The Duke of Shadows
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Product Description
Product Description
In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.
From exotic sandstone palaces...
Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé's betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.
To the marble halls of London...
In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous -- and that a single decision can alter one's life forever.
Destiny follows wherever you run.
A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned...and some passions never die.
About the Author
MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. A doctoral student in anthropology, she spends her free time collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women. She is the author of The Duke of Shadows, Bound by Your Touch, and Written on Your Skin, all published by Pocket Books. The Duke of Shadows was the winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Romance Writing Competition. Visit her website at meredithduran.com.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have seen this book on various favourite lists but was put off for some reason mainly I think because it spanned a long time & so I thought that it would have bben a bore! Boy was I wrong - this is a classic in the realms of Gone with the wind. It shows some tortured souls against a backdrop of the British Rule in India. Its very tastefully done & edge of your seat romance. In the first half I found Emma quite selfish & narrow-minded to a certain extent but she developes as she goes through the experiences that life deals her & Julian is such a complex "rake" who admits his feelings early on (quite novel when you look at the other like stories where the females always declare themselves first)& I loved his dialogue & hero status. This is an excellent first novel- good original story & well grounded, profiled & characterised. Love the Hindi words & tried to decipher their meaning. I look forward to more from this author but A MUST READ highly recommended!!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
For romance lovers - I have to admit a love story placed in India is not normally my kind of story, but I am very happy I did not go with my doubts - I read this book in one go and once finished, I started immediately re-reading all encounters of the main characters. Finally a book portraying fascinating characters whose relationship evolves through the book in a believable manner. This book has everything I look for in a romance - love, wit, delicacy, passion, intelligence...I could not have asked for more. Thank you, Meredith Duran!
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
To begin with, there are two parts of this novel. In the first we are introduced to the heroine who has just survived a shipwreck while traveling to India, she is left orphaned and quite alone. However, instead of seeing the tragedy as such, the Anglo-Indian community are more curious over the status of her virtue (she was saved by Irishmen after all) and even her ever so proper intended holds some suspicion but needs her money more than ever, so he is resigned to it. Kind of. Emmaline, our heroine, is so apart from the rest of the English that she catches the attention of Julian, Duke of Auburn. His ethnicity (having native blood) leaves him as much as an outsider as she. And as India undergoes a revolution of sort, he assumes the role of her hero. Unfortunately, they are separated and this nicely sets up part two. Part two is all about how they deal with life in England and post-trauma emotions. I really do not justify this book with my synopsis. I will endeavour to relate the profound effect it had on me though.
Duran's use of language leaves me breathless, anticipating the unraveling of the story and the love between two strong and emotionally scarred people. She effectively brings to life not only their world but their emotions and personalities enabling a reader to become fully absorbed into their story. Their pain becomes your pain. And you cannot help but feel such joy in their much deserved happy ending.
The excerpt of The Duke of Shadows' first few chapters lured me into a world so adeptly described that it surpassed even my own colourful, and rather fanciful, memories of India. As these descriptions are seen through the eyes of Emmaline, a gifted artist, it poignantly reflects her outlook in life and the changes she goes through after she leaves India. Emma's descriptions of England prove such a contrast to the vibrancy of India and acts as a great device to show just how much she has actually changed. And although several reviewers feel that they cannot connect with her, I am of a different view. Her perspective leaves me feeling as much as an observant as she does and her narration helps me understand her inner conflicts. I just want to add that she did not have any TSTL moments, and I applaud Duran on creating an intelligent and strong heroine!
I think that Duran has written the most compelling hero in Julian. He is not your typical rake (although he is described as such), he is noble and is tormented, and oh god, i want him. He is not afraid to express his feelings and prove his devotion to Emma and its done in a way that doesn't make his character any less of a man, more so in fact. You can feel his devastation over the loss of the Emma he had known and his determination to bring her back from her lonely tower, to make her live and feel again. The only criticism I would make is that I wish I had more from his point of view.
The story was believable and while the villain may have been a bit singular-minded, the secondary characters were well developed. I will definitely be looking out for more editions from Meredith Duran. That said, GET THIS BOOK!
Duran's use of language leaves me breathless, anticipating the unraveling of the story and the love between two strong and emotionally scarred people. She effectively brings to life not only their world but their emotions and personalities enabling a reader to become fully absorbed into their story. Their pain becomes your pain. And you cannot help but feel such joy in their much deserved happy ending.
The excerpt of The Duke of Shadows' first few chapters lured me into a world so adeptly described that it surpassed even my own colourful, and rather fanciful, memories of India. As these descriptions are seen through the eyes of Emmaline, a gifted artist, it poignantly reflects her outlook in life and the changes she goes through after she leaves India. Emma's descriptions of England prove such a contrast to the vibrancy of India and acts as a great device to show just how much she has actually changed. And although several reviewers feel that they cannot connect with her, I am of a different view. Her perspective leaves me feeling as much as an observant as she does and her narration helps me understand her inner conflicts. I just want to add that she did not have any TSTL moments, and I applaud Duran on creating an intelligent and strong heroine!
I think that Duran has written the most compelling hero in Julian. He is not your typical rake (although he is described as such), he is noble and is tormented, and oh god, i want him. He is not afraid to express his feelings and prove his devotion to Emma and its done in a way that doesn't make his character any less of a man, more so in fact. You can feel his devastation over the loss of the Emma he had known and his determination to bring her back from her lonely tower, to make her live and feel again. The only criticism I would make is that I wish I had more from his point of view.
The story was believable and while the villain may have been a bit singular-minded, the secondary characters were well developed. I will definitely be looking out for more editions from Meredith Duran. That said, GET THIS BOOK!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A keeper
Great read, I agree with all the reviewers here. Brilliant characters, some epic story telling in India and then in England, a bit of mystery, steamy sex scenes, what more could... Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. Phillips
The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
As a first time reader of this author and I wanted to make a comment about this book coming from someone who reads a lot of books from a lot of different authors and in different... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Rosie N
Duke of Shadows
I like reading the good old cheesy romance novels but was becoming bored with the same old plot. It was so refreshing to find a book that was not only vivid in imagery but also... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Sara
Wonderful Story! Wonderful Hero! Simply Great!
Wow & Wow! This is one of the best romance books I read. This book is now on my keeper shelf along with my other favourites. Read more
Published on 23 April 2010 by Tiger101
WOW!
I've read A LOT of romance novels in my time and I must admit, the cover image looked just like one of many you see on the romance shelves these days. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2009 by E. King
One of the best
This is one of the best romance books that i have read in a long time. It has got many of the themes that i like in a romance book; the misunderstanding, the long separation, the... Read more
Published on 20 July 2009 by Dayangku
Loved it
I absolutely loved this book. The couple were complex and compelling. The setting written with vivid clarity. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2008 by Ms. S. M. Benson
Awesome!
I couldn't put the book down. The writing is so atmospheric that it felt like you were right there with the characters. It's a great storyline. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2008 by K. Macgregor
Great read!
From the very first pages I was captivated by both the characters and the story-line. The author's writing is both poetic and riveting. I would recommend this read to anyone.
Published on 6 April 2008 by Sophia London
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