Duke of Misfortune (Dukes of Destiny #4) by Whitney Blake. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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Mr. Gordon Judd is a versatile actor with dashing good looks and an impressive range. His career seems promising until, mysteriously, he goes into soldiering. When he returns to London, it's clear he can't resume his old life—a wound to the throat ruined his voice, obliterating his prospects. He tries to eke out a living as a stagehand, but his income dwindles. At a loss, he has little choice but to contact his older brother for help.

Unfortunately, Judd is actually Lord Emilian Valencourt, although he's happier when he isn't. His brother is Lord Thomas Valencourt, the Duke of Welburn. There's an ocean of bad blood and secrets between them.

Thomas dies unexpectedly, and Emilian discovers that inheriting a title won't solve his troubles. The late duke ran their family resources into the ground to fuel his vices, so Emilian's best friend suggests looking for a rich woman to marry. Emilian finds the prospect slightly abhorrent, but it's the best of a bad lot of options.

When he meets Miss Theodora Driffield, an opinionated and adventurous heiress chafing under her mother's expectations, his misgivings intensify. She could be the answer to his problems, but he doesn't want to deceive her. Still, compelled by attraction and desperation, the two begin an unconventional courtship—Theodora gives him a black eye after their first kiss; he proposes marriage after they're spotted in a compromising situation.

They fall in love, but Theodora soon determines part of Emilian's subterfuge: she doesn't know that he trod the boards, but she does learn that he needs her money. True to form, she doesn't react placidly. He's utterly petrified when things begin to unravel between them. With everything to lose, he has to summon the nerve to make things right between them and be true to himself.

If he doesn't, Theodora might just slip through his fingers, adding to a lifetime's worth of losses. 

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Lord Emilian Valencourt grew up as the second son of a Duke.  He was always ignored or belittled . He has a fascination with the theater and an alter ego that he thought was unknown.  When everything is discovered, his father takes extreme actions that will forever ruin his dreams.  

Miss Theodora Driffield is the daughter of a self-made man.  She is nothing like the high born ladies who she must now compete with on the marriage mart.  

Our hero is not the most confident of men and being pushed into something he never expected doesn't help.  

Our heroine is very aware of her worth, both as an heiress and a woman.  She will not be pushed into a marriage, no matter how hard her mother pushes.  

An entertaining story with complicated and lovable characters. It's an unusual tale about very unusual people.  

Very enjoyable.

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Whitney is a bit of a wanderer and something of a bluestocking. She's been telling stories since childhood, when she would rewrite the endings of her favorite books and movies (or add "deleted scenes" to them). When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and going for long walks with no specific destination in mind.

Literary work comes naturally to Whitney, and she's very excited to be pursuing her passion - rich storylines, vibrant characters, and most of all, a happily ever after. Whitney has a doctorate in history, making her something of an expert!

Whitney loves to hear from her readers: whitneyblakeauthor@protonmail.com

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Duke of Disgrace (Dukes of Destiny #3) by Whitney Blake. Historical Romance ARC Review.

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Lord Jeremy Hareden, Duke of Bowland, only wishes for a calm, predictable life after returning home from his military service. Seeking peace above all else and blessed with an innate sense of justice, he decides to resume his work in law and politics. But neither fate nor war has left the duke unscathed. He is something of a laughingstock for turning a blind eye to his wife's affairs with other men—many other men, if rumors and the evidence before his own eyes are to be believed. And to deal with the horrors he experienced on the battlefield, he's turned to a clandestine abuse of wine and opiates.

This, of course, all leads to a rather abstracted and dark frame of mind. Jeremy can function well enough, but his study and business affairs are atrociously disorganized. His mother, never one to sit idly by, suggests he should hire a secretary. But rather than wait for him to find his own candidate, Lady Margaret Hareden procures her own unusual one.

Miss Charlotte Masbeck's father, a steward and former clerk, has trained her in secretarial duties. She's astute, kind, and clever. No one would guess that she's harboring a painful secret that makes her reluctant to trust anyone. The position for the Duke of Bowland seems like an ideal way to move forward from the troubling events of her past.

She doesn't count on falling in love with the duke and raising the ire of his unfaithful lady wife.

As he spends more time with Miss Masbeck, Jeremy realizes that he craves passion and romance, and not just a deceptive sense of peace at the cost of his emotions and self-respect. But does he have the nerve to make incredibly difficult choices—ones that could very well upend his entire life? What if he became known as the "Duke of Disgrace" by choice, sacrificing his tenuous tranquility for the freedom to love?

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Lord Jeremy Hareden the Duke of Bowland has returned from war minus his hand and with attitude that some things in life are just too much bother to change.  His wife has always cheated on him but he ignores it.  That disgrace is well known to everyone.  He has his own way of coping with it all. 

Miss Charlotte Masbeck has worked with her father, who is a steward for a large estate for years.  She is very well educated and has a knack for organization. She was taken advantage of a while ago and is just a little jumpy.  

A very interesting story that shows us how difficult it was in those times to put an end to a dead marriage,  even or maybe especially for the upper class. 

Lots of emotional soul searching.  There is still a lot of love to find.  

A very enjoyable read.

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Whitney is a bit of a wanderer and something of a bluestocking. She's been telling stories since childhood, when she would rewrite the endings of her favorite books and movies (or add "deleted scenes" to them). When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and going for long walks with no specific destination in mind.

Literary work comes naturally to Whitney and she's very excited to be pursuing her passion - rich story lines, vibrant characters, and most of all, a happily ever after.

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Duke of Sorrow (Dukes of Destiny #2) by Whitney Blake,. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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A disfigured duke and a mysterious woman discover that love is where you least expect to find it... 

Get Book Two in the bestselling Dukes of Destiny series - read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

Lord William Ainsworth, Duke of Ravenwood, never expected to be his family’s heir. A youngest son, he happily undertakes a doctor’s education. But when his brothers pass unexpectedly and their father follows, Will finds himself thrust into a role he doesn’t want. Nonetheless, dutiful and serious, he assumes the title just before serving as a military doctor abroad in Spain. 

Will does not return home unscathed. While trying to reach a wounded man, an explosion leaves his face disfigured and sight impaired. This leads to a rejection from his fiancée, who breaks their engagement. Mortified and scared, Will refuses to reenter the ton and isolates himself with just his widowed Aunt Jane for company. Because of his misfortune, locals start to call him the “Duke of Sorrow”—a dubious gesture of sympathy. 

One night, while taking their customary walk through the village on his estate, Will and Jane stumble upon an injured young woman. With his old instinct to heal overriding his desire to remain solitary, Will decides to bring her back to his manor so that she can recover. 

There’s just one problem—she won’t tell either of them who she is. Jane accepts this more readily than Will, who grows increasingly frustrated and besotted with the stranger. At a loss, he christens her “Miss Brooke”, a reference to the brookside where they originally found her. In truth, Miss Brooke is Miss Augusta Copperweld. 

And Augusta is determined never to return to her abusive, drunk father. 

Together, Jane and Will try to solve the mystery of the spirited Miss Brooke. Augusta is reluctant to divulge her true identity, but Jane has a hunch that these two souls are meant to make each other whole. 

Can Augusta help Will return to himself and relinquish his fears? Is he going to regain his courage and kindness? 

Dukes Of Destiny Series 
Book 1 - Duke of Havoc 
Book 2 - Duke of Sorrow 
Book 3 - Duke of Disgrace 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

William Ainsworth was the youngest of three sons,  so the only responsibilities he had was to himself. He decided to study to be a doctor.  He never expected that  his brothers and both his parents would die, and leave him as the new Duke of Ravenswood.  Now he has returned home from the war badly wounded and scarred forever.  He has always been the quiet type,  now he is reclusive.
Augusta Copperweld is the abused daughter of the town drunk.  Her one thought was to run before she is killed.  She didn't get far. 
This is a sweet, emotional story of two damaged people learning to live again.  Lovely characters and a little humour. 
An enjoyable read. 

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Whitney is a bit of a wanderer and something of a bluestocking. She's been telling stories since childhood, when she would rewrite the endings of her favorite books and movies (or add "deleted scenes" to them). When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and going for long walks with no specific destination in mind.

Literary work comes naturally to Whitney and she's very excited to be pursuing her passion - rich story lines, vibrant characters, and most of all, a happily ever after.

Duke of Havoc (Dukes of Destiny #1) by Whitney Blake. Historical Romance ARC Review.

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Book One in an exciting new Regency Historical Romance series. Meet the damaged dukes from the Napoleonic wars and the spirited, strong-willed, and beautiful women who help them discover the joy of living again. Romance, intrigue, and passion ignite in this stunning new series - and read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

Lord Reeve Malliston, Third Duke of Nidderdale, is a brilliant military tactician with a musician’s eccentricities. A favorite of the Duke of Wellington, he’s called to fight on the fields of Salamanca. The English victory is supposed to be Reeve’s defining accomplishment, but war is cruel to the duke, who is discharged from the battlefield nearly deaf and with two fingers missing. He comes home a disgraced and broken man, or so he believes. 

After his lady wife dies under mysterious circumstances, nasty rumors abound that he went mad, that war shattered his mind and he murdered the mother of his two young daughters. With little care for the social consequences, he does nothing to combat the gossip and descends into debauchery, leaving his children under the dubious care of a pernicious governess and her sister, his equally uncivil housekeeper. 

When yet another instance of domestic chaos greets him and his daughters beg him to intervene, Reeve suddenly decides to enlist his old comrade’s daughter as their new governess. With this new woman to be both surrogate mother and tutor, Reeve plans on resuming his risqué lifestyle without worry or guilt. 

But Miss Caroline Sedgwyck, though affectionate toward the children and levelheaded overall, is anything but docile. She sees right through Reeve’s penchant for impropriety, much as he detects that her calm indifference to him is a facade. The two constantly test each other as Caroline challenges the duke to do what is best for his family, while Reeve stirs Caroline’s passions. 

Desire, friction, and friendship blossom in equal measure between them—is Caroline the woman to quell the Duke of Havoc? Will she restore the music to his soul? 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lord Reeve Malliston,  the Duke of Nidderdale has come back from the war suffering from more than his visible wounds. Even after coming home,  bad things happened.  Now it's easier to ignore his home and family and spend his time in dubious company. 
Miss Connie Sedgwyck knows her father is struggling to keep them both on his earnings as a music teacher.  When a request for her to be a tutor to two little girls it's just what she needs.  However with her outspoken ways she might not be employed for long. 
This is at times an emotional story,  but mostly it's just fun.  The characters are very strong and opinionated, even the little ones.  It also shows us that no matter how important a person might be,  the trials of war can be devastating. 
A real page turner. 

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Whitney is a bit of a wanderer and something of a bluestocking. She's been telling stories since childhood, when she would rewrite the endings of her favorite books and movies (or add "deleted scenes" to them). When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and going for long walks with no specific destination in mind.

Literary work comes naturally to Whitney and she's very excited to be pursuing her passion - rich storylines, vibrant characters, and most of all, a happily ever after.