The youngest of six sisters, Mercy Ackerly has known since
thirteen what everyone else is about to learn: She’ll marry the elusive Duke of
Blackthorne.
WORTH THE WAIT
It was love at first sight for thirteen-year-old Mercy Ackerly. The second she encountered the traveling Duke of Blackthorne, she fell in love…with his horses. And since Sebastian Tremaine was also perfect, they would someday be man and wife.
From the start, Sebastian has felt oddly protective of Mercy. Delightfully straightforward, the girl is everything honest and sweet, which is why he approved when his best friend married into the family—and then so did his other friends. But now Mercy’s all grown up. Now she’s facing the ton’s matchmaking mamas and their deceitful daughters, is joining a world he despises, be it the ballrooms and routs or the opulent crush. He would shield her if he could, would do anything but entangle his heart.
Sebastian will fight the inevitable for as long as he can. And then he’ll fight for it. Some matches are schemed for, some are arranged, and some have just been coming for a long, long time.
It was love at first sight for thirteen-year-old Mercy Ackerly. The second she encountered the traveling Duke of Blackthorne, she fell in love…with his horses. And since Sebastian Tremaine was also perfect, they would someday be man and wife.
From the start, Sebastian has felt oddly protective of Mercy. Delightfully straightforward, the girl is everything honest and sweet, which is why he approved when his best friend married into the family—and then so did his other friends. But now Mercy’s all grown up. Now she’s facing the ton’s matchmaking mamas and their deceitful daughters, is joining a world he despises, be it the ballrooms and routs or the opulent crush. He would shield her if he could, would do anything but entangle his heart.
Sebastian will fight the inevitable for as long as he can. And then he’ll fight for it. Some matches are schemed for, some are arranged, and some have just been coming for a long, long time.
my review
•Complimentary Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.•
Excerpt
Mercy knew that she’d marry the
Duke of Blackthorne the moment she’s of age. Ever since she was saved by
Sebastian Tremaine, the young girl had already fell head over hills in love
with him, and not to mention, his horses.
Sebastian Tremaine grew up humbly.
He might have gained his education in one of the best schools there is, but his
mother had brought him up and kept his real identity a secret. He’s a good
student, and has a knack for remembering things. The moment he assumed the
title, the estate was in shambles, someone was siphoning the money out of it
and he needed to start from scratch. But because of his friendship with Trevor,
not to mention his own intelligence – they have succeeded in maintaining the
estate, and putting it back to its former glory.
Mercy has always been an accident
prone, and Sebastian couldn’t help but be protective of her. Who wouldn’t fall
in love with this girl? She’s fresh, innocent, sweet and honest. But now, she’s
grown up and it was time for her to experience a season. With all the
idiosyncrasies the aristocracy is up to, he tries to protect her from it in his
small little ways. But what he didn’t expect was the fact that it was him who
would cost her the most pain…
I love getting multiple POVs, this
is one of the things I appreciate about this novels. I know what everyone is
thinking! I like Mercy – yes she was head over hills in love with the Duke, and
she MIGHT have thrown herself at some point, but she immediately regained
composure, and allowed Sebastian to ponder on the things that he could have if
he will have her. I liked it better when he chased her. It was subtle, but
enough to make her realize he will always be around.
Mercy had stumbled, but she rose
up. She had gained friends, a lot of admirers, but there were also people who
wanted her down. At first, it was heartbreaking to see her suffer. Like
Sebastian, you will have the urge to protect her, keep her home and send her
back. But our girl is a fighter. She faced the challenge head on, and won the
hearts of everyone.
The Danger. Okay, I have been
waiting for this one to come out, and didn’t expect it would at the near end of
the novel, just as I was about to resign that it’s not going to happen, and I was
ready for my happily ever after. I was almost left off-guard, a little
surprise, and wishing I had the ropes to keep Mercy still.
You can’t help but fall in love
with the Duke & Mercy, they’re an amazing pair and really for each other. I
just adore the both of them, their love story isn’t sudden, and instead it
blossomed through time. It waited until it was the right moment to bloom, and
when it did, everything was worth the wait.
•Complimentary Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.•
MERCY
It was now or never. He wouldn’t come to another ball, of that she was sure. And he definitely wasn’t going to pay a call on her at her sister’s townhouse. If he’d ever intended that, he’d have done so by now.Before she could talk herself out of it, she gathered her courage, turned back around and blurted, “I love you.”Sebastian’s eyes widened. Mercy took a step toward him and continued speaking before her temporary bravado could desert her. “I know you probably didn’t know that, which is why you haven’t come to see me since I’ve been in London, but I’m grown up now so there’s no need for me to wait any longer to tell you.” She laced her fingers together and brought them to her chest as if they could somehow calm the furious beating of her heart. “I’ve loved you since I opened my eyes in your coach when I was thirteen years old, and that love has never gone away. I know I’m young, but you really aren’t all that much older than me and…”Mercy realized she was rambling and made herself stop talking. She bit her lip and chanced another glimpse of him up through her lashes. His golden eyes were soft, his expression serious. He gazed down at her, but she couldn’t tell at all what he was thinking.
ABOUT DENEANE CLARK:
Deneane grew up in New Orleans and misses it dreadfully.
Currently, she resides near Charlotte,NC, but has also lived in the Northeast,
the Midwest, and on the West Coast. She prefers mountains to beaches, cities to
suburbs, and suburbs to rural areas, and would be perfectly content if she
could just manage to convince the world to flip flop the working day so people
slept during the day and worked at night.
A single mom, Deneane raised her now grown up children while
working full time and writing at night. Her daughter enjoys traveling, so moves
in and out as the mood strikes, and her son recently enlisted in the United
States Marine Corps. She enjoys sparkling beverages, music, plays trivia with
an amazing bunch of friends, and travels to London any time she gets the
chance.
Deneane loves interaction with her readers. You can friend
and/or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. If you're not a
fan of social media, she also writes a blog. And, although it sometimes takes a
while, she makes every attempt to respond to all emails, messages and comments.
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