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The Keys to a Lockridge Heart #2

A Loving Duke For The Shy Duchess

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She had learned to accept only the love she thought she deserved...Until she met him..


Lucille Lockridge, daughter of the late Earl of Huxley, could not be any more different than her sister. She has learned to keep her head down, like a shell ready to be crushed at the first harsh remark of society. Now, a married woman, she must slowly start to realize that the man next to her, a man she never truly trusted, may have her best interest at heart after all...

Reginald Barrington, the Duke of Crowan, has spent all his life trying to escape a world of crimes and high society. Lucille has always been the one thing that kept his heart warm, but winning her trust may prove to be the hardest thing he has done is his life.

Right when she starts feeling her heart warming towards the Duke, a mysterious twist of fate comes to shake her life to its core once again. Now, Lucille may have to fight harder than ever to believe in her strength if she wants to save her loved ones and her marriage from the threat that lurks in the shadows...

Can she race against time to defend her life and honor with the help of her loving husband? Or will shame return once more to crush her in its waves?

466 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2019

612 people are currently reading
99 people want to read

About the author

Abby Ayles

141 books704 followers
Abby Ayles was born in the northern city of Manchester, England, but currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband and their three cats. She holds a Master’s degree in History and Arts and worked as a history teacher in middle school.

Her greatest interest lies in the era of Regency and Victorian England and Abby shares her love and knowledge of these periods with many readers in her newsletter.

In addition to this she has also written her first romantic novel, The Duke's Secrets, which is set in the era and is available for free on her website. As one reader commented – ‘Abby’s writing makes you travel back in time…’

When she has time to herself, Abby enjoys going to the theatre, reading and watching documentaries about Regency and Victorian England.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
4,589 reviews33 followers
September 14, 2020
Lucille is the shier of the identical twin daughters of the evil Earl of Lockridge and finds herself married to the secretive Lord Crowan, Reginald. If one expects marriage to end the exploits of her and her twin sister, Sarah, then they, like Lucille, have failed to see the strength she has. True to Abby Ayles’ other novels, this one has a great plot, interesting characters, villains, intrigue, twists and turns, danger and of course, romance. I recommend reading Melting a Duke’s Winter Heart first to better understand this story.
Profile Image for Leda.
169 reviews18 followers
December 27, 2019
It was a fair story that let's you see nothing's quite as it seems.
Profile Image for Susan.
502 reviews27 followers
December 21, 2019
Another fantastic Lockridge sister book. When the book opens, Lucille Lockridge has been married to Reginald Barrington, the Duke of Crowan, for six months. Yet they are no closer to being a happily married couple than they were when they married. Thanks to her horrible father, Lucille is a frightened little girl that doesn't believe she deserves love much less that she will find it with her new husband.

Reginald, on the other hand, deeply loves Lucille and has since their first brief meeting years ago. He has been giving her space since they got married, hoping that she will learn to trust him and possibly turn to him when a death rocks her family.

The Earl of Huxley has died in a fall from his balcony. Edmund Lockridge heard the Earl arguing with someone prior to his death so it is being investigated as a homicide. Meanwhile, there is someone new blackmailing members of high society. Could that have anything to do with the Earl's death or are they separate incidences.

And someone tried to murder Reginald. It is while Lucille is helping care for Reginald's wound that Lucille finally turns to her husband, telling him the abuse she, and her sister, suffered at his hand. He is trying to help Lucille recover from the abuse with an ingenious plan to help her gain more confidence in herself.

Then Lucille discovers that a friend of her and Sarah's is being blackmailed. Lucille tries to help the friend. But will that lead to putting Lucille in the crosshairs of the blackmailer (& murderer?) Will Reginald be able to protect his new wife? You need to read this very intense book to find out.

I received an ARC of this ebook to read and give an honest review. In addition, I purchased a copy of the final ebook from Amazon. I highly recommend this book. Now I have to wait, patiently for the third book in this trilogy. And some people are saying that is what is happening next year.



Profile Image for Emma.
2,864 reviews39 followers
December 19, 2019
What a heart-breaking story between Lucille and Reginald. Lucille is now married to Reginald and is emotionally living as if Reginald is like her evil father. She was completed oppressed, suppressed, browbeaten, mocked, insulted, belittled and she became a frightened shell of a person because of her father. Reginald loved Lucille and it pained him to see her like this. Reginald was so kind as to not consummate the marriage until she was ready to come to him. Reginald was astute as a card shark. He could read people exceptionally well. He also knew how to get people to tell him their secrets with patience and without manipulation. Lucille of course had heard of his negative reputation as the keeper of secrets and he developed and she believed it. She really never took the time to get to know the man and treated him based on gossip. Reginald only used the information he gathered to promote and support positive legislation in the house of lords. He never resorted to blackmail and such. But he knew no matter what he said Lucille, she would treat him the same as she thought he was. He then had an epiphany that lead him to help Lucille break out of her frightened shell and hopefully built trust between them. Little did he know that would lead both of them down the road of enemies, blackmail, ransom, murder, kidnapping and plenty of terrifying danger. An excellent read. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Sharon.
717 reviews7 followers
December 16, 2019
Lucille Lockridge, daughter of the late Earl of Huxley has been crushed in spirit many times. Her father was evil. She is married to a man she doesn't trust. A man who loves her very much. He must find a way into her heart. This story is filled with secrets, intrigue, danger, mystery, drama, blackmail, distress, suspense, conspiracies, kidnapping, murder. Will Lucille be able to figure out who she can and cannot trust? Will she be able to help her friend? Her brother? Will she ever love her husband, Reginald Barrington, the Duke of Crowan. She thinks he is a villain. But why? Will Reginald become the man he wants to be? Will Lucille become the strong kind woman she wants to be or will she remain a weak shell of a person. Come along on this ride of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages. Fleshed out characters, well thought out plot and very well written.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the author and I'm voluntarily posting a review. My opinion is entirely my own.
Profile Image for Elda.
1,203 reviews7 followers
December 24, 2019
Mystery, intrigue and romance

A bit of a mystery and intrigue around the death and possibly murder of Lucille’s father. How different Lucille was in the beginning of the story compared to how she became towards the end. At first she was a timid and shy girl having lived under her father’s cruelty. Little by little she became more and more confident until toward the end she braved looking death in the eye. Her husband, Reginald, taught her some skills and strategy in reading people and therefore, she gained confidence in herself and respect and love for her husband. I loved these characters. They’re well written with many layers and depth. I appreciated the descriptions of the scenes which made everything clear in my imagination. I love this author. I have read, many of her books and find that whenever I pick up a book written by her, I am confident that it will be a great story. I will continue to read her books as long as she writes them for I certainly do not want to miss out on any of them.
Profile Image for Sheree K.
172 reviews5 followers
December 17, 2019
This is the second book of a trilogy. The first one introduced Sarah and Lucille, identical twins who suffered at the hands of their conniving father, and ended with their marriages. Sarah’s was a happy ending; Lucille, not so much.

This book deals with Lucille and her marriage. She was terrified of Reginald. He could hardly stand her actions towards him and could not understand why she was the way she was. She finally told him of her father’s “rules” on how a lady should comport herself. It was his mission to make her believe those rules no longer applied to her as his wife.

This story has it all: blackmail, murder, kidnapping, intrigue and redemption. Lucille and Reginald finally bond to each other. There’s also an extended epilogue that takes up several months later and has a perfect ending.

The last book of the trilogy will deal with Sarah’s and Lucille’s younger brother. Looking forward to it.

I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.
Profile Image for Cindy C..
1,142 reviews14 followers
December 17, 2019
Loving Duke for the Shy Duchess is one of those stores that you have a difficult time putting down!With a magnificent cast of characters and  incredibly strong plot that brings this read together perfectly. Evil is spinning a silent web to trap those with dark secrets hiding in their pasts! Reginald is a merchant of secrets and his wife Lucille thinks he's a villain. Together they will face  terrible truths that may destroy their relationship for all time. This is a suspenseful, edge of your seat story that is full of action, drama, kidnapping, extortion, blackmail conspiracies, with twist and turns. It's a story of love, faith, and to triumph over all. Abby Ayles has created a story that grabs you the first few pages and then you can't put the book down until the end. I also enjoyed visiting with old friends and meeting new ones! Can't wait to read about Edmund and Margaret's journey!
967 reviews8 followers
January 14, 2020
Lucille Lockridge, daughter of the late Earl of Huxley, who was a cruel and evil man, could not be any more different than her sister Sarah. The previous book was about Sarah. This one is about quiet shy Lucille who is in an arranged marriage with Reginald Duke of Crowan. Unbeknownst to her he is madly in love with her. He carefully tries to bring her out of her shell and teach her how to speak her mind. Reginald is a member of the House of Lords and a keeper of secrets. She his wife’s father is murdered and her friend is blackmailed they work together to find the culprits. I really loved this book. I especially liked that the previous family members were brought into this book! I also loved the original plot. I loved how gentle Reginald was with Lucille while trying to coax her out of her shell. I highly recommend this book and this series!
193 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2019
Incredibly entertaining!

This page turning story was fantastic! This story had multiple mysteries to solve. There was lots of intrigue throughout the story to keep you at the end of your seat! The characters were outstanding and written with great depth!

The love story was a bit different than most. The couple this time are already married! The husband, Reginald, loved his wife, Lucille, when he met her. Lucille had to take sometime and learn about her new husband. She didn't know what she should think about the rumors she heard about him. She was trying to keep her distance from him, but he was persistent. However, she gets him, and others, involved in a very dangerous predicament! It's great to see if she becomes involved into his type of life or if she rubs off on him!
60 reviews2 followers
December 19, 2019
Lots of action, suspense, and mystery embedded into this regency romance. Wonderful characters and surprises await you as you read this book. If you love solving mysteries and regency romance, this book is for you. It keeps you at the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who is behind it all. I loved the fact that there were more than one mystery going on at the same time. Are you safe? Should you be involved in spying on powerful people? This author did a wonderful job of keeping to Regency Romance style and time period, while solving mysteries. I highly recommend this book! Happy Reading!
Profile Image for Billie.
5,786 reviews71 followers
December 31, 2019
She had learned to accept only the love she thought she deserved...Until she met him..
Lucille Lockridge, daughter of the late Earl of Huxley, could not be any more different than her sister. She has learned to keep her head down, like a shell ready to be crushed at the first harsh remark of society. Now, a married woman, she must slowly start to realize that the man next to her, a man she never truly trusted, may have her best interest at heart after all...
Reginald Barrington, the Duke of Crowan, has spent all his life trying to escape a world of crimes and high society. Lucille has always been the one thing that kept his heart warm, but winning her trust may prove to be the hardest thing he has done is his life.
Right when she starts feeling her heart warming towards the Duke, a mysterious twist of fate comes to shake her life to its core once again. Now, Lucille may have to fight harder than ever to believe in her strength if she wants to save her loved ones and her marriage from the threat that lurks in the shadows...
Can she race against time to defend her life and honor with the help of her loving husband? Or will shame return once more to crush her in its waves?

This is such a beautiful story!
The author has done such a magnificent job of bringing the characters to life in this one.
The character of Lucille just really grew and became her own person in this.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that is so engaging from the start.
Really loved the characters and how well fleshed out they are.
World building is magnificent and really draws you in.
Recommend reading highly.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Profile Image for alfawolf1  ~Sherri K.
176 reviews
December 18, 2019
Lucille and Reginald are married...but not happily!

This story is book two of a trilogy. This is Lucille's story. She is the twin of Sarah. Both of them have been under the terrible thumb of their father their whole lives. Lucille is married to Reginald, it was part of a deal for her sister's happiness. She is afraid of him, she feels he is the same as her father. Reginald has always loved her, can he make her believe that she can be sweet and wonderful herself and they can be happy? This book is full of intrigue, blackmail, strife and love. I can't wait for book 3!
Profile Image for Sherry Westendorf.
4,603 reviews22 followers
December 20, 2019
It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. She was abused so badly by her father she doesn't trust her instincts and emotions. Just what she hears and is told. He is not what he has been accused of and gossiped about. Being married to each other the trust and closeness needs to come. But until she can learn to get rid of the abuse and let it go it won't happen. Lots of excitement, twists and turns, hurt, anger, suspense, intrigue and so much more. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
Profile Image for Crazychriss889.
1,497 reviews10 followers
December 30, 2019
Series: Lockridge sisters
Read this one after: Melting a Duke's Winter Heart

Brilliant.

Characters?
Missed the one lady's maid that the Duchess (!) is close to...
Other than that, pretty awesome side characters.
MCs?
Loved our seemingly shy but oh-so brave and daring and gorgeous goddess of a heroine.
Adored her husband who, granted, should have wooed his wife a bit earlier but was perfect in a lot of ways.

Great plot, intricate and intriguing and exciting to a certain degree.

Lovely writing style.
Profile Image for Angie ~aka Reading Machine~.
3,746 reviews133 followers
January 5, 2020
A Shy Love...

Lucille Barrington, Duchess Crowan, newly married is getting a feel for what marriage means to her. Duke Reginald Crowan is a man of secrets and intrigue for The House of Lords. He keeps watching his wife from afar for the beauty and strength she possesses. When a dear friend is being blackmailed, Lucille takes action to find the villain. Reginald watches his lady love bloom before his eyes. What intrigues and secrets come to life? What hope does Reginald have? Find out in A Loving Duke for the Shy Duchess.
416 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2020
Wonderful Story.

The second book in this trilogy, was a joy to read, as Reginald and Lucille's love grew, Reginald's love apparently had always been constant but Lucille's needed a nudge which it received in this story of intrigue, kidnap and blackmail. Lucille's father Lord Huxley had received his permanent cumuppence, but her siblings Sarah and Edmund stories continue in this book.
I would thoroughly recommend this story, it is well written, and an entertaining read from start to happy ending, and the nice thing is that the book cover is also particularly attractive
I look forward to the final book which I am sure will be about Edmund and Margaret.
66 reviews
July 1, 2022
Excellent story

Reginald and Lucille may have started their marriage under poor conditions, however, Reginald plans to win his lady's love and will do what ever necessary to achieve that goal.

Lucille, although she agreed to wed the "Lord of Secrets", feels she will never be able to trust him and spends her days hiding and avoiding him.

When mystery and danger ensue, will they grow even further apart or will they finally come together and create a marriage of love instead of one of convenience?
5,422 reviews67 followers
December 17, 2019
A Living Duke for the Shy Duchess A Clean& Sweet Regency Historical

This is a very good and enjoyable story about Lucille Lockridge the twin sister of Sarah and she is a shy person as she took her training by her father seriously but she married Reginald and fell in love .This story has many twists and the plot is a good one that is murder blackmail and kidnapping but the villains are caught This is a good writer
6,172 reviews30 followers
December 23, 2019
I liked this book.
Why?
Because they only got to know each other after already being married.
Lucille is a twin and incredibly shy and timid. She calls her husband Reginald sir (which should be your Grace) and dresses herself (she should have a maid to do that).

Six months in and Reginald and Lucille haven’t consummated their marriage. He’s a duke, he knows his own mind and has been incredibly patient with her.
But he does have his secrets.

Recommend.
29 reviews
February 1, 2021
I really liked this book! Now don't think that a man can't like romance stories, I love the mystery and action. And historical novels are one of my favorite types. Well, a little lovin' never hurt anything, and Christian romance novels keep it readable. I'm going to have to download more of Abby's books when I can catch them on sale. When a person is on Social Security, e-books, especially on sale are a Godsend. Thank you Abby for a great read, looking forward to more of them.
436 reviews6 followers
December 17, 2019
One of the most intense regency book I’ve ever read

This is by far one of the most intense, riveting regency book I’ve ever read! The title can be a little deceptive because I was truly shocked with the amount of suspense and action with this book. Lucille and Reginald were two characters that were beyond my expectations.
Profile Image for Holly Lenz.
928 reviews2 followers
December 18, 2019
A Loving Duke for the Shy Duchess is a sweet Regency romance with a bit of intrigue and mystery. The story is the second story in the series, and I suspect that it would work better if you had read the first book, but it works fine as a standalone as well (I do have the first book in my library, but I have not read it yet). This is a clean romance suitable for all ages.
219 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2020
How can a one-sided love change for something better?

A marriage made possible by circumstances become successful? The story of Reginald and Lucille is filled with intrigue and danger as well as a love story. How they overcome the problems and danger will keep you involved in their story. Recommended!!
Profile Image for Mary Baker.
2,152 reviews54 followers
June 17, 2020
This is the sequel to Melting a Duke's Winter Heart which tells the story of the Lucille, the twin sister of the heroine in the first book. I enjoyed it and thought it had a more exciting, involved plot as the identify of a murderer and a blackmailer was traced. It is a well written, clean read.
Profile Image for Crystal Butler.
523 reviews3 followers
December 16, 2019
Wonderful story

This was a great story. Loved the many twists that it took and the way it lead to Lucille finally realizing she loved Reginald and he loved her. Can’t wait for Abby’s next book, all have been great.
2,544 reviews6 followers
December 17, 2019
Villains. Villains. Villains! Sweet Lucille is surrounded by them. However will she manage? This is a murder mystery, a blackmail mystery and a tender romance all tied up with one enormous bow. Interesting characters and plots. I enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Ann Brown.
3,492 reviews24 followers
December 17, 2019
Superb read

An enthralling and captivating romance. Full of intrigue, mystery and suspense. Reginald and Lucille were delightful characters and it was incredible to follow them on their journey to love. So many twists and turns.
810 reviews5 followers
December 18, 2019
I loved this story... well written and developed plot...
This is the romance of Lucille and Reginald... not simple person but with complex personality and past...
A voyage toward the happiness... a different strength... an intense love...
I recommend this story to all that love Regency
Profile Image for Teresa Bertolio.
638 reviews9 followers
December 19, 2019
Intriguing Regency Romance filled with lots of action and mystery. Lots of mysteries happening simultaneously. Lots of heart stopping moments. Heroes, villains, and strong women who stand up to society's norms. I highly recommend this engaging book! Happy Reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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