The Duke's Desire

A Westbrook Regency Romance #1

by Elizabeth Elliot

“A Delightful Romantic Romp…” Before the last of the family fortune dwindles, Eleanor Pinecrest is determined to find a match for her passive but charming younger sister, Felicity. Storm Westbrook, The Duke of Wakefield, has resolved to sacrifice his quest for love to secure a suitable wife for the sake of his family. When Storm and Eleanor collide, it seems all their problems are solved. The duke is single-minded in his pursuit of the lovely Felicity Pinecrest but Eleanor disapproves of the antics he uses to gain her sister’s affection. To complicate matters further, Eleanor’s is dismayed at her own budding attraction to the stubborn duke and Storm starts to wonder what Eleanor is hiding. They both realize that perhaps their problems might just be beginning… First Book in the Westbrook Regency Romance Series.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency

297 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2018

About the author

Elizabeth Elliot started reading romance novels nineteen years ago because of a dare. She's been in love with the genre ever since. When she is not writing Elizabeth like musical theater, singing in the shower and spending time with her dog, Wesley.

Reviews

[Mandy Grepares · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only*

I had a hard time feeling the passion between Storm and Eleanor at first. It seemed very forced. Later, they grew to love each other. The more you saw of them the easier it was to see them as a couple.

[VALERIA SHEPPARD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good.

I absolutely love this book. It is well written and really intriguing. Ms. Eliot took the time to explore the intricacies of Eleanor and Storm's relationship. What a story! I love the Westbrook, all of them. I intend to read each and every one of them!
Ms. Eliot, you are my new favorite author, along with Mary Balogh.
I have been reading Regency romances for 42 years and this one I thoroughly enjoyed.
You told the story so very completely. Thank you for that!

[Robert Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story...much editing needed

This was a captivating story, with twists and turns in the lives of two families. Enjoyed the strength of characters, and would like to learn what happens in more of their siblings lives.
That being said...the story needs an extreme amount of editing. It REALLY detracts from the flow of the tale when the words and sentence structure needs to be transposed mentally to make sense. Obviously, story was put into electronic form by a voice recognition software, but did NO ONE read it before publishing?!?!
Also, through the entire story, I wondered about young Marcus's title. He was often referred to as " the duke".....but was later identified as an Earl. Strange that their estate was not entailed, and his sister's were not referred to as "My Lady". Also, as a young, single Earl, probably many eligible women would have been interested in him...including an heiress.....looking for a Title to marry!

Will look for more Westbrook family tales to read.

[naty saenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book write with passion

It show the meaning of family
The love between siblings
Sacrifice made for some of the family
The family value
The importance of not judge anyone before getting to real know the person
The different love ( family lone and romantic love
Seventh and protect your family

[SUZAN C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rather like this book. This is my first book from Elizabeth Elliot and I adore reading Regency romance with heroines who aren't so frail and needy and heroes who aren't so irritating.
In The Duke's Desire, the heroine, Eleanor is a "not quite beautiful" woman who is strong, brave, and
intelligent. Putting aside her own needs, she is determined to marry off her younger sister in hopes of saving their family from being financially ruined. With a brother who is an Earl by title but not necessarily by means, Eleanor has been holding the family together for a few years since the death of their parents. But with trying to marry off their sister to an eligible Duke, Eleanor finds that not everything is as it seems at first sight.
The Duke of Wakefield, "Storm", or William is a kind and gracious Duke. Being sort of forced into a marriage in order to receive his full inheritance left by his parents. His uncle, who is holding his inheritance "hostage" only wants to ensure the Dukedom continues with its legacy should anything happen to Storm.
The story is fun to read and has a few misunderstandings which makes it both frustrating and interesting at the same time. You can clearly see there is some kind of attraction between Storm and Eleanor although Eleanor doesn't think she's marriage material. But the more she tries to push her sister, Felicity towards the Duke, the more she finds them unsuitable. Soon, the Duke sees the unlikely pairing as well and finds himself drawn towards Eleanor and her quiet beauty yet admirable strength. She is sweet, kind, and thoughtful even if she seems to hate him.
What makes this book so wonderful is the details put in by the author and the thoughts between all the characters. I like a book where the main characters grows throughout the book and I find that both Eleanor and Storm learn a bit more about themselves. The misunderstandings are pretty typical in most romance stories but this one is written with wit and humility as both characters realize that the faults aren't so bad after all.
I don't understand all the negative reviews for this book. So what if there are some typographical errors! I look past these to get to the grit of the story and this story is definitely engaging and fun to read!
Thank you for the ARC to this well-written and well-plotted story!

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to follow the basic rules of most historical romances written today, but manages to still be interesting and enjoyable to read. To me, the cookie cutter plots are a bit like Hallmark movies: it's entertaining enough to spend your time on, but if you're looking for depth, keep on scrolling. This novel, however, had a bit more to it's plot than other historical romances I've read, so I did really enjoy it. I liked the verbal sparring between the two MC's and that it wasn't the borderline-verbal-abuse that seems to be becoming popular nowadays. It was just good old-fashioned barb's back and forth between characters. Although, in the interest of historical accuracy, a few of their remarks and actions go beyond what would have been deemed appropriate at the time, but I don't think the author was going for authenticity or she wouldn't have included a scene where the male protagonist medicates the female's feet. Shocking, I know. All in all, it was a quick and enjoyable read and the only problem I really had with it was the female MC's sister. She was a little too air-headed, that or she was just waaay too self involved. I mean, how do you not notice that your family is in financial trouble? And at one point she mentions her sister doesn't smile much and the male mc asks why, and her answer? "I dunno, she's been that way since our father died." I'm sorry, your sister was willing to sacrifice a whole hell of a lot for you and you don't even have the decency to care about why she's always sad? Even if you think she's depressed from losing your father, it wouldn't hurt to care a little. In the author's defense, though, I'm pretty sure her character was supposed to be infuriatingly selfish, so it's probably to her credit that she was believable enough to irk me :)

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Regency romance, and while I have read quite a few lately, most of them have left me desiring something different, something of a little more quality. I'm delighted to say I found that with this book. I loved that the heroine was a little older and not the stunning beauty that seems to be required of all heroines in romance (whether contemporary or historical). She was smart, kind, and compassionate—which is exactly how I like my Regency heroines to be. The hero was an approachable and likable one, not to irascible for once, but rather a good and decent man with a great affection for those in his care (like his sister). So the two main characters were simply a delight. The machinations of a plot though, kept them romantically apart for a while because all assumed that the heroine’s more beautiful younger sister would be the perfect match for him. It was a delight to see the hero and heroine’s blossoming affection, and both characters grew as people as well during the course of the novel. Unfortunately, this is far too uncommon in romance and especially Regency romance; so finding that here was a lovely surprise. Both these two characters had to learn more about themselves and how to fully appreciate another person. There were some issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling, including surprising ones like incorrect verb forms and wrong forms of other words. This was somewhat distracting, unfortunately. But in the end, I found this to be a sweet, relatively low angst story that was simply a pleasure to read.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.

[Chloe Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it only gets better as it continues! It was so sweet and I couldn’t help but actually squeal out loud in awe because it hit me right in the feels!

I received a pdf copy of this masterpiece from voracious readers and am so happy that I chose this book to read. Hopefully, one day I can get this in paperback to add to my bookcases. Would recommend!

I also love how this story is mapped out and how each subplot is there for a reason; I’m not going to spoil anything but the things that do happen just show you how strong their love is. I love the characters growth and their family comes first dynamic! I hope we get more of Hunter in the other books because I also kind of love him too. And another thought, this could make a cute little film I think! It occurred to me near the end when I was just imagining everything playing out in my head, but if it were ever a film it would never take away from the reading experience (in my opinion anyway).

[Judy Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book from the author through Voracious Readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters were all well developed and believable and engaging. I especially liked that Eleanor was a smart, independent and determined heroine and that Storm was a strong, kind and capable hero. The chemistry between the two of them sizzles, even when they are at odds with each other. The storyline was incredibly interesting and entertaining and I loved the loving and humorous interaction between the members of Storm’s family. The romance was slow building but enjoyable and added to the realism of the story itself. This story had it all - romance, drama, intrigue and suspense - and a couple of twists I wasn’t expecting. This is truly an epic love story!

[Antara Sarkar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insipid, stupid love story

The story is riddled with grammatical and errors and continuity errors that it was hard to finish it. You'll be amazed at the amount of errors that pop up on every single page! To give you an example, a character goes from being a Duke at the beginning to being an early by the last chapter! Let's not even talk about the actual storyline....the characters are lame; there is no character development. By the end, you don't even care what happens to the main leads because you are tired of the so-called twists and hurdles to their HEA.
Avoid reading it. I regret wasting precious 5 hours of my life.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my kingdom for a ...

... proof reader who can actually do their job !!! I hovered over the three and four star ratings and at first gave the book three stars, but could not do that to this story. There was a bit of confusion when a new character was introduced in the story once or twice, the the story itself was a very good one that it did not detract too much. The banter was funny, and it flowed rather smoothly. It would markedly improve, though, if the author would take the time to read the book, correct all the misspellings and incorrect words , and send out an update to correct the NUMEROUS mistakes found in this edition of the book!!

[catherine neri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

I did enjoy this book. I didn't give it a 4 or 5 star rating because of two
Reasons. The editing of this book was horrible. The author definitely needs
A better proof reader for future books. Also, it was too long. The first part of the book was more interesting.. As everyone else, I always love a
HEA,, but Storm and Eleanor's story was a few chapters too long.
In saying that, I do look forward to future books about this very interesting family. Bonnet's and Hunter's stories are two that I look forward to reading.

[Cindy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story! The Dukes Desire by Elizabeth Elliott is a great Recency romance. The characters are complex and believable with such depth and individuality it's easy to relate to. Elizabeth is a spit fire and is totally enjoyable. I Iove how the relationship grows throughout the story. All the hope, uncertainty, laughter, and family values. Elizabeth has a way of grabbing you the fist few pages and then you can't put the book down until the end. I am looking forward to read A Lady's Choice.

[Briana Helmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was interested from the beginning but the author really pulled me in about half-way through, from that point on I couldn't put it down! The characters are well rounded and go through a lot of development throughout the story.i am really looking forward to reading more about Miss Pinecrest, Lord Wakefield, and their families!

On a side note, I will say the writing did seem repetitive at times. That being said, it was not so big of a distraction that I didn't enjoy the story!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complimentary copy of this book was received through Voracious Readers Only

Dukes desire

Great bodice ripper, complete with a misunderstood hero and heroine and lots of sacrifices willing to be made by them to make others in their families happy. Big twist at the end but it twists back and all ends well.

Sexual tension draaaaged on and on but some may enjoy reading that. Some of the story line was a little improbable for the time it was set but we are reading it with a modern filter anyway.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy to review from Voracious Readers.
Overall, this was a nice book to read, but there were errors. The main characters brother was sometimes referred to as a duke, in some conversations it was difficult to tell who was talking, and there were historical errors, mainly to do with titles and how people would have been addressed.
Apart from that it was a nice story to read, a rages to riches element and a nod to Pride and Prejudice. The romance between the main characters had drama and interest, and I’m looking forward to reading about the rest of the Westbook family.

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book with flaws

I would have rated it better if not for the multiple errors in the book. It’s like the book was spell checked but not edited. You may get “hear” instead of ‘here” or “family’s” instead of”families” or “signs” instead of “sings”. The number of mistakes was too numerous to count. It took away from the enjoyment of the book. The story itself was good. I didn’t really like the additional problems at the end. It seemed like it was too much.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, however, a proofreader would have been helpful. If Marcus was an earl, both Eleanor and Felicity would have been addressed as Ladies, as would all of Storm’s sisters. Sometimes Storm was correctly addressed as “grace” and sometimes as “lord”. Also, at this time in history, an Earl’s estate would have been entailed, so it couldn’t be sold. Without the errors, I would have given this 4 stars.

[Raquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love books with Dukes. This one was okay, everyone was a bit of a goody-goody and the rocky beginnings seemed like a nod or attempt at a Pride & Prejudice. The banter and challenges were cute but there were too many, too many that seemed the same from the last time. The book overstayed it's welcome, perhaps if there had been some good smut scenes in it I wouldn't have felt that way. Any book with desire in the title should have some naughtiness and this barely had a pg-13 scene.

[Vicky Quenault · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. The characters were engaging, though the supporting characters were more intriguing to me than the main characters.
The dialogue is a little stilted, but thats only because its set in a formal environment.
Its a little underwhelming to begin with but doesn’t take long for the characters to pull you in. Definitely worth reading.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I just recently started getting into Regency era romances, and this one is definitely one of my favourites. Although it took me a couple pages to really get into it, once it had me hooked, I couldn't stop and was eager to find out what would happen next. I definitely want to read the next book in this series and see more of the Westbrook family.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was pretty good, especially in the beginning. But it needs A LOT of editing and proofreading. There's basically a grammar mistake and/or spelling error on every page. It was really distracting having to correct sentences while reading. Also the nicknames of the Westbrook siblings were ridiculous. I'd get if they had called each other those names in private among family but they used it in public which was strange. The last quarter kind of dragged and i skipped a lot.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs a good editor

This story was cute, and the book was well written, except that it desperately, desperately needed a good editor. The wrong words were put in, and words were made singular instead of plural, multiple times on each page. It made it difficult to read since I had to decide what I thought the correct word was supposed to be. Please, someone edit this book.

[Jessie Mckissick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and poignant!

I do not believe that I have read a historical romance so brilliantly written by an author so richly gifted. The extraordinary expression of love between Eleanor and Storm, is only surpassed by the love within each family member for one another. Sacrifice and glory encompasses each family for each other. Great book.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in love. Such a gorgeous story I loved it! Nora and Storm’s love story was just what I needed while I sat in the sun.

I got totally lost in it and have read this book in a day!

Admittedly, there is still a little editing needed, there are a few times in the book where the wrong names are used which can be a little confusing. But honestly I loved the story and gobbled it up!

[Lorraine Loveit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this regency story, which was descriptive enough that I felt like I was living in that era. I loved Storm, the lead male character although at times I was frustrated with Eleanor. I can see by the amount of siblings Storm has, there will be quite a few books in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only for my honest review.

[connie wicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quaint story, but please edit this book. There is an immense amount of grammar and punctuation mistakes.

Light read, rather sweet cliche story line, but once again grammar and punctuation muddles the story. Good thing it was a free read.

[Kim Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful!

Everything I love about historical romances is I this book! Couldn't put it down! Great novel; interesting, funny, hard to put down, exciting characters! Recommended highly!!!

[Sharon Sackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching

How delike for a person can turn into a great respect and love for another. Keep your tissues out you will need them. Once I started reading this story I couldn't put it down. Elizabeth is a good story teller.

[Maria Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

This story is so beautiful and romantic, I had a hard time putting it down to do my chores, I truly truly enjoyed reading it very much and will definitely keep reading your books, I honestly recommend this book to everyone, thank you for such an awesome story!