ABOUT THE BOOK:
Six years ago, when Lady Amarantha Vale was an innocent in a foreign land and Gabriel Hume was a young naval officer, they met . . . and played with fire.
Now Gabriel is the dark lord known to society as the Devil’s Duke, a notorious recluse hidden away in a castle in the Highlands. Only Amarantha knows the truth about him, and she won’t be intimidated. He is the one man who can give her the answers she needs.
But Gabriel cannot let her learn his darkest secret. So begins a game of wit and desire that proves seduction is more satisfying—and much more wicked—the second time around…
MY REVIEW:
The Duke by Katharine AsheMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Duke by Katharine Ashe is a 2017 Avon publication.
Ah- Sweeping romance! We sure do need more of those!
In this third installment of the ‘Devil’s Duke’ series, we finally get Gabriel’s highly anticipated story.
Lady Amarantha Vale follows her betrothed, a missionary, to Jamaica, where she finds herself fighting off the ravages of a dangerous hurricane with a young naval officer, named Gabriel Hume. During that frightful night, with their very lives hanging in the balance, the two forge an unsinkable bond.
But, there are forces working against them, determined to keep them from the life they should have had together. However, there is a mightier force out there, one stronger than the hurricane which brought them together, and as we all know, that force- aka- true love, can not and will not be denied, no matter how many obstacles you toss onto its path.
After Amarantha’s husband dies, she goes in search of her missing sister-in-law, which brings her to Scotland, and to Gabriel Hume- also known as the Devil’s Duke, a man with a dark, murderous reputation he hasn’t even bothered to deny.
Eventually, after five long years, Gabe and Amarantha will stand face to face with one another. The cruel, twisted hands of fate that forced them apart will reveal themselves, but for Amarantha the chance to recapture her one true love and her much deserved happily ever after may have come too late, for Amarantha has decided her decisions about men and love never are the right ones, so she has hardened herself against the temptation of making yet another mistake.
Well, what can I say? Katharine Ashe has gone and done it again!!
Before I get to the romantic elements, which is what the story is all about, of course, I do want to mention the obvious research concerning slavery addressed in this novel, which gave the story a little extra padding in the depth department, and was quite informative.
I also enjoyed the correspondence between Amarantha and her sister, the contents of which, preceded many of the chapters.
The characters are well drawn, very human, fallible, and likeable. I struggled just a tiny bit with the expanded cast of characters-
But, other than that, as far as I’m concerned, this novel is what romance is all about. I love, love, love sweeping sagas and stories of undying love and devotion. For some reason, I always enjoyed stories where a couple must overcome obstacles, enduring many years of separation, before they find their way back to one another.
The conflicts, secrets, and emotional intensity always capture my imagination and my heart, keeping me riveted to the pages, totally immersed, wondering if the truth will ever come out, if too much time has passed, if they are destined to be star crossed lovers, or if true love will give them the strength to flatten all the forces working against them and ultimately prevail in the end.
I love characters who overcome adversity, who fight for love and each other. Seeing them win the battle after all they have endured, overcoming personal fears, to finally have their ‘always and forever’ makes the reward that much sweeter and appreciated all the more.
This novel harkens back to the heyday of historical romances, and is EXACTLY what a historical romance should consist of, but always seems so elusive.
Well done- again- Katharine!!
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Devils-Novel-ebook/dp/B01NAFQFB5/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-duke-katharine-ashe/1125283748
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
KATHARINE ASHE is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of historical romances reviewers call "intensely lush" and "sensationally intelligent," including her acclaimed Devil's Duke Series, and My Lady, My Lord and How to Marry a Highlander, 2015 and 2014 finalists for the romance industry's most prestigious award, the RITA®.
Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her beloved husband, son, dog, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European History, she writes fiction because she thinks modern readers deserve grand adventures and breathtaking sensuality too. For more about her books, please visit her at www.KatharineAshe.com
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