Katharine Ashe is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. She has captivated me again with this rich novel of a desperate, brave and guarded woman on a quest to seek answers who encounters a demanding piratical merchant ship captain/former navy captain/aristocrat. They are drawn to each other yet have deep seated secrets and go through twists and turns that not only involve outside forces but their own internal struggles. One of my favorite quotes:"He released her and she regained a trace of the composure she had practiced so diligently until meeting Luc Westfall caused her to throw it all to the wind. She knew she should still be angry and hurt and stalwart in defending the walls around her heart. But those walls had long since crumbled. She could only stand atop their ruins and hope the invader was merciful." - Arabella Caufield, Chapter 15I could not put this book down and then thought about it when I did. I was literally shocked about a third of the way through and wondering how in the world this story was going to turn out. I could not see ahead even 2 chapters away from the end. I think it takes a smart writer to pull one over on me as I'm a jaded one. I can always figure things out and if not, can't wait to so I skip ahead (I'm terrible at Christmastime as you can imagine). I skipped very little with this one if only so I could savor the story that much more. I highly recommend and I'm onto the next one in the series, "I Adored a Lord". Can't wait! What a fun adventure of a book! We begin this series with the three sisters as young girls visiting fortune-telling gypsy. They are hoping to get some clues about their parents and the strange ring that their mother left with before sending them off. The gypsy claims the ring belongs a prince and that he would have their answers.I Married the Duke revolves around middle-sister, Arabella. It seems to me that she is the fierce, spunky one of the three. Arabella is a governess and finds herself employed with all of the "best" families in hopes she will get their daughters married off to the best prospects available. We meet her as she is trying to get passage onto a ship that will take her to the prince she is dreaming of marrying: the one who will have her answers! Little does she know what this ship is captained by a handsome duke and her life-plan is about to drastically change.This story is full of twists. A few things happened (which I won't spoil) that found me saying, "what, really?" and then I'd finally understand just for another twist to occur. By the last four chapters I was completely enraptured and flying through the pages to see how this would all end. The whole thing, in my opinion, reads almost like a mystery and there are may climatic scenes as different characters get themselves into and out off some pretty tight spots.The undertones and the story-line had a pretty serious undertone to me. This wasn't all balls and gossip and sewing circle. We get a lot of deep subject matters, which I totally wasn't expecting, but it really worked out and added a new level to the story.Overall, I enjoyed this one and will be continuing on with the series. The next book features Ravenna, and from what I have seen from her in I Married the Duke, I think I am going to really like her. I am very curious about these girls' history and what happened to them as children.
Do You like book I Married The Duke (2013)?
Wonderful! One of the best dialogues between H and h I have ever read.Highly Recommended!
—blue2
It was entertaining same old love story but I love it
—tkim
