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Brides of Wishmore series
The Match of the Century
Marrying the Duke #1
Cathy Maxwell
Releasing Nov 24th, 2015
Avon Books
In New York
Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell’s glittering new series, wedding
bells are ringing… until the return of a rake throws a bride’s plans— and
heart—into a tailspin.
Every
debutante aspires to snag a duke. Elin Morris just happens to have had one
reserved since birth. But postponements of her marriage to London’s most
powerful peer give Elin time to wonder how she will marry Gavin Baynton when
she cannot forget his brother, Benedict.
Already
exasperated at being yanked from the military to meet “family obligations,” now
Ben must suffer watching his arrogant sibling squire the only woman he has ever
loved. Joining the army saved Ben from sinking into bitterness, but seeing Elin
again takes him back to the day they surrendered to their intoxicating desire.
As the
wedding draws near, Elin tries to push Ben far from her thoughts. When danger
brings them together, there is no denying their feelings. But can Elin choose
love over duty…?
All of London, even down to the riffraff, already
knew what the ball’s special announcement would be. There was no mystery,
although the dowager Duchess of Baynton’s guests would feign surprise when the
moment for the announcement arrived.
They called it the Match of the Century.
Her son, the duke of Baynton, London’s richest and
unarguably most handsome gentleman, would announce his betrothal to the Miss
Elin Morris, also known as Morris Heiress, thereby uniting two great fortunes
and two magnificent adjoining country estates in Leicestershire along the River
Trent.
And the reason everyone anticipated the
“announcement” was because it was a well-known fact that Elin had been promised
to the duke almost since the day of her birth. Yes, she had been presented at
Court and had gone through the motions of a First Season but it had all been
just a formality, a “show.” The duke was hers. She had Baynton, the epitome of
a lordly lord, the Nonpareil.
“And I am not worthy of him,” Elin
whispered, stopping the furious pacing she’d been at for the last ten minutes
in an attempt to settle anxious nerves and a confused mind.
Her bedroom in her parent’s London house was fit
for a princess. The India carpet in hues of blue was thick and soft beneath her
stockinged feet. Her furniture was gilded in the opulent manner her parents
preferred.
Back in Heartwood, the Morris family estate, which
adjoined the Baynton’s family seat, the furniture in her room was simple and to
her tastes. Here, her parents ruled. They were London creatures, darlings of
society.
And Elin? Well, their only child preferred the
quieter life at Heartwood. Of course, all that would change when she became
Baynton’s duchess. He was too important to have his wife rusticate in the
country.
She caught a glimpse of herself in her dressing
table mirror, a lone figure in finely woven petticoats, her face pale beneath a
mop of over-curly brown hair. Her dark eyes reflected her agitation. They
threatened to swallow her face.
“It’s not that I don’t want Baynton,” she attempted
to explain to her image. “It is that I shouldn’t have him. Not without
telling him--”
I felt bad for Ben almost from the start. It was hard for him to watch the woman he loved getting ready to marry his brother. But fate had other plans for them and brings them together when Elin's life is in danger. When the truth of their past comes out, neither can deny their feelings for each other. I didn't feel much for Gavin until almost the end when we get a glimpse of the man behind the title. The sneak peek into the next book had me wondering if he will finally get his happily ever after, or if he will have to step aside again. Can't wait to find out!
I received an ARC via Edelweiss for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.
New York Times Bestselling Author, Cathy Maxwell spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” It remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.
Don't Miss the Marrying the Duke Novella
A LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
Great review. Thank you for hosting!
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