Claimed by Love: Duke Ryder (Love in Bloom: The Ryders, #2)

by Melissa Foster

The Ryders are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.



CLAIMED BY LOVE is a USA TODAY BESTSELLER



"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak



"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" New York Times Bestseller Lauren Blakely



In CLAIMED BY LOVE...

Family law attorney Gabriella Liakos has one true love, Elpitha Island, where she grew up and hopes someday to return. But Elpitha is in financial ruins, and Gabriella will do anything to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.



Duke Ryder is a savvy real estate investor set on making Elpitha into an exclusive resort. Unlike other investors, he's not scared of purchasing a property where one family has roots so deep they practically reach the ocean floor...until he meets his beautiful, stubborn, and enticing tour host-the daughter of the owner of most of the island.



Gabriella sets out to dissuade Duke from purchasing Elpitha, but Duke has other ideas. He wants Gabriella and the island. Duke's powerful seduction draws Gabriella in, but can a savvy investor who's used to glamour and glitz, and a woman interested in preserving the culture she adores find a happily ever after together?



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READY FOR MORE RYDERS?

Seized by Love (Blue)

Claimed by Love (Duke)

Chased by Love (Trish)

Swept Into Love (Gage)

Rescued by Love (Jake)



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The RYDERS are the newest addition to the Love in Bloom series. Characters from each series appear in future books. Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series. Visit Melissa's website for a series guides and checklists.



READ THE FULL LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES:



SNOW SISTERS: Sisters in Love, Sisters in Bloom, Sisters in White



THE BRADENS (Weston, CO): Lovers at Heart, Destined for Love, Friendship on Fire,
Sea of Love, Bursting with Love, Hearts at Play, Promise My Love (novella), Daring Her Love (novella)



THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO): Taken by Love, Fated for Love, Romancing My Love, Flirting with Love, Dreaming of Love, Crashing into Love



THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD): Healed by Love (Nate), Surrender My Love
River of Love, Crushing on Love, Whisper of Love, Thrill of Love



THE REMINGTONS: Game of Love, Stroke of Love, Flames of Love, Slope of Love, Read, Write, Love, Touched by Love



SEASIDE SUMMERS: Seaside Dreams, Seaside Hearts, Seaside Sunsets, Seaside Secrets, Seaside Nights, Seaside Embrace, Seaside Lovers, Seaside Whispers



WILD BOYS AFTER DARK: Logan, Heath, Jackson, Cooper



BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: Mick, Dylan, Brett, Carson



HARBORSIDE NIGHTS: Catching Cassidy, Discovering Delilah, Tempting Tristan

• ISBN10: 1941480292
• ISBN13: 9781941480298
• Publish Date: 5 May 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 27 January 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: World Literary Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 300
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
 

If you have been following my reviews, you would have figured by now that I am a huge fan of Melissa Foster. I have not read everything she has written (I will be rectifying that slip up very soon), but those that I had the opportunity to read I enjoyed.  Although I must admit there were one or two that just didn’t not do it for me. In spite of this, the moment I hear she has another book coming out I am excited to get by hands on it.
 
One of the things that stand out in each of her books that I have read thus far is that her stories are generally centered around the bonds of family and friendships.  One may think that based on this that all her stories are probably the same, but this is not the case. They are unique in their own right and Claimed by Love is no different. 
 
Ms. Foster grabs her readers’ attention by focusing her stories on real life situations. Her characters are so intense that one cannot help but to either love them or be annoyed by them.  It’s these emotions that Duke and Gabriella elicited from me.
 
Duke Ryder is most women dream guy. (swooning) He is the embodiment of a true alpha male. He is smart, confident, sexy, protective and compassionate. He is the type of man who loves unconditionally and is not afraid to express how he feels.  There were moments I was envious of Gabriella.  He treated her with respect and he put her needs above his. The man had it going on. 
 
My feelings for Gabriella was mixed. I admired her passion and drive. It was evident that she valued family and she loved the island that she grew up on.  However, I was annoyed by her shortsightedness. For someone who is supposed to be smart, she failed to see what Duke was offering her. Both in terms of how he felt about her and what he could do for her island which was going through an economic slump. It was clear she was afraid to embrace change. I guess when you look at it, that is how most of us are.
 
From the moment, Duke and Gabriella met the chemistry between them was evident.  They initially tried to fight it because of their business dealings, but to no avail. I guess the heart want what it wants.  Gabriella’s family saw the chemistry and was not subtle in their matchmaking attempts. Although their romance developed quickly they were able to gain insight into what made the other tick. 
 
Claimed by Love is a story that demonstrates the power of trust in any relationship. Gabriella’s lack of trust would have probably derailed the relationship between her and Duke. Thank goodness for Duke’s patience.  It also demonstrated the strength of love and the changes it brings forth. 
 
Bottom Line: This was another wonderful story by Melissa Foster and am I can’t wait to see what next she has to offer.

[Lynn]

I've read quite a few Melissa Foster books and I'm always impressed with the quality of her writing. Claimed By Love is no exception as we are introduced to Duke Ryder and Gabriella Liakos.

Duke Ryder is an investor and heading to Elpitha, South Carolina to evaluate the island and see if it's ripe to redevelop into an exclusive holiday resort for the rich. On arrival, he's instantly taken with the mix of Southern and Greek Mediterranean charm of the landscape, but even more so by the woman who'll be his tour guide.

Gabriella Liakos is a successful lawyer and back on the island where she grew up. Her grandfather has decided to sell the island and wants his granddaughter to assist in finding a suitable buyer. She's strongly against the sale and hopes to dissuade the investor who's coming to view. However, she didn't bargain on meeting a smokin' hot gentleman who won't stop until he gets what he wants...including her!

The timeline for the protagonists is short, yet this doesn't feel like an instant love story. Both Duke and Gabriella are immediately drawn to each other but have conflicting agendas – can they successfully separate business and pleasure? Gabriella is stubborn in her desire to not change and begin a relationship, whilst Duke is very persuasive and persistent. He knows what he wants and how to turn on the charm to get it! Duke is simply adorable and very patient. He uses his skills well to sweep Gabriella off her feet when he realises he's found the woman of his dreams.

The foundation of a successful relationship is trust and this is an integral part of why Gabriella and Duke's relationship moves quickly. Ms. Foster demonstrates that Duke is a competent negotiator, yet sincere with his words and promises. Gabriella is clever and no fool but correctly recognises Duke has a conscience about a sympathetic redevelopment of Elpitha. Their families are important to them both, with matchmaking relatives happy to give these smitten lovebirds a gentle push. The plot has hot and heavy scenes balanced with times for thoughtful reflection and humorous dialogue. We get a lovely insight into some Greek traditions and meet more of the Ryder clan.

The beauty of Ms. Foster's books is the cameo appearances of protagonists from the past and the introduction of new ones of the future. Claimed By Love is another such standalone.

4 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of World Literary Press via Tasty Book Tours***

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free for a Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you to Lisa for letting me take part in this tour. This is the second book in the Ryders series and I have to say it did not disappoint.

Before we get on to the characters I have to say that I adored the island of Elpitha. I am half Greek myself and I love visiting Greek islands and seeing the culture there. I could imagine the scenes at the taverna very clearly. I have some friends in a village in Corfu that are exactly the same, whenever I visit they sit me down and ply me with food and alcohol and tell me stories. I love it so I can see why Gabriella was so fiercely protective of the island.

Gabriella's plan is to bore and irritate Duke so much on the island that he won't think it's worth the investment. Duke however loves the culture and meeting the residents. I think he starts to fall in love with the island himself as well as falling for Gabriella.

Gabriella has been jaded by her job. As a high flying family law attorney she's seen how relationships can turn nasty and irreparable. This has made her cautious with her heart. She does all she can to resist Duke but sometimes love has other ideas.

Duke is usually so focused when he's on a job. He knows it can get messy to have a relationship with someone who is involved in 0ne of his deals but he just can't stay away from Gabriella. He's feelings are all consuming, he's never felt like this before and he knows that nothing in the world would keep him from Gabriella.

I adored this story and I can't wait to read more of the Ryder family books.