About the Book:

She wanted a hot-blooded lover. He needed a cool-headed duchess. Their marriage of convenience will be anything but convenient…

When Fate throws tinker’s daughter Fancy Sheridan into the arms of Severin Knight, the Duke of Knighton, neither are prepared for the consequences. Fancy has always dreamed of passionate love and instead finds herself wed to a stoic nobleman whose heart belongs to another. Knighton needs a high-born lady to shepherd his unruly half-siblings through the ton and now has a wife who knows nothing of society and cares even less about its rules.

As Fancy and Knighton struggle to find common ground, hot and irresistible passion flares between them. All the while, dark secrets rise to threaten their budding happiness. Will husband and wife defeat their enemies and find everlasting love?

Click on title below for direct Amazon buy link:                                               The Return of the Duke (Game of Dukes Book 5)

My Review:

Severin Knight grew up in the Rookery, having to scramble to survive.  His father abandoned his mother before he was even born, causing her to resort to selling her body, then becoming an alcoholic, then drifting into madness.  Severin’s life changed when he saved the life of a young lady when he was a teenager.  His love for Imogen inspired him to work hard to transform himself into a gentleman and to become a wealthy man.  Even so, he still wasn’t good enough for Imogen, and she married an earl to please her family, though she professed to love Severin.  Having resolved himself to a future devoid of the love of his life, Severin, now known as Knight, resolves to continue being a true gentleman and focuses on his business interests.  At the age of thirty, he is summoned by the dying Duke of Knighton, only to be told that he is, in fact, the legitimate heir.  He inherits a dukedom, as well as the guardianship of four illegitimate half siblings he never knew existed.  His aunt encourages him to quickly find a suitable duchess, one who has enough social consequence to prepare his unruly family for society, as well as manage them.  Thus, Knight sets off to court Lady Beatrice, only to find himself strangely intrigued by her best friend.

Fancy Sheridan is the adopted daughter of a traveling tinker, who found her as an abandoned baby twenty two years ago.  Fancy received all the love that her adoptive parents had to bestow, and became a true part of the family.  During their travels, Fancy became best friends with Bea, a duke’s sister, and stays in a cottage on her land every year as her family passes through.  Fancy is content with her traveling life, and has turned down proposals, vowing only to marry for true love, the kind she’s read about.  When she sees Knight, it’s like she was struck by a bolt of lightning!  Never has she had such an intense and instantaneous attraction to a man.

Though Knight himself had humble origins, and truly doesn’t look down on Fancy, he knows that she will never be the sort of wife he needs.  Even when Bea makes it clear that she won’t accept his suit, Knight’s honor won’t let him take advantage of the mutual attraction between him and Fancy.  He can’t wed her and he can’t bed her.  Knight prepares to return to town, but circumstances have him rescuing Fancy from danger more than once.  Finally, their passion overrules them, only to have them caught in a most compromising position.  Though Fancy refuses to trap Knight into a marriage he doesn’t want, he is most insistent, and she finally agrees.  Just so there is no misunderstanding, Knight is clear that he will honor and share a physical relationship with Fancy, but he will never love her.  His heart belongs to Imogen forever.

Oh, my goodness, Knight and Fancy!  The steam between this couple about melted my kindle, and had me turning on the fan to dispel the smoke coming out of my ears!  Aside from the physical chemistry, they had a genuine liking for each other and a wonderful rapport.  As they grow closer every day, Fancy gives her all to becoming the kind of woman Knight needs, learning social graces, correct speech, and even charming his siblings.  It seems as if love may be brewing, until his past love rears her unwelcome head, and the mystery of Fancy’s birth threatens her very life now.

I love this couple so much.  Knight has truly become a gentleman of honor, but his playful and sexy side, as well as his generous care of Fancy make him a genuine hero.  Fancy is warm, passionate, caring, and willing to give her all.  But can she defeat a ghost from Knight’s past?  Grace Callaway has a writing style that’s engrossing and reads as smooth as butter.  THE RETURN OF THE DUKE flowed beautifully, making me get out the fan, tugging at my emotions, and leaving me smiling at the fairy tale like ending.  I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy an emotional romance with plenty of steam.    ~Rose