War hero Deckard Payne, Duke of Warburton, made a battlefield promise to become guardian to orphan Analise Crewe. He certainly didn’t agree to marry the girl! But that’s exactly what happens when he’s forced to wed her to save her honor.
The last thing Analise wants is a loveless marriage to a brooding—albeit handsome—duke who lives in a gloomy castle and keeps his doors—and his heart—tightly locked. He’s determined to keep her at arm’s length—but she’s not easily deterred when there’s a tough case to crack.
Warburton never wanted a wife. Especially an inquisitive and far-too-pretty whirlwind who upends his regimented life. Her sunny, winning ways charm everyone she meets and soon she’s unearthing buried secrets, plotting love matches, and shining light into even the darkest of hearts…his own.
PJ's Thoughts:
Do you enjoy a lively guardian/ward trope? How about grumpy/sunshine? Scandal-forced marriage of convenience? Age gap (it's the Regency, not that unusual)? Sparkling banter? A bit of danger? You'll get all that and more in Lenora Bell's newest book, Can't Get Enough of the Duke.
To be honest, I couldn't get enough of Analise. If anyone in this book should be grumpy and disillusioned, it's her. Yet she's the one who lifts the spirits of everyone around her. Yes, she's young and a bit naive, impetuous, and too curious for her own good but her heart is in the right place. I adored her. I want to be friends with her. I want to bask in the sunshine of her indomitable spirit. And, let's face it, so does the duke...even if it takes him the majority of the book to realize it.
Dex (the duke) needs some sunshine in his life. This man is darkness personified. Still struggling with the horrors of the battlefield, physical and emotional wounds, and the pain of personal betrayal, he's encased his heart in ice that shows no signs of thawing. It feels like his rigid rules are the only things holding him together, until little Miss Sunshine comes along and threatens to blow everything to smithereens. I do love watching those "I will not fall prey to love" heroes come apart at the seams.
If you like spice, you'll get plenty in this book, including a hero who tries to take command in all areas of his life, especially the bedroom. It feels a bit imbalanced in the beginning, especially with the age difference, but it doesn't take long for inexperienced Analise to grow into her own power and even the playing field.
As an added bonus, there's a book within this book. Analise is an author who has written a fantasy romance with a cursed dragon whose emotional evolution coincidentally parallels that of her own dragon-like Duke of Warburton. A passage from her book begins each chapter of this book and sets the stage for what's to come. I can't be the only reader who found herself just as invested in the outcome for the dragon as the outcome for the dragon-like duke.
Do you enjoy age-gap romances?
Have you read Lenora Bell?
The books in Bell's The Thunderbolt Club series are inspired by beloved musicals. Can you guess which musical inspired Can't Get Enough of the Duke?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, April 9 will received a signed, paperback copy of You're the Duke That I Want, book one in The Thunderbolt Club series.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
I'm don't like too much of an age gap generally - maybe a max of 15 years? I think I've only read one of Lenora's books so far - have to look for more. I love musicals - the one that comes to mind is My Fair Lady - tho I don't think they get married til the ending.
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