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Dukes Are Forever (The Secret Life of Scoundrels Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Anna Harrington (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 474 ratings
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ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE
Battlefields and barrooms hold much more interest for Edward Westover, Duke of Strathmore, than a little girl's fondness for dolls and lace. When he takes possession of his enemy's estate, everything that villain held dear-including his daughter-belongs to Edward. Hire a governess, arrange a dowry, give a few reassurances, and be off on his way--that's Edward's plan. But he's in for the shock of his life. For his new ward is a beautiful, impetuous, and utterly irresistible woman . . .

. . . AND WAR
Kate Benton is stunned. Who is this arrogant, infuriating man who's invited himself into her home and taken over her life? Her vow: to do everything in her power to convince him to leave her-and Brambly House-alone. Yet as chilly days melt into sultry nights, Kate sees glimpses of kindness underneath Edward's cool façade . . . and a passionate nature that takes her breath away. There's so much she doesn't know about this man. But does she dare trust this devilish duke with her heart?

The Secret Life of ScoundrelsDukes Are ForeverAlong Came a RogueHow I Married a Marquess
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Secret Life of Scoundrels
  2. Print length
    343 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Forever
  6. Publication date
    November 24, 2015
  7. File size
    2110 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A touching and tempestuous romance, with all the ingredients Regency fans adore."―Gaelen Foley, New York Times bestselling author

"Harrington's emotionally gripping Regency-era debut, which launches the Secret Life of Scoundrels series, is ripe with drama and sizzling romance...The complex relationship between Edward and Katherine is intense and skillfully written, complete with plenty of romantic angst that propels the novel swiftly forward. This new author is definitely one to watch."―Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Dukes are Forever

"As steamy as it is sweet as it is luscious."―Grace Burrowes, New York Times bestselling author

"4 1/2 stars! Pits strong-willed characters against one another, and as the sparks ignite, passion is sure to follow. There is a depth of emotion that will leave readers breathless. The pages fly."―RT Book Reviews

About the Author

Anna fell in love with historical romances -- and all those dashing Regency heroes -- while living in London, where she studied literature and theater. She loves to travel, fly airplanes, and hike, and when she isn't busy writing her next novel, she can usually be found in her garden, fussing over her roses. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached at:
Webpage: www.AnnaHarringtonBooks.comAmazon: http://ow.ly/4VNv30c1qQzFacebook: www.facebook.com/annaharrington.regencywriter/Twitter: https://twitter.com/aharrington2875BookBub: http://ow.ly/QznJ30c1qUn
And be sure to sign up for her newsletter at http://bit.ly/2m7zWF0 to be the first to receive exciting news, enter contests, access exclusive content, and more!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00U6DNY1I
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Forever (November 24, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2110 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 343 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 474 ratings

About the author

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Anna Harrington

Anna Harrington

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I’m an author of spicy Regency romance with alpha heroes and independent heroines, layers of emotion, and lots of sizzle. I fell in love with historical romances and all things Regency—and especially all those dashing Regency heroes—while living in England, where I spent most of my time reading Jane Austen and getting lost in London (especially the getting lost part). I have traveled around the world, both as a tourist and as a volunteer with children's organizations in Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, and Mexico. I love to hike and fly airplanes, adore all things chocolate and coffee, and am a Doctor Who fanatic (everyone says my house *is* bigger on the inside!). I am a terrible cook who hopes to one day use my oven for something other than shoe storage. In my spare time, when I'm not writing or teaching, I enjoy tending the roses in my garden during the summer and reading historical romances during the winter. My fav authors are Elizabeth Hoyt (her Maiden Lane series is fantastic!), Sabrina Jeffries (fabulous emotion on every page), Lisa Kleypas (whose prose is simply divine!)and Sylvia Day (who isn’t afraid to take historical romance in all kinds of new and hot directions).

I've been writing since 2015, when All About Romance named me Best Debut Historical Romance Author for my debut series, THE SECRET LIFE OF SCOUNDRELS. DUKES ARE FOREVER won the 2016 Maggie Award for Best Historical Romance, and HOW I MARRIED A MARQUESS was a 2017 RITA finalist.

If you love history and romance as much as I do, I'd love to hear from you.

Webpage -- www.AnnaHarringtonBooks.com

Amazon -- http://ow.ly/4VNv30c1qQz

Facebook-- www.facebook.com/annaharrington.regencyw...

Twitter -- https://twitter.com/aharrington2875

And be sure to sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cX3AmP to receive exciting news, enter contests, and access exclusive content!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
474 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Vanessasgram
5.0 out of 5 stars This book sparkled from first to last page!
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
I thought this book was great fun watching the 2 main characters strike sparks off the other! I loved when "THE Colonel" found out his "Ward" was 20 yrs old!!!
What fun. I loved the characters that were so well described and with characters shown through time. AND the village people and their personalities!
The two friends of "THE COLONEL" are great characters too and I'm absolutely going to buy them ASAP! (IF they aren't $10!!!
I really enjoy this author's books but I would say my only "BUT" is too much sex scenes and WAY TOO MUCH DETAILS I did NOT want to know!!!
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iread
4.0 out of 5 stars Spicy romance
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
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Dukes Are Forever is book one in The Secret Life of Scoundrels Series by Anna Harrington. I have enjoyed this book. This is my first time to read Harrington’s work and I am not disappointed. I think she does a good job developing her characters. I liked the heroine Kate Benton. I think she is a relatable character. Edward Westover is one of those strong, silent types. The story started off at a quick clip. It lagged a bit in the middle, but on the whole an excellent read. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
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Abby Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing First Book
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2017
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I knew this was going to be a good read when the prologue opened with a battle scene that was nothing short of cinematic. Being thrown directly into the action is, in my opinion, always a plus, especially in a romance novel where less talented authors might be tempted to wax expositionally. Anna Harrington knows how to hook her readers from page one and doesn't let them get away until the last word is read several hours later.

If you don't want to read through my whole summary about why exactly this book is amazing and you simply want to know whether or not to read it, here's the tl;dr version: Dukes are Forever is an amazing start to a fantastic series by a wonderfully talented author. You won't regret purchasing and reading it. So what are you waiting for?

The hero of the book is Edward Westover, a second son who is thrust into the position of duke when his elder brother and sister-in-law are killed in a carriage accident. Edward makes it his life's mission to seek justice for their death by hunting down the man responsible for the accident, one Phillip Benton who had been drunk and driving recklessly. Unable to physically harm Benton, who the courts found innocent of any crime, Edward instead chooses a more subtle form of punishment: he buys up all of the man's numerous debts until he, in essence, controls Benton's life. In a final card game against Benton, Edward wins guardianship over the man's daughter, who the duke mistakenly believes to be a very young child.

Katherine Benton, the heroine of the tale, is obviously much older than Edward assumes. She is in charge of running the impoverished Brambly House and the small village nearby. Having taken it upon herself to act as the village doctor, Kate has a passion for medicine that is surpassed only by her affection for her home and servants who have become her true family in the absence of her father after the death of her mother. Her life changes, however, when a handsome duke shows up in her drawing room with a doll he had brought as a present for the younger version of herself he thought existed.

Both characters enter the story broken in some way, as is usual in the romance genre, yet Harrington manages to give them both depth that makes them stand out as unique and memorable even among the hoards of somewhat similar heroes and heroines. Edward begins the novel overwhelmed by the death of his brother and sister-in-law, compounded by the horrors of what he witnessed first hand on the battlefield. He can feel no emotion strongly beyond the righteous fury against Benton and lives in apathy even once justice has been served. As a second son he never anticipated becoming duke; things are further complicated by the fact that he truly loved Jane, his sister-in-law, but she only ever saw him as a fun distraction and ended up breaking his heart. This leads to Edward having a serious distrust of women in general. Meanwhile, Kate struggles with her past that includes growing up in a home where her mother desperately loved her father, yet her father could care less for his wife. Despite how Benton treated her mother and herself, Kate has to believe that her father does love her in some way, although after watching what her mother went through being married to him Kate has sworn off marriage for herself. Edward and Kate meet each other and, while instantly attracted to one another, can't help but be unable to trust the other completely as the novel progresses.

The central conflict of the story comes from the somewhat infamous "Liar Revealed" trope, which if not handled carefully can and will destroy a plot. Harrington subverts the majority of the danger by making the reasoning behind the lies told rational and understandable to the reader. Edward doesn't want to tell Kate the truth about how he came to be her guardian at first because he doesn't trust her to not be in on Benton's scheming and then later because he doesn't want to hurt her by revealing the truth about her father's actions. He also enjoys the fact that she sees him for himself rather than as the man who became a duke because his brother was killed in a drunken accident. Similarly, when Kate goes against Edward's direct commands not to communicate with her father, she does so because she desperately wants to believe that Benton does love her in some way, which is a totally understandable thing for a child to want. When all of the truths come out and the trope is in danger of becoming cliche, Kate does something rather astonishing: she admits to her own faults while at the same time holding Edward to his. There's no shouldering of all of the blame or throwing a pity party. Kate behaves like a mature and rational adult, which is sadly surprising when compared to any number of other heroines out there no matter what the genre.

Of course, there is the necessary Happily Ever After. Over time Kate helps Edward deal with the trauma of war and grief even as both of them teach one another to learn to trust again. By the time the last page is turned, there's no doubt in the reader's mind that these two were made for each other.

The Secret Life of Scoundrels is one of my favorite Regency romance series ever and Anna Harrington has found herself a spot on my favorite authors list. I can't recommend her enough to anyone who enjoys historical romance.
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Edwina "I Love books"
3.0 out of 5 stars COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2016
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Dukes Are Forever, had the makings and bones to be a 5 star review. However, I don't feel the real power of the Title of Duke come through in this story. Dukes were very elusive and rare but very powerful and above the law. Common people had no defense against a Duke or most of the upper peerage. Even though the story is fictional I expect authors to stay true to times and this fell short.

Colonel Edward Westover, Duke of Strathmore is seeking revenge for the death of his brother Stephan the prior Duke of Strathmore and his wife Jane. Phillip Benton a mere Mr. killed Edwards brother The Duke and his wife in a phaeton carriage accident. Benton was driving drunk and hit the carriage that Stephan and his wife were in killing them instantly. Benton was later release from jail and the incident was declared and accidental death. No Way would this have happen!!. The Magistrate would have had to take Bentons case before The King Prinny in this story. You couldn't kill a Duke and get away with a slap on the wrist. Impossible!! So the newly minted Duke Edward set out to destroy Phillip Benton financially. He buys up all his debts and then beats him in a card game taking the rest of what he has. But Benton outsmarts the Edward time an again. The property he thinks he now owns from Bentons is really owned by daughter Katherine.

Edward goes to claim his new holdings and finds out his new Ward is an adult women and a beautiful one at that. They eventually fall in lust and love. Both of them have been betrayed by love Edward by Jane who weds his brother instead of him and Kate by her father who never loved her or her mother and only stole from them and abused them. I liked Edward but he was just to weak Not enough Alpha male for my liking. He even lost the duel he was fighting with an older over weight bald Baron. "Pathetic". The Baron outsmarted him by getting the blackmail money and not running away as he agreed too,but turns and shoots Edward. Then he runs. Edwards seems to think he won the duel but I am sorry dude you lost First Blood an all that. Katherine/Kate was just too forgiving of the horrors and crimes her father committed.

Well I guess all is well that ends well, but I wanted to see Benton drawn quarter, hanged and beheaded for his crime instead he gets and easy end. Edward and Kate get there HEA. This was a short but sweet story despite the things I didn't like about the story!!

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Top reviews from other countries

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Luisa Montaldi
3.0 out of 5 stars Too much sex, not enough sensuality
Reviewed in Italy on February 24, 2020
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Quite enjoyed reading the story but didn't think the number of very descriptive sex scenes were arousing... merely detailed. Didn't really see the point of them.
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Lonore
3.0 out of 5 stars J'adore Anna Harrington pourtant
Reviewed in France on June 30, 2017
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J'adore Anna Harrington pourtant,
mais un peu déçue par celui-ci. Je n'ai pas réussi à rentrer dans l'histoire.
En général ce type de livre se lit d'une traite.
Si non c'est qu'il ne nous convient pas. C’est mon cas pour celui-ci.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars absorbing
Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2016
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great book. couldn't put it down
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Annette Verkuilen
5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Dukes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2016
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Fun and funny. Had a problem putting this one down!
One person found this helpful
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Merle
3.0 out of 5 stars Regency zum ...
Reviewed in Germany on June 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Regency-Romanze mit dem üblichen Happy End.
Seit Colonel Edward Westover das Herzogtum von seinem bei einem Unfall verstorbenen, geliebten Bruder geerbt hat, sinnt er nur noch darauf, den Unfallverursacher zu bestrafen. Er übernimmt die Verantwortung für dessen unverheiratete Tochter Katherine Benton, die ohne die Unterstützung ihres üblen Vaters aufwachsen musste. Das Schicksal nimmt seinen Lauf, die widerspenstigen Helden kommen sich näher, behindert von Missverständnissen.
Etwas bemühend, wie die Heldin ihren üblen Vater bis fast zuletzt verteidigt, ohne Rücksicht auf sich selber oder ihr Umfeld. Verraten vom Postmann wegen eines Briefes an ihren Vater muss sie ihre Zeit als Bestrafung in der Einöde verbringen. Dies nach einer heissen Nacht mit dem Helden und dem üblichen Entjungfern der unerfahrenen Unschuldigen. Für mich nicht gerade einleuchtend. Insgesamt ist die flüssige Geschichte zu lang mit zu wenig unerwartetem Inhalt. Für Zwischendurch.
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