Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: The Duke In Denial

SERIES: Scandal in Sussex

AUTHOR: Alexandra Ainsworth

PUBLISHER: Sanguinity Press

LENGTH: 340 pages

BLURB:

Sebastian Lewis never expected to become a duke. But with the sudden deaths of his cousin and uncle, Sebastian’s position changes. He is determined to fulfill his new responsibilities with grace, even if it means remarrying, and even if the attractions of women, so often lauded by poets, fail to interest him.

Captain William Carlisle, newly returned from India, is elated when he meets Sebastian. Nobody knows of his inclinations, but his harrowing experiences in battle have prompted him to reach for the type of companionship he longs for. He thinks Sebastian might feel an attraction as well, but to his dismay, he discovers that Sebastian is courting his sister Dorothea.

After a semi-arranged engagement and a disconcerting romantic tangle with William, Sebastian escapes London to look after his manor, only to face mysterious thefts, a headless ghost, and the arrival of his fiancée, her brother, and his family. Sebastian’s new estate sits on the south coast, England’s most vulnerable location, and Napoleon has set his sights on conquering the area. Amid this growing turmoil, Sebastian must sort out his feelings for his fiancée’s brother and keep his home safe . . . and determine if he has the courage to reach for his own happiness in the process.

REVIEW:

Sebastian Lewis has always had an interest in men.  He’s pushed those feelings aside for the sake of doing the proper thing and not causing scandal for his family.  He’s inherited the Dukedom from his cousin and uncle after their untimely deaths and  it’s not how he planned to live his life. He’s a widower and feels that to live up to the potential of the ton, that he must remarry and carry on the family name.  Sebastian is this really nice guy.  He just wants to live his quiet life and not cause any waves.  Sebastian is sweet, kind and so caught up in doing what is  “right” and not what makes him happy.  That in itself makes him very unhappy and frustrated with his life.

William is a war hero returning from India.  He was wounded in battle and promised himself that if he made it home, that he’d live as authentic a life as possible.  William has always had feelings for men and he’s even given in to his urges.  William is a lot sweeter than you would think.  He’s kind and loyal, faithful and so very loving.  William just wants to find his other half, the person in which he can share his life.  William has had to endure the shame of knowing that his parents didn’t leave his sister and himself taken care of.  That he would now have to truly make his way in the world.  William left to make a future for himself and he truly did.

The secondary characters in this book were what I’d assume they would be like at the time.  The women,  Dorothea and Priscilla, were young, beautiful and kinda of frivolous.  Priscilla had good intentions and only wanted others to be happy. She had a sweet wild streak in her.  Priscilla’s husband, Marcus was a really good guy.  He loved his wife and he showed that he was a true man of honor.  Dorothea bothered me from the moment that I saw her on screen.  She was almost to demure and that didn’t sit right with me.  I’m glad that I followed my instincts about her.  She wasn’t bad, just really focused on getting her way and no one, not even her brother would stand in her way. Sir Ambrose was scuzzy from the moment he hit the screen.  You knew that he was up to no good and just wanted to see how far he would go.

This story was a pretty good story for a debut book.  It seemed that the author did her research regarding the timeframe in which she was writing about.  The book rung true regarding the fear of others finding out and most definitely about being put to death if caught.  I truly felt what the characters felt.  I was along on their journey of discovery and path to love.  It wasn’t an easy path.  Following your heart rarely is, but these two men did.

I will say that I did get rather annoyed with the push/pull that Sebastian kept doing.  I really do understand what he was going through.  It was dangerous and there was also the shame that he would inflict on his family.  That was something that he’d never wanted to do.  I do get that, I just wanted him to not waffle so much in decision-making.  This truly made it hard for me to really feel for this character.

I will say that William drew me in.  This wonderfully strong man who is trying to live this authentic life and just be happy.  This man who has found the man that he can’t stop thinking about and knowing that this man wants him too.  How heartbreaking for him.  To want the man that is courting and becomes engaged to his sister at that…So Sad.   Yet, he follows his heart and still does what he can to protect him.  Beautiful.

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