Ash Turner and Lady (Anne) Margaret Dalrymple
Unveiled (Turner's book 1)
by Courtney Milan
Book Blurb:
He was her bitterest enemy...
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family, and at last the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom, and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But when he arrives, he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance.
And her dearest love.
Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who’s stolen her fortune and her father’s legacy—the man she’s been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion...
Unveiled was the first book that I had read by Courtney Milan but not my last. What a wonderful book and I can't wait to read more of the Turner series.
Ash Turner had set out for revenge against his distant relative the Duke of Parford. When Ash was at the tender age of 14 his mother had gone fully insane and Ash had walked barefoot for days to reach the Duke's manor to request a little bit of financial assistance so he could buy medical care for his sick sister. After being cruelly rejected and after his sister died, Ash never forgot and it burned him for years.
I don't understand the class society much in England (other than what I learn from romance books) but due to the Duke committing an act of bigamy early in his life, his unfortunate wife of 30 years, the Duchess of Parford and his 3 grown children were all considered illegitimate and prompty disgraced by the ton. It was Ash Turner who unveiled this dirty skeleton from the closet and as he was the distant relative of the Duke, he became the next in line for the dukedom.
What a wonderfully mixed up mess this pair become. Margaret wants to hate and destroy Ash for ruining her family and station in life yet she fails miserably because Ash is so charming, "cheerfully ruthless" and was genuinely boosting her self confidence. Margaret had never felt such powerful feelings of self worth before.
Ash was amazing. Just amazing. I love heroes that are slightly flawed and even vulnerable at times without losing their manly edge. He doesn't care about the "classes" and he falls in love with Margaret thinking she is just a lowly nurse that is tending to the ailing current Duke. He has no idea that Margaret is really Lady Anne Margaret, the Duke's only daughter.
There were some great reading moments as Margaret battles between her loyalty to her family and her growing attraction to Ash. Courtney Milan wrote some wonderful scenes where I couldn't read fast enough with me wondering what side Margaret was going to take while secretly reporting back to her brothers.
Other than Ash or the wicked Duke, I was undecided many times if a character was a villain or if it was okay to like them. Ash's brothers were hard to like but it truly felt like there was more of a back story there. It was writing genius because it felt like a invisible carrot dangling in front of the reader's nose. Margaret's brothers were selfish but their desperation was clearly written so their behaviour was almost forgivable. (almost, I said almost) Even Margaret herself at times had me wondering how this mess with spying was all going to turn out. I just LOVED how it was up to the reader to make their own decisions and it wasn't thrust in the reader's face.
Unveiled was a beautifully, clever written book that had me aching for a happily ever after. I wasn't sure how we were going to get there but the journey was spectacular to read about.
Teasers: brotherly love, magnificent creature, Chastity book reading, closet hideaway
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family, and at last the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom, and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But when he arrives, he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance.
And her dearest love.
Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who’s stolen her fortune and her father’s legacy—the man she’s been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion...
Unveiled was the first book that I had read by Courtney Milan but not my last. What a wonderful book and I can't wait to read more of the Turner series.
Ash Turner had set out for revenge against his distant relative the Duke of Parford. When Ash was at the tender age of 14 his mother had gone fully insane and Ash had walked barefoot for days to reach the Duke's manor to request a little bit of financial assistance so he could buy medical care for his sick sister. After being cruelly rejected and after his sister died, Ash never forgot and it burned him for years.
I don't understand the class society much in England (other than what I learn from romance books) but due to the Duke committing an act of bigamy early in his life, his unfortunate wife of 30 years, the Duchess of Parford and his 3 grown children were all considered illegitimate and prompty disgraced by the ton. It was Ash Turner who unveiled this dirty skeleton from the closet and as he was the distant relative of the Duke, he became the next in line for the dukedom.
What a wonderfully mixed up mess this pair become. Margaret wants to hate and destroy Ash for ruining her family and station in life yet she fails miserably because Ash is so charming, "cheerfully ruthless" and was genuinely boosting her self confidence. Margaret had never felt such powerful feelings of self worth before.
Ash was amazing. Just amazing. I love heroes that are slightly flawed and even vulnerable at times without losing their manly edge. He doesn't care about the "classes" and he falls in love with Margaret thinking she is just a lowly nurse that is tending to the ailing current Duke. He has no idea that Margaret is really Lady Anne Margaret, the Duke's only daughter.
There were some great reading moments as Margaret battles between her loyalty to her family and her growing attraction to Ash. Courtney Milan wrote some wonderful scenes where I couldn't read fast enough with me wondering what side Margaret was going to take while secretly reporting back to her brothers.
Other than Ash or the wicked Duke, I was undecided many times if a character was a villain or if it was okay to like them. Ash's brothers were hard to like but it truly felt like there was more of a back story there. It was writing genius because it felt like a invisible carrot dangling in front of the reader's nose. Margaret's brothers were selfish but their desperation was clearly written so their behaviour was almost forgivable. (almost, I said almost) Even Margaret herself at times had me wondering how this mess with spying was all going to turn out. I just LOVED how it was up to the reader to make their own decisions and it wasn't thrust in the reader's face.
Unveiled was a beautifully, clever written book that had me aching for a happily ever after. I wasn't sure how we were going to get there but the journey was spectacular to read about.
Teasers: brotherly love, magnificent creature, Chastity book reading, closet hideaway
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ReplyDeleteAlso, I did not know the new Black Dagger Brotherhood book was coming out in March until I just saw the pic in your sidebar! I'm so excited!