Series:
Duke's Guard (Book 15)
Flaherty stops to help fix a broken carriage wheel…
And he ends up staring down the muzzle of a blunderbuss!
When Flaherty moves toward the coachman, the younger man steps backward, trips,
and the gun goes off! He dives to the side, but catches some scattershot. He
hauls the coachman to his feet, shakes him, and his hat falls off. A cascade of
angel-blonde hair slips free, tangling around Flaherty's wrist. The nick to
Flaherty's pride is equal to the wound in his side—he's been bested by a woman!
Phillipa Stanhope would do anything to protect her
widowed friend and newborn son…
Her friend has received a heinous threat from her
brother-in-law—he intends take her babe the moment it's born! Though the risk
of traveling right after giving birth is great to her friend and her infant
son—they have no choice.
Flaherty hears the thin wail of an infant and notices the
fragile-looking woman holding a bundle to her chest. He takes charge and
escorts the trio to Summerfield Chase for their safety. After Flaherty's temper
cools down, and he hears the whole story, he has a change of heart and offers
marriage to protect Pippa.
Pippa cannot leave her friend unprotected, and she
bargains with Flaherty. If he agrees to let Millie and her babe live with them,
she'll accept his proposal. An attempted kidnapping leaves Pippa injured and
the both of them realizing the true depth of their feelings for one another.
Three of Pippa's older brothers arrive with a surprise
that changes everything! On the heels of their arrival, a band of brigands
arrives as a distraction, while Millie's brother-in-law lures Pippa outside and
abducts her.
Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past
The Duke's Cavalier before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to
protect with his strength, his honor, and his heart.
Another fantastic entry in the Duke's Guard series. The
action starts immediately, as Flaherty comes across a broken-down coach. The
jumpy coachman, when confronted by a large man dressed all in black, trips and
accidentally shoots him. Flaherty's pride takes a serious hit when he discovers
he's been felled by a woman.
Pippa is determined to protect her best friend, Millie,
and Millie's newborn son. Millie's brother-in-law plans to take the child and
claim it as his own. Though wary of the stranger, Pippa agrees to accept his
protection as he takes them to Summerfield Chase.
As always, those in need are welcomed and cared for. I
enjoyed seeing Pippa and Millie settle in at Summerfield and get to know the
wives and Lady Phoebe. Pippa is always on guard, expecting trouble from
Millie's brother-in-law. We get the occasional glimpse into the villain's mind,
showing that he has not given up his plans. The tension builds as attempts
escalate, with one rescue coming from an unexpected source, and the final
confrontation a heart-stopping face-off.
I enjoyed the development of Flaherty and Pippa's relationship.
The sparks were there from the beginning, though it took a little while for Flaherty
to overcome the hit to his pride. Once he did, it didn't take long for him to
realize the depth of his feelings for her. When the men of the Duke's Guard fall,
they fall hard, and he was no exception. Pippa fell just as hard for Flaherty,
but was concerned about continuing Millie's protection. I loved their honest
conversation about dreams and expectations, and seeing how Flaherty showed her
his love and understanding.
There is more going on than just avoiding the dastardly
brother-in-law. Pippa and Millie's fathers look for information about Millie's
husband's death. They also hear rumors about the women and involve Pippa's
three brothers. I laughed out loud at their arrival at Summerfield Chase, the exchange
of opinions between the brothers and the Guards, and watching them all get
skillfully handled by the women. There is a surprising twist to their arrival
that changed some of the dynamics. The later arrival of the two fathers brought
some humorous moments as Flaherty faced his father-in-law for the first time.
The book ended with a look into Flaherty and Pippa's future family.
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