THE DUKE – Katharine Ashe
A Devil's Duke Book
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-264172-4
October 2017
Historical Fiction

Jamaica and Scotland – 1817 and 1822

Lady Amarantha Vale has traveled to Jamaica to marry the man she thinks she's in love with. He is a missionary and is devoted to that vocation with a passion. Amarantha is left on her own while her fiancé waits for her to become more comfortable with her new surroundings. However, when a hurricane hits the island, Amarantha finds herself seeking shelter in a storage area with a naval officer from a Royal Navy ship in the harbor. She is not a shy young woman, and the two spar over various topics. Calling him “Shark Bait”, Amarantha is rather intrigued that she is so attracted to someone who is nothing like her fiancé.

To Gabriel, the encounter with the outspoken Amarantha is life changing. He has never been so taken with a woman before. After the storm, he helps her take care of the locals affected by it, and makes several comments to her that he is interested in a future with her. To Amarantha, she wonders why she is overwhelmed by this man, knowing that her marriage to a much different man looms. So when Gabriel sails away, she figures that is the last she will hear from him.

Six years and life has changed drastically for Amarantha. Now a widow, she sets off for Scotland to find a friend and is stunned when she learns that the “Devil's Duke” is none other than Gabriel. Knowing what she knows of him, Amarantha wants to prove that he is not who the world thinks he is.

Gabriel does have secrets, and he's not going to reveal them easily to Amarantha when she suddenly arrives at his estate. But how will he keep those secrets from such an intelligent, intuitive woman?

THE DUKE is an enjoyable tale with wonderful lead characters who complement each other in many ways. Brave, honest Amarantha is going to follow her heart, and her head, by proving to one and all that Gabriel is a good man. He, on the other hand, wants to keep his heart close and Amarantha at arm's length, but that proves to be harder than anything he's done in his life.

Beautifully written and a fun story that can be read alone from the series. Don't miss the latest in the Devil's Duke series.

Jani Brooks