About the Book

Book:  The Duke’s Refuge

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: January 7, 2020

When love comes in a tempest, who knew it would wear pink?

Georgia Lennox has traded in her boyish ways for pink gowns and a coy smile to capture the eye of the Earl of Claremont. However, on the day she’s convinced the earl will propose, Georgia is shipped off to the Leeward Islands to care for her ailing father. But when she arrives on Nevis, the last thing she expects is to learn that her abrupt departure was not at her father’s bidding but that of the infuriating, yet captivating, island schoolmaster. And now her plans may well be shipwrecked.

Harrison Wells is haunted by the memories of his deceased wife and hunted by the subsequent women who aspire to be the next Duchess of Linton. Desiring anonymity, he finds sanctuary in the Leeward island of Nevis. He’s willing to sacrifice his ducal title for a schoolmaster’s life and the solace the island provides. That is until unrest finds its way to Nevis in a storm of pink chiffon—Miss Georgia Lennox.

As Georgia and Harrison’s aspirations break apart like a ship cast upon the rocks, a new love surfaces, but secrets and circumstances drag them into rough waters. Can they surrender their hearts to a love that defies their expectations?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

More from Lorri

After being buried under the largest snowfall in Massachusetts history, I wrote The Duke’s Refuge as an escape to warmer tropical climates, and what better respite than a romantic Caribbean isle with a mysteriously missing Duke? In the process I fell in love with the beauty of Nevis, it’s rich culture, and history.

My heroine Georgia lured me in the moment I realized she only wore pink. My psychology background had me digging deeper. I needed to know why. Why the obsession? What was the root behind the hurt? Why pink? How did she go from being a Tomboy to a dignified, Regency socialite? And how did she wind up in the Leeward Islands? Enter her beloved, sick father who always saw Georgia’s potential even when it was hidden under boy’s clothing and often smelled of marsh. Although, he held the best of intentions, his relocating to Nevis left Georgia with deep abandonment issues.

Harrison was a completely different beast. After reading about Mudlarks who trolled the Thames River searching for treasure and even picking the pockets of dead people washed up on the shores, I knew Harrison’s would wind up caked in the Thames’s thick mud and devastated at the loss of his wife. The Leeward island became not only a reprieve from his grief but also from the women who snuck into his carriage or cornered him at parties clamoring to become the next Duchess.

Oddly enough, part of the story formed when a friend of mine spoke of their family trip to visit his mother. She happened to own a parrot, and after a week of the kids yelling each other’s names, the parrot imitated their shrieking. Even long after they returned to the U.S. the bird still screeched out their names. I couldn’t resist adding a mimicking parrot to add a comical element and harass my main characters.

The Duke’s Refuge is meant to be a fish-out-of-water, case-of-mistaken-identity, love triangle romance with a happily-ever-after. It demonstrates how God’s love fervently pursues us, no matter how far we run, and that sometimes, something we would never have chosen can bless us in a way we would never have expected.

To learn more, check out my website at lorridudley.com or click here to watch The Duke’s Refuge’s book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D65yeAhswnI&feature=emb_logo

This has been a wonderful story that captured my attention right away. I  loved how the author makes her characters come to life. It is easy to see how Georgia could be considered a handful. She does have an attitude of always wanting what she can't have. Her father who left years ago has grabbed her attention again. I know it was hard for her to come to see her father after he walked away from his family. There is goodness within Georgia as she worries about his health. The color pink is significant in the story and I can't wait for readers to discover its meaning.

I loved Harrison and how much of a gentleman he is. The bickering between him and Georgia are priceless. He see a beautiful woman who has been rejected for many years. "Sometimes, for God to rebuild us into His image, we too first have to be broken."  Those words hit Georgia and I think right then she must have felt God stirring within her. 

The story shows how Georgia thinks she needs to marry someone with wealth and a title. She can't see past all she has been taught by her mother to appreciate a person for who they are inside. The lesson on forgiveness is very well written and shows how pride gets in the way. We want to hold on to  bitterness because someone hurt us. Georgia is a good example of her pride holding her back from forgiving her father. Will her stubbornness cost her a renewed relationship with her father? Time is precious and we are not guaranteed a second on this earth.

From the unforgiving sea to the countryside is a story filled with redemption, forgiveness and blessings from God. Will anyone be able to break down the wall Georgia has built around her heart? Can she become the woman God designed her to be instead of an angry  woman ? "Anger can fuel you, but it won't ever fill you."  The author has written a story rich in history and allows readers to be swept away by the emotional story of a woman searching for acceptance and unconditional love.

"God is looking for a heart change before he changes your circumstances."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Batya’s Bits, January 9

Genesis 5020, January 9

Texas Book-aholic, January 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 10

Betti Mace, January 11

KarenSueHadley, January 11

janicesbookreviews, January 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 12

Remembrancy, January 12

Reading Is My SuperPower, January 13

Through the Fire Blogs, January 13

Reflections From My Bookshelves, January 14

Kat’s Corner Books, January 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 15

Books, Life, and Christ, January 15

She Lives to Read, January 16

Blessed & Bookish, January 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 16

Daysong Reflections, January 17

Mary Hake, January 17

Inklings and notions, January 18

April Hayman, Author, January 18

For Him and My Family, January 19

Britt Reads Fiction, January 19

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, January 20

Hallie Reads, January 20

Pause for Tales, January 20

deb’s Book Review, January 21

Life of Literature, January 21

Just the Write Escape, January 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 22

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, January 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f468/the-duke-s-refuge-celebration-tour-giveaway