Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 1)
A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have
left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart,
enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey's focus on
expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his
mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman
managing his stepfather's funeral, he's shocked to discover how much they have
in common. Still, Grey isn't interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully
outspoken, the lady . . .
Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the
arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn't exactly changing
her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest
“project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that
Beatrice is seeing through Grey's charms to his wounded heart, she's having
trouble keeping him at arm's length. But once Grey starts digging into her
family's secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . .
. or with the man whose lessons capture her heart . . .
Good opening to the new series. These are the stories of
the children of Lydia, a duchess who has been married three times, each one a
duke. She has five grown children, four sons, and one daughter. The oldest son,
Grey, was with her first husband, twins Thorn and Gwyn, with her second
husband, and Sheridan and Heywood with her third husband. Three of those sons
are now dukes, themselves. This is the story of Fletcher Pryde, 5th Duke of
Greycourt.
Grey had a relatively normal life until he was ten years
old. His father died when Grey was young, and his first stepfather not long after
that. His second stepfather was a kind and loving man for them all. When Grey
was ten, his uncle, who was named guardian by Grey's father, came to claim him.
This set in motion a chain of events that left Grey alienated from his family
and determined to always be in control of his emotions. The book opens as Grey
receives word of his stepfather's (the Fourth Duke of Armitage) death and his
mother's plea for him to come for the funeral. He doesn't want to, but despite
everything, he still loves his mother, so he goes, but plans only a short stay.
Those plans get derailed when he arrives and meets Miss Beatrice Wolfe, his
half-brother's cousin.
Beatrice is the granddaughter of a duke, but the poor
relation in this family. She and her brother, Joshua, were the wards of the Third
Duke of Armitage and occupy the dower house. Joshua is a veteran of the
Peninsular War, where he was badly wounded before coming home to become the
estate gamekeeper. He is a grouchy loner who avoids people whenever he can. Beatrice
loves her family and helped Lydia and her family learn the ropes when Maurice
became the fourth duke. She stepped in to help with the funeral arrangements
and is engaged in that process when Grey arrives. He does NOT make a good
impression.
I loved the first meeting between Grey and Beatrice. He
is very much the top-lofty, arrogant duke, and Beatrice doesn't put up with
that attitude. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her stand up to him. Grey is taken
aback at first, but then intrigued and captivated. It's evident that there are
sparks between them, but neither one wants to admit it. Beatrice knows that
there is too big a gap between them for anything to become of it. Grey wants
nothing to do with anything that threatens his control over his emotions.
I enjoyed the development of Grey and Beatrice's
relationship. Their plans to avoid each other are complicated by Lydia's plans
to take both Gwyn and Beatrice to London for the Season. Lydia recruits Grey to
assist in teaching both women what they need to know to survive a London
Season. It doesn't take long for Grey and Beatrice to discover that they have
much in common, from unpleasant events in their pasts to their preference for
straight talk. I loved their pledge to each other that they don't hold back
when speaking to each other. Both of them are very quick-witted, and I liked
the banter and teasing between them. The more time they spent together, the
greater the sparks between them grew, providing both sweet and steamy encounters.
However, the possibility of a future between them has
complications and obstacles. Sheridan believes that his father was murdered and
that Joshua is the most likely suspect. He recruits Grey to help him
investigate, which puts Grey in an awkward position as his feelings for
Beatrice grow. Can he discover the truth without endangering his relationship
with her? There are some heart-wrenching and amusing moments as Grey, Beatrice,
and Joshua work their way through this dilemma. Grey also ends up the attempted
victim of his selfish and greedy aunt as she tries to manipulate him into an
engagement with his cousin. The timing was especially bad, but Grey comes
through with the perfect solution. In both cases, Grey and Beatrice had to
decide whether they were able to trust each other. I liked that they overcame
by talking to each other - once the initial hurt and anger faded. The ending
was great, and I loved their big moment at the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire family. It is obvious
that there is a great deal of love between all the members, even though some
have a harder time showing it. The teasing indicates that they don't take
themselves too seriously. When there are problems, there is always someone
available to help with support or advice. That's not to say there are no
problems. Joshua's attitude is a prime example and makes it easier for him to
be suspected of murder. At the same time, Sheridan's focus on Joshua was a bit
irritating as his suspicions had no evidence to support them. The sniping and
arguing between Thorn and Gwyn appears to be caused by something in their past,
which I hope will be addressed in a later book. It looks like the question of
the murder may be a continuing theme through the series. I am intrigued to see
how that develops.
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