Regaining a scorned lady’s affections isn’t easy… not even when you’re a duke.

Seasoned rake, stubborn and proud, Luke made the absolute worst decision when Peggy’s brother threw him out of the house mere moments after he proposed. But even the horrors of war couldn’t erase her from his memory, let alone mend his broken heart.
Only one thing left to do: gather all his courage, grovel for dear life and hope she’ll give him a second chance.

One moment she was to be his wife, the next he vanished leaving her behind to face the ton and all their gossip on her own. And now, over a year later, her heart barely stitched together again, he was back, begging for forgiveness, for a moment to explain.
No way! She wouldn’t fall for his tricks again! She was done with him! Once and for all!
But living under the same roof as her recently happily married brother, made her frail heart ache all the more. Maybe a country house party might do her some good?
But of course he’s right there, waiting for her…

📚 A battle of wits, wills and whiles, I wouldn’t know how to trope-ify this book… a second-chance romance? Enemies-to-lovers? Yes, and no, not really… They’re in love, caught in a compromising situation, and he runs away. Honourable? No, but her brother, a duke, did demand it. Then again, he’s a duke himself.
A bit confusing, but he was truly miserable and remorseful, his grovel was nice and entertaining - the man really tries, but she makes it so very hard for him. He’s got a short temper and she just loves to provoke him. She’s also quite tenacious in her resentment, and I wish I got to see a bit more of them happily together instead of only an ‘all’s well that ends well’ epilogue.
A fast read and not terribly original, this story was rather predictable which made it light and fun - an enjoyable palate cleanser, ideal for a relaxing afternoon!

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

Wounded hearts and pride get in the way of passion and romance in this entertaining novel, as Luke, the Duke of Ashcott, returns to Britain to make the apology that has been a long time coming. Unfortunately, his attempts at reaching and getting through to Lady Margaret Everleigh are thwarted at every turn, until he discovers a way to ensure he will be able to spend as much time as possible with her and earn his way back into her heart. The novel is witty and entertaining and although Luke has to overcome every hurdle thrown across his path, the novel does come to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Letters, Pearls, Heartaches, Love
A family dispute interferes with Luke and Margaret's very short proposal of marriage, but love has a way of mending misunderstandings.
We follow Luke as he pursues Margaret to a house party and tries to earn her heart back. Thier road is filled with jealousy, heartaches, failed conversations., redemption, and a very heartfelt letter that allows their love to show through once again.
A good plot with lots of emotional feelings which both characters struggle with throughout this romance.
A few surprising confessions from the past help to bring forth some trust and a new romance between these two takes hold and brings them to a happy ending.
A charming low-key house party story with many interesting characters.
Margret was fairly frustrating until she finally admitted her affection towards Luke. Then the story was more fun to read.
📣Special Mention: 🌷The flowers names and meaning very informative.

First, let me say, I love this author’s storytelling, This book , however is not one of my favorites. Throughout most of the book, I found the heroine,Peggy to be very off-putting. I could not like her at all. Expecting Luke to apologize and then not giving him the chance to do so just left me cold. Luke’s actions were not all that likable either, until his life secrets came into play and then he was more understandable. The last third of the book made up for the first two thirds and was swoon worthy ending. Miss Yates was interesting and though I understood the villain’s response to Peggy’s playing him, I didn’t condone his reaction. Communication is key in any relationship..something none of these characters had. But through it all, I loved how the author does a fine job of developing her characters and it is a testament to her writing that she can pull such emotions out of me reading a story.

I received this ARc for free and these are my own opinions

When Luke leaves England instead of marrying her, Peggy is devastated. When she sees him years later, she is furious. Realizing she is the best thing that ever happened to him, Luke sets upon a very difficult path to win her back. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonbalde Publishing for my honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Returned to London after some time in France, Luke Beauchamp, Duke of Ashcott, wants to rekindle his romance with former fiancee Lady Margaret Everleigh. They had a whirlwind romance, but when her brother, the Duke of Dulverton, discovers Luke hiding in their library, he throws him out, and Luke goes without a fight. Peggy wants nothing to do with Luke, and flees Bath for the Sedley's house party, hoping he'll get the message. But Luke won't give up, and when he realises they are at the same party, he will do anything to prove his love to her, and get her back, once and for all.

This book definitely jogged a lot of memories. The heroine's elder brother was the protagonist in book 2, Strike While the Duke is Hot, and the Sedley's were the couple in book 4, A Duke in Time Saves Nine. Peggy and Luke were an alright couple, though I thought she may have given in a little sooner than expected. Luke definitely made a mistake in leaving the Dulverton home without a fight when Henry discovered the couple, but his time in France - working as a spy - helped to shape him into the man he now was. I liked the way they did come together, though hated that Peggy was nearly harmed in the process. The book has set up for the next story, and I look forward to reading it.

So many couples and other dukes are back in this story! Dulverton is back from the second book and still out here protecting his sister. Peggy was wronged by a scoundrel and he has not stopped thinking about her since. Luke, can’t figure out why Peggy won’t just get over what he did to her. I actually liked Luke more than Peggy, which surprised me cause she is right about almost every thing except the host of the party. But the scene when they discussed the bouquet of flower was very romantic and I loved when she really put him in his place, he needed it. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.