Blurb:

A marriage of convenience forces a powerful duke to choose between his ferocious pride and unexpected love that melts his icy heart.

Reputation is everything in the ton. And no one’s is more pristine than the Duke of Pryde’s. But when a blackmailer threatens to expose his devastating secret he’s forced to marry Miss Modesty Fairchild, a woman far below his station, his perfect facade begins to fracture.

A budding archeologist, Miss Modesty Fairchild would rather dig in the dirt than host a gala. But a deathbed promise has left her the guardian of an orphaned baby. She’ll do anything to protect her little ward…even marry the heartless duke who looks down his nose at her.

Lonely and lost in Pyrde’s elegant Mayfair home, she despises him. But his touch awakens a longing that leaves her quaking. And when his rigid control shatters, desire consumes them both. Glimpsing the tender heart beneath her husband’s haughty exterior, Modesty dreams of a loving future.

But a villain in the shadows plots Pryde’s downfall. And as the Seven Dukes of Sin hunt for clues, the blackmailer raises the stakes.

Faced with a dreadful choice, will Constantine sacrifice his reputation and his fortune for the wife and child he has come to treasure?

Buy Link:
https://geni.us/SD_3
Available in KU

*****

Review:

Constantine & Modesty are such a great contrast. She’s poor, lower class but raised by her clergy father to be giving to others. He’s had everything (except his father’s love & acceptance) and while he has a big heart underneath he’s been trained to show a cold, perfect facade to others. Marriage and time spent together has her seeing that loving, struggling man underneath and she starts making him want for something more. But a secret from his past threatens it all.

While I didn’t think this one had quite the emotional punch as Duke of Luhst, I did enjoy it. I found the mystery of the blackmail to be well done and I really liked when the villain was unmasked. I do feel that maybe we needed a few more close moments between Constantine and Modesty. To see just a little more of them growing closer together and falling in love because I liked them both so much. The epilogue tho is a delight and I couldn’t have asked for a better resolution for them.

*****

Author Info:

Mariah Stone is a bestselling author of time travel romance novels, including her popular Called by a Highlander series and hot Viking, Pirate, and Regency novels. With nearly one million books sold, Mariah writes about strong modern-day women falling in love with their soulmates across time. Her books are available worldwide in multiple languages in e-book, print, and audio.

Connect with Mariah Stone: 
https://linktr.ee/Mariahstone

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