Wow. I mean really....WOW! I didn't think I would like this book but I fell head over heels in love with it. Really fell in love! This is my first book by Courtney Milan and I can't wait to get my hands on the next story of this series.
This is a historical romance dated in the 1800s. The main characters are Ash Turner and Anna Margaret Dalrymple. Ash stole the dukedom from Anna's brother to get back at their father. When Ash was younger his sister became terminally ill and he walked miles to the Duke of Parford to ask for help. Ash is the fifth cousin of the Duke. The Duke refused to help and his sister died. Ash was able to strip the dukedom because he proved the Duke was a bigamist which declared Anna Margaret and her two brothers illegitimate. This made Ash next in line to become Duke.
Anna Margaret tried her best to despise Ash. But Ash is a charmer. He has such a way with words and reading people that it is extremely difficult for anyone to dislike him. Ash is tall, handsome, well built with bronze skin. He's defiant. He is not accustomed to the familiarites of being in such a prestigious position. He enlists the help from the workers at the manor to learn the ways of a Duke and he is determined to succeed. His biggest weakness is he cant read and the first person he ever tells is Anna Margaret. Although he can't read, Ash still found a way to be a very wealthy man and to support his two brothers. Everything he does is done for his brothers benefit. He loves them dearly.
Anna Margaret is slowly discovering her self with the help of Ash building her confidence and self worthiness. She is torn between her loyalty to her brothers and her growing respect and attraction to Ash. When he reveals he can't read to her she realizes that this information alone could take away the dukedom from him and given back to her brothers. But she chooses not to disclose this information.
The love, respect, and loyalty Ash and Anna have for eachother and their family is touching and real. It's a struggle to choose between love and family. What Anna Margaret realized in the end is that her loyalty to her family was not given in return. She chose family over Ash. Ash chose her over his family because he saw how much he and her brother was hurting her. But Anna's brother told her that he was going to leave her illegitimate just to get the dukedom. That's when she realized that a man like her brother didn't deserve such a title. So she went to Parliament and asked them to vote in Ash's favor.
I felt like a fly on a wall reading this book. I felt as if I was transported back to a time when I didn't even exist. This book kept me interested from page one. The supporting characters were well written and prepares you for the upcoming novel which features Ash's brother Mark. Mark is living a life a chastity so I can't wait to find out if he holds out until marriage or he finally meets his weakness and give over to temptation.
Can't wait for Mark's story!
You can visit Courtney Milan's website at http://www.courtneymilan.com/
Other books by this author:
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