MY REVIEW:

Lorri Dudley is a new author to me and I am delighted that I took a chance and agreed to review her novel The Duke’s Refuge. I actually was expecting the usual Regency era tale filled with ballrooms, debuts, and calling cards. What a pleasant change to find a story set primarily on a leeward island as well as several perfectly fascinating characters.

I loved the idea of a runaway Duke who was disenchanted with English society after the death of his beloved wife. Harrison Wells spent his time attempting to raise his son properly and help educate the underprivileged children of the island. I also loved Georgia Lennox whose attempt to gain her mother’s approval by becoming the perfect lady in order to find an acceptable husband. Unfortunately practicing her feminine charms and wearing pink actually made her miserable. Georgia’s first encounter with Harrison was a disaster and subsequent encounters did not improve either one’s impression of the other.

The island setting was so well described that I could almost feel the humid heat and hear the crashing of waves. The imaginative plot was such fun with plenty of laugh inducing scenes for my enjoyment. Both Georgia and Harrison were painted with a broad brush with all their perfections and blemishes exposed. It was refreshing to watch as not only Georgia and Harrison’s relationship developed but also how her bond to her father grew stronger. And lest I forget, there is at least one perfectly awful person who probably gave the word evil its meaning.

By all means, grab a copy of The Duke’s Refuge as soon as possible. I can almost guarantee that you will not want to put it down until the very end.

I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book:  The Duke’s Refuge Author: Lorri Dudley Genre:  Christian Historical Romance Release Date: January 7, 2020 Click here to get your copy!

When love comes in a tempest, who knew it would wear pink?

Georgia Lennox has traded in her boyish ways for pink gowns and a coy smile to capture the eye of the Earl of Claremont. However, on the day she’s convinced the earl will propose, Georgia is shipped off to the Leeward Islands to care for her ailing father. But when she arrives on Nevis, the last thing she expects is to learn that her abrupt departure was not at her father’s bidding but that of the infuriating, yet captivating, island schoolmaster. And now her plans may well be shipwrecked.

Harrison Wells is haunted by the memories of his deceased wife and hunted by the subsequent women who aspire to be the next Duchess of Linton. Desiring anonymity, he finds sanctuary in the Leeward island of Nevis. He’s willing to sacrifice his ducal title for a schoolmaster’s life and the solace the island provides. That is until unrest finds its way to Nevis in a storm of pink chiffon—Miss Georgia Lennox.

As Georgia and Harrison’s aspirations break apart like a ship cast upon the rocks, a new love surfaces, but secrets and circumstances drag them into rough waters. Can they surrender their hearts to a love that defies their expectations?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

MORE FROM LORRI:

After being buried under the largest snowfall in Massachusetts history, I wrote The Duke’s Refuge as an escape to warmer tropical climates, and what better respite than a romantic Caribbean isle with a mysteriously missing Duke? In the process I fell in love with the beauty of Nevis, it’s rich culture, and history.

My heroine Georgia lured me in the moment I realized she only wore pink. My psychology background had me digging deeper. I needed to know why. Why the obsession? What was the root behind the hurt? Why pink? How did she go from being a Tomboy to a dignified, Regency socialite? And how did she wind up in the Leeward Islands? Enter her beloved, sick father who always saw Georgia’s potential even when it was hidden under boy’s clothing and often smelled of marsh. Although, he held the best of intentions, his relocating to Nevis left Georgia with deep abandonment issues.

Harrison was a completely different beast. After reading about Mudlarks who trolled the Thames River searching for treasure and even picking the pockets of dead people washed up on the shores, I knew Harrison’s would wind up caked in the Thames’s thick mud and devastated at the loss of his wife. The Leeward island became not only a reprieve from his grief but also from the women who snuck into his carriage or cornered him at parties clamoring to become the next Duchess.

Oddly enough, part of the story formed when a friend of mine spoke of their family trip to visit his mother. She happened to own a parrot, and after a week of the kids yelling each other’s names, the parrot imitated their shrieking. Even long after they returned to the U.S. the bird still screeched out their names. I couldn’t resist adding a mimicking parrot to add a comical element and harass my main characters.

The Duke’s Refuge is meant to be a fish-out-of-water, case-of-mistaken-identity, love triangle romance with a happily-ever-after. It demonstrates how God’s love fervently pursues us, no matter how far we run, and that sometimes, something we would never have chosen can bless us in a way we would never have expected.

To learn more, check out my website at lorridudley.com or click here to watch The Duke’s Refuge’s book:

BLOG STOPS:

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f468/the-duke-s-refuge-celebration-tour-giveaway