Eileen Dreyer-Never a Gentleman

Never a Gentleman (The Drake's Rakes series)

Diccan Hilliard was in shock when he woke up one morning, in bed with the spinster, Grace Fairchild. They were both drugged and they didn’t know how Diccan end up in Grace’s room, on her bed.

Grace Fairchild didn’t want to marry the single and most elegant man in England. She’s a plain girl who was too tall and was born with a limp leg. She grew up with her father who was a soldier in war. All her life, she only dreamed of having a permanent home, breed horses in a small land, display her little treasures that she has collected from the different places she’d been in war in a real home. She didn’t want to get married especially to a man who has been forced into it.

Diccan Hilliard did not want to get married especially now that there is trouble brewing from the Lions and he’s been targeted. But he had no choice, if he didn’t marry Grace they will both be ruined. It could have been easier, if only Grace has been pretty, but she’s not.

They were forced to get married. Grace wanted to get the best out of it. Diccan only want to leave it be. But as time goes along, and they’re slowly getting to know each other, and their affection grew for each other. But Diccan can’t let himself like Grace especially not in fron of the public because his enemies might use Grace against him. He found out that there are gentlemen in high places that are planning to take the crown from the King. He’s investigating the people who’s involved in that treasonous act, and to prevent these people from making Grace their target he pretended that he doesn’t care about his wife.

This is one heavy story. I’ve never read anything from Eileen Dreyer but I’m happy that I found this one.

I have mixed feeling while I was reading this. At times, I want to get inside the book and just bash Diccan in the head for being cruel to Grace, though I know he’s just pretending, it still gets to me. I guess, that’s why I have mixed feelings on this book because you can’t truly hate Diccan because you know that he has a reason on why he’s treating Grace that way. The part that I didn’t like too much was how Grace forgave him so easily. I really wanted Diccan to grovel at grace’s feet. And there was a part in the book that I skipped because I just can’t read it. It’s just too much for me.

I experienced the highs and lows of my emotions while I was reading this. I can only tell you that this book is not for the faint hearted. It takes courage to read this kind of book. Eileen Dreyer is one good writer because she can affect the readers straight to the heart!