The Duke she Left Behind: De Wolfe Pack Connected World

Aileen
Fish
Genre: 
Historical

On the eve of his wedding, Gabriel Preston, the Duke of Beckhampton, received a note from his fiancée, Lady Eliza Clayton, explaining that she couldn’t marry him after all. However, all Eliza knows is that her father sent her and her mother to Boston the night before her marriage with no explanation. Now, four years later, Eliza has finally convinced her mother to escape and return to England to visit relatives.  Eliza has never stopped loving Beck and hopes she will have a chance to reconnect with him. Beck, who knows nothing about the circumstances of Eliza’s exile, has sworn he would never fall in love again. But, once he lays eyes on Eliza, the chemistry between ignites once more. However, just as he lets his guard down, Eliza pulls another disappearing act.

This is a lovely second chance at love story, featuring mature characters, with a small dose of action and suspense.  This novella length story moves at a very brisk pace making it quick and easy to read.  It has just the right amount of substance for a great ‘airport’ or ‘lunch-break’ book.  It is a bit too short for strong character connections or depth, and although it is enjoyable enough, there is nothing here that hasn’t been done before. That said, there are times when that familiarity is exactly the kind of story one needs. The plot, while common, is still solidly constructed and gives the reader a short, but satisfying experience. Recommended to all historical romance fans!

Julie Whiteley