Ten Days with a Duke – Pawns in a Rivalry

Okay, I really liked this one for it having once again, a different approach to the story. This actually felt a lot like Romeo and Juliet but the grudges were a lot more personal between the two families. Never figured out why, but they tried to use their children to destroy one another.

Olive Harper has been mentioned many times in this series for helping run the farm famous for its horses but now I finally know where her stubborness comes from, not just from her father but her personal experience with other men.

I was devastated to learn that she had been humiliated after winning a horse race after being kissed by the son of her father’s rival. Elijah Weston, however, never wanted to humiliate her, he had been in love with Olive for a very long time but feared his father’s wrath should he disobey him.

Then years later, Olive learns that her father has agreed to have Elijah marry her to inherit the farm, but she hoped to have the farm for herself and resents Elijah for what he did to her. The man doesn’t know much about horses, but he’s an aspiring botanist and has good motivations. His mother died from a complication following his birth and Elijah delves in to horticulture hoping that someday it can be used for treatment so less mothers-to-be will die during or after childbirth. After all this time, he’s still in love with Olive and doesn’t seem to agree with the ten-day arrangement she proposes to prove that he has changed.

His father is a monster and seems to be the fuel for the rivalry as he wants his son to woo the girl and then publicly jilt her. I had to look up that term but I know that would definitely destroy her again. Olive tries to maintain her shields but she soon learns that Elijah never meant to hurt her, nor does he intend to again. He won’t let some threat of disownment prevent him from choosing the woman he loves. I love how he openly defies his father and the ultimate thing he does to prove to Olive that he loves her, is when he shows up to her on horseback, something that she wanted him to learn, and on Duke, the horse that is just as stubborn as she is!

Another feel-good story, I’m glad Olive and Elijah were able to mend things between them. Only one book left, plus the prequel, we’ll see what that brings.