When He Was a Duke (The Duke's Legacy #1)

She thought he was a servant. He turned out to be her salvation.

Once, Sebastian Ashford was a duke's son—until his father's hanging stripped him of his name, his home, and his future. Branded by scandal and hardened by war, Sebastian returns to England with a single uncover the truth behind his family's ruin. Disguised as a humble gardener, he infiltrates the estate of the very man he suspects of orchestrating it all.

Lady Rose Wentworth knows her place in Society—but that place is a prison. Raised in luxury yet suffocated by duty, she dreams of a life beyond her father's control. Now, she's being forced into marriage with a ruthless baron twenty years her senior—a match designed to secure power, not happiness. When she meets the new gardener, she's drawn to his quiet strength and piercing gaze—unaware that he's the enemy her family helped create.

As their forbidden romance deepens, Sebastian and Rose must choose between loyalty and desire, vengeance and redemption. But in a world where titles define worth and secrets can destroy everything, loving him could cost them their lives.

A Regency romance of slow-burn longing, forbidden attraction, hidden identities, and the intoxicating thrill of enemies becoming lovers. A sweeping story of passion, peril, and the fierce courage it takes to reclaim a name—and a future.

Tropes:
•  Disguised Identity / Secret Identity
•  Class Difference / Forbidden Love
•  Slow Burn Romance
•  Redemption Arc
•  Found Family / Sibling Bond
•  Masquerade Ball
•  Revenge Plot / Justice Quest
•  Beauty and the Beast Vibes

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

The Duke's Legacy series:
Book 1 - When He Was a Duke
Book 2 - When He Was a Rogue
Book 3 - When She Was a Governess