Title: The Scandalous Love of a Duke (Marlow Intrigues #3)
Author: Jane Lark
Genre: Regency Romance (Historical)
Publish Date: April 3, 2014
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.
Synopsis
Book three in Jane Lark's Kindle best-selling Regency romance series!
Isolated by life and choice, John Harding, the Duke of Pembroke, sees an angel in a pale mauve dress across a room and is drawn closer as lust grips firm and hard in his stomach. The wheat-blonde hair escaping her dull dove-grey bonnet and caressing her neck lures his eyes to a spot he'd like to kiss. She speaks with animation her hands moving. Then as if she senses his gaze the stranger turns and looks at him.
A rush of pain and longing spilled from Katherine's heart into her limbs. It was so long since she'd seen John but her reaction was the same as it had been more than half-a-dozen years before. She loved him, secretly, without hope, but a chasm of years and status stood
between them.
Excerpt
A glass of red wine balanced in one hand, the stem dangling between his fingers, he joined another group of guests, fulfilling his duty. He trusted no one here. God, this was his life now, duty and falsehood. He missed Egypt, he missed adventure and peace and simplicity. He was already bored with people’s endless supplication. Everyone seemed to want something from him. They sought to attach themselves to either his wealth or his power. His grandfather had warned of this. John had had enough. He was seeking his family to escape it for a little while, and looking for Mary particularly. He knew his vibrant sister would bring him back from the cold darkness crowding in on him. He’d passed his mother and Edward in the hall, they’d been speaking with Richard and Penny, they’d directed him in here. His gaze swept about the room then stopped. There was a young woman standing amidst his family, like a blonde beacon of light amongst his dark-haired black-clad cousins. She was an angel in a pale mauve dress. Lust gripped had and firm in his stomach, an intense physical attraction. He’d never experienced anything so instant before. But it was a long time since he’d bedded a woman – far too long. Her figure was a sublime balance of curves and narrow waist. Her spine had a beautiful arch as it curved into the point where her dress opened onto a full skirt. Wheat-blonde hair escaped a dull dove-grey bonnet, caressing her neck and drawing his eyes to a place he’d like to kiss. She was speaking with animation her hands moving. He moved closer and as if she sensed his gaze the stranger turned and looked at him. In answer a lightning need struck his groin, a sharp sudden pain. She was an English Rose among orchids, the sort of woman he had seen nothing of abroad. Her skin was pale, with roses blooming in her cheeks, and her eyes were a vivid beautiful blue, like the bluebells which bloomed in spring, in the woods at Pembroke Place. She was what he had longed for abroad and not even known he’d been lacking. His attention wholly captured, desire slipped into his blood as his groin grew heavy with hunger. This was what came from abstinence he supposed. He’d never had a fancy for fair, fay women before. He did now. She did not look the sort for a fling though, certainly not the she-wolf type who stalked the foreign fields. His mind began rattling through his guest list, but no name fit her, and her dull grey bonnet and shawl did not speak of affluence. Who was she? He smiled as he grew nearer, then realised he was staring and shifted his gaze to the others in the group. It was then he noticed Phillip as they turned to towards him. “My God.” “Your Grace.” “Phillip.” Lord, John hoped Phillip had not come here with a motive. John did not wish to hear oily grovelling from an old friend. His heart thumped in cold anger, not gladness. Then he looked at the blonde and his breath caught as recognition whispered in his head. Kate.Erin's Review
This by far, was my favorite book in the series. This book follows, John, Ellen's child from the first book in the series.
Now John is all grown and ready to step in to the role of the Duke. The role his grandfather primed him for. Upon his return to England, he says goodbye to his grandfather finds himself now the head of the family. It was a position he tried to avoid for he did not want to be like his grandfather.
Katherine has been in love with John since she saw him swimming in the lake. She loved him in secret, knowing that he could never marry her, for he was a Duke after all, and she a simply dairy maid's daughter. When the two meet again, Katherine discovers her feelings have not changed and John finds himself in awe of Katherine.
John and Katherine's story is not without struggle. They not only have to fight society, they have to fight John's inner struggle of understanding his childhood. He has trust issues and a discovery that he made shortly after his grandfather's death does nothing to quell his mistrust of just about everyone. Katherine tries everything to show John that you have to put your trust in someone, you cannot fight all your battles alone but he is stubborn. She often refers to him as 2 people, his ducal persona and her John.
It takes John almost losing her to finally realize his feelings but Katherine is keeping a secret of her own. A secret that could ruin her forever.
Can the couple overcome their obstacles to get their Happily Ever After or will they let the past get in their way? The story is beautifully written and Jane does a wonderful job at putting you right in the time period. Her characters are well developed and there is a bit of everything in the book. Mystery, intrigue, suspense and most importantly romance. If you love historicals, you will love this book.
About the Author
Jane is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult Romance, and a Kindle top 25 bestselling author.
She began her first historical novel at sixteen, but a life full of adversity derailed her as she lives with the restrictions of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
When she finally completed a novel it was because she was determined not to reach forty still saying, I want to write.
Now Jane is writing a Regency series and contemporary, new adult, stories and she is thrilled to be giving her characters life in others' imaginations at last.
You might think that Jane was inspired to write by Jane Austen, especially as she lives near Bath in the United Kingdom, but you would be wrong. Jane's favourite author is Anya Seton, and the book which drew her into the bliss of falling into historical imagination was 'Katherine' a story crafted from reality.
Jane has drawn on this inspiration to discover other real-life love stories, reading memoirs and letters to capture elements of the past, and she uses them to create more realistic plots.
'Basically I love history and I am sucker for a love story. I love the feeling of falling in love; it's wonderful being able to do it time and time again in fiction.'
Jane is also a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, and uses this specialist understanding of people to bring her characters to life.
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