Author: M.J. OShea
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press/Dreamspun Desires
Length: 204 Pages
At a Glance: This Dreamspun Desires story is one of my favorites. The book has a slow but steady build to it, an opposites attract story. and a HEA.
Reviewed By: Carrie
Blurb: Every gentleman has something to hide.
Meeting Heath Blackwood, a gorgeous English farmer, is probably the most exciting thing to ever happen to small-town landscaper Theo Brody, who has lived in quiet Maplehurst, New Hampshire, all his life. The sexy and secretive Brit shakes the foundations of his orderly world as they are swept up in a springtime romance neither can resist.
But Heath’s secrets run deeper than Theo ever imagined. He’s actually Heathcliff Pierrepont Blackwood, Duke of Kingston, in hiding from recent death threats. Suddenly there’s more separating them than the Atlantic Ocean, and Theo doubts he’ll ever fit in with English nobility. Though Heath and Theo are opposites in almost every way, their love might bridge the gap—if they’re willing to take the risk.
Review: Heath Blackwood is really Heathcliff Pierrepont Blackwood, Duke of Kingston. After receiving death threats, he is whisked away to Maplehurst, New Hampshire, to live in hiding for a while until the authorities discover who is behind the plot and he is safe to resume his life. Alone, miserable, and in a country he doesn’t particularly care for, he stops at the only bar in this dinky little town, and runs into Theo Brody. Attraction, chemistry, sparks start to fly, and these men love to hate on each other every time they meet.
“His favorite part was Theo’s smile. It was like magic. Yeah, he knew just how dumb that sounded too. But it was. The first time he’d seen it, he had to see more. Maybe goading Theo into arguing wasn’t the best way to make him smile, but Heath’s instincts had just… gone mad when they met. Like some little schoolboy with a crush, he’d flipped right into torment mode. And torment him he had.”
Theo Brody is just starting his own business as a landscaper. He works long, backbreaking hours during the day, and bartends at night to make ends meet during the winter months. He’s a small town guy, everybody likes him, so why is he so mixed up with a stranger who clearly doesn’t care for him at all? It seems the more they meet, the more they are pulled together like magnets.
There is very little angst in this book; it’s more a book about being vulnerable with those around us. Trust is huge and these two men have to learn to rely on each other when the outside world closes in. This is a romance that is character driven, and M.J. O’Shea does a great job of introducing us to these characters and making us care what happens to them. I really liked these men and appreciated that their HEA was never really in doubt.
The ending got a little “Pretty Woman” for me, but that was ok. It didn’t detract from the overall story, and I enjoyed reading this romance and would recommend it.
You can buy Duke in Hiding here:
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