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Dukes Trilogy #3
To Tame A Duke
TO TAME A DUKE...
She is Lily Hawthorne-the only daughter of a Boston tavern owner, a delicate, raven-haired beauty with sapphire eyes and a daring spirit. But as the war of 1812 rages on, few know that she is also the Gilded Lily, Boston's most notorious spy-catcher... a patriotic young woman who daily risks her life to aid her country's cause.
He is James Armstrong, the fourteenth Duke of Kinross-a rakishly handsome British nobleman determined to avenge his older brother's death at the hands of the Americans. He vows he will not rest until he has tracked down the one most responsible. But when James finally corners the Gilded Lily, he receives a huge shock, for his quarry is no roughhewn soldier but a foolhardy young woman who refuses to be cowed. Now, lovely Lily is his prisoner to do with as he wishes. Yet when James sweeps her off to his gilded English estate, captor and captive alike will find themselves battling a blazing temptation...one that could endanger their lives, even as it joins their warring hearts...
She is Lily Hawthorne-the only daughter of a Boston tavern owner, a delicate, raven-haired beauty with sapphire eyes and a daring spirit. But as the war of 1812 rages on, few know that she is also the Gilded Lily, Boston's most notorious spy-catcher... a patriotic young woman who daily risks her life to aid her country's cause.
He is James Armstrong, the fourteenth Duke of Kinross-a rakishly handsome British nobleman determined to avenge his older brother's death at the hands of the Americans. He vows he will not rest until he has tracked down the one most responsible. But when James finally corners the Gilded Lily, he receives a huge shock, for his quarry is no roughhewn soldier but a foolhardy young woman who refuses to be cowed. Now, lovely Lily is his prisoner to do with as he wishes. Yet when James sweeps her off to his gilded English estate, captor and captive alike will find themselves battling a blazing temptation...one that could endanger their lives, even as it joins their warring hearts...
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 16, 2001
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189 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Grasso
62 books156 followersI'm a dog person. Who lives with 10 cats. Get the picture?
My first brush with the romance genre happened in my high school junior year. I discovered Gone With the Wind and hid it behind my American history book to read during class. (The Civil War is American history.) The ambiguous ending left me dissatisfied, though. Rhett and Scarlet needed a happily-ever-after. Believing in happily-ever-afters positively screams romantic-at-heart.
On the other hand, I love murder and mayhem as much as happily-ever-after. My usual television fare is fiction and nonfiction crime shows, not love stories. Which accounts for the mysteries I sneaked into my historical romances. Now I'm trying my hand at writing a humorous mystery, sans historical and sans emphasis on the love interest. I even prepared for my mystery-in-progress by attending the local NRA's Pistol School. Shooting pistols is great fun. I adore the .22 semiautomatics.
After graduating from high school without distinction, I earned both Bachelor and Master degrees at a state college. Again, without distinction. I held several part-time jobs during my college days: file clerk in an insurance company, long-distance telephone operator, kimono-wearing waitress in a Japanese restaurant.
And then I began my teaching career, eighteen years in the eighth grade and thirteen years at the high school. Weary with the same old routine, I decided I needed a creative outlet. So I decided to write a romance novel but only managed to talk about writing one. After five years of listening to me, a friend said to stop talking and start writing.
So I did.
I made every mistake known to man. Blunder would be a more appropriate word, but I did learn using the trial and error method. As well as studying the works of authors I admired.
After five years of writing for nothing but love, I sold my first novel. Since then, I've sold eighteen novels and won several awards--- National Readers' Choice Award New England Readers' Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice and KISS Awards, B. Dalton and Bookrak Awards for best-selling author. My novels have been translated into fifteen languages and sold in twenty countries.
If I had my life over, would I become a writer? Nope. I would enjoy being a Victoria Secret model. Perhaps in my next incarnation I won't be too old, too short, or too unphotogenic.
My first brush with the romance genre happened in my high school junior year. I discovered Gone With the Wind and hid it behind my American history book to read during class. (The Civil War is American history.) The ambiguous ending left me dissatisfied, though. Rhett and Scarlet needed a happily-ever-after. Believing in happily-ever-afters positively screams romantic-at-heart.
On the other hand, I love murder and mayhem as much as happily-ever-after. My usual television fare is fiction and nonfiction crime shows, not love stories. Which accounts for the mysteries I sneaked into my historical romances. Now I'm trying my hand at writing a humorous mystery, sans historical and sans emphasis on the love interest. I even prepared for my mystery-in-progress by attending the local NRA's Pistol School. Shooting pistols is great fun. I adore the .22 semiautomatics.
After graduating from high school without distinction, I earned both Bachelor and Master degrees at a state college. Again, without distinction. I held several part-time jobs during my college days: file clerk in an insurance company, long-distance telephone operator, kimono-wearing waitress in a Japanese restaurant.
And then I began my teaching career, eighteen years in the eighth grade and thirteen years at the high school. Weary with the same old routine, I decided I needed a creative outlet. So I decided to write a romance novel but only managed to talk about writing one. After five years of listening to me, a friend said to stop talking and start writing.
So I did.
I made every mistake known to man. Blunder would be a more appropriate word, but I did learn using the trial and error method. As well as studying the works of authors I admired.
After five years of writing for nothing but love, I sold my first novel. Since then, I've sold eighteen novels and won several awards--- National Readers' Choice Award New England Readers' Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice and KISS Awards, B. Dalton and Bookrak Awards for best-selling author. My novels have been translated into fifteen languages and sold in twenty countries.
If I had my life over, would I become a writer? Nope. I would enjoy being a Victoria Secret model. Perhaps in my next incarnation I won't be too old, too short, or too unphotogenic.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 11, 2016
It was too similar to book 2, but still enjoyable.
January 26, 2017
A SOLID 2.5 STARS.
USUALLY I DONT COMMENT ON THE WRITING STYLE AND I AM FINE WITH REALISTIC HEROES WHO ARE TERRIBLE AS A HUMAN...BUT THIS STORY WAS JUST QUITE BAD.
OUR HERO is pretty less than 2-Dimensional. He is not only a stiff character, but also based along the lines of a jerk of his time and the author hardly portrays his thoughts for a 3rd POV. Not only does he treat the heroine like shit but the way the author insists that he is in love with our heroine, that's why he behaves the way he does IS FUCKING INEXCUSABLE!
OUR HEROINE on the other hand is pretty normal...but all I felt for her is sympathy for her plight to meet a Duke like our hero.
OVERALL all I can remember from this story is inadequate conveyance of the characters complex emotions. We keep reading from Lily's POV and the plot itself was shitty. Please do yourself a favour and just skip this.
USUALLY I DONT COMMENT ON THE WRITING STYLE AND I AM FINE WITH REALISTIC HEROES WHO ARE TERRIBLE AS A HUMAN...BUT THIS STORY WAS JUST QUITE BAD.
OUR HERO is pretty less than 2-Dimensional. He is not only a stiff character, but also based along the lines of a jerk of his time and the author hardly portrays his thoughts for a 3rd POV. Not only does he treat the heroine like shit but the way the author insists that he is in love with our heroine, that's why he behaves the way he does IS FUCKING INEXCUSABLE!
OUR HEROINE on the other hand is pretty normal...but all I felt for her is sympathy for her plight to meet a Duke like our hero.
OVERALL all I can remember from this story is inadequate conveyance of the characters complex emotions. We keep reading from Lily's POV and the plot itself was shitty. Please do yourself a favour and just skip this.
January 20, 2021
I don’t like writing bad reviews or anything because so many authors spend so much time and effort into creating a story and sometimes it’s not for all of us. I just didn’t enjoy this story I felt like Lily was forced into so many things from Spying for the US government, to being kidnapped and then forced into marriage it just felt wrong. Even the Duke was mean and kind of a bully at times and I didn’t like that side of him.
April 29, 2022
In this historical romance genre, it is a solid 4. Definitely entertaining
February 16, 2025
Muy poco creíble, pasamos del amor al odio en un plas
March 8, 2015
I wasn't really impressed with this book. I started out really liking the heroine and the hero both, but by the end, totally changed my mind about both. For starters, Lily was part of a spy network, she's not portrayed as stupid, but what she's passing is going to get some killed and how could she not be aware of that fact. The hero starts out cold but immediately falls in love with the woman who was supposed to be the reason his brother is dead? I felt that the author never could make up her mind if the heroine was supposed to be tough and sassy or someone to be taken care of. She's tough and fights back sometimes, yet at the next turn, runs and cries. The hero questions who she sleeps with, tells her he's keeping their baby and sending her back to Boston, and yet that same night she sleeps with him? I liked the idea of the book, but the hero and heroine were not likable and seemed silly most of the time. Including the mentally challenged brother didn't really fit into the story either. He seemed like a crutch for the heroine, but never developed as part of the story. 2 stars for the story line!
September 27, 2014
OMG! I read constantly and I've never encountered an h who was this big a doormat and the supposed H was a total A__! He is constantly mean and rude. He slept with an actress after they were engaged, was rude and downright mean the next morning and she continues to love him and move forward with the marriage. Even on their wedding day he is downright cruel and still she welcomes him into her bed!, In the end, I disliked them both and wished I hadn't wasted my time with them.
March 13, 2015
My first book by the author and I absolutely loved it!!! James is bent on revenge for his brothers death, thinking that the so called spy the gilded Lily was to blame. He kidnaps who he thinks is a young man and his bother only yo find out he is a she!!! He tempts her all the way to England. All Lily is worried about is her brother Michael and taking care of him. You have revenge, lust, passion, assassins, spies, love all wrapped up in a wonderful book!!! I can't wait to read more the author!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews