Who’s ready for another awesome release week? I know I am!!
AVAILABLE NOW
DIRTY WAR by NE Henderson
SEBASTIAN DIAZ
His name brings fire to my belly and piercing pain to my chest. He stole something from me I never knew I wanted. He tried to take me away from Drago by ending my life. I was supposed to be a message; payback for not accepting an offer—a partnership. And although I may be alive, Diaz might have succeeded in ripping Drago from me.
For now, I have to put that behind me and focus on finding the little angel that needs rescuing from the deadliest drug lord Southern California has ever seen.
I never imagined there was anything that would make me cross that thin blue line. But despair and hate and sorrow can blur ones vision so much that the line doesn’t exist anymore. I didn’t ask for this war, but I do plan on ending it—ending him.
An eye for an eye.
*** Bri and Drago’s story will conclude in Dirty Sin, which will be out in Fall 2018.***
ASHES OF THE SUN by A. Meredith Walters
I was raised to believe in things you can’t see.
It is the foundation of everything. I am taught to accept the unacceptable. To embrace the terrifying.
To give everything to my family.
To my church.
To my god.Because I have a purpose. I have been trained for my calling for as long as I can remember. As an acolyte for the Gathering of the Sun, I am taught that my life isn’t my own. I worship. I serve. And when the time comes, I will greet my fate with open arms and a sin free heart.
People call us a cult.
We are judged. We are ridiculed and reviled. Pastor Carter tells me they will be lost when the end comes. So we hide ourselves away from their sick and dangerous world. And my soul is safe because I follow the path.
I am the perfect disciple. I am confident in my devotion.
Until doubt arrives wearing the face of a boy I never expected to love.
Bastian doesn’t follow the path. His destiny is his own. He paints me a picture of a beautiful world. His words contradict everything I have been told.
He invites me to live when I have been prepared to die.
He gives me something new to believe in.Love becomes the ultimate crisis of faith and now I am torn between two futures.
One that saves my soul.
And one that saves my heart.*This book contains scenes that may trigger sensitive readers. Deals with topics including abuse and mental illness.*
LAW OF ATTRACTION by Alison Bliss
For single mom Bobbie Jo Weston, finding a husband is not on her to-do list. She’s focused on turning a run-down chicken farm into a Bed & Breakfast. She agrees to let a friend’s nephew stay with her in exchange for his handyman skills, but she wasn’t counting on the super sexy Seth Landry being that guy.
Seth has a special skill-set, all right, but it has nothing to do with hammering nails. As a retired member of The Resistance—an elite group of ex-military soldiers—his dark, unsettling past haunts him. He needs a place to lay low, and an out-of-the-way B&B is nothing short of perfect. The blonde beauty doesn’t trust men, and he doesn’t plan on sticking around long enough to change her mind.
The closer they get, the more they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. And while Bobbie holds on to her fear of watching another man walk out of their lives, Seth’s mere presence has put them all in jeopardy. The only way to ever be free of his dangerous past is for him to accept one last mission…
Each book in the Tangled in Texas series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Rules of Protection
Book #2 Playing With Fire
Book #3 Law of Attraction
CHECKING IN by Stylo Fantome
Do you ever wonder what happens to your favorite characters after an author writes The End?
Now is your chance to find out! Check in with a few of these wily personalities and get a sneak peek into what they’ve all been up to since this author wrote The End on them.
Is Mischa still in Italy?
Is Constantine still crazy?
Are Jameson and Tate still fighting?
We may finish books, but stories are never really over.
INSIDE YOU’LL FIND ALL NEW CHAPTERS CONTINUING THE STORIES FOR:
The Bad Ones
My Time in the Affair
The Mercenaries: Law
Muscle Memory
Twin Estates
The Kane Series
and a special chapter from an unpublished work –
While I Was Away
WARNING: This anthology was done as part of a four year publish-versary celebration. Chapters potentially contain spoilers in regards to their previously published full length editions. It is recommended to have read those editions before reading this anthology.
30,000 words
FIXED FOREVER by Laurelin Paige
A new full length novel in the Fixed series from New York Times bestselling author, Laurelin Paige.
Hudson Pierce-
You act so high and mighty, you and your perfect pregnant wife Alayna. With your perfect child and your perfect home.
You weren’t always perfect. Your past is filled with misdeeds.
Does your wife know all your secrets?
Would she stand behind you if she did?You think because she’s on bedrest you can protect her? How sweet.
Sleep tight, you two.
-An Old Friend.
Final book in the Fixed series.
Book One: FIXED ON YOU
Book Two: FOUND IN YOU
Book Three: FOREVER WITH YOU
Book Four: HUDSON
Book Five: FIXED FOREVERCHANDLER, a standalone in the Fixed Universe, is also recommended reading, but not necessary to enjoy this series finale.
STIFF DISCIPLINE by Ember Cole
I’ll ruin her if she doesn’t ruin me first…
When a gorgeous new tenant slips into my office the night of her twenty-first birthday with only one thing on her mind, I know I should send her on her way. Even if the thought of her tied up and at my mercy makes me ache.
I’m a harsh, demanding man, and Kymber’s too young, too innocent. A goddamn virgin. I hate myself for even thinking about stealing what should belong to another.
So I do the honorable thing. I walk away.
My babygirl is just as stubborn as me, though. Twenty-two years in the military, my discipline never faltered. Not once. And yet the feel of her trembling against me, begging for my permission, makes me lose all control.
Her innocent touch kick starts my battered heart. But my past left me with an emptiness I can’t fill, and I’ll be damned if I let my darkness destroy her light…
STIFF DISCIPLINE is a hot as hell standalone M/F romance with a dominant hero who plays on the edge. As with all my books, there is no cheating, and a HEA is guaranteed!
BEHIND THE SCENES by KM Scott
Alexis Marchand is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, loved by millions of fans around the globe. Her meteoric rise to fame has come with its fair share of heartache, but she’s remained strong, thanks to those closest to her and their unfailing support. Life as a movie star is good.
Until one day a simple letter arrives and turns her world upside down. Now she lives in terror, afraid of that one fan who has taken it too far.
Hunter McKary knows something of movie stars because of his time as a LAPD detective. He thought he left those days behind him, but when he’s sent to find out who’s stalking the beautiful blond actress the world adores, he grudgingly goes to New York, expecting to find a typical spoiled diva like those he met so many times before back in LA.
The woman he finds isn’t anything like he expected, and a job he dreaded becomes something else entirely. But someone out there has different plans for Alexis.
RELEASING JUNE 26
GETTING SCHOOLED by Emma Chase
Head of the class…
Garrett Daniels has this whole life thing figured out.
The cocky, charismatic former high school star quarterback is an idolized football coach and “cool” teacher in the hometown where he’s not just a golden boy — he’s platinum. He has good friends, a great house on the lake, and the best damn sidekick a man could ask for: Snoopy, the albino beagle.
Then…Callie Carpenter comes home.
And knocks him right on his tight end zone.
Back to school…
Callie has a pretty sweet life herself…on the other side of the country. But circumstances — that she’d prefer to never speak of again — have brought her back home, helping out her parents and substitute teaching at her old high school.
Now she’s facing bickering, raging hormones, constant gossip, awkward weirdness, and drama galore…and that’s just the teachers.
Just like old times…
When Garrett offers to show his former high school sweetheart the secrets of his winning teacher ways, Callie jumps at the chance – and then has to stop herself from jumping him.
Good friends are all they can ever be.
Or…these teachers just might end up getting schooled — hard —by love.
ONE SMALL THING by Erin Watt
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo of The Royals and When It’s Realcomes a sensational new novel about a girl falling for the one boy she should never have met…
Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems like a small thing, just for her.
Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…
Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.
Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.
THE DARKEST WARRIOR by Gena Showalter
A searing Lords of the Underworld tale by New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep
He is ice…
Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.
She is fire…
Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her…and become the warrior queen she was born to be.
Together they burn.
As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?
ARDEN by Melody Anne
New York Times bestselling author Melody Anne’s novel of dangerous secrets, dark pasts, and sizzling heat.
No one would guess that dedicated teacher Arden Forbes is a billionaire. His profession gives him a purpose that wealth alone can’t provide. He’s developing another passion, too, for Keera Thompson, the new principal. She’s beautiful, enigmatic, guarded, and—after a series of violent school break-ins—in need of protection. And Arden is eager to supply it. But what he wants most is to unearth the mysteries that surround her.
After a troubling past, Keera thought she’d be safe in this sleepy town and that she’d never be shaken again. Yet nothing has unsettled Keera more than her desire for Arden—honorable, gorgeous, and available when she craves him. But despite their explosive chemistry, when it comes to letting Arden in, Keera has her limits…and her secrets.
As the threats escalate, Keera fears that everything she’s been running from is closing in, and there’s only one man to trust. But will the truth drive Arden away…or will it bring the two closer than ever before?
BLOOD MATCH by K.A. Linde
As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.
A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided.
Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell.
Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham.
She just has to find the will to survive this game.
From the pawn, rises a queen.
Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.
BUILT TO LAST by Julie Ann Walker
In the epic conclusion to the BKI series, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker delivers her biggest bombshell yet!
Welcome to Black Knights Inc.
What appears to be a tricked-out motorcycle shop on the North Side of Chicago is actually headquarters for the world’s most elite covert operatives. Deadly, dangerous, and determined, they’ll steal your breath and your heart.After a mission-gone-sideways forces Jamin “Angel” Agassi to change his identity, he’s determined to bring down the world’s worst crime syndicate kingpin once and for all. That’s going to be the easy part. Keeping Interpol agent Sonya Butler from discovering who he really is—and blazing another trail into his heart—is the challenge.
Black Knights Inc Series:
Hell on Wheels (Book 1)
In Rides Trouble (Book 2)
Rev It Up (Book 3)
Thrill Ride (Book 4)
Born Wild (Book 5)
Hell for Leather (Book 6)
Full Throttle (Book 7)
Too Hard to Handle (Book 8)
Wild Ride (Book 9)
Fuel for Fire (Book 10)
Hot Pursuit (Book 11)
Built to Last (Book 12)
MOONLIGHT SEDUCTION by J.L. Armentrout
The de Vincent brothers are back—and so is the intrigue that surrounds them—in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s sizzling new novel . . .
Nicolette Bresson never thought she’d return to the de Vincents’ bayou compound. It’s where her parents work, where Nikki grew up . . . and where she got her heart broken by Gabriel de Vincent himself. Yet here she is, filling in for her sick mother. Avoiding Gabe should be easy, especially when so much of Nikki’s time is spent trying not to be stabbed in the back by the malicious hangers-on who frequent the mansion. But escaping memories of Gabe, much less his smoking-hot presence, is harder than expected—especially since he seems determined to be in Nikki’s space as much as possible.
Gabriel spent years beating himself up over his last encounter with Nikki. He’d wanted her then, but for reasons that were bad for both of them. Things have now changed. Gabe sees more than a girl he’s known forever; he sees a smart, talented, and heartbreakingly beautiful woman . . . one who’s being stalked from the shadows. Now, Gabe will do anything to keep Nikki safe—and to stop the de Vincent curse from striking again.
TOTAL CONTROL by Jackie Ashenden
Once they were soldiers. Now they answer only to honor . . .
The 11th Hour is made up of men and women who are no longer deemed fit to serve their country, but still need to fight a war. They work in shadows, keep their secrets—and follow their hearts . . .
Helicopter pilot Kellan Blake has always hated being told what to do, so being discharged from the army for insubordination doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What does surprise him is that when he joins up with the elite, underground 11th Hour squad instead, they send him straight home. The nest of vipers that calls itself his family is the next target for the team’s tech unit, so he’ll either have to brave their traps and deceptions himself—or watch his sweet, shy friend Sabrina walk into them alone . . .
Sabrina’s no femme fatale, but since there’s no one else with the tech skills to get the info they need, she’ll put on a party dress and take one for the team. But whoever decided she should pretend to be Kellan’s new fiancée hit a little too close to home. How can she concentrate on a dangerous mission when she’s worried about giving away what she really feels for her loyal, passionate, smoking hot partner? At least she isn’t likely to blow their cover. Until she’s in the line of fire, and neither Kellan’s demons nor his heart are hers to tame . . .
CHAOS by J.M. Madden
Finally, the long-awaited spin-off from the Lost and Found Series!
Aiden Willingham has lived a hard life. As a Navy SEAL, he agreed to take part in an ultra-secret government testing program. The company running the program, the Silverstone Collaborative, has produced a serum from an Amazonian plant that’s been proven to enhance physical abilities and mental fortitude. Problem is, men– heroes– have died during the testing, and it’s time for the company to be taken down before more men die needlessly.
Aiden, along with three others, have escaped the camp with evidence of the company’s horrendous practices. Now they’re in a race to expose them. They’ve already lost one of their team, and the Collaborative’s mercenaries are converging.
Angela Holloway knew the homeless man with sadness in his eyes was trouble as soon as she saw him hanging around the site of a murder. Uncooperative, he stonewalls her investigation, but draws her in when the badge comes off. Aiden has scars, both internal and external, that make her heart ache. It’s a serious no-no getting involved with a suspect… too bad her heart isn’t listening. As details come to light about what’s going on in her city, she has to fight for what she believes is right, as well as the man on the wrong side of the law.
LIGHT MY FIRE by J. Kenner
I don’t do relationships.
I’ve lived my life hiding my scars, revealing myself only the in the scripts I write and the characters I voice.
Few people know the real me. I’m too careful. Too afraid of getting burned all over again.
Enter Beverly Martin. A movie star. A woman so beautiful and caring she makes my heart ache. She says she wants me—and her touch almost makes me believe that a girl like her could love a man like me.
But being with her would mean letting the spotlight of fame shine on me, too. And I’m not sure I can do that—even if walking away means losing the woman I love.
Each novel in the series is a STANDALONE romance with a guaranteed HEA!
And don’t miss Bar Bites: A Man of the Month cookbook featuring recipes, slices of life, and an all new short story!
IRON AND MAGIC by Ilona Andrews
The Iron Covenant Book 1
No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.
Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.
Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she’s trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.
Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”
Hugh and Elara may do both.
INKED NIGHTS by Carrie Ann Ryan
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan comes a new story in her Montgomery Ink series…
Tattoo artist, Derek Hawkins knows the rules:
One night a month.
No last names.
No promises.Olivia Madison has her own rules:
Don’t fall in love.
No commitment.
Never tell Derek the truth.When their worlds crash into each other however, Derek and Olivia will have to face what they fought to ignore as well as the connection they tried to forget.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
WINGMAN by Katie McCoy
Chase McKenna is the hottest bartender in the city… and he knows it. Sexy, charming, and abs for days? It’s no wonder every girl who walks through the doors is panting for him.
Except me.
I’m stuck crushing on my perfect boss, who has zero idea I’m even alive. I need a plan to catch his attention… and who better to teach me the tricks of seduction than Mr. Panty—Dropper himself?
The rules are simple: no strings, no stress, and definitely no feelings. But it turns out, Chase is way more than I bargained for, and as for the sparks flying between us…?
You can’t teach chemistry like this.
Soon, we’re throwing our lesson plan out the window — and our clothes right after it. We’re breaking all the rules, and my heart’s on the line, but now I’m wondering…
Must all good flings come to an end?
Find out in the hot new romance from Katie McCoy!
*
The Rascals Series:
Five guys. One bar. And a whole heap of sexy trouble…#1 Rascal
#2 Wingman – June 25th
#3 Heartbreaker – Aug 20th
#4 Soulmate – Oct 15th
#5 Troublemaker – Dec 10th
MAFIA PRINCE by Bella J.
Being a Valenti can be a godsend…or a curse.
For me, it’s both.
There was a time when I thought I wanted a different life. A life with her. But that changed the day she left—the day she ripped my heart out.
Now I’m a heartless bastard with the tendency to not give a shit.
I live my life like a man with nothing to lose. Reckless, ruthless, callous, and consumed by darkness.
But she’s back, the woman who destroyed me. Only this time she’s one of them—the enemy.
She thinks she can play me, torture me by walking around in our world like she belongs here. But on these streets, I’m a fucking prince. I’ll ruin. I’ll rule. And I’ll start a goddamn war in this city.
Because Layla Moore belongs to no one…but me.
THE PROBLEM WITH HIM by Rachel Higginson
I’m over men. I’m done with them.
Or at least the ones that work in my kitchen. Fine, one man in particular. Wyatt Shaw is cocky and condescending and so far out of his element that he doesn’t know which way is up. Or how to run his brand new kitchen all by himself.
That’s where I come in. Sous chef extraordinaire. Second in command. Bane of his existence. I am the reason Wyatt’s doing so well as the new executive chef of one of our city’s most prestigious restaurants. He has me to thank for his glowing accolades and five-star write-ups. Only if you were to ask him, he’d say I’m his biggest problem.
Despite his discouragement and bullish behavior, I’ve set two goals for myself.
The first? I’m going to fight my way to the top of this male-dominated industry and claim my own award-winning kitchen.
The second? I’m going to do whatever it takes to ignore Wyatt and his rare smiles and the thickening tension that’s started to simmer between us.
Wyatt Shaw might be Durham’s new shining star. He might be up for a James Beard Award. He might be my new boss and key to my future success, but he’s also in my way.
So he can keep his smoldering looks and secret kisses. And he can be the one that figures out how to make it through service without getting distracted by me.
I’m not the problem. The problem is him.
THE FRAGILE ORDINARY by Samantha Young
I am Comet Caldwell.
And I sort of, kind of, absolutely hate my name.
People expect extraordinary things from a girl named Comet. That she’ll be effortlessly cool and light up a room the way a comet blazes across the sky.
But from the shyness that makes her book-character friends more appealing than real people to the parents whose indifference hurts more than an open wound, Comet has never wanted to be the center of attention. She can’t wait to graduate from her high school in Edinburgh, Scotland, where the only place she ever feels truly herself is on her anonymous poetry blog. But surely that will change once she leaves to attend university somewhere far, far away.
When new student Tobias King blazes in from America and shakes up the school, Comet thinks she’s got the bad boy figured out. Until they’re thrown together for a class assignment and begin to form an unlikely connection. Everything shifts in Comet’s ordinary world. Tobias has a dark past and runs with a tough crowd—and none of them are happy about his interest in Comet. Targeted by bullies and thrown into the spotlight, Comet and Tobias can go their separate ways…or take a risk on something extraordinary.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Impossible Vastness of Us and the On Dublin Street series comes a heartfelt and beautiful new young adult novel, set in Scotland, about daring to dream and embracing who you are.
THE HIGHLANDER’S PROMISE by Lynsay Sands
In a spellbinding new Highlands story from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands, the laird of the Buchanans finds the one woman who is his equal in passion and courage
Aulay Buchanan has retreated to his clan’s hunting lodge for a few days of relaxation. But the raven-haired beauty he pulls from the ocean puts an end to any chance of rest. Though he christens her Jetta, she knows nothing of her real identity, save that someone is trying to kill her. As she recovers, it will not be easy for Aulay to protect her and keep her honor intact when she mistakenly believes they are man and wife…
Jetta sees beyond Aulay’s scars to the brave, loyal warrior she’s proud to call her own. But as the attempts on her life grow more brazen, Jetta realizes that not all is as she believes.
And if Aulay is not her husband, can she trust the desire flaring in his eyes, or his promise to defend her with his life?
BROKEN PROMISE by Tara Thomas
In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a merciless enemy is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…
Exclusive bonus content available only in the print edition!
SHE SWORE TO KEEP HER PROMISES.
BUT CAN SHE KEEP THEM SAFE…AND PROTECT HER HEART?
Charleston Police Officer Alyssa Adams made a promise years ago to protect innocent women from harm. Now, she won’t rest until she can reunite every lost daughter with her family. Bring closure to every grieving husband. And, most of all, find out what happened the night her own sister disappeared, more than ten years ago…
As the eldest of the Benedict brothers, Kipling will stop at nothing to protect his family from a threat that aims to destroy them once and for all. But when a long-lost sibling is kidnapped by a powerful adversary, Alyssa is the only one he can turn to to get her back.
As Alyssa and Kipling band together to find their lost siblings, a powerful attraction builds between them that they can’t ignore. As the truth comes to light, will one broken promise tear them apart?
TEMPTING THE LAIRD by Julia London
Mystery and desire cloak the Scottish Highlands
Unruly. Unmarried. Unapologetic. Catriona Mackenzie’s reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Her beloved late aunt Zelda taught Cat to live out loud and speak her mind, and that’s exactly what she does when Zelda’s legacy—a refuge for women in need—comes under fire. When her quest puts her in the path of the disturbingly mysterious Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, Cat is soon caught up in the provocative rumors surrounding the dark duke. Never one to retreat, Cat boldly goes where no one else has dared for answers.
Shrouded in secrets, a hostage of lies, Hamlin must endure the fear and suspicion of those who believe he is a murderer. The sudden disappearance of his wife and the truth he keeps silent are a risk to his chances at earning a coveted parliamentary seat. But he’s kept his affairs tightly held until a woman with sparkling eyes and brazen determination appears unexpectedly in his life. Deadly allegations might be his downfall, but his unleashed passion could be the duke’s ultimate undoing.