If the Duke Demands (Capturing the Carlisles, #1)

by Anna Harrington

The last person Sebastian Earl Carlisle, needs interfering in his life is Miranda Hodgkins, the flighty, free-spirited niece of his Lincolnshire neighbor and local orphanage manageress whom he and his siblings consider little more than a sister. A serious man with solemn obligations, Sebastian has planned to find a wife of rank who will preserve the solid reputation of his family. But he never planned on finding a beautiful, masked woman draped temptingly across his bed, begging to be seduced...and very nearly succeeding until he discovers that his seductress is none other than Miranda, who has mistakenly sneaked into the wrong bedroom.

In love with Robert Carlisle, Miranda planned a night designed to make Robert fall in love with her, only for it to all go horribly wrong when the man behind the mask reveals himself to be Sebastian. Mortified, she swears him to secrecy. But when Sebastian realizes that Miranda is in London for the season, he fears the worst-that not only will Miranda make a fool of herself over Robert but that her antics will cost him his proper wife. The two strike an agreement: he'll help in her pursuit of Robert if she promises to behave.

As Sebastian helps Miranda seduce Robert the unthinkable happens: he begins to have feelings for her. The last thing he needs is to tie his respectable title to a woman as reckless as Miranda. Will he sacrifice his heart to give his estate the proper countess it needs? Or will sensible, practical Sebastian final let himself fall, damn the consequences?

• ISBN10: 1455597252
• ISBN13: 9781455597253
• Publish Date: 28 February 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Forever
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Cocktails and Books]

This book had everything I look for in a romance book: witty dialogue, laugh out loud moments, sexual chemistry, tension and those emotional moments that have you reaching for a tissue. Anna Harrington packed this book with all of that and such a great hero and heroine combination that I was sad to get to the last page.

Sebastian and Miranda may have known each other for years and Miranda may have thought it was Sebastian's brother Robert that she wanted, but it was obvious from the very beginning neither of them knew what they were in for. Miranda challenged Sebastian. Made him forget about all his rules. Taught him how to laugh again. She may not have set out to do all those things, but at each interaction, you saw a much younger Sebastian. One who hadn't let the pressure of his title weigh on him. Miranda may have figured her feeling out for Sebastian faster than he did for her, but it was clear as the story unfolded nothing would make these two happier than pushing and teasing each other for the rest of their lives.

I look forward to more from Anna Harrington and this series.

[Lindsey Gray]

After Josie Carlisle gets her happily ever after in Harrington’s Secret Life of Scoundrels series, her brothers get their turn in the new Capturing the Carlisles series.

First up is the Duke of Trent, Sebastian Carlisle. His guilt over his rakish ways before the death of his father have made the Duke amend his ways for several years. When a woman appears in his bed after a ball, he wants to let loose for one night in his life.

Miranda Hodgkins thought she was in second son, Robert Carlisle’s bed. After a few hot, heated moments and slip of the tongue she realizes she’s been dallying with none other than the Duke. She’s mortified, but her skin still burns from every inch Sebastian touched. The two strike a bargin to help one another get their desired spouse during the season, but no one sets their souls a flame like each other.

Harrington made a fabulous decision to sojourn into the exploits of Josie’s brothers. Who wouldn’t swoon over the golden haired, god-like men? I fell for Sebastian from the first moment he entered his bedroom. He’s all starched and stuffy when acting the Duke, but just below the surface lies the heart of a panther with passion and desire only one woman inspires.

Miranda was a little harder to sell me on. At first, I worried about some of her decisions, but as the novel progressed, I began to see her as Sebastian did. She wasn’t flighty, she had a lust for life. She wasn’t irresponsible, she just cared enough about the people around her to put her life and reputation on the line. There were a few times I wanted to smack both of them over the head, but they eventually got their passionate selves together and made it all work.

I thought from here we might be seeing Robert’s story next since he was courting a young woman throughout the novel. With a sneak peek at the end of the novel into book two, When the Scoundrel Sins, it is actually brother Quinton who gets a chance at love. I’m excited to see where Harrington is going with this series and what is in store for the entire Carlisle family.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.