The Duchess and the Dragon

by Jamie Carie

Rising romance novelist Jamie Carie’s second book, The Duchess and the Dragon, tells the epic story of two unlikely soulmates who live worlds apart but soon meet and turn each other’s world upside down. Drake Weston, Duke of Northumberland, is accustomed to a life of royalty until a tragic mistake followed by murderous rage results in his darkening character and sudden flee from England. With a hoarde of money on which to survive, Drake hops a ship of indentured servants to America but is duly robbed and taken ill by the merciless sea voyage. In Pennsylvania, Serena Winter is a humble, devoted Quaker on a mission of mercy, ready to tend the sick people aboard a ship that has just arrived from England. Taken by Drake’s air of dark mystery after he begins to serve as an apprentice to her silversmith father, Serena falls in love and is excommunicated by her fellow believers when she accepts a non-Quaker’s marriage proposal. Not knowing Drake’s history, Serena is later shocked to discover her new status as a duchess. What follows are hard truths and softening hearts, romance triangles, webs of deceit, and ultimately, the power of grace, love, and passion.  "Enthralling. The Duchess and the Dragon brought me to tears, to joy, and finally the delight of having just read an absorbing-till-the-last-line novel."—Lauraine Snelling, author of Breaking Free and An Untamed Land"A thoroughly entertaining and uplifting read . . . an absolute treat."

—The Sunpiper Book Review

"Jamie Carie's characterization is brilliant with . . . a depth and authenticity rarely seen in romance novels . . . With one book she has entrenched herself a place as one of my ‘must read’ authors."

—RelzReviews

"This well-written title deserves a spot on your shelves."

—Christian Retailing

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, Christian Romance, Historical Romance

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

Born and raised in Vincennes, Indiana, Jamie is a preacher’s daughter. Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch. The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad spent a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes.

And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

Piles of poems, short stories, skits and song lyrics later, Jamie grew up and married. When her eldest son turned five she decided to try her hand at novels. Eight years and lots of rejection letters later, Snow Angel was published and won ForeWord Magazine’s Romance Book of the Year, a USA Book News “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and 2008 RITA® Awards Best First Book finalist. In 2010 Wind Dancer was a finalist in the Indiana State Library Best Books of Indiana. It was the beginning of her dream career.

With seven books currently in circulation and her first three book series coming in 2012, Jamie has made an impressive contribution to the inspirational, historical romance genre featuring heroines who are fierce in their beliefs and love. Romantic Times exclaimed, "Carie is a welcome new voice in the inspirational fiction market." And, "Carie writes with her heart on every page of her books." Jamie has a passion for history and believes in the power of love stories. She lives with her husband and three boys in Indianapolis, Indiana.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

Books:

Snow Angel
The Duchess and the Dragon
Wind Dancer
Love's First Light
Angel's Den
Pirate of my Heart
The Snowflake (a Christmas novella)

Coming in 2012:
The Forgotten Castles Series (A continuous series to be read in order)
The Guardian Duke
The Forgiven Duke
A Duke's Promise

Contacting Jamie:

Jamie's website - http://www.jamiecarie.com
Jamie's blog - http://jamiecarie.com/blog
Jamie's Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jamie.carie
Jamie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie

Jamie's email: jamie@jamiecarie(dot)com

Reviews

[Barb]

An excellent story but.... I choose to read inspiration novels to avoid the sexual content. There was definitely more than necessary in this one.

Another concern I have is that Serena married Drake before he became a Christian.This is something that is in opposition to what the Bible teaches and it suggests that if you feel "led" of God to do something you should just do it. The Holy Spirit will not lead us to do something contrary to God's Word.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book which is why I did read it instead of tossing it aside when things started to plod along for me. I know I'm probably one of the few people who didn't enjoy this book, but I felt like instead of falling in love the characters just fell in lust with each other. Also the story had so much potential but sadly just fell short for me.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. That was amazing. Not what I expected and all the better for it. So, so good!!!

[Highland-dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to start out by saying that I usually really like novels by Jamie Carie, and this review is solely on my feelings for THIS BOOK and will not affect my reading her other excellent novels in the future. But this one didn't sit quite well with me. I was following along nicely until about half-way through, when Serena and Drake travel to Virginia to her "friend's" farm to make their living. For one thing, he was obvious in his intentions, and Serena was obvious in her preference to the man, over her husband. I thought this was rather odd and unlike her character so far. And when their time there was over, it was never mentioned between them, nor did she express regret for her behavior. All of this I was willing to overlook, for the sake of the story. Yet at the end I was so stumped that I cannot give the book more than 2 stars. After everything they had been through in England and Serena felt betrayed, but still loved Drake and knew that he still loved her, she pleaded on his behalf to the King even, and expressed her desire to live with him (in Bath, was it?) and make their living there... Only upon his release from prison and his joy in that she was pregnant, then she told him that she "needed her space" and "time" to sort things out. What things? This announcement came out of nowhere, not only to Drake, but to the reader as well, since we are not given a hint that she was feeling this way! And then in the epilogue, a YEAR has gone by.. a year in which she makes Drake "court" her while she is living with his biological father. WHY!? Even after the birth of their daughter, she still does not move back in with him. I don't get it. And we are not told a) why she decided that she needed "time", b) what she learned during this "time", and c) what made her decide, finally, that after a year she felt good enough to be his wife again. It just didn't make sense AT ALL. In fact, it seemed rather selfish on Serena's part, and again, quite out of character! I realize that as a former Quaker, she might have to reconcile her past with her present living style, and perhaps do some soul searching with God, but we are never given any CLUE as to what exactly she had to sort out, how she did it, WHY she did it, and why she had to do it apart from her husband. I'm not saying she didn't need time to herself, but why a year? What did she learn? What did she gain? Especially since she admitted before they started their separation that she loved him still. I just don't get why she would deny her husband the joy of living with her and their daughter after her birth as well. I mean, she waited 3 months after she was born.. 3 months that was probably torture for poor Drake!

Well, you get the idea, and why I gave it 2 stars. I love happy endings, and though this one DID ultimately end happy, it was not very satisfying, and a disappointing read from an otherwise great author- I've loved her other books that I've read! And to be fair, I did love the romance between Drake and Serena, and found it hard to put down at times, because I was wondering when she would discover his lies, if he would get away with it, etc.. I think I would've been more forgiving with my rating if we had perhaps been given some clue as to Serena's thoughts at the end, or near the end. Especially if her time away had strengthened her relationship with God and her husband. Perhaps one can tell a good author by their ability to induce strong feelings / emotions in their readers, and in this case, I have to admit that Jamie Carie does a great job. :)

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very passionate, driven story that often gave glimpses of hope for the future, if Drake ever finally came to humble himself before his Creator. I loved that Serena was able to voice the distinction between being noble by birth and being of truly noble character. I enjoyed seeing the living out of ones faith in the Quaker expression, and the powerful preaching of Whitfield woven into the story of a man coming to terms with his past and finding real peace in Christ and being completely vulnerable and honest! Wish there was more of the story that was yet to be written! Would love the second installment, the effects of changed lives on the next generation.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deep, passionate book that surprised me with how well it was written. I expected the normal romance and drama but got a deep heartfelt book with some sweet steamy kisses:} This book is Christian with a theme of redemption and it was done very well. I enjoyed the depth of each character and there love story was sweet and strong. I love a strong heroine and she was awesome. I will be reading more by this author. This was more an adult read.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a completely ridiculous story! Apparently,the only innocent women in early America were the Amish and the Quakers, every other woman was Hester Prynne. I couldn't stop laughing at the way in which thia seemingly innocent young Quaker woman was throwing herself at this indentured servant( who really was a member of British nobility). Insta-lust and the godly talk made it all the more hysterical! I'm too old for this silliness!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mesmerizing! Serena and Drake had my full attention from the first page until the last. A beautifully written story filled with the artistry of romance and the divine tapestry of spiritual reconciliation. My favorite Jamie Carie novel so far!

[anieva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how well-done this book was in a number of ways. I won't go into it now, but Carie is a born-storyteller and quite good at using words to make new to us feelings that we've all had. She also paints an almost fairy tale world - in the right places - without laying it on too thick. I did prefer the first half or so to the end, as I didn't quite grasp what became a significant moral in the tale.

I really don't know why everyone is so upset about 'titillation' in this Christian fiction novel. I feel people have used by far the wrong term there. This was an nod to sexuality that is born of love; surely that has a place in God's world and, therefore, in our representation of this world of God's. It happens; it needs to be acknowledged in the honorable of ways. Something I liked in this book is the suggestion that there is nothing sinful about sensuosity or sexuality, from the joy Serena took in paints and colors to the physical expression between Serena and Drake.

I was really surprised that a novel with such a lovely, perfect fairy-tale-like name could prove itself so well. Kind of like the book that library-haunting readers always expect to find on a shelf but don't.

Well, looks like I went and got into it, after all.

[Anita Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I gave this four stars, but I changed it to five. This was a great read. Everytime I thought I had it figured out, the author threw something new into the mix. Great characters, good mix of mystery and romance.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was ok but the narrator was wonderful.

[Kelly Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second title I have reviewed for a Jamie Carie book and, as before, I was not let down. This is the author’s second title, following Snow Angel, a Best Books Award winner. Jamie Carie resides in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband and three children.
The Duchess and the Dragon, set in Regency-era, is a historical romance. Drake Weston, Duke of Northumberland, England is set to be the heir upon his father’s passing, bringing with it influence and wealth beyond imagine. But when his poor temper causes a tragic mistake, Drake is forced from the country he loves and the life he knows, in to America as an indentured servant. Barely surviving the journey and horrid conditions, Serena Winter, a Quaker woman, finds him near death and rescues him by bringing Drake home and nursing him back to health. Thrown together by circumstance, these two individuals, from backgrounds that couldn’t be more opposite, discover the consequences and power of what love can do. They must confront the web of deceit that threatens to destroy all that they hold dear, trusting in the power of prayer and their love for one another.
In all honesty, historical romance is my least favorite of the romance genre. This is a tough genre to write in, as I have done so myself, and to invent a story-line that has not been over-used or recycled is a daunting task. I am pleased to report that this was not the case in this book.
I find myself completely enamored by Jamie Carie’s ability to tell a great story, with strong characters to back them up. The backdrop and history was stellar, as was the language that tossed you into another time, another era, forgetting that this was fiction. The two very different religions added a great element for the plot and turmoil between the main characters. I liked the diverse family background, as well- One coming from deceitful and hateful surroundings, and the other from a warm and nurturing one. It added to the plot nicely. The characters were realistic and endearing. I especially liked that they were not without common human flaws, as we tend to see in this genre often. The plot flowed well and, at no time, did I find myself disinterested. Mostly, the ending was a sagacious one, in where I did not have to roll my eyes at an unrealistic ‘happily ever after.’ It was happy all right, and gave closure to such magnitude everyone will be satisfied, but not in an impractical manner.
This was a heart-pounding and moving read. Jamie Carie is still new to the publishing world, but she won’t be for long. She has immeasurable talent and I look forward to seeing her on a best-seller list some day.

Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read three of Jamie Carie's books before this one, and I was so excited to read it. I was really expecting it to be good, but I was disappointed.
Selena is a quaker girl who is helping the refugees who have come to America. She loves painting, and lives with her family of sisters and parents.
Drake is a rich duke, who has found out that before his death, his father changed his will and made it so he does not inherit anything. He makes a plan to find a girl, pretend she is his step-mother, have her child and pretend he is his brother. That way he will still keep the title of Duke in his family. He begins his deception of pretending that his father is still alive, but things don't go his way. After he makes a mistake, killing a man by mistake he flees to America, on the pretension that he is a poor Englishman. He falls ill with a fever, and Selena meets him and nurses him back to health. He is taken in by her family and works for her father as a silversmith.
This book started out great. It had much potential, and I thought it would turn out good. As the book continued on, I began to question it, and dislike it. Selena was a great character, naive and innocent, and kindhearted. Clark was not innocent, and he began to change her view, and I really did not like the romantic aspect, and the way it was not kept pure. He didn't love her, he more thought of her as a light that had led him out of darkness, a beautiful light.... She was starry-eyed over him, and swept away by the mystery of him. Of course, her parents didn't really approve, they wanted her to marry a quaker.
She ends up marrying Clark, even though he is still not a Christian. I kind of began to skip through the book, because I was getting a little bored, and both characters were beginning to annoy me a bit. Selena completely threw away her family and religion for a man she barely knew, and wasn't even any type of Christian. He was still lying to her, and there was pretty much no character change.
When they go back to England, I was disgusted that he still wanted to follow his original plan to make a heir, and that he hid it from Selena! I know at the end he changed, but still there was little to no character change till the very end and I didn't like that. I pitied Selena, and really thought it would have been better had she married Christopher, the quaker farmer.
Overall I rate it 2/5, because it had a good beginning, but after that everything went downhill. I'm really disappointed in Jamie Carie, as I really like the other books I read of hers.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Carie knows how to pull a reader in to a story. The inheritance scandal and Drake flight's for his life and near-tragic sea journey really grabs you. That was all great stuff, if not too descriptive. Some details even turned my stomach. Then the romance begins, and my first thought was that it reminded me of a Harlequin historical romance. I haven't read them in years, but the attraction Serena feels toward this obviously sick man doesn't make a lot of sense because you know he had to look skinny and bedraggled, but I suppose the pull she felt was reminiscent of Florence Nightingale syndrome. I would think her desire would be more from pity that actually having the hots for him. That is just a minor issue. At any rate, the attraction between them sizzled and that was pretty exciting stuff.

I was amazed at how much was implied that goes above and beyond what you find in most inspirational historicals, but it was enjoyable and refreshing to read. Like many woman, Serena felt a strong pull toward the dangerous guy and felt mere friendship for the safe one. The fear, excitement, pangs of regret, renewed hope, and roller coaster of emotion that played out in this story all made sense to me. I especially enjoyed the faith portion and the change exhibited in Drake's heart over time. He truly was not the same man he was before. Isn't that just how it is when God uses trials and hardship to soften us and draw us close to His heart?

Overall, I'd say this book was a dynamic read. It was hard to put down and I found the story and the setting incredibly engaging, plus the emotional and physical interplay between the hero and heroine was breathtaking. If you loved A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist, you will enjoy this story.

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book that I have been eyeing for years. Why I can point to the weak point right now SERENA.
This book is the story of a disinherited noble named Drake and Quaker Serena. Drake is fleeing England and Serena saves his life.
So I liked Drake and all the other characters. They felt full of life and I would have kept reading for there sakes if not for the biggest problem: Serena
Oh I liked her, at first. But then as she fell in lust with Drake ( and he with her) they kept getting more and more physical. Drake is not a Quaker or Christian so while I don't like how physical he can be, he hasn't changed yet and clearly theres character development to come. But Serena, she decides not to marry the nice farmer because... he doesn't make her feel like Drake does. And to me at least, it sounds crude. Her mother even talks about how one needs to be careful about love. She fell in love with her husband after another man showed her how cruel men can be. I think Serenas not paying attention.
While I did not go beyond page 120 I know from peeking that Drake and Serena will marry . This is where my biggest annoyance comes from. If Serena marries Drake, she will be excommunicated! But she's willing to give up everything for this man she's in lust with. Makes me want to shout " Hey serena when your pregnant and alone will you be proud of this choice?"
I will not be finishing this book and instead will read other more interesting books. Read this only if you are bored.

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bare-bones premise of this story was good. A man raised to be a self-centered nobleman, stripped of his title and learns a new way of seeing and being; the ultimate redemption story, and we never tire of it. Unfortunately, the author does not yet possess the experience to carry it off convincingly. I found it to be rather artlessly contrived and unbelievable. I think this author has potential but a good editor is to be desired in the future.

One further note; if one endeavors to write good Christian fiction, one ought to lay off the titillation factor. Romance novels can insidiously slide into a serious fantasy sin issue for Christian women that is something akin to porn. In addition it can set us all up for unrealistic expectations and big letdowns when our own lives lack the passionate sparks invented on the written page. If this is something you struggle with, please look for the book, Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge.

I am not against romance in fiction, per se, but it can be managed better than seen here.

[coco's reading]

Let me be upfront and say that I do not abandon books lightly. In fact, I rarely do. But this...

I bought The Duchess and the Dragon MANY years ago, back when I was probably still in junior high, and I barely got into it before discarding it for a long, long time. Out of nowhere, I thought about it recently and decided to unearth it from where I had left it at my grandparents' house, thinking that maybe now that I was older, I would enjoy it.

That was not the case.

I made it about halfway through before admitting defeat. It's not that the story wasn't necessarily interesting, because it was in certain ways, and I think this had the potential to be an enjoyable book. But gah, the insta-love, bland romance and boring characters, and cheesy writing style killed it - snuffed out all possibility of me liking this. There was no chemistry between Drake and Serena; the secondary characters were extremely lacking; and the world building was less than satisfying.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.
It was a good story. Hated the insta-love!!! You can think that he's cute but OMG! chill girl. And he was borderline just plain creepy after she saw her. Give it at least a few days for you profess your love for each other, aka the floorboards are nice to look at.
I'm not religious and didn't care for the Quaker environment but I liked her parents. I hate that her religion just through her out because she married a "non-Quaker". But her parents still loved her and you could tell they weren't happy but still loved and respected Drake.
I felt that Serena didn't think through everything she did. She rushed into things. I understand that she was extremely hurt at the end (who wouldn't?) but she shouldn't have run off like that.
I didn't care for how it ended. The epilogue was ok though.
Overall it was a good story.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Jamie Carie book.

I thought everything moved too quickly for my liking and why is this Quaker girl so forward towards men?! She struck me as vain and silly and kind of annoying, honestly. The story was unique but it didn't really draw me in like her other books did. I didn't feel the depth of emotion that I felt in "Wind Dancer" or even the love the characters felt for each other as they did in "Snow Angel".
The love in this book seemed entirely physically based. They practically said, "Ohhhh he's sooo handsome!" and "Oh my gosh, she's so gorgeous!" allll the time. :P It all seemed so superficial.

It was overall an alright book. Not entirely bad but not all good, either.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up for a dollar at a used book store sale. My expectations weren't very high and I was happily surprised by how much I liked it. I am a sucker for a good Cinderella tale and this had all of the required elements, handsome prince (duke), lovely poor girl (Quaker), difficult circumstances to overcome, and of course, happily ever after. Throw in some mentions of God's love and you have a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The plot does move rather fast but I look at it as just cutting out the boring bits. I was looking for a historical romance to escape with and this fit the bill nicely.

[Janis Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, yet intriguing, read. The way she described Drake's voyage couldn't be much closer to the truth of the conditions, but I was taken back with Serena's boldness. It was definitely a different way to depict how one's emotions can change your character disposition overnight lol.

I really enjoyed the story and watching Drake come to terms with what he's done and Serena's steadfast patience, silently encouraging him to find the right path. The end was a little rushed to me, but it fit -so I'm happy lol.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, the only thing that i don't like about it is she gives up her faith to marry him and even though she 'finds it again'(in '' because while she finds a faith again it is not the faith she left behind nor is it the faith she grew up with.). i just really don't like that, i think marriages, especially ones that happen as soon after meeting some one as her's should be founded on and rooted in a common faith.
just my 2c. other than that, really good book.

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would really proabaly give this 3.5 stars. It is about the heir to a dukedom who finds out he will not inherit and confronted with such ends up trying to plot to still become the duke. However, things go wrong and he ends up fleeing to the Americas where he meets a beautiful Quaker girl who changes his life. This is a Christian romance book.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Serena was trying to make a hard decision & praying for an answer she heard, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." The thought shattered her, bringing quick tears to her closed eyes. It was the answer underneath all the questions...This was her choice. A choice she would have to live with and all its consequences, but He would not leave her alone in the wake of life's decisions.

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this story. She is a new author to me and I found it fun and interesting. It was a bit predictable, but fun anyway. I would read more from this author. Drake is heir to wealth prestige, and power. When rage pushes him to a tragic mistake, he must leave everything behind. Serena lives a Quakers life, and tends to the sick who arrive on ships in the Philadelphia harbor.

[Kacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't make myself finish it-with my "to read" pile so large it didn't seem right. I didn't really care for the characters from the beginning so it wasn't grabbing me. I found Drake very self-absorbed and frustrating and Serena kind of ditzy. Although the scenery during the ship passage was pretty well done...it sounded miserable!

[Emily Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially loved the first half, but the whole book was good. There are a couple of things i would change, but I was swept up by the intrigue and passion and holy awe that I found the book hard to put down. I have to say thigh, I am bald I finished it because I was getting a little nervous there about the ending. It is a good thing, to know.

[eluv89 · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book had the promise of being really interesting, but for me the lust between the two main characters and the sensual kissing killed it. also, the fact that there was very little mention of God except for a few muttered prayers and scriptures here and there. all of this combined made it seem almost like I was reading a main stream romance novel, not Christian fiction.

[Geri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea behind this book but I didn't enjoy the writing. Drake and Serena "fell in love" so quickly...it actually was more like lust. They both did and said things that I felt was very out of character. I did manage to finish the book, mainly out of curiosity but I really wanted to just get to the next book on my " to read" list.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was surprised how, despite being a Christian author, Carie towed the line in sensuality in this romance. However, the intriguing plot turns and the powerful message of redemption made this book a really good read. :)