The Duke Diaries by Sophia Nash

Available February 26th.

The latest duke to be undone by drink in Sophia Nash’s Royal Entourage series is also the newest, titled for services rendered to the Crown. Caught in bed with his archenemy’s still-innocent sister the morning after the most outrageous bachelor party of the century, Rory Lennox, the Duke of Abshire, knows his goose is cooked. To make amends he enters into an engagement with her to hold society at bay, but tangles with his growing attraction for this fearless, plucky lady.

Verity Fitzroy is one of five plain sisters of the premier duke, Candover. And while she’s always been fascinated by Abshire, she has far too much pride to marry a gentleman against his will. She insists that she will break off the engagement at the end of the season, even if it renders her unmarriagable.

Meanwhile, a series of entries from a discovered diary begin appearing in a London paper. These entries detail the most scandalous, most shameful exploits of The Royal Entourage. With the French Revolution so fresh in the minds of the populace, these tales of excess could incite the country to a revolt. Speculation is that Abshire recorded his friends misdeeds, but Verity knows who the real culprit is, and the truth could destroy any hope of happiness she has with the duke. But when a series of mysterious accidents takes place, Abshire and Verity must each make peace with the past to discover a passionate love that will transform them forever.

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These past few months I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of being one of the current Avon Addicts, a group of women who spread the word and share our love of Avon Books and its incredibly talented authors. The thing I’ve most enjoyed about my time so far as an Addict – aside from having the chance to work with our lovely and fearless Avon Addict Leaders, Jessie Edwards, Caroline Perny, and Pamela Spengler-Jaffee – and also aside from having met some incredible women and fellow Addicts – has been being introduced to a world of amazing authors whose writing I’ve not yet had the opportunity to read, and such is the case with the very talented Sophia Nash.

The Duke Diaries is the third book in Ms. Nash’s Regency period Royal Entourage series. It’s at times light, and at other times moving. It's romantic, it’s sexy – an absolutely wonderful story!

For me to truly enjoy a book, certain things must happen... first and foremost I have to feel a connection to the characters, especially the hero and heroine, and I did. From the start I found Rory Lennox, the Duke of Abshire, and Verity Fitzroy, one of the sisters of Rory’s sworn enemy, to be such wonderful characters. They’re thoughtful, sensible, quirky, passionate, people who I couldn’t help but care for and, as the story progresses, fall in love with.

Another must is that the story has to be entertaining and keep in interested in a way that has me turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning because I can’t get enough. And yes, I got that, too. I understand this series is a historical twist on “The Hangover” which I had never heard of before, but whatever – for me, it’s a unique story that had me laughing, sighing, fanning myself, and hoping for an outcome that would work for everyone, most especially Rory and Verity.

Secondary characters who don’t feel secondary can be difficult to manage, but Ms. Nash pulled this off with flying colors, and this is yet another 'something' I hope to find in my reading. Let’s face it, the heroes and heroines aren’t often the only people on the pages. They need a strong supporting cast of friends and family, otherwise the story can feel a bit… thin. But toss in characters whose presence enhances the story – makes it richer – and I’m going to be happy, if not downright giddy!

And lastly, but most importantly, I need a love story I can believe in. Rory and Verity had to work for their happy ending, and I mean work hard. Through their trials and their triumphs, they earned it, they deserve it, and I know they treasure their future together.

I'm happy to tell you that The Duke Diaries gave me everything I crave, everything I hope for, and then some.

From a historical standpoint, the inclusion of “Prinny” and his demand that the men of his ‘royal entourage’ make restitution for their scandalous behavior – however hypocritical he might be – brought another entertaining layer to the story and had me Googling The Prince Regent to see just how excessive his excesses were. Other authors have used Prinny as a side character in their novels, but the way Ms. Nash brought him into the story… as I’m sitting here writing about it, I’m grinning yet again. I quite enjoyed his meddling and hope to see much of him in Ms. Nash's future stories.

Just a quick note for those who might be wondering; because the author did such a fantastic job of setting up this story, I had absolutely no problem reading it out of order. That said, the series premise is so fun, so entertaining, that I’ll most certainly be going back and reading the previous books, Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea and The Art of Duke Hunting, as well as all the books to come.

The bottom line: The Duke Diaries is a well told story of unwavering devotion. It's about faith and trust, honor and integrity, and falling in love despite the odds. It's about letting go of the past and looking forward to a future filled with happiness, adventure, and that once in a lifetime happily ever after.

Many, many thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of The Duke Diaries in exchange for an honest review. I can’t tell you what a pleasure it’s been!

The Duke Diaries goes on sale February 26th. For more information on this story, please visit: Avon Books - The Duke Diaries by Sophia Nash

And while you’re there, take a look around. You’ll probably find that many of your favorite authors are Avon authors.

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Sometimes love is an accident.

This time, it’s a strategy.

Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly--so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.

But that is precisely what she gets.

Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's up to, he realizes there is more to than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match…

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The Duchess War is the first full length novel in Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, and a story that I've been looking forward to. Having read The Governess Affair, the prequel to this story, and having read the epilogue that sets up this book, I knew that what was to come would be an wonderful, emotional read, but this... it was so much more than I had hoped for.

Let me get this said right up front. This book is brilliant. The way Ms. Milan writes historical romances, the way she uses the ridiculous social standards of the times to not only hinder her characters but to make them triumphant – yes. Brilliant.

When I first began reading historical romances, I thought things like the ton, peerage, seasons, the need to marry well… I thought they were all silly things, a bunch of hogwash made up by authors to flesh out their stories. But then, as I did more research of this on my own, I discovered that not only was it not hogwash, it was often far worse than historical romance portrays it. So when I read books like The Governess Affair and The Duchess War, and knowing that this was a reality of the times, I find I become very emotionally attached to the… lessers. The Underdogs. Those who don’t fit and will never fit regardless of the kinds of people they are. It doesn’t matter how much good they do, how many lives they might save, or how they treat others. They would never fit. And yet there were those who took up more space than they were worth, but were welcomed wherever they went… it all seemed so unfair. So hopeless.

But not the way Ms. Milan tells the story.

The Duchess War is a story of right and wrong. Of honor - and not just honor when it’s convenient. It’s being a person of high integrity, no matter the cost. It’s also a beautiful romance. And not just about discovering love and holding on to it with every single thing you are - more importantly, it’s about being worthy of that love.

Robert and Minnie are such compelling characters, and had they been real people, I would truly believe that their chance meeting was destiny giving them a hand. They’re so very opposite from one another, but alike in the ways that matter. Both flawed, emotionally scarred people who recognized that in one another, and that's what drew them together. Were they perfect? No! They were human! There were times I was angry with Robert, times I was livid with Minnie, but in the end, I came to adore them both. And that's all that matters.

The bottom line: Courtney Milan never ceases to amaze me with her stories that are witty, clever, intelligent, sexy and so very romantic. She’s one of very few auto-buy authors on my list, one of the few whose stories I am guaranteed to love, and books like those found in The Brothers Sinister series are why.

So do yourself a favor and pick up the novella, The Governess Affair and this story, The Duchess War and settle in for two of the most delightful, poignant, lovely romances you’ll likely ever read.

My sincerest thanks to Ms. Milan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts with you. It was a true pleasure, start to finish.