not at all by the main characters, leading to everything feeling rushed and cardboard-y.

I found this to be an enjoyable and well written book. It contains mystery, intrigue, humour and romance all my favourite things so how could I not like it. Although a new series it does contain people from the Lords of Vice series and this should really be read first to follow everything that is going on. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The Duke of Wyndmere must protect his wife and children. He hires Patrick O'Malley, his sixteen brothers and cousins to protect his home and other properties. Patrick is the "Duke's Sword" in charge of protection. Gwendolyn Alexander is hired as the new nanny. The duke is hesitant, but his duchess is insistent she is perfect for the job. It's love at first sight for Patrick when he meets Gwendolyn. She is cautious. She's closed off her heart for ten years, but Patrick is hard to resist. He seems to be losing his focus on his job because of Gwendolyn. The Duke isn't happy and wants to move him to a different property. His duchess has other ideas. I see some open holes in the story. The villain's reason for revenge seems a little weak. The Duke has just as much reason for revenge, but never pursues it, or am I wrong in the way I'm reading it? Even though he has a few moments he is happy with his duchess and children, he seems angry all the time at everybody else. I must say a man in uniform is very attractive, especially when it's all black.
It's still worth the read.
Heat level 3
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

The Duke of Wyndmere’s quest to find a nanny for his newborn twins brings yet another applicant to his door. Widowed Gwendolyn Alexander's reputation precedes her as one of the most sought-after nannies among the ton. Patrick O’Malley, head of the duke’s personal guard, hopes this latest applicant will meet with the approval of the most difficult members of the duke’s family…his twin babes. The pair are immediately attracted to each other. When Gwendolyn and Patrick find themselves at cross purposes protecting the little ones from threats of kidnapping, they must learn to compromise and work together before the kidnapper strikes again!
This is the first in a new series but is a spin off from The Lord of Vices series & events in that series are referred to, so I’d recommend reading the Duke of Wyndmere’s story first. I found this to be a well written book with mystery, intrigue, humour & of course romance. I really liked both Patrick & Gwendolyn & I loved the chemistry between & how they locked horns whilst protecting the twins. An interesting start to a new series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

A new nanny is coming to The Duke of Wyndmere’s estate for his newborn twins. A boy and a girl and the Duke and Duchess have not been able to find a nanny that bonds at all with them. So, another woman leaves, and they are eagerly awaiting Gwendolyn Alexanders arrival. As she steps down from the carriage, she finds herself staring into the eyes of Patrick O’Malley, the head of the duke’s personal guard. The world suddenly changes for both. Mystery, evil men trying to kidnap the babes, and the hearts of two people trying to hide what could turn into a wonderful encounter. Both are battered from life’s experiences and together they must stay aware to protect the twins. Interesting plot and a great adventure for a summer evening.

Slow Burn 3.5*
An attraction at first sight is not pursued by either party, Gwendolyn protects her heart with diligence due to past tragedy and heartache, whilst Patrick has sworn an oath to protect the Duke and his family and a beautiful woman is a distraction he cannot afford. The increased threat to the twin babes that Patrick must protect and whose needs has bought Gwendolyn to the Duke’s country estate however throws the two of them together.
Whilst this is a new series which focuses (for the most part) on the Duke’s guards, I did feel the lack of not having read The Lords of Vice series. Events from these previous books were referred back to and I felt I would have had more understanding of the situation and characters if I had done so. For instance I was totally at a loss as to why the Duke and his family were being threatened in the first place. If I had previously met the Duchess would I have understood why she insisted on the nanny, a servant far below the status of even a governess, addressing her by her first name? I really feel the need to read this previous series, I guess book 1 for the most part but who knows?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love at First Sight and Mystery:
A new author for me and the story has quite an intense emotional plot
The cast of characters are very interesting and their banter between
each other was very humorous and had me laughing out loud many times.
The romance in this story is a slow simmering one between Gwendelyn the
new nanny for the twins and Patrick the duke's sword.
There is more than one plot that carries most of the story. Threats to the Duke's
family and the mystery of discovering who and why kept this story intense.
I enjoyed the story enough to read another one of this authors books.
I would call this a clean story by my standards.

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