Reviewed by Lindsey Gray on
Captain Andrew Graham was never meant to be the Duke of Windham. The Countess of Borwick, Phoebe Smythe, never imagined she would lose her husband and beloved son in an accident. Yet, it is these circumstances that bring the two together to find love through the pain.
Andrew was the second son. When his brother dies, he is called away from the battlefield to spend time with his father during his last days. Now the duke, he takes the reigns and holds them tight so the family legacy will live on. His younger half-brother isn’t keen to have a cap put on his allowance and ends up making a costly decision.
Grief unlike any other comes with the loss of a child. Not only did Phoebe lose her husband and five-year-old son in one day, she lost her unborn child as well. She is determined not to let her grief swallow her whole and sets off to a coastal town and a cottage to spend a few months completely on her own. When Andrew washes up on Phoebe’s beach with a bullet in his chest, life will never be the same.
I find myself incredibly lucky to find Aston’s first in her new series and given the chance to review it. The theme I walked away with of love ebbing the pains caused by death is incredibly touching and heart-warming. The passion and anguish felt by these exquisitely complex characters makes their happily ever after that much sweeter. So much of Andrew and Phoebe’s story can’t be summed up in my review without spoiling the best parts. I will just leave with this, we get a fascinating story, a surprising ending, and a magnificent novel to begin this five duke series. I can’t wait for four more stories of romanced dukes yet to come.
I received Duke of Renown for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 2 February, 2021: Finished reading
- 2 February, 2021: Reviewed