Review: The Guardian Duke & A GIVEAWAY!

After reviewing quite a bit of homeschool curriculum, it is nice to be able to relax and read something for enjoyment.  I'm going to be honest with you, I don't read much above a 6th-grade reading level these days!  It has been quite a while since I've read a romance novel, so I enjoyed reviewing The Guardian Duke, part of The Forgotten Castles series by Jamie Carie.


Here is the synopsis of the book from the promotional materials:

The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.
Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.
When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

Jamie Carie is a gifted author with a flair for writing historical romance.  She seems to have researched her setting well.  Her characters are life-like and enchanting.  I like the fact that she gives the reader insight into what both the Duke and Lady Featherstone are thinking.  In truth, it was a page-turner.  I read two-thirds of it the first night and finally had to force myself to put it down because my children would have me up early the next morning.  If you enjoy a good, clean, Christian romance, this book may be for you.

All that said, I feel that I must include the following in my review, but I must issue a spoiler alert.  I am going to discuss my feelings about the end of the book, so if you do not want to know what happens, please do not read the next paragraph!

After over 300+ pages of page-turning action, I had such anticipation of the Duke and Lady Featherstone finally meeting.  I could not wait to find out what happened to her parents.  I charged through to the end and found. . . no conclusion.  The Duke and Lady did not meet in this book, except briefly, when the Duke did not recognize her.  We did not find out anything about her parents.  The saga will continue with the next book in the summer of 2012.  I do not mind series of books in which each volume leads into the next.  Often, one volume contains the solution to one problem and then sets another problem up as a teaser for the next volume.  In this book, however, I felt no resolution of any problem whatsoever.  I enjoyed the beautiful writing, but when I finished, I felt that I had hugely wasted my time.  When I was younger and didn't have four children, I may have had more time and patience to read this type of series.  It may be just what some people love.  I think, however, that with my busy schedule that revolves largely around my children, I am very jealous of the little amount of time I do get to read something myself, and I need a more satisfying conclusion at the end of just one book.  Heaven knows when or if I'll be able to get the next one.  That is my personal opinion, and the book may be perfect for some people, but I wanted to include it because I believe I have other busy moms like me reading this blog, who would want to know that ahead of time.

If you are looking for a book for a club or discussion group, you may enjoy this one.  The author includes a number of discussion questions in the back.

You may purchase The Guardian Duke for $10.94 on Amazon.  For more information see:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ForgottenCastles

Live Action Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyTk2MQw04s

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Duke-Forgotten-Castles-Novel/dp/1433673223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328570148&sr=8-1

One Sheet: http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/books/products.asp?p=9781433673221

USA Today Review: http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2012-02-04/review-the-guardian-duke-by-jamie-carie/620195/1

Or, WIN a FREE copy right here!  Just leave a comment below or on Facebook to enter the drawing.  I will choose one random winner on Thursday, March 1.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally 

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance 

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the 

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”