When a Duke Loves a Woman audiobook

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOGLorraine Heath has been an auto-read for me for years now. I adore the poetry in her words, her wonderful, swoon-worthy heroes and her beautiful, strong heroines. She has never, NEVER let me down. I love how she pulls my heart strings with every single one of her books. I've been a fan-girling over her books forever and it's so satisfying to see that new readers discover her artistry.In WHEN A DUKE LOVES A WOMAN we meet Thorne when he is being assaulted and robbed by thugs. His savior comes in the form of a lovely tavern owner. Gillie takes the gravely injured man to her home and nurses him back to life. Nobody can't know that there is a man in her apartment - her brothers would force her to marry the man and that's the one thing she doesn't want: marriage. That the gorgeous man is a duke and would never marry below his station doesn't even matter. Marriage would mean handing over ownership of her tavern to her husband and that just can't happen.Isn't it refreshing? A heroine so content with herself that she doesn't need a man to make her happy? Gillie was everything I love in women. Independent, brave, kind, smart, sweet, strong yet gentle. She's sunshine, love and wisdom and backbone. I loved her dreamy side, the one that had her collecting unicorns and mermaids and naming her tavern after those fabled creatures. There was an innocence to her that belied her rough upbringing. Yet at the same time there was a worldliness to her that indicated she had a far deeper understanding of human nature than he. Being born on the wrong side of the blanket she doesn't want to make the same mistakes as her parents who she never met but that comes with a little bit of loneliness that definitely tugged at my heart. The attraction she feels for the duke becomes stronger with every minute she spends in his presence so it's only a matter of time until she gives in.Gillie never had a chance resisting Thorne. He had an open personality that admired Gillie's independence rather than cursed it. He loved that she was so different from every other woman he knew. He was warm, sweet and for a man who'd never known love he gave a lot of it. This woman had every right to complain about her life, the harshness of it. Instead she met it head-on and worked hard to make it better for herself. I admired him for realizing his mistake in not getting to know the woman who he was supposed to marry, that he did both of them a disservice by just accepting his fate. Thorne is responsible, aware of is station and the promises he makes. He is fascinated by Gillie's spirit and kindness, her love for the people in Whitechapel, the way she shows kindness and it was so easy to see why they would fall in love with one another. Despite their difference in social standing they were inevitable. Still she felt like a mermaid following a unicorn into the woods, all the while knowing that at some point, she would have to return to the sea. Gillie's colorful brothers give this story even more depth and I expect that I will fall in love with them just as easily as I did with Gillie and Mick. I have my eyes on Beast in particular. He is one of those deep waters that you need to prod and dive into to reveal its secrets. Having said that I'm looking forward to finding out about all of them. Next up is The Scoundrel in her Bed - Finn's story who will meet his match in Lavinia, Thorne's former fiancee. This sounds already quite angsty and I'm really excited for it!While I found the first half of When a Duke Loves a Woman a little on the slower side I did enjoy it as a whole. Again Ms Heath touches me with her story. Her ability to make me fall in love with her characters is the reason why she will remain one of my favorites in Historical Romance.

Title: When a Duke Loves a WomanSeries: Sins for All Seasons #2Author: Lorraine HeathRelease date: August 21, 2018Cliffhanger: NoHEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]He’d kissed women before, lots of women, all sorts of women, but it had never felt as though any of them had reached deep within him and caressed his soul.I was so excited to start the second installment in the Sins for all Seasons series after reading and loving the first book, Beyond Scandal and Desire. This is the story of Gillie, one of six illegitimate siblings who were raised by Ettie Trewlove. Besides the youngest, Fancy, they were all aristocratic children born on the wrong side of the blanket and discarded on her doorstep. Despite society's unfair prejudice against them, they have all grown to be a tight-knit family who are reasonably well adjusted and successful in their own right. Gillie was a fascinating heroine who unlike most other women of her time wants nothing to do with love and marriage. She's completely independent, and focused on making The Mermaid and Unicorn tavern in Whitechapel a success. If she were to marry, the business she built with her blood, sweat, and tears would be handed over to her husband. How could she possibly desire such a thing? No, she was just fine living by her rules, since the rules and opinions of society had never been in her favor anyway.It hurt too much to care. She knew her limits, knew her path. It didn’t involve marriage, children, or love.On top of that, she was taught growing up to guard herself from men and be wary of their intentions. Dressing in men's clothes, cutting her hair short, and binding her breasts, she learned to make herself blend into the background and avoid drawing attention to herself. Too many women had fallen prey to their passion, and she had no desire to repeat past mistakes and create a child who would be ostracized by polite society like her family had been. Another thing I loved about her was her unpredictability. She was a study in contradictions. Growing up in the seedy side of town, saw things in her tavern that ladies couldn't even imagine, and because of that understands human nature at a deeper level than most ladies. At the same time, she's utterly inexperienced with men, to the point where she fears allowing anyone to get close. She knows the mechanics and facts of sex, but she's never even been kissed at almost thirty years old. She wouldn't think twice about throwing a punch in a bar brawl to break it up, or bluntly speaking her mind, but her tough exterior hides a woman who has no faith in her own desirability and confidence in her worth.For all her boldness, there was still a part of her that believed she deserved being left on a doorstep; buried deep within her was a little girl who wanted to believe she was a princess. He intended to treat her as though she were a queen.Then there's her whimsical side verses her practical side. She daydreamed as a child that she was a princess, and loves mermaids and unicorns. Yet, in her life, her head has always ruled over her heart. Gillie is a true three dimensional character who's strong, yet just vulnerable enough to capture readers' hearts. The book begins with a twist on the classic hero rescues the heroine trope which I really enjoyed. In this case, Thorne has been set upon by thugs, and could have lost his life if not for Gillie's quick intervention. After dragging him up to her apartment, she spends time caring for him and fighting some very unfamiliar feelings of attraction. Thorne goes in and out of consciousness, but even in his weakened state, he's drawn to her just as much. I found his insta-lust/attraction to be a little on the unbelievable side to be honest. First of all, he was in her neighborhood searching for his bride who left him at the altar. Secondly, he's had a massive amount of blood loss and life threatening injuries. I couldn't help but feel that it was far-fetched for him to be mooning over another woman, and even responding physically in those circumstances as he was laying in bed so weak. I had a hard time connecting to them as a couple in the first half of the book partly because of feeling like their attraction was so abrupt and rushed. The whole period where they spent time getting to know one another was in the search for his missing bride. As she assisted him through her neighborhood, there was a LOT of internal dialogue on his part where he compared her to Lavinia. Even though it was always in favor of Gillie, after a point it started to grate on my nerves. Yes, it helped to establish that he had no feelings of love for Lavinia, and that he was sadly lacking knowledge about her, but it didn't endear me to Gillie and Thorne's romance. Thorne was an easy hero to love, and refreshing in that he wasn't your typical brooding or alpha type. He was much more open and warm, and from the very beginning, he admired Gillie's independence and differences. And though he was a Duke (and a cousin to the Queen herself!) he never looked down his nose at her, or anyone else in the working class. In fact, he admires them, and even rolled up his sleeves to help work in the tavern when she's shorthanded. The greatest roadblock for Thorne was understanding and identifying the love he had for Gillie. Growing up with such cold parents, he has never been exposed to true romantic love. His father was a philanderer, and his mother was vicious and bitter because of it. There was never any parental affection doted on him from either of them, only expectations of his responsibility as the future Duke. When he came to realize his growing feelings for the woman he admired so deeply, he didn't hesitate to try to introduce her to his world. Gillie was sure that like the Unicorn and Mermaid, they were destined to live in different worlds never to cross, but he was determined to convince her otherwise. She was strong, intelligent, and the bravest woman he ever met. All he had to do was convince her that she was the perfect candidate to step into the roll of duchess without having to let go of her dreams. The second half really picked up for me, and I was really invested in them finding a way to come together despite his mother and snobby society's expectations.Though I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing these two find their way to each other. Thorne was a man who didn't know how to love, and Gillie didn't want to fall in love. However, they grew, changed, and by the end, understood themselves and one another better than they ever had before. I'm so looking forward to reading Finn and Lavinia's story, The Scoundrel in Her Bed . Lavinia really intrigued me in this book, so I was excited to see that she would be paired with Gillie's brother Finn! I'll be counting down the days until February. FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

PRE-ORDER Amazon US * Amazon UKSo I'm not really a fan of Historical Romances and I've only read a handful of them in the past. But when I got this book from the publisher and read the blurb I was instantly curious. The heroine sounded like a strong one and I always love reading about women who can take control of their own lives instead of waiting around for a man to do it, so I decided to jump into this one. And it is the second book from the Sins for All Seasons series but I didn't have a problem reading it before the previous one. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Gillie and she was really different from what I usually think of for heroines in HR books. She wasn't worried about marriage or finding a perfect man, and instead she took care of herself and did it pretty damn well. I thought she was a great switch on the usual damsel in distress, where she wasn't the one in distress, she was the one doing the rescuing. Whether Historical or Contemporary, I love that strength in my heroines. Thorne was also an interesting character to read about. He didn't have any type of snobbish attitude towards the lower class, and I was glad he didn't have that personality that I was honestly expecting.I did get slightly frustrated at the constant comparing he did between Gillie and his ex-bride-to-be but it wasn't something that had me hating him. Overall, I can't say I'll be rushing out to read Historical books in the future but I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author and series to read more of.ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

Great Class Difference romance. A Duke arrives at her door near death. She nurses him back to health and a relationship blooms between them.It was sweet and fun and I enjoyed myself.4.5/5 Stars

When a Duke Loves a Women is my first 5-star read this year! I love it even more than Beyond Scandal and Desire!In When a Duke Loves a Woman, we have an unusual heroine – Gillie. She is very independent and runs her own tavern in Whitechapel! She also had an unusual upbringing since she was raised by Ettie Trewlove along with her brothers. Gillie’s upbringing was unique and it does affect her attitude towards everyone. When she was younger she had to pretend to be a boy, dress like one and even worked like one. Of course, this was to protect her virtue and keep her safe, but it really affected her overall view of the world.We are introduced by the Duke of Thornley – Thorne – one night while he was mugged in an alley next to Gillie’s tavern. She rescues him and nurses him back to health and they end up falling for each other.I thoroughly enjoyed When the Duke Loves a Woman! If you've been following my reviews, you will know that I love historical romances featuring non-aristocratic characters and not set in a ballroom! Not that ballrooms aren't great, but I love settings outside the ballroom or a manor! When the Duke Loves a Woman has this in spades!Majority of the book is set in Gillie's tavern and it's called The Unicorn and The Mermaid! I think? But Gillie is such an awesome character! I love how independent she is. What is heartbreaking about her is that she is a romantic at heart but because of how she grew up and she couldn't help but compare herself to her younger sister.Thorne is also the perfect man for Gillie! Since it is set mostly in Gillie's tavern, he doesn't have a chance to act like an aristocrat. But of course, he also wanted to marry someone appropriate.When he finally realizes that he loves Gillie, his declaration of love was AMAZING!I can't wait to read the next book in the series! We also know who the couple would be! Eeep!This review first appread on I Heart Romance & YA

4 StarsI’m not sure why this series have low ratings, I think Lorraine Heath’s writing style is enjoyable, entertaining and you never know what kind of book you are going to get. Is this author my favorite historical romance author? No, but there’s potential and I’m a fan of this series so far.This is Gillie and Duke of Thornley’s story.This series will focus on 6 kids, all of them were brought on to this world by men cheating on their wives. It’s an interesting concept, kind of sad, but regardless interesting.I think you need to read the series in order. You don’t have to, but a lot of the feels are in the first book with Mick’s story. To my surprise When a Duke Loves a Woman is a little less depressing, a little less intense and a little less angsty, but I liked it a little more than the first book. Although they are pretty close, it’s just that each book gave me different feels.The best part of the book was the beginning. When you start to read, you are sucked into the story and I couldn’t put the book down. Duke of Thornley is robbed, stabbed and left for dead, until a passerby, Gillie finds him and nurse’s him to health.What really made the story for me was Gillie, she’s a strong, independent older spinster. She has her family and her Tavern which she owns and that’s all she needs in life. I love my damsels when I read historical romances, but there’s something the way Gillie’s character’s written, that I loved. I really liked how she wasn’t Thornley’s scraps. She was willing to be in his life as much as she was willing to let her heart allow it.I liked how Gillie didn’t need to be proper. I liked her kind heart and I liked how she opened Thornley’s eyes to the other side of the way people lived. It was just a nice, sweet story.

Searching in Whitechapel for the woman who left him at the altar, the Duke of Thornley would have probably bleed to death in an alley if a pretty redhead didn't come to his rescue, after being viciously attacked by thieves. Being a tavern owner is unusual for a woman at that time, but probably not so much when you had the upbringing that Gillian Trewlove had, a by-blow abandoned as a babe on the threshold of a woman who raised four more and a daughter she had later out of wedlock. Gillie and her siblings are commoners and grew up in the Rookeries, but it didn't stop the young girl to educate herself on all sort of things. While she doesn't need a man to be content with her life and have not much interest in them and they don't seem to see her as a potential match either, she sometimes feel lonely and would like to share affection and touch. She's starving for love while not waiting for it, but she wouldn't accept just everyone and she protect her heart. Rescuing a stranger was a natural thing for her, but her reaction to him is something new. She feel a connection she never had before with anyone. It's only later that she learn he's a duke, but it doesn't change a single thing for her heart. After nursing him back to health, she'll still help him, this time to find his runaway bride. Not because he still want to marry her, but because he wants to be sure that she's well and nothing untoward happened to her. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is just the beginning of how amazing the hero was ! He's a real class act no matter the situation and being kind just come so naturally to him. So here's the thing about this book ; it's not the most entertaining one. The pace is slow and it feels like not much happened in it, but I liked it all the same because it made me feel so much ! And I think it's because the characters had such a great presence and beautiful soul. Gillis opened her heart easily, she was very touching. But she was also a good mix of strength and softness. She worked hard to better herself and help other at the same time. She earned people respect, and that's why I think she was credible as a tavern owner. There were so many beautiful scenes in this book. I especially liked the one when the heroine explain to Thorn why she called her tavern the Mermaid and the Unicorn, and when the hero brought a book to Robin, a little urchin that Gillie took under her wing, I wanted to kiss him ! What made this romance so wonderful it's that they took time to talk, to get to know each other before going further. It was not the kind of chemistry you compare to a fire, raging and blazing, but more like a gentle wave, soft and soothing. It's a great reminder that in our days of "more and faster" sometimes all we need is to take our time and listen.

I loved this even more than book one. Gillie was such a unique and strong heroine. Thorne was a fine enough character, but it was Gillie (and Robin!) who stole the show. And after the setup happening in the background, I cannot wait for book three!

When a Duke Loves a Woman is the second installment of the Sins for All Seasons series, which focuses on a band of bastard offspring who were left on the doorstep of Ettie Trewlove in the slums of Whitechapel. These members of the commoner class are being paired off one-by-one with a member of the nobility as we navigate the social issues between the class separation.Our heroine in this installment is Gillie - the sole illegitimate daughter that was raised by Ettie Trewlove. Growing up, Gillie was forced to dress as a boy to stay safe and obtain work through the slums, but now she has done well for herself. Gillie owns a tavern - The Mermaid and Unicorn - where she doles out kindness, compassion and pints. But while Gillie has a soft heart, she is in no way a pushover. People know better than to cause trouble around her establishment. At least, they do until a duke is attacked in the alley adjoining the tavern.It's in this alley that Gillie comes to the rescue of our hero, the Duke of Thornley ("Thorne"). Thorne has been abandoned at the altar, and now nearly killed by ruffians as they stole a precious family heirloom. But Thorne is rescued by an angel with a pixie cut, and he is undeniably drawn to her. Thorne was a good hero. While he was somewhat oblivious about his betrothed and the reasons she fled, he was seeking to protect her reputation and make sure she was okay. He went through a bit of personal growth as he got closer to Gillie and spent some time in The Mermaid and Unicorn. The relationship between these two unfolded at a nice pace with the book - not too fast and not too slow. I would say that Gillie was more reluctant than Thorne, but I understood given the difference in the way each lived. I enjoyed the cameos by Gillie's brothers, Mick, Aidan and Beast. And there was some foreshadowing about who will be our next hero and heroine. I am looking forward to that story.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Avon.

Lorraine Heath follows up the first book in her Sins For All Seasons series with this story, featuring another one of the Trewlove siblings. This is Gillie’s story. She is a tall, independent, self-made woman, who owns her own tavern. She has never needed or even wanted a man. She can take care of herself and she likes it that way.But everything changes when she stumbles on the duke of Thornley, moments after he is attacked by a band of the thieves. The only reason Thorne was in the seedier part of town is because his fiancée left him at the altar and he had a tip she was hiding out there. But instead of finding her, he met the wrong end of a knife.Gillie rescued him, bringing him into her home and nursing him back to health. And in that time, a friendship was born. Of course, they had a bit of attraction toward each other, but neither believed it could go anywhere. How could it? Their stations were so different. But even after he was well enough to go home, Thorne kept coming back. Yes, he said he was still looking for his wayward bride, but it was more than that. The more time he and Gillie spent together, the more they craved. But where could they take their growing feelings?I liked Gillie. Though it was probably all wrong, in my head I pictured her nothing like the woman on the cover of the book, but more like Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth. She never tried to be feminine. She kept her hair short and bound her breasts. She was a warrior in her own way. I loved her deep sense of self and her unapologetic independence.I loved that Thorne could see the beauty in her, that he could appreciate her as a woman. But I have to admit, I felt like he was almost too OK with it all. After all, the man is a duke, and yes, he recognizes the difficulty marriage to her would bring, but he was never put off in anyway by the way she lived her life. It made him more likable, but it didn’t ring true. He’s a pretty chill guy, a beta hero. He didn’t even really seem that upset about being left at the altar. I think maybe I would’ve liked a little bit more oomph to him, though I know in my heart I would’ve hated him if he ever thought less of Gillie for who or what she was. I guess that makes me fickle.Still, I liked the way Thorne made Gillie feel. Usually, in romances I am all about the hero, but the heroine was really the main event of this book and the hero, the means to give her an HEA. And with that, the author gave me what I was looking for. Gillie got everything I wanted her to have.. which let me walk away from this book, satisfied.Rating: B*ARC provided by publisher