Series:
The Duke's Guard (Book 16)
Fenton Flaherty meets his destiny in the Mermaid's Glass
tavern…
He has no intention of marrying until sees the
raven-haired, curvaceous, blue-eyed beauty serving ale in the tavern. He pours
on the legendary Flaherty charm. She ignores him, smiling at one of the
wreckers. Stunned by the snub, and her preference for a man known to kill to
claim a floundering ship's cargo, he speaks without thinking, inadvertently
impugning her honor.
Smuggler's daughter Eileen Doonan doesn't know how to
react to Flaherty's charm…
Eileen's apple shape once made her a target, until she
developed generous curves. The night an auburn-haired, blue-eyed giant strides
into the tavern where she works changes everything. She doesn't know how to
respond to his flirtation, and ignores him to smile at one of the patrons.
Unfortunately, he is a wrecker, someone she normally avoids. When gossip and
innuendo ensues, she blames Flaherty.
On the beach during a thunderstorm, while aiding her
father, she glances up to see a man running for his life and watches him jump
off the cliffs into the sea. When he surfaces and smashes face-first into the
rocks, she dives into the storm-tossed waves to rescue him.
Between the rumors, and his worry that someone will see
her on the beach with her clothing plastered to her body, her father insists
Flaherty marry her to save her reputation. At first she refuses, until Flaherty
apologizes with a kiss that burns hotter than their passionate dislike for one
another. A kiss that changes everything!
But a sharpshooter lies in wait for him, and news of
Flaherty's disappearance changes to the news that he has been shot and feared
dead!
Will it take the death of the man who, when made aware of
his grievous error, offers the protection of his name, his strength, his honor,
and his heart before she realizes that Flaherty was the only man who truly
valued her for what is inside of her, and not just her curves?
Danger stalks in the night, but it will have to get past
The Duke's Blade before he will let harm come to those he has sworn to protect
with his strength, his heart, and his honor.
Terrific finale to the Duke's Guard series. Fenton
Flaherty is the last of the Duke's Guard to be unmarried. He intends to stay
single until he meets the feisty Eileen serving ale in her father's tavern.
Eileen doesn't know what to do when he deploys his famous Irish charm, and
turns away from him. Unused to being ignored, Fenton's pride causes him to say
things that inadvertently tarnish her reputation. That doesn't stop her from
rescuing him when he dives into the ocean to escape an attacker.
The rescue raises a whole host of problems. Not only is
Fenton responsible for the unsavory rumors about Eileen, but now he has seen
her with her clothing plastered to her body. Her father insists that the only
thing to do is for Fenton and Eileen to marry. Independent Eileen resists the
idea until a scorching kiss convinces her. But Fate throws a few roadblocks in
the way before either is ready to admit their feelings.
Fenton and O'Malley are charged with ending the smuggling
and wrecker activity on the Duke's property. The attacks on Fenton are intended
to halt their investigation. The suspense is intense, with plenty of twists to
keep me hooked - faked death, deals with smugglers, kidnapping, and lots of
action to keep me turning the pages. The final confrontation was a nail-biter
as Fenton and O'Malley raced to rescue Eileen.
I love the closeness of the brothers and cousins as they
work together and support each other. I laughed out loud when Fenton's brothers
showed up and gave him a hard time when he couldn't respond. I adored the way
the wives quickly made Eileen part of their group. It's always fun to see these
feisty and independent women go up against their husbands. One of my favorite
parts was the epilogues, which showed their lives later. I found it hilarious
that so many of the Duke's Guard end up as fathers to daughters, and this one
was no exception. I'd love to see a next-generation series that follows these
men as they deal with their daughters' love lives.
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