THE DUKE'S REFUGE ~ Lorri Dudley ~ Book Spotlight ~ Giveaway

Oak tree - Image supplied by Lorri Dudley

Danger, plot twists, and reversals, we love them in books. It’s what keeps us turning the pages, even though, we should have turned off the light and gone to bed an hour ago. What’s a book without tension? In The Duke’s Refuge, Georgia Lennox must wrench a proposal from a titled aristocrat, or her mother will marry her off to the reprehensible Viscount of Ashburnham. Georgia has an earl on the verge of proposing when her mother sends her to the Leeward Island of Nevis to care for her dying father. Tensions mount when her sister writes that, in Georgia's absence, another woman vies for the earl’s affections.

 

Authors aren’t malicious, but we do spend hours creating overwhelming problems for our characters. Will Georgia find a way to avoid marrying the viscount? Will she return to England or stay with her dying father who abandoned her as a young girl? And what about the unwanted feelings she has toward a handsome but frustrating island schoolmaster? Even the relaxed beauty of the tropical setting seems contrary until Georgia realizes she might have more in common with the island of Nevis than she’d originally imagined. “The isle’s beauty was alluring, but upon closer inspection, it was conflicted, untamed, and misunderstood.”

While it’s great to have conflict in a romance novel, in my own life, I prefer a peaceful, stress-free existence. Do I have it? Nope. Jesus said in John 16:33 (NIV), “In this life you will have trouble...” not may or might, we will have trouble. So how then, when problems arise, do we keep them from shaking us to our very core?

We need to remember to be like the palm tree.

Picture supplied by Lorri Dudley

In the beginning of The Duke’s Refuge, Georgia’s self-reliant countenance is like that of a mighty oak tree. During storms, the oak relies on its own strength to face fierce winds and high water. Yet when a hurricane comes, the oak can be completely uprooted, and its branches broken.

The palm tree, on the other hand, remains flexible. It bends but doesn’t break. It folds its palms so that the wind passes through and doesn’t tear it apart. The palm also sends down deep and wide roots for a sturdier base.

Let’s look at the second part of what Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble,” but then He states, “But take heart, I have overcome the world.” By the end of the book, when all seems lost, Georgia grasps the need to bend like the palm tree. She bows to God’s will and entrusts her life to Him. Whereas the palm folds its leaves, she folds her hands and cries out to the One who has overcome the world.

When life’s hurricanes sweep through our lives, like Georgia, we get to choose if we’re going to be a mighty oak and rely on our own strength or be like the palm tree and draw down deep from the true source of strength, God Almighty.

Psalm 92:12 (NIV) “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree...”

Synopsis for The Duke's Refuge:

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.
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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?

Words from Lorri Dudley:

"Why I write...
I believe readers should be led on a heart journey. Romance should allow for an escape from everyday life. It should also lead us to a better understanding of the human condition and how God views us. I believe readers, like the heroines and heroes of stories, are not static creatures and can discover different aspects of themselves through empathizing with characters' comical mishaps and dramatic misunderstandings. I believe romance novels can depict a fallible human heart that can be made whole again by a merciful creator and remind us of the hope for the same." 

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.

Connect with Lorri at:

Website: http://LorriDudley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Lorri-Dudley-106417244214488/posts/?ref=page_internal

Purchase links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dukes-Refuge-Leeward-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B07XWRK345/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Duke%27s+refuge&qid=1581100112&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dukes-refuge-lorri-dudley/1133549500?ean=9781942265146

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-duke-s-refuge-by-lorri-dudley

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48346026-the-duke-s-refuge?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mwT3lQGXkF&rank=1#other_reviews

Lorri is offering a giveaway – a paperback copy of The Duke’s Refuge. To enter, simply leave your name and email address in the comment section below. Giveaway runs for one week from this post date, ending at Midnight, March 4, Central Time. Winner will be notified via email on March 5. Watch your inbox!

Peg here: Thanks, Lorri, for being my guest this week. I used to devour Regency novels, most notably those of "The Grand Sophy" Georgette Heyer. Ever read any of her works?