All the Duke’s Sins, Book 3
From the publisher:
When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed “beast” finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time…
Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour.
Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…“A must-read for both fans and newcomers to Caldwell’s work.”—Library Journal
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This latest entry into All the Duke’s Sins series is pretty good. The storyline definitely held my attention, I liked the characters, and the passion just leapt off the page.
Wesley Audley has returned from the Napoleonic wars just a shell of a man. He has suffered physical injuries and what today would be called post-traumatic stress disorder. He is in a great deal of pain due to an injury to his leg that the finest doctors in Regency England simply cannot help. His family tiptoes around him, and aren’t sure what to do, but they try their best because they love him.
Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Balfour has recently lost her abusive father, so she’s not mourning the loss. But she has decided to never marry. The thought of another man having control of her life is just not bearable. When Wesley returns home, she stops by to pay a visit. She is only one who will actually look him in the eye and talk to him. He’s very rude to her, but she doesn’t let that bother her; she understands where it is coming from.
The more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow, despite both of them trying to avoid marriage at all costs. I also really liked the medical side of things, it added some depth to this story. Any reader of romance will know how it ends, but it is the journey here that is so emotionally wrought and wonderful.
All the Duke’s Sins
4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE by Christi Caldwell. Berkley (February 20, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593334959. 304p.
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