Miss Honeyfield and the Dark Duke by Audrey Ashwood

Miss Honeyfield and the Dark Duke by Audrey Ashwood
on January 26, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 261
Goodreads

They say he has a black heart.
They say he is cold, unscrupulous, and dangerous.
They say he killed a woman out of jealousy.

Robert Beaufort, the Duke of Scuffold, has returned to the castle of his forefathers. To be seen with him means the ruin of any woman's reputation. When Miss Minerva Honeyfield stumbles upon the duke in an enchanted glade, deep in the forest, it is too late to heed her aunt's warnings.

Her indecent encounter is the most exciting event that has ever happened to Minerva - and also the most dangerous one. Despite knowing that this man is ominous and menacing, Minerva is unable to shield herself from her fascination with the Duke of Scuffold.

While Minerva struggles to resign herself to longing for a man who will destroy her name and possibly even threaten her life, her mother suddenly falls into mortal danger - and all indications point to the dark duke.

Has Minerva truly lost her heart to a ruthless murderer?

Romantic - suspenseful - mysterious. A new romance novel from Audrey Ashwood, in her series that takes place in the shimmering Regency era. Perfect for readers who like their heroes to be daring, and their heroines to be courageous and a little bit adventurous.

Miss Honeyfield and the Dark Duke is a Regency romance by Audrey Ashwood. I really enjoyed this book. This was my first time reading a work by Ashwood and I was not disappointed. Lord Robert Beaufort, Duke of Scuffold was labeled a murderer when his young wife died under suspicious circumstances. After living abroad for a year, he returns to his estate under a cloud of innuendo and rumor. Miss Minerva Honeyfield is sent to the countryside to stay with her aunt and uncle after disappointing her parents. She stumbles across a beautiful old pavilion and finds herself face to face with the Dangerous Duke. I like the way Ms. Ashwood developed Minerva’s character. She is young and immature in many ways – heedless of how her actions will impact her family. But when she brings harm to those she loves, she is quick to want to make things right. The Duke is a mystery for most of the book. Ashwood uses a limited point of view to tell her story, so the Duke’s thoughts and motivations aren’t readily understood or known. His words and actions can be confusing at times, but worth plowing through to the end. “Minerva looked up and stared into a face that was sinister, masculine, and beautiful, all at the same time. Tan-colored hair, which was slightly too long for the current fashion, formed a bright halo surrounding his face. Eyes that changed from gold to hazelnut-brown, stared at her from underneath angry frowning eyebrows. His mouth was wide..however, she could not see his lips, since they were pressed together into a thin, hard line. He leaned down nearer to her, and Minerva could do nothing else other than make herself stiff and small, while praying that he wouldn’t harm her.” This is a sweet romance with no sex in it. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.