Widow Joanna Shaw isn’t interested in a second marriage, not after the loveless, passionless union she endured. She’d much rather dote on her young niece and nephew since they will likely be the only children in her life...until she meets a precocious girl, in desperate need of a mother. But her father, the so-called Duke of Defiance, is as peculiar as he is handsome, and Jo won’t take another risk with her heart. Their rules, however, are made to be broken, even when the consequences could destroy them both.
Another fantastic addition to this series!
I just love these books. This is the second standalone I've read, and I can't wait to go back and read them all!!
In this story, I really enjoyed Jo. I felt she was realistic (for as much as I know about the time period, which isn't a lot, but I really liked her!), and I especially liked how she had a very unfortunate past and she actually told Bran about it. None of this "I'll just have to keep my secret until the end of the book for a big reveal" sort of thing.
Bran was awesome! True to his nickname, he did as he pleased. Period. And boy, he did NOT mess around when it came to his daughter. She was his number one priority and it was really endearing to read how he made that principle his life's mission.
For as sweet as this book was, HOLY SMOKES was there some hotness in there! Jo and Bran couldn't be together in the public eye, so they had to sneak in their alone time, and boy, was there some steam in those stolen moments!
All in all, I love this series and can't wait to read more books by Darcy!
(I received a copy of this book in consideration of an honest review)
I just love these books. This is the second standalone I've read, and I can't wait to go back and read them all!!
In this story, I really enjoyed Jo. I felt she was realistic (for as much as I know about the time period, which isn't a lot, but I really liked her!), and I especially liked how she had a very unfortunate past and she actually told Bran about it. None of this "I'll just have to keep my secret until the end of the book for a big reveal" sort of thing.
Bran was awesome! True to his nickname, he did as he pleased. Period. And boy, he did NOT mess around when it came to his daughter. She was his number one priority and it was really endearing to read how he made that principle his life's mission.
For as sweet as this book was, HOLY SMOKES was there some hotness in there! Jo and Bran couldn't be together in the public eye, so they had to sneak in their alone time, and boy, was there some steam in those stolen moments!
All in all, I love this series and can't wait to read more books by Darcy!
(I received a copy of this book in consideration of an honest review)
Feeling as constricted as he had in the ballroom, he shrugged out of his coat and draped it over his arm.
“Are you disrobing again?” she asked.
“You can hear that?”
“I’m afraid so. But since I can’t see you, it really doesn’t signify.”
He chuckled, pleased with her logic. “As it happens, I’d already untied my cravat before I arrived here.”
“I can’t even manage to feign shock.” Now her voice held a lilt of humor, as if she were smiling.
He laughed again, and a cool, early spring breeze wafted over him. How he missed the warmth of Barbados.
“Will you tell me about it?” she asked.
Had he said that out loud—about Barbados? Apparently so. “I could stand here all night and not manage to tell you everything.”
“Then just tell me something.”
He closed his eyes and summoned his home. “The colors there are like nothing you’ve ever seen—the blue-green water, the white-gold sand, colors that not even the rainbow can do justice to.”
“It sounds beautiful.” Her voice was soft, almost reverent. “How did you decide to go there?”
He opened his eyes but still couldn’t see her. “That was where the ship was headed. I didn’t care where I was going, so long as it wasn’t here.”
“You must have been terribly miserable.” She sounded as if she’d moved a bit closer.
“I wasn’t needed here.” Or wanted, really. His entire family had encouraged him to buy a commission or perhaps take a vicarage. He’d considered both ideas, but after his brothers had spread that vicious rumor, he’d simply walked on the first ship leaving England. And he’d never looked back.
“And now?” Her question whispered over him, lulling him with its sweet curiosity.
“Now, I’m the earl. I’m needed.”
“And your brothers are gone.”
He exhaled, as if realizing for the first time that they really were gone. That he could perhaps be here and be happy. Or at least not miserable. Still, it wasn’t home. Not yet. “I miss the blazing sun.”
“Especially right now, I’d wager.”
He heard a tremor in her voice. “Wait, are you chilled? Where are you?” He reached out with his free hand and touched her.
Stepping forward—it didn’t take much to reach her—he settled his coat on her shoulders. “Better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
He didn’t take his hands away. “Why did you come out here?”
“I—”
He heard the hesitation in her voice and felt a shiver in her body. He didn’t think that was from the night air. “You can tell me. If you want.”
“I felt…overwhelmed. As if I couldn’t breathe. I just needed to get out.”
God, he’d felt like that his entire life. “I was never able to sit still when I was younger. Or wear clothing. I often felt like I wanted to crawl out of my very skin. I used to scratch myself raw.”
“That sounds horrid. How did you stop?”
“I don’t know. Leaving here helped.”
“And now that you’re back? Things aren’t as bad as they were?”
No, he supposed they weren’t. Just as he had a few moments ago, when she’d pointed out that his brothers were indeed gone, he felt a lightness. Because of her.
“Are you disrobing again?” she asked.
“You can hear that?”
“I’m afraid so. But since I can’t see you, it really doesn’t signify.”
He chuckled, pleased with her logic. “As it happens, I’d already untied my cravat before I arrived here.”
“I can’t even manage to feign shock.” Now her voice held a lilt of humor, as if she were smiling.
He laughed again, and a cool, early spring breeze wafted over him. How he missed the warmth of Barbados.
“Will you tell me about it?” she asked.
Had he said that out loud—about Barbados? Apparently so. “I could stand here all night and not manage to tell you everything.”
“Then just tell me something.”
He closed his eyes and summoned his home. “The colors there are like nothing you’ve ever seen—the blue-green water, the white-gold sand, colors that not even the rainbow can do justice to.”
“It sounds beautiful.” Her voice was soft, almost reverent. “How did you decide to go there?”
He opened his eyes but still couldn’t see her. “That was where the ship was headed. I didn’t care where I was going, so long as it wasn’t here.”
“You must have been terribly miserable.” She sounded as if she’d moved a bit closer.
“I wasn’t needed here.” Or wanted, really. His entire family had encouraged him to buy a commission or perhaps take a vicarage. He’d considered both ideas, but after his brothers had spread that vicious rumor, he’d simply walked on the first ship leaving England. And he’d never looked back.
“And now?” Her question whispered over him, lulling him with its sweet curiosity.
“Now, I’m the earl. I’m needed.”
“And your brothers are gone.”
He exhaled, as if realizing for the first time that they really were gone. That he could perhaps be here and be happy. Or at least not miserable. Still, it wasn’t home. Not yet. “I miss the blazing sun.”
“Especially right now, I’d wager.”
He heard a tremor in her voice. “Wait, are you chilled? Where are you?” He reached out with his free hand and touched her.
Stepping forward—it didn’t take much to reach her—he settled his coat on her shoulders. “Better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
He didn’t take his hands away. “Why did you come out here?”
“I—”
He heard the hesitation in her voice and felt a shiver in her body. He didn’t think that was from the night air. “You can tell me. If you want.”
“I felt…overwhelmed. As if I couldn’t breathe. I just needed to get out.”
God, he’d felt like that his entire life. “I was never able to sit still when I was younger. Or wear clothing. I often felt like I wanted to crawl out of my very skin. I used to scratch myself raw.”
“That sounds horrid. How did you stop?”
“I don’t know. Leaving here helped.”
“And now that you’re back? Things aren’t as bad as they were?”
No, he supposed they weren’t. Just as he had a few moments ago, when she’d pointed out that his brothers were indeed gone, he felt a lightness. Because of her.
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