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Taken by the Duke Paperback – July 1, 2014
- Print length250 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSamhain Publishing
- Publication dateJuly 1, 2014
- Dimensions5.51 x 0.57 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-101619219425
- ISBN-13978-1619219427
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Product details
- Publisher : Samhain Publishing (July 1, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 250 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1619219425
- ISBN-13 : 978-1619219427
- Item Weight : 11.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.51 x 0.57 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,849,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,504 in Historical Erotica (Books)
- #23,054 in Romantic Erotica (Books)
- #41,361 in Regency Romances
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Jess Michaels is a USA Today Bestselling Author who likes geeky stuff like Star Wars, playing video games, Bob’s Burgers and collecting POPs! She also drinks a LOT of Diet Coke. Probably an unhealthy amount, but it’s her only vice. She will eat (almost) anything coconut, truly anything cheesy and nothing spicy (yes, she is a walking stereotype when it comes to that). She likes cats, her dog Elton and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans.
Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.
When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with amazing heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.
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Welcome to the war between the House Rothcastle and House Windbury. No one alive knew why they never got along, but some long ago deceased relative started a war between the two families and it has raged for decades. But when the war goes to a whole new level leaving Christian Rothcastle and Liam Windbury severely injured and Christian's sister dead the war explodes. Stricken with grief, Christian will do anything and I mean anything to make the Windbury family suffer. So what better way than to go after Liam's own sister, Ava.
Ava has been a wallflower for as long as she can remember. The feud between her family and the Windbury family has left her without any suitors. She is forced to only interact with her aunt and her friend Portia and the few other women who only want to gain gossip from her. It's not until one night at a party that she sees Christian again does something spark deep within her. Christian still shows signs of the accident in his limp and the cane he now walks with but he returns to society anyway 6 months after the death of his sister. He devises a plan, kidnap Ava and make her brother feel lost without her the way he now feels about his sister. Christian's plan works, but he's surprised to find that Ava isn't like any other woman that he has encountered before. She's defiant and so very sure of herself, showing no fear even though she is scared. But not scared of Christian, scared of what she is feeling towards him.
The original plan was for her to just stay and he would let her go unharmed after he felt her brother had suffered her loss, but Christian quickly decides that he must have Ava for himself even for just a short period of time. So he makes Ava a deal that she cannot refuse. Sacrifice her virginity to him and he would let that pay the debt for her what her brother has done. Ava will do anything to try and stop the way between the two families which has ripped both families apart so she agrees. What Christian didn't except was not only for Ava to accept to stay for three weeks and have an affair with him, but what he feels when they are finally together. Christian is determined to make their affair only of a sexual nature but as time goes on and they grow closer to one another and their attraction grows, Christian feels his walls begin to break down and he lets Ava see the real him that no one ever gets to see. But deep down to Christian she is still the enemy and that is a fact he cannot overlook for a long time.
He finally decides that if Ava wants to leave, he'll let her go but she doesn't want to leave and is determined to stay for the entire agreement. So what happens with their feelings begin to grow towards truly caring for one another and what happens with Liam finds them together? Join Ava and Christian as they discover truths about what Christian's sister was really trying to do and who among them wants to hurt the Windbury family more than Christian does? But most of all will Christian ever be willing to accept Ava for who she is and let go of the hurt he feels deep in his heart?
I loved this story. I felt like I was right there along side the characters in this story and that is part of the reason why I love to read these stories. The characters were very well thought out and is was a beautiful story. Jess just has a way with words that draws you into the story and you find yourself up late at night reading, engrossed in the story and in serious need of a fan on more than one occasion. This was my first novel by Jess but it will not be my last as I look forward to reading the other novels in the Pleasure Wars series. This was an easy 5 stars for me!
***Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review***
The stage is set when Matilda Rothcastle runs away with Liam Windbury. These star-crossed lovers are chased by her brother, Christian Rothcastle. A horrific accident occurs in which both gentlemen are seriously injured and Mathilda is killed and the long-standing feud between the two families becomes worse. Both Liam and Christian are filled with anger and guilt. Revenge is foremost in their minds. Christian concocts a scheme to kidnap Liam's sister, Ava, and keep her long enough to ruin her. As Christian takes Ava to a remote estate they are both surprised to find they are attracted to each other. Ava bargains away her innocence to prevent further violence against her brother. Thus begins three weeks of sexual and emotional discovery as a tenuous relationship builds. Can intimacy build a bridge over a deep river of hatred?
There were many things I liked about Taken by the Duke. Ava was reasonable and rational, even when she was first abducted. She was tired of the senseless, harmful battle between the two families and did what she could to stop further trouble. Christian and Liam were some very angry, guilty, confused guys. The issues were not easily resolved; in fact, some were not resolved at all. There was a truly surprising twist at the end. The ending also provided a very nice setup for the next book in the series, which I very much look forward to reading. Regency readers that enjoy a good bit of spice will want to read this enjoyable and intriguing book.
**ARC provided by Author**
Jess Michaels always manages to give her readers a great story,interesting characters and very sexy love scenes!
This is a story about a feud between two families that has lasted for generations. In fact, it has lasted so long that the parties no longer know the reasons as to why the feud began in the first place. All they know is that the hatred between the two families has always existed and it has been tended quite well so that it might grow and blossom year after year, generation after generation.
As this story begins, a tragic accident has left one person dead and two seriously injured.
Christian Rothcastle has always hated the Winburys. It's all he's ever known but after being robbed of the one person he has loved more than any other, he now wants revenge.
He sets out to kidnap Ava Windbury in the hope that her downfall will not only destroy her name but also the man he holds responsible for everything,her brother Liam.
What he hasn't planned on, is that Ava will do what no other person has ever managed before. She will use kindness,compassion and understanding to break down the walls he has erected all around him.
She is not what he expected,but sometimes we don't get what we want, we get what we need.
You will be swept away be the story between Ava and Christian. You will not be able to put the book down! So, turn off the phone curl up and enjoy! It will have your pulse racing till the very end.
Top reviews from other countries
The Windburys and the Rothcastles have been opposed for many years, quarelling for ages.
Her, we follow Christian Rothcastle who kidnaps Ava Windburys to get revenge for the death of his sister who was eloping with Ava's brother, Liam. While Christian just wanted to hurt Liam with the kidnapping, he changes his lind and asks Ava to offer her virginity to save her brother, which she accepts for 3 weeks. He then makes her discover her body and the rest...
For me this is bordering abuse and Stockholm syndrom. It's also unfortunate that there isn't a proper ending to this story .
It was heart-wrenching and the writing was incredible!!!! I couldn't put it down.
Jess Michaels captures every detail perfectly for a historical romance!