Dueling With the Duke by Eileen Dreyer

 Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Book Description

She had a face that was perfectly forgettable. At least that is how Jamie Grace described his wife Georgie to his cousin Colonel Adam Marrick, the new Duke of Rothray. Adam might have believed it if he had just met her in passing. But as he visits with his cousin’s widow and child, Adam realizes that Jamie had deliberately whetted his appetite with a purpose. He wanted to make sure Adam would be with his family if he couldn’t. The longer he spends with Georgie Grace, the more Adam wants to do just that, with a perfectly forgettable woman, who turns out to be surprisingly unforgettable.

He had a face that was completely forgettable. Only Georgie’s husband Jamie would describe his stunningly handsome cousin that way. Adam Marrick is not just handsome, he is heroic. When the military man comes to visit Georgie and her daughter Lilly, Georgie realizes that Jamie knew that Adam would be the perfect person to be there for his family if he couldn’t. Georgie wants to believe that. Unfortunately, Adam also brings news that sets her world on its ear. It seems her Lilly, who had been disowned by Jamie’s family, is suddenly a duchess herself. And Adam has the right to take her away to fulfill her destiny. But Adam has not just brought surprising news. He has brought a terrible dilemma, and an unforeseen danger to them all.

About Eileen Dreyer

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Eileen Dreyer is actually evil twins. Known as Kathleen Korbel to her Silhouette readers, she has published thirty-seven novels and novellas and 11 short stories in not only the various genres of romance (including historical, suspense, fantasy and contemporary) but suspense--most particularly medical forensic suspense, where she kills off the people who annoyed her when she worked as a trauma nurse She came to publishing from that world of trauma nursing, which taught her some very important lessons, the most important being "don't sweat the small stuff," or, as her family puts it, "come see me when you get hit by a bus." In addition to trauma, she is trained in death investigation and Tactical Medicine (technically she is eligible to be a medic on a SWAT team).

Eileen won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by Romantic Times. Since then she has garnered not only a prestigious Anthony Award nomination for mystery, but five Rita Awards from the Romance Writers of America, which afforded her a place as only the fourth member in the RWA Hall of Fame.

Eileen is a voracious reader--of everything--who started writing at ten, when she ran out of Nancy Drews. She writes in two genres, because she believes in the message of both: hope and justice.(well, and because she hasn't finished that big fantasy yet)You can figure out which is which.

A frequent speaker at writer's conferences and universities all across the country(and more recently, Italy), Eileen is a member not only of Romance Writers of America, but Novelists, Inc, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and, just in case things go wrong, Emergency Nurses Association. She has also assumed the mantle of unofficial mascot for the International Association of Forensic Nurses, a new forensic subspecialty that, amazingly enough, has begun to show up in her work.

A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri, Eileen has been married for forty-four years to husband Rick, and has two children and might have grandchildren. She also has animals but refuses to expose them to the glare of the limelight. An addicted traveler, she has sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and enjoys the kind of hands-on book research that lets her salve an insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends.

My Thoughts

This was my second Novella by Eileen Dreyer and I think I am even more amazed by her writing. 

This story was about a young widow trying to protect her young child from danger. Georgie has been disowned by her parents for not marrying the man of their choosing. To protect her child, she flees to the safety of her brother's home. Here she begins to relax until her dead husband's cousin Adam arrives. 

Adam arrives at Georgie's home to deliver the news that her daughter is now a duchess. What he doesn't anticipate is falling in love with her and her daughter. Nor is he aware of the danger he brings her. 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Adam become completely captivated by young Lilly and her mother Georgie. It was so sweet and endearing. I think my favorite character of all was young Lilly or Lully as she is known by her mother. She simply stole my heart and the story. 

I was completely in love with this story from beginning to end. It was full of fun moments. It also showed a mother could be strong, intelligent, and very protective when it comes to her child.