Spotlight & Giveaway: My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden

Posted November 14th, 2022 by in Blog, Spotlight / 23 comments

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Kristin Vayden’s new release: My Dearest Duke

 

Spotlight&Giveaway

 

Fans of Bridgerton will fall in love with this fresh and evocative historical romance from Kristin Vayden.

 
Get swept away to the bright society of Regency England in this beautiful romance featuring:

A reluctant duke who’d rather be writing scholarly papers
A lady with a unique and scandalous secret
The tempting chemistry between them they can no longer deny
And a truth that will either set them free or tear them apart…

Lord Rowles Haywind has always shied away from the spotlight of the dukedom, worried it would bring too much attention to the family secret. Now that he is the new Duke, he has more responsibility than he ever dreamed of. He needs help, but he’s not sure he can trust anyone enough. Until he reconnects with Lady Joan Morgan…

Lady Joan’s penetrating insights reassure Rowles as no one ever has. But she has a secret of her own that would cause a terrible scandal. She longs to tell Rowles the truth about her work for the war office, but she’s afraid it’ll ruin the connection they’ve rekindled. But the longer she waits to tell him, the worse the outcome could be for them both once the truth is out…

 

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from My Dearest Duke 

Rowles wiped one hand down his face as he thought back over the events of the morning. What had begun as the worst sort of way to start a day—apologizing and looking after a friend he’d assaulted—ended with the brightest conversation he’d had in an age.
Joan didn’t only see through to one’s soul, she bloody well interpreted what she saw as well. Her premise was brilliant and well defended. And he took the challenge as a way to tease her, test her, and see a little into that wit he’d enjoyed when they’d waltzed. And she’d not only risen to the challenge but done so brilliantly and with such articulate prowess. She was enchanting.
But good Lord. When she’d called him Professor… Hopefully, he’d collected himself quickly enough, though she was painfully observant, and she might have caught on to the expression on his face. For his mind had taken a seductive turn, and abruptly so, catching him wholly off guard. He’d liked her calling him Professor. He’d liked it far too much, and it had taken concentrated effort to school his features and keep his wits about him. She was a temptation he hadn’t expected and wouldn’t soon forget. Even now he was anticipating seeing her again, which only led to further problems. He’d mended his friendship with Morgan. It wasn’t the time to ask permission to court his sister.
Good heavens. He could only imagine the fight that would potentially follow. And that didn’t bode well for a potential suitor.
Rowles decided to wait, test, and see if perhaps Joan had felt the same sort of attraction. He had time, and if there was nothing on her end, no need to alert Morgan. It was a long stretch, he reminded himself. Joan had a plethora of suitors clamoring for her attentions, and he wasn’t necessarily included in their ranks, at least officially.
It wasn’t worth destroying a friendship for a possibility. But he could still ask for a dance, could he not? He’d already waltzed with her. Rowles thought back to Morgan’s original description of him.
Safe.
He felt anything but safe at the moment, not after enjoying her lively conversation, and certainly not after hearing her call him Professor. Safe was not an accurate word. It had taken severe restraint on his part not to cross the room and kiss her right then and there, in front of the bloody housekeeper, God, and everyone.
And for the first time, Rowles felt dangerous. But in the way the gothic romance novels portrayed the tragic hero. Black eye and all.
He could play the part.
It was a little too close to home anyway.
An ill mother, a title that weighed heavily on him, a love interest that was completely out of reach, and a hero with nothing to lose but his best friend.
Yes. That could certainly be a gothic story if someone wished to look too closely at his life. And like a lurid gothic novel, it certainly couldn’t have a happy ending. Yet as much as he told himself to accept this truth, his heart involved itself in the most dangerous sort of rebellion. It hoped.

Excerpt. ©Kristin Vayden. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: 3 copies of FORTUNE FAVORS THE DUKE

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and post a comment to this Q: What did you think of the excerpt spotlighted here? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the book…

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Meet the Author:

Kristin’s inspiration for the romance she writes comes from her tall, dark and handsome husband with killer blue eyes. With five children to chase, she is never at a loss for someone to kiss, something to cook or some mess to clean but she loves every moment of it! Life is full—of blessings and adventure! Needless to say she’s a big fan of coffee and wine…and living in Washington she’s within walking distance of both!

Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinvaydenauthor
Instagram: @kristinkatjoyce
 
 
 

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23 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden”

  17. Bonnie

    What a wonderful book! Great cover and excerpt. I’d love to read more.

  18. Joye

    This is the kind of book I enjoy reading. I have enjoyed reading other books by this author.

  19. Patricia B.

    Thank you for the excerpt. It depicts a man who is trying in vain to control his attraction to the first woman who has really caught his attention. Even with all the reasons to avoid a relationship, he finds himself drawn to her and desiring more time with her.

  21. Irma Jurejevčič

    I love it! I can’t help but to love when a man falls for a woman and he can’t get her out of his mind.