The Highland Duke
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4.2 • 250 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
RT Reviewers' Choice Award winner
She'll put her life on the line for him . . .
When Akira Ayres finds the brawny Scot with a musket ball in his thigh, the healer has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to save his life. Even if it means fleeing with him across the Highlands to tend to his wounds while English redcoats are closing in. Though Akira is as fierce and brave as any of her clansmen, even she's intimidated by the fearsome, brutally handsome Highlander who refuses to reveal his name.
Yet she can never learn his true identity.
Geordie knows if Akira ever discovers he's the Duke of Gordon, both her life and his will be forfeit in a heartbeat. The only way to keep the lass safe is to ensure she's by his side day and night. But the longer he's with her, the harder it becomes to think of letting her go. Despite all their differences, despite the danger-he will face death itself to make her his . . .
"Readers get all the benefits of a modern road trip (forced proximity, lots and lots of dialogue, and uninterrupted time for the hero and heroine's love to grow) without technology or secondary characters interrupting the main story arc. About halfway through there is a pretty darn huge plot twist, too. This book kept me on my toes and anxious for more." -- Book Riot
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jarecki's first Lords of the Highlands romance takes the reader on a journey to early-18th-century Scotland following the doomed Jacobite revolution. When Geordie, Duke of Gordon, is injured on the battlefield at Hoord Moor, Roma healer Akira Ayres finds him and helps remove a musket ball from his leg. Geordie is being pursued by the English redcoats, who believe that he participated in a battle to usurp the crown. Geordie is intent on returning to his home in the Highlands, from which safe haven he may prove his innocence. Reluctantly, he takes Akira with him so that she can continue her healing efforts and avoid questioning by the redcoats. The more time they spend together, the more their attraction builds. However, Geordie is divorced and cannot remarry. Readers will admire plucky Akira, who, despite her poverty, is fiercely independent and is determined to be no man's mistress. The romance is scintillating and moving, enhanced by fast-paced suspense.
Customer Reviews
The Highland Duke
Love stories with historical backgrounds are interesting to learn about some facts but remember the author has to have some liberties in building her plots and characters which is done in this trilogy. I am glad to report their is steamy romance but not chapters of the same exact love scene peppered throughout this historical romance. Thank heavens.
Tough book to put down
This was a page turner. I loved Akira, her good heart and innocence. She also had a lot of spunk. Geordie was so determined and bone-headed, but endearing. As trouble followed and threatened to take everything away from them, their spirits and feelings remained strong and entwined. The pace of this story was fast and you never knew what was coming next. I very highly recommend this story.
I received a copy of the story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
Humorous and Compelling
The Highland Duke is a delightful, well-written and compelling historical fiction romance.
The Duke of Gordon rode, incognito, against the Queen. He knew that if he was recognized in battle that he would not only stand trial as a traitor; but his lands would be forfeited as well. The Duke, however, did not plan on getting shot. He hid behind a bush with a musket ball in his thigh, moaning in agony, until Akira Ayres, a beautiful Gypsy healer found him. The two didn’t escape the battlefield unseen, however, and although Captain Roderick Weaver, couldn’t identify, at first, who they were, he and his men galloped after them. The Captain was determined to show the Jacobites exactly what would happen to a man if he dared to take up arms against the Queen. When the Captain came across the Duke of Gordon’s silver flask, he almost salivated with anticipation. The Captain knew that when he delivered the traitorous Duke to the Queen, he would become a rich man. The Captain could practically taste the sweet bounty of the Duke’s lands.
The Duke had his hands full with Akira, his feisty Gypsy healer. Although he couldn’t make Akira his wife, he also didn’t want to let her go. Akira’s mother, however, had other plans for the Duke. And she had no qualms about letting him know precisely what they were.
I was completely captivated by the storyline, the characters and the humorous banter between the Duke and his Gypsy healer, Akira.
Thank you, Forever-Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.