THE DUKE'S CAPTIVE

Author: Adele Ashworth ISBN: 9780061474842 7/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1856 London

Vengeance would be his . . . Ian Wentworth arrives in London with one goal: revenge. Now a duke of enormous wealth, he should settle down to the business of marrying and producing heirs. But nightmares of an ordeal from his past haunt him at every turn. All those he believes responsible have paid with their lives. All but one: Viola Bennington-Jones, the lovely Lady Cheshire. And he will not rest until he sees the tempting beauty suffer. Viola keeps her secrets—and there are many—safe from society's prying eyes. When she first spies Ian at a glittering ball, the rush of recognition immediately turns to panic. Does he remember the tender touches that once passed between them? Does he feel the electric passion that binds them still? Or does he blame her for the awful horrors her kin bestowed upon him? The enigmatic duke holds her captive: in desperate thrall to his powerful sensuality, her future—and her heart—in his hands.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Wow! I am still trying to get control of the emotional roller coaster I was on while reading THE DUKE'S CAPTIVE! This one has a plot like no other and seriously tugs at the heartstrings.

Vengeance is a powerful motivator, and Ashworth makes the best of it in this one. Her hero is ruthless, yet so engaging that even though there is much more to the story than he believes, I want him to win! He sweeps his thoroughly perfect-for-him-heroine off of her feet, while secretly plotting her destruction. Theirs is a match made in romantic fiction!

With villainous deeds of the past coming to tear apart a carefully put together present, THE DUKE'S CAPTIVE is a mysterious and sensual read that brings forth strong emotions, making it a hard to put down book!

Shannon Johnson