Portia Hobbs has decided to make some major changes in her
life.
She's done drinking, done coasting through jobs, and most
of all, she's
done with men. To make sure her new lifestyle sticks, she
applies and is
accepted to be a sword maker's apprentice in Scotland, as
well as
tackle the social media and marketing of the armory's
seriously
outdated website. She's feeling optimistic about sticking
to her new
plan until she meets Tavish McKenzie, her new boss, who also
happens
to be older, gruffer, and hotter than she expected.
Tavish keeps Portia at a distance the moment she arrives. On
the one
hand, he expects the spoiled American socialite to find the
hard work
involved with running the armory unbearable, but on the
other, he finds
Portia irresistible. On top of that, Portia proves she has
great ideas to
keep the armory relevant, and she's willing to learn all
she can about
the history behind Tavish's life's work.
But when Portia's research uncovers that Tavish is actually
the son of a
Duke, Tavish realizes Portia's knowledge of high society
parties and
social rules are the only thing to keep him afloat in his
newfound
aristocratic title. Portia and Tavish start spending almost
every waking
moment together, and while their attraction grows, neither
is willing, or
ready, to submit to their feelings.
Once again, Alyssa Cole's signature witty and heartwarming
writing
style shines throughout A DUKE BY
DEFAULT. This latest novel in the Reluctant Royals series is a true delight. Portia
and Tavish
start out as polar opposites but have more in common than
they think.
They both need each other, and watching them come to this
realization
and subsequently watching them fall in love was charming, as
well as
super sexy! It was so much fun to check in on characters
from A PRINCESS IN THEORY, meet new
side characters in Scotland, and get an enticing look at the
couple
coming in the next Reluctant
Royals book. Cole continues to grow as an author,
and her joy
in writing about these characters comes through loud and
clear. Highly
recommended, and looking forward to many more books by Alyssa
Cole!
Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way… New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr. Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice—and his attraction to her—but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project. Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?