Book Review: Defending the Duchess by Rachelle McCalla
He’ll keep her safe—at any cost
Protecting the royal family is Linus Murati’s job. So when the queen’s younger sister is attacked, the devoted Lydian royal guardsman goes into action and saves her life. But this was no random occurrence. Danger has followed Julia Miller across the Atlantic from Seattle. Now Linus has two missions: to keep the maddeningly independent future duchess in his sights at all times, and to catch the culprit who threatens the woman whose trust—and love—he desires above all others.
Protecting the crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity
This series is a sequel to Rachelle’s earlier series, Reclaiming the Crown, which follows four siblings – children of the king and queen of the fictional country of Lydia. This series picks up not long after that one leaves off. This time we’re following some of the men who make up the royal guard.
In this case, it’s Linus. A man whose past may come back to haunt him as he tries desperately to keep the new queen’s sister safe.
Julia came to Lydia to help her sister, but trouble has followed her. As with many of the books in the first series, time is split between Lydia and at least one other location – in this case, Seattle.
The suspense is enough to keep you guessing. The romance is enough to make you sigh. The hero is a true hero. The heroine is tough but tender.
I enjoyed returning to Lydia – as well as the “prequel” of sorts in the Love Inspired Historical offering from Rachelle – A Royal Marriage – set in Lydia during the time of Charlemagne. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series or going back to see what happens to John’s brother centuries earlier.
Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars