Sophie Campbell is determined to be mistress of her own fate. Surviving on her skill at cards, she never risks what she can’t afford to lose. Yet when the Duke of Ware proposes a scandalous wager that’s too extravagant to refuse, she can’t resist. If she wins, she’ll get five thousand pounds, enough to secure her independence forever.
Stays at the Vega Club . . .
Jack Lindeville, Duke of Ware, tells himself he’s at the Vega Club merely to save his reckless brother from losing everything, but he knows it’s a lie. He can’t keep his eyes off Sophie, and to get her he breaks his ironclad rule against gambling. If he wins, he wants her—for a week.
Until now.
A week with Jack could ruin what’s left of Sophie’s reputation. It might even cost her her heart. But when it comes to love, all bets are off . . .
About the Book
My Once And Future Duke
by Caroline Linden
Series
The Wagers of Sin
Genre
Adult
Historical Romance
Publisher
Avon Books
Publication Date
February 27, 2018
Pinspirations!
Tour Wide Giveaway
To celebrate the release of MY ONCE AND FUTURE DUKE, we’re giving away five paperback sets of WHAT A WOMAN NEEDS and WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS by Caroline Linden!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to US shipping addresses only. Five winners will each receive a paperback set of What a Woman Needs and What a Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance. Giveaway ends 3/9/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
About Caroline Linden
Caroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and wrote computer code before discovering that writing fiction was far more fun. Since then, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series three times, which is not related but still worth mentioning. Her books have been translated into seventeen languages, and have won the NEC-RWA Reader’s Choice Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the NJRW Golden Leaf Award, and RWA’s RITA Award. She lives in New England.Author Links
Sophie Campbell is a smart, beautiful woman who supports herself by gambling. Her ability to calculate the odds combined with her ability to know when walk away from a game or a challenge has served her well. Jack Lindeville, the Duke of Ware, arrives at the Vega Club to pay his brother Philip’s substantial marker. He is captivated when he sees a woman in a crimson dress playing cards with his brother’s friends. Jack doesn’t see her face but, he acknowledges that something about her intrigues him.
Philip returns to the Vega club and insists that Sophie gamble with him. Sophie chooses the complicated game of hazard, figuring Philip would tire of the quick dice game. Sophie knew that hazard was a fool’s game—too many rules and the odds were too high. She was trouncing Philip until the Duke of Ware entered the room and stopped the game. Jack and Philip almost come to blows over Philip’s refusal to stop gambling. Sophie throws caution to the wind and accepts the Duke’s challenge to play hazard with him. Sophie’s reckless choice pushes the storyline in a new direction. Even though she knows she should walk away, Sophie accepts a final round of hazard with a 5,000 pound payout. Jack tells Sophie he desires a week of her time if he wins---which he does. Jack orders his coachman to take them to Alwyn, his country home.
At first, Caroline Linden’s decision to have Jack challenge Sophie to gamble with him seems out of character for him. Was he trying to teach Philip a lesson? Jack takes his responsibilities seriously. Has his desire for Sophie overruled his common sense? The challenge and its outcome drew me into the story and I read it in one sitting.
Caroline Linden’s descriptive writing style and the dialogue between the characters shines during Sophie and Jack’s stay at Alwyn. The author does a fabulous job creating sexual tension between the characters as they explore the country house. I loved the scene when Jack asks Sophie to play the piano for him. As Jack listens and watches Sophie play, he observes that the music piece means something to her. When Sophie leaves the room in tears, Jack realizes he has upset her. The banter between Sophie and Jack as they explore the attics is well done; they get into a detailed discussion of love and marriage. Jack’s desire for Sophie is apparent as the couple rummage through the attic—will he act upon it?
I have been waiting for the Duke of Ware’s story as he has appeared in several of the author’s novels. I had pictured him as a serious man. I was surprised when Jack made the bet with Sophie, it seemed so out of character. I enjoyed getting to know Jack and seeing him fall head over heels for Sophie. Love brought out the best in Jack. Setting the story at a gambling club provides a unique storyline opportunity; it allows the couple to meet and enables Jack to make a decision based on desire, not facts and figures. I adore Caroline Linden’s writing style. Jack and Sophie’s sensuous love scenes are perfectly written—filled with desire, passion and emotion. My Once and Future Duke has all the feels—it’s an exquisitely told deeply passionate story with fabulous characters and their journey proves that love is worth the gamble!
ARC provided by publisher
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