The Bachelor

Sabrina Jeffries

Feb 2020 · Duke Dynasty Book 2 · Zebra Books

About this ebook

Fans of Bridgerton will love this irresistibly fun new family in a series to savor from the New York Times bestselling author, as the grown children of a thrice-married dowager duchess piece together the stories of their fathers—while pursuing passions of their own . . .

“Anyone who loves romance must read Sabrina Jeffries!” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author

USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestseller | Goodreads Romance that Readers Love

Lady Gwyn Drake has long protected her family’s reputation by hiding an imprudent affair from her youth. But when her former suitor appears at Armitage Hall, manhandling the heiress and threatening to go public with her secrets, it’s Gwyn who needs protecting. Her twin brother, Thorn, hires Joshua Wolfe, the estate’s gamekeeper, to keep her safe in London during her debut. As a war hero, Joshua feels obligated to fulfill the assignment he has accepted. But as a man, it’s torment to be so very close to the beauty he’s fought to ignore . . .
 
With handsome Joshua monitoring her every move, Gwyn would prefer to forget both the past and the parade of money-seeking bachelors at her coming out. But Joshua is unmoved by her attempts at flirtation, and the threat of blackmail still hangs over her. With danger closing in, Gwyn must decide which is the greater risk: deflecting a scoundrel’s attempts to sabotage her—or revealing her whole heart to the rugged bodyguard she can’t resist . . . 
 
If one knows anything about Regency society, it’s that they can’t resist a scandalous secret.

“Beautifully showcases the author’s gift for creating vividly etched characters (including a well-matched pair of protagonists) and then expertly placing them within a tautly constructed plot spiced with danger and plenty of red-hot sensuality.”
—Booklist
 

Ratings and reviews

Thank you Ms Jeffries for including the "family tree" for the three ducal families in the front of the book; it helped me keep the siblings/titles straight. I liked Joshua in Project Duchess and enjoyed reading his story. Gwyn is already 30. She's a pragmatic young lady, but I felt at times she acted a bit immaturely. The thoughts of the characters and dialog were well-balanced. I received an advance copy in a give-away; the thoughts expressed are my own.

Lady Gwyn Drake thought when she was young that Lionel Malet was in love with her and wanted to get married but she quickly learned that her twin brother, Thorn, the Duke of Thornstock turned him down. Now , ten years later Malet was back in Gwyn's life trying to bribe her about their time together. When Thorn is concerned for Gwen's safety as she is about to make her debut, he decides to hire Joshua Wolfe, the estate’s gamekeeper to be her personal bodyguard. Joshua was a Major in the Navy and is quite capable of protecting Gwyn even with his disability. The more time Gwyn and Joshua spend together, the more the sparks start to fly. Joshua likes the spitfire that Gwyn is but he doesn't feel he is worthy of such a lady. Too bad Gwyn has other ideas! It will take a lot for these two strong minded individuals to realize that they are perfect for each other, even with all their flaws and questionable pasts. I just adored this story! I loved Gwyn! I loved her forward way of thinking about how woman should be able to behave. I really enjoyed Joshua too. He is such a loyal and honest person and he really deserves the world. Great new addition to this series!

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, her 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.

About the author

SABRINA JEFFRIES is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over nine million books in print in more than twenty-one languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world. She always dreams big.