The Duke

Starred review from August 15, 2017
A devilish duke and a missionary's widow form an unlikely pair. From the age of 8, Amarantha Vale knows exactly whom she'll marry; unfortunately, at 17, she mistakenly thinks she's found him. Her engagement to the young missionary carries her across the ocean to Jamaica; it also sends her careening into the decidedly nonmissionary Lt. Gabriel Hume in the middle of her first hurricane. After a short time, just as they admit their feelings for each other, Gabe is ordered to command a ship, causing Amarantha to marry the patronizing reverend. Years later, widowed, she reverses her journey across the Atlantic in search of Gabe, now the Duke of Loch Irvine, known throughout the Scottish highlands as the Devil's Duke. Rumors abound about the possibly homicidal duke, but she doesn't believe them, and upon meeting again, the couple finds that they are both older, wiser, and still mad for each other. In a genre where love stories usually unfold over the course of a single season, this story, which begins with the couple's meeting in 1817 and ends happily in 1823, is unusually complex, and delightfully so. Ashe's (Captive Bride, 2017, etc.) thorough research enlivens corners of the Regency era unseen by London society and creates many moments for both Gabe and Amarantha to engage in small individual efforts to combat the evils of slavery and misogyny. Not that their passion is neglected; the longer-than-average story allows ample time for the bedroom, and in great detail. Readers who enjoyed the first two titles in The Devil's Duke series will be delighted to find that this entry is the best of the series so far--but new readers can jump right in. This decidedly un-English Regency romance will win over historical fiction readers from all corners.

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Starred review from October 9, 2017
Ashe’s enjoyable third Devil’s Duke novel (after The Pirate and I) features two bold adventurers: Gabriel Hume, a captain in the British Royal Navy and second son of a duke, and Lady Amarantha Vale, daughter of an earl. Believing herself in love, Amarantha follows her fiancé, Rev. Paul Garland, a condescending missionary, to Jamaica. There, a hurricane traps her for a night in a cellar with Gabriel, who begins courting her. Later, mistakenly believing Gabriel perished at sea, Amarantha commits to an unsatisfactory marriage with Paul, but within five years he’s died and she returns to Scotland a widow. Once reunited, Gabriel and Amarantha engage in spirited banter, each keeping secrets and resisting the other, while the spark between them reignites, culminating in passionate and playful sex scenes. The novel adroitly addresses social justice issues of the time: Gabriel, now a reclusive, feared duke, secretly shelters abused (and highly independent, self-governing) women on one of his estates, while Amarantha helps her Jamaican friend Tabitha write a memoir about fleeing the threat of slavery. Subplots include the development of romances between two appealing interracial couples. Likable lovers, witty dialogue, intriguing supporting characters, and a zippy pace result in a lively page-turner.

Starred review from September 15, 2017
Everyone is simply wrong. Amarantha Garland knows deep in heart that Gabriel Hume, Duke of Loch Irvine, is no murderer. Six years ago, Amarantha Vale met Gabriel while she was traveling to Jamaica to marry her fiance, the Reverend Paul Garland. Surviving a hurricane while on board ship first brought Amarantha and Gabriel together, and the two furthered their acquaintance in Kingston. But soon Gabriel was given a new commission, and Amarantha married Paul. Now a widow, Amarantha has arrived in Scotland hoping to find a missing young woman only to discover that several other young ladies have disappeared in the area. Almost everyone believes that Gabriel the Devil Duke is responsible, but can Amarantha get Gabriel to trust her with the truth? Discerning readers who yearn for a lushly written historical romance that delivers a compelling plot firmly rooted in the social issues of the time, marvelously complex characters, vividly etched settings, and plenty of deliciously sensual passion need look no further than Ashe's latest Devils Duke book, following The Earl (2016), a romance that Kathleen Woodiwiss herself would be proud to have written.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)