Dukes of Destiny Series by Whitney Blake

Book One in an exciting new Regency Historical Romance series. Meet the damaged dukes from the Napoleonic wars and the spirited, strong-willed, and beautiful women who help them discover the joy of living again. Romance, intrigue, and passion ignite in this stunning new series - and read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Lord Reeve Malliston, Third Duke of Nidderdale, is a brilliant military tactician with a musician’s eccentricities... moreBook One in an exciting new Regency Historical Romance series. Meet the damaged dukes from the Napoleonic wars and the spirited, strong-willed, and beautiful women who help them discover the joy of living again. Romance, intrigue, and passion ignite in this stunning new series - and read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Lord Reeve Malliston, Third Duke of Nidderdale, is a brilliant military tactician with a musician’s eccentricities. A favorite of the Duke of Wellington, he’s called to fight on the fields of Salamanca. The English victory is supposed to be Reeve’s defining accomplishment, but war is cruel to the duke, who is discharged from the battlefield nearly deaf and with two fingers missing. He comes home a disgraced and broken man, or so he believes. After his lady wife dies under mysterious circumstances, nasty rumors abound that he went mad, that war shattered his mind and he murdered the mother of his two young daughters. With little care for the social consequences, he does nothing to combat the gossip and descends into debauchery, leaving his children under the dubious care of a pernicious governess and her sister, his equally uncivil housekeeper. When yet another instance of domestic chaos greets him and his daughters beg him to intervene, Reeve suddenly decides to enlist his old comrade’s daughter as their new governess. With this new woman to be both surrogate mother and tutor, Reeve plans on resuming his risqué lifestyle without worry or guilt. But Miss Caroline Sedgwyck, though affectionate toward the children and levelheaded overall, is anything but docile. She sees right through Reeve’s penchant for impropriety, much as he detects that her calm indifference to him is a facade. The two constantly test each other as Caroline challenges the duke to do what is best for his family, while Reeve stirs Caroline’s passions. Desire, friction, and friendship blossom in equal measure between them—is Caroline the woman to quell the Duke of Havoc? Will she restore the music to his soul? less

Lord Jeremy Hareden, Duke of Bowland, only wishes for a calm, predictable life after returning home from his military service. Seeking peace above all else and blessed with an innate sense of justice, he decides to resume his work in law and politics. But neither fate nor war has left the duke unscathed. He is something of a laughingstock for turning a blind eye to his wife's affairs with other men—many other men, if rumors and the evidence before his own eyes are to be believed... moreLord Jeremy Hareden, Duke of Bowland, only wishes for a calm, predictable life after returning home from his military service. Seeking peace above all else and blessed with an innate sense of justice, he decides to resume his work in law and politics. But neither fate nor war has left the duke unscathed. He is something of a laughingstock for turning a blind eye to his wife's affairs with other men—many other men, if rumors and the evidence before his own eyes are to be believed. And to deal with the horrors he experienced on the battlefield, he's turned to a clandestine abuse of wine and opiates. This, of course, all leads to a rather abstracted and dark frame of mind. Jeremy can function well enough, but his study and business affairs are atrociously disorganized. His mother, never one to sit idly by, suggests he should hire a secretary. But rather than wait for him to find his own candidate, Lady Margaret Hareden procures her own unusual one. Miss Charlotte Masbeck's father, a steward and former clerk, has trained her in secretarial duties. She's astute, kind, and clever. No one would guess that she's harboring a painful secret that makes her reluctant to trust anyone. The position for the Duke of Bowland seems like an ideal way to move forward from the troubling events of her past. She doesn't count on falling in love with the duke and raising the ire of his unfaithful lady wife. As he spends more time with Miss Masbeck, Jeremy realizes that he craves passion and romance, and not just a deceptive sense of peace at the cost of his emotions and self-respect. But does he have the nerve to make incredibly difficult choices—ones that could very well upend his entire life? What if he became known as the "Duke of Disgrace" by choice, sacrificing his tenuous tranquility for the freedom to love? less

Mr. Gordon Judd is a versatile actor with dashing good looks and an impressive range. His career seems promising until, mysteriously, he goes into soldiering. When he returns to London, it's clear he can't resume his old life—a wound to the throat ruined his voice, obliterating his prospects. He tries to eke out a living as a stagehand, but his income dwindles. At a loss, he has little choice but to contact his older brother for help... moreMr. Gordon Judd is a versatile actor with dashing good looks and an impressive range. His career seems promising until, mysteriously, he goes into soldiering. When he returns to London, it's clear he can't resume his old life—a wound to the throat ruined his voice, obliterating his prospects. He tries to eke out a living as a stagehand, but his income dwindles. At a loss, he has little choice but to contact his older brother for help.Unfortunately, Judd is actually Lord Emilian Valencourt, although he's happier when he isn't. His brother is Lord Thomas Valencourt, the Duke of Welburn. There's an ocean of bad blood and secrets between them.Thomas dies unexpectedly, and Emilian discovers that inheriting a title won't solve his troubles. The late duke ran their family resources into the ground to fuel his vices, so Emilian's best friend suggests looking for a rich woman to marry. Emilian finds the prospect slightly abhorrent, but it's the best of a bad lot of options.When he meets Miss Theodora Driffield, an opinionated and adventurous heiress chafing under her mother's expectations, his misgivings intensify. She could be the answer to his problems, but he doesn't want to deceive her. Still, compelled by attraction and desperation, the two begin an unconventional courtship—Theodora gives him a black eye after their first kiss; he proposes marriage after they're spotted in a compromising situation.They fall in love, but Theodora soon determines part of Emilian's subterfuge: she doesn't know that he trod the boards, but she does learn that he needs her money. True to form, she doesn't react placidly. He's utterly petrified when things begin to unravel between them. With everything to lose, he has to summon the nerve to make things right between them and be true to himself. If he doesn't, Theodora might just slip through his fingers, adding to a lifetime's worth of losses. less