Saturday Book News

Gypsy Legacy: The Duke
Denise Patrick
Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Buy link (ebook) https://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/gypsy-legacy-the-duke
Buy link (print) http://www.amazon.com/Gypsy-Legacy-Duke-Denise-Patrick/dp/1605043028/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243917429&sr=1-1
My Website  http://www.denisepatrickauthor.com
Publisher's Website   http://www.samhainpublishing.com
Blurb: 

He doesn’t need a wife. She doesn’t want a husband. Destiny’s not listening.

Book 2 in the Gypsy Legacy Series

As children, Brand Waring, heir to the Duke of Warringham, and his brother were kidnapped and sold to a plantation in the West Indies. Now Brand is back to wreak vengeance on those responsible for his brother’s subsequent death. The last thing he wants, or needs, is to be distracted by an instant attraction to a flighty Society belle.

Felicia Collings has found it easy to refuse every marriage proposal, thanks to a ring left to her by her gypsy great-grandmother. Reportedly it will lead her to the man whom she is destined to marry. To her relief, the ring has been blessedly silent on this issue. Until Brand recognizes it, and sparks fly.

In spite of himself, Brand finds himself drawn to the beauty, and to the wounded soul reflected in her eyes. At his gentle hands, Felicia begins to learn what it means to be cherished and loved.

Then the past rears its head to threaten their fragile happiness. As Brand begins to doubt whether vengeance is as sweet as a lifetime with Felicia, he finds himself racing to save them both from not one cold-blooded killer—but two.

Excerpt

Brand’s temper had cooled somewhat by the time he reached the ridge and began the short climb. He was still angry, but he’d had a chance to think along the way.
Approaching from the north, he noticed Felicia’s small figure seated on a patch of grass at the south end of the small ridge. Her hair was pulled back with only a ribbon and he frowned at the sight. He didn’t think ladies ever left home with their hair down.
Brand dismounted, looping the bay’s reins loosely over a branch, and strode toward her. She turned and looked as he advanced toward her. Wariness widened her eyes.
Good, he thought. She ought to wonder. He wanted to shake her, kiss her, turn her over his knee, kiss her, scare some sense into her, kiss her…
She scrambled to her feet as he reached her, brushing the grass and dirt off of her legs and… Good God, what was she wearing now?
“Have you no sense of decency at all?” he blurted as he took in the loose-fitting shirt, breeches, and knee-high boots.
“No one will see me.” She straightened defiantly. “And I wanted to ride Midnight.”
“Midnight?”
“My horse. He won’t allow a ladies’ saddle on his back. Never has.”
Brand glanced around the small area.
“I don’t see a horse, although you obviously got here somehow.”
She shrugged. “He’s around. He won’t go far.”
“Hopefully not any farther than the stables.”
She shrugged again, then turned to look out toward the horizon, presenting her back to him.
For long moments Brand merely stared at the view before he realized he was becoming uncomfortably warm. Shifting his eyes from her backside, enticingly outlined by the form-fitting breeches, and the wealth of raven curls caressing it, he cleared his throat.
She turned. “Did you come up here for a reason, or were you just out for a ride?”
“You lost something. I came to return it.”
“Oh?”
Extracting something from his pocket, he picked up her hand and dropped into it the ring he’d found on his bedside table, forcefully folding her fingers over it when she tried to snatch her hand away.
“I didn’t lose it. I merely returned it to its rightful owner.”
“Then you lost it. Because you are its rightful owner.”
“No, I’m not. Your father gave it to you.”
“The ring belongs to my future wife. It was merely given to me for safekeeping until that person could be determined.” Felicia’s mouth fell open at the twisted logic. “Your great-grandmother told you it was yours, did she not?”
“Yes, but…”
“There you have it. It’s yours, not mine. Your great-grandmother wouldn’t have lied to you, would she?”

Reviews

Coffee Time Romance (5 cups) "This is [a] wonderful story...Brand has a lot of shadows and nightmares in his past. These lead him to be a strong and determined man giving his all to the woman he grows to love and the life that has become his. Felicia has her own nightmares and is a far from being the perfect young lady. This makes her all the more loveable, and it is impossible not to respect the woman she matures into." Hollie

Ecataromance ". . .a fabulous tale of true love, murder, betrayal, and mayhem in merry old England! What a treasure of a story! Plan on having enough time to finish because when you start reading, you will not want to stop!. . .This is a fascinating story, rich with the history of the period, full of adventure, kidnapping, true love, and a mystery that will keep the reader glued to the pages as the story unfolds. . .It is a Keeper!  Susiq2

The Long and Short Of It (5 books) ". . .an outstanding sequel that kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. If you enjoy historical romance, the Gypsy Legacy series is one not to be missed.. .The storytelling is so well-done that you can’t help but be wrapped up in the story of these characters until you come to the last page.   Orange Blossom

RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)  "Patrick's second entry in her Gypsy Legacy series is delightful. Her consummate storytelling runs the gamut with gripping plotlines, nonstop action and multifaceted characters. There's a wonderful love story and a conspiracy guaranteed to keep readers on their toes." Donna M. Brown

Joyfully Reviewed  The Duke is an action-packed, sometimes dark historical tale of betrayal, kidnapping, family, and destiny. . . The story begins as a seemingly typical tale of a man and a woman being forced to wed to avoid scandal, but The Duke soon becomes something much more.  There’s a suspense angle involving Brand’s past that, while at times melodramatic, was engaging.  Felicia’s past and her current fears are explored, as well as a bit of a paranormal angle with the gypsy great-grandmother’s predictions.  There is also a lot of interaction involving the secondary characters, who all seem to have interesting stories of their own.  While I recommend reading the first book in the series first, for patient readers, The Duke  will provide a suspenseful and nonstop final act.  Cassie