The Guardian Duke By Jamie Carie

Another winner for Jamie Carie! This first book in the "Forgotten Castles" series is full of everything a good read must have. It has a beautiful heroine, a handsome Duke, intrigue, mystery, suspense, deception and a little romance thrown in.

Lady Alexandria Featherstone lives alone in a run down castle in England with her two aged but faithful servants. Upon receiving word from the King that her parents have been declared dead she decided to prove the King wrong and go find her parents. The parents, who searched for lost treasure for a living, have been gone for almost a year and have not been heard from. Lady Alex however, is convinced they are alive and she sets out to find them, by any means necessary.

Appointed by the King to be Lady Alexandria's guardian, Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton is quite taken by surprise by this appointment. He has never met Lady Alex or her parents to his knowledge but takes on the task willingly all the while dealing with his own problems. He has suddenly, due to unknown reasons, become deaf after a night enjoying his beloved opera. Upon discovering that Lady Alex may be in danger because of whatever it was her parents were searching for, he decides to bring her to his home in London. However, when he reaches her run down castle she is nowhere to be found. Having formed an opinion of the type of young woman she is from letters they have been exchanging back and forth since his appointment he has learned Lady Alex is a very headstrong and stubborn young woman.

What transpires as he chases Lady Alex all over the British Isles is at times humorous, scary, and frustrating. He always seems to be a step behind her. She, meanwhile, has been befriended by a retired Admiral who agrees to accompany her. Does he have ulterior motives? Will she find her parents? How is the King involved? You will just have to read the book to find out!

I enjoyed reading this book and could not put it down for wanting to see what happens next! I cannot wait for book 2 in the series to find out where the adventures of Lady Alex and Gabriel lead them next! I highly recommend this book! You will not be disappointed!