ARC Review: Destiny with a Duke (Dukes Done Wrong #5) by Alexa Aston
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Series: Dukes Done Wrong #5
Author: Alexa Aston
Published November 18th 2021 by Dragonblade Publishing
Goodreads Synopsis
A vicar trying to save his own soul. A widow who yearns for children. A darkness that can only be dispelled with the healing power of love . . .
William Finchley carries a secret from childhood which he has never shared with anyone, not even his closest friends. When his brother commits suicide, Finch becomes the new Duke of Sommersby. He attends his first Season with no plans to ever wed—until he meets Lady Pemberton, an optimistic, brave widow.
Victoria Samuel, Lady Pemberton, returns to Polite Society after a year of mourning a husband who was murdered by a whore. She yearns for children, which is the only reason she faces the gossiping ton, hoping to find a husband of good character.
Finch and Victoria are drawn to each other but Finch believes he is too broken and undeserving of love, even after he weds Victoria and then abandons her. Only when the mother he believes betrayed him shares with Finch how he should take a chance on the healing power of love does Finch decide to let his heart speak to Victoria.
Will Finch’s courageous actions win Victoria back—or will she reject him, plunging him into eternal darkness?
Find the answer in Destiny with a Duke, Book 5 in Dukes Done Wrong.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
William Finchley, or Finch to his friends, was sent to the Turner Academy at the age of 10, and never allowed to speak to his family again. Although his new friends, dubbed the Turner Terrors, all spoke about why they were sent to the school, Finch could never admit his past trauma to anyone. Now a vicar, he has found his place in the world, and is dealing with his scars. But learning his brother has died, and he is now the Duke of Sommersby, brings back memories which are better left forgotten. Though his friends, and their wives, are there to help him, they think he should marry and start a family, and he can't bear to let anyone that close. But will Victoria, Lady Pembroke, be able to make him rethink it? For Victoria, she was married off to her father's friend before she could have a season, and never had children with her husband, who was murdered by a prostitute, and left her with a pittance. Now free from her mourning, she's ready to rejoin society, and find a new husband to start a family. Her and Finch are immediately drawn together, and at risk of losing their hearts, but with their own views for the future being so different, can they find happiness together?
As the final book in the series, I loved how Destiny with a Duke really tied together so many plot lines. Ever since I read Discouraging the Duke, I've wanted to know more about Finch. He's always been the quiet one, on the outside from the others, but loved by all, and the way he kept to himself made me desperate to know more. Actually discovering the truth about his horrific grandfather, it definitely answered a number of questions, and I felt so sorry for him, especially as he had bottled everything up for so long. He had so many demons to overcome, and though he didn't always do the right thing, there were definitely moments of catharsis in the book, facilitated by his friends, his rediscovered family, and by Victoria. Victoria, for herself, had lost her mother at an early age, had to cope with an alcoholic father who gambled away everything, including his daughter, and marrying a man over 20 years her senior. She never had any friends, or people she could talk to, and was lucky that her aunt and uncle were happy to take her in once she was widowed. Meeting the wives of the Terrors, who immediately befriended her and took her under their wings, was like a dream come true, and finding love was neigh on unimaginable. I feel like their story was one of the best in the series, and I'm so glad all the Terrors were able to find their happiness!
Dates Read:
November 13-14 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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