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Book Cover for: The Duke's Unexpected Love, Alexa Aston

The Duke's Unexpected Love

Alexa Aston

A virgin widow running her own company. A man who returns home after years at sea. An oddly-matched couple-who may not be so incompatible after all . . .


James Jones recalls little of his past, only remembering being taken as a young boy and growing up on the Seven Seas. Rising from cabin boy to captain of a ship, a chance encounter with a drunken stranger leads James back to his family, where he discovers he is the heir to the dying Duke of Seaton.


Sophie Grant, daughter of a viscount, never made her come-out, thanks to her father's bad investments, which were paid off by Josiah Grant, owner of one of the leading shipping lines in Great Britain. As part of the arrangement, the shy Sophie is given to Josiah in marriage. Her new, much older husband helps Sophie to gain confidence in herself by teaching her all about how to run his shipping empire.


James, a former captain for one of Grant's vessels, encounters the now-widowed Sophie and feels a connection with the efficient, intelligent woman. Rebelling against his new role as a leading member of the ton, he despises Polite Society and its expectation that he wed some titled gentleman's bird-witted daughter-because James is increasingly drawn to the gossiped-about, independent Sophie Grant.


Will a newly-minted duke be able to win the heart of a woman who spurns the ton and has built a satisfying life for herself?


Each book in The Strongs of Shadowcrest is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.


The Strongs of Shadowcrest

Book #1: The Duke's Unexpected Love

Book #2: The Perks of Loving a Viscount

Book #3: Falling for the Marquess

Book #4: The Captain and the Duchess

Book #5: Courtship at Shadowcrest (Regency Duet - includes Tempted by the Earl and The Viscount's Heart)

Book #6: The Marquess' Quest for Love

Book #7: The Duke's Guide to Winning a Lady

Book Details

  • Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
  • Publish Date: Feb 2nd, 2024
  • Pages: 258
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.25in - 5.50in - 0.54in - 0.65lb
  • EAN: 9781961275997
  • Categories: Romance - Historical - RegencyRomance - Historical - Victorian

About the Author

Aston, Alexa: - USA Today and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author Alexa Aston lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She's a binge fiend who enjoys travel, sports, and time with her family, especially her two adorable grands.Alexa's historical romances bring to life loveable rogues who turn out to be quite honorable, while her contemporary romances are light and flirty and sometimes contain a bit of suspense.