Daria's Duke

Westward Home and Hearts Mail-Order Brides #22

by Linda Shenton Matchett

Will a stolen inheritance and false accusations thwart the chance for happily-ever-after?

After the death of her father, Daria Burke is thrust into the role of a servant by her stepmother. Locked in her room one night, Daria watches as the woman and her daughters sashay from the house wearing her mother’s gowns and jewelry. Realizing she’ll never be accepted as family, she flees the house and applies to be a mail-order bride. Then the sheriff arrives on the eve of her wedding with an arrest warrant. Can she prove her innocence or will she go to jail and lose her one chance at happiness?

Ewan McKay’s father was stripped of his title, property, and wealth, and sent to prison for crimes he didn’t commit. The stain of his father’s incarceration prevents Ewan from finding a woman willing to be his wife, so he uses a matrimonial agency to secure a mail-order bride. But when she’s accused of stealing, he wonders if he is destined to go through life alone.

188 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2021

About the author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A self-professed history geek, she is a volunteer archivist and docent at the Wright Museum of World War II. Linda has published more than twenty-five books. When not writing, she enjoys exploring historical sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

Reviews

[Donna]

Delightful story. It reminds me of an updated Cinderella. Daria Burke's stepmother is mean and her two stepsisters are no better. Treating her like a slave. She has had enough and with the help of her maid, she registers to become a mail order bride. When she arrives in Rocky Mountain Springs from Rhode Island, her first meeting with her betrothed, Ewan McKay did not go well, to say the least. After a few weeks, her stepmom starts accusing Daria of stealing. She must return home to prove she is innocent. Ewan is well aware of such circumstances, as his Father is in prison for the same thing. They will work together to prove her innocence and hopefully prove their love to each other.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.

[Earlene Click]

Ewan and Daria

This is a sweet but unusual mail order bride story, written by Linda Shenton Matchett. She has filled the pages with excitement and adventure. Ewan is a recient immigrant from Scotland and an attorney in training. Daria was a beautiful, once wealth, young woman. After her mother and father’s death her stepmother treats her as if she is from the Cinderella story. She contacts a marriage broker and goes west to marry. You will enjoy discovering how Ewan and Daria find their happily ever after.

[Linda]

I had so much fun writing this story. Not only do I enjoy the mail-order bride premise, but I was able to combine one of my favorite fairy tales (Cinderella) with a fish-out-of-water theme. And who doesn't love a bit of royalty? Ewan is a Scottish noble who is trying to adjust to life in America. Add a few twists and turns, and you've got a fun romance. I hope you love reading Daria's Duke as much as I loved creating it.

[Jamie Wagnor]

Not my type of book

The end was fine, but the start and middle were definitely not what I was hoping for. I get that in the past women in the workplace was not common but the over abundance of how amazing Daria was and how close minded men were got to be too much. Frankly I started skipping pages. When the climax started the book got better but I know this will not be a book I will return to.

[Judy]

Daria and Ewan 💞

I always enjoy this author’s work, and Daria’s story is no exception.

Poor Daria suffered greatly with her evil stepmother and two cruel stepsisters. Thankfully, when Mrs. Crenshaw matched her to Ewan, she found her protector. Although, they certainly had a few hurdles to overcome, of course ☺️

[sheila jo gravely]

Captivating

The story of Daria and Ewan is filled with love, mystery, jealousy, betrayal and romance. This story has so many twists and turns it’s a page turner. A must read. I really enjoyed the story of the characters and faith they had in each other.

[Sherry]

Daria's Duke

Linda Shenton Matchett did a wonderful job with this story. An intriguing story reminiscent of Cinderella. Filled with mystery, deception, lies, danger and faith. Daria's and Ewan make a good couple and eventually have a HEA. You don't want to miss this book!

[Joan K. Kisner]

Too Soon

Although this was a very good read, I felt the ending was rushed. This seems to happen often in this series. I do enjoy them overall, but wish there was more depth to the stories as the conclude.

[Diane]

Loved this mail-order bride story! Clean, inspirational, historical romance! You will enjoy this new short read!