Susan's Review of The Good, the Bad and the Duke-Cavensham Heiresses Book 4 by Janna MacGregor

A lady with a noble mission. A duke looking for redemption. A forbidden love that cannot be denied…

Lady Daphne Hallworth is ready to celebrate the holidays with her family. But when they accidentally leave her home alone, Daphne uses the time to work on her dream—opening a home for unwed mothers. But her quest isn’t problem-free: She’s in a battle to win the property for the home against her brother’s best friend-turned-enemy, Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart. And that’s not all: someone has stolen her personal diary, which holds secrets that could devastate her family. Daphne has always harbored private feelings for the man her family scorns…though perhaps striking a bargain with the handsome Duke will solve both their problems?

Paul, long considered good for nothing, aims to open a hospital to honor his brother and restore his reputation. So when a conflict over the land brings him straight into Daphne’s life, they make a deal: He will help her find her diary if Daphne can change her family’s opinion of him. But before he can win her family’s affection, he has to win hers first. Maybe love was the answer to their family feud all along?

I adored The Good, the Bad and the Duke! The hero is trying to atone for his past mistakes and finds an unlikely ally in his ex- best friend’s sister. Clever dialogue, intrigue, and a Christmas setting add to his superbly written, sensuous regency romance.

The prologue immediately drew me into the story. Lord Paul Barstowe helps nine- year old Lady Daphne Hallworth save a baby magpie from being the family cat’s dinner. The prologue is important because the reader gets a glimpse into Paul’s character and a hint that Daphne sees Paul as more than her brother’s best friend. Lady Daphne Hallworth is not amused. Her family accidently left her home alone in London during the Christmas holidays. Daphne is determined not to be forgotten again. Daphne visits her solicitor to inquire about a property for her charity when her reticule containing her journal is stolen. Daphne chases the thief to Reynolds Gambling Establishment where she sees Paul, now the Duke of Southart.

Paul saves Daphne from possible ruin by saying that Lady Moonbeam is his escort. Loved the reason why Paul calls Daphne Lady Moonbeam; he noticed her hair and eyes and he acknowledges that Daphne is a beautiful woman, not just his former friends little sister. Daphne explains to Paul that her reticule has been stolen. Paul agrees to return to Reynolds and look for it in the morning if Daphne will help him mend fences with her brother. The enduring connection between Paul and Daphne intrigued me because Paul was no longer on speaking terms with Daphne’s brother, Alexander, the Marquis of Pembrooke. Janna MacGregor does a fabulous job balancing Paul’s past actions with his desire to help Daphne and become a better man.

Paul’s past actions were influenced by his relationship with his father. To get his father’s attention, he acted out, gambled and caused trouble. Loved that Paul’s father continued to plague him after he died. Robbie, Paul’s brother, understood why Paul acted out and made promise to try to be a better person before he died. Paul is home alone for the holidays as his family members have died.

It was great fun to see Paul struggle with his attraction to Daphne especially when they were at the gaming hall. The chemistry between the couple sizzled off the pages. He saw Daphne as a strong woman who wanted to honor her late sister’s memory. Paul understood that working on the charity would help Daphne work through her grief because he was still grieving for his brother. Loved the couples witty banter and I adored when Paul decided to court Daphne.

The fast-paced storyline kept me reading. Loved the element of intrigue surrounding the reticule and its contents played an important role in the plot. There are several surprising plot twists and turns which surprised me. Janna MacGregor’s writing style evokes passion, emotion and understanding. Lady Margaret stole the show when she realized Paul had no friends or family. She offers him her kitten so he won’t be alone. Daphne shows strength of character when she speaks up to her brother and tell him that Paul sees her—he understands her in a way her family cannot.

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke has all the feels; the characters, their romance, the complex plot are perfectly written. And the powerful message of forgiveness is appropriate during the holiday season.

Janna MacGregor is a new- to- me author. After reading Paul and Daphne’s story, I bought her back list and read each one. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the publisher

Following the doctor’s cheerful announcement of triplets, the first thing Janna MacGregor did was pick her darling husband off the floor. The second thing she did was make a decision about what to do with all her newfound free time. Take her word for it, mandatory bed rest can skew one’s perceptions. During her sojourn in bed, Janna remembered her attorney-husband’s sage advice that successful attorneys always have the last word in an argument. Taking these wise words to heart, she became an attorney and soon was managing partner of his law firm. She is certain he and their triplets rue the day he ever made that comment.

After living in a variety of Midwestern cities, she settled in Kansas City Missouri, the crown jewel of the Midwest and home of her favorite team, the Kansas City Royals. Through all her wanderings, she has always found time to read passionate, sweeping romances. It didn’t take long for her to decide to add Author on her resume. Practicing law by day, she writes sexy historicals set in the Regency period whenever she is not in court arguing those last words.

Join her and escape in stories about compelling and powerful heroines meeting and falling in love with their equally matched heroes. Remember—every romance should be messy, carnal and forever.

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