It begins as Poppy, a fisherwoman who works hard to provide and care for her father, finds an unconscious, injured man trapped in her fishing net. I loved Poppy and Keane and their clandestine love story. This was such a great historical romance. Torn between the world she’s always known and the one she’s always dreamed of, she’ll need true love for a shot at her fairytale ending.ĭisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane’s attempted murder, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie. Though Poppy’s past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble in the storm of their passion. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, he’s dazzled by her rapier wit and adventurous spirit she’s intrigued by his mysterious air and protective streak. Under Poppy’s care, Keane regains his strength-and a sense of purpose. It’s a mutually beneficial business arrangement…nothing more. She wants no part of the scheme but can’t refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange for food and shelter while he recovers. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead.

Unfortunately, someone in Bellehaven wants to kill him-and he intends to find out who. The truth is he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Especially one with a head wound-who’s convinced he’s a duke.Īndrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, but he’s having the devil of a time convincing his wary, fiery-haired rescuer of that fact. The very last thing Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in them is a dangerously attractive man. But she’ll do anything for her family, so she cheerfully spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. Her poor widowed father has fallen ill, and her foolhardy brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to read or pursue her own dreams. Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family’s fishing business afloat.

One Duke Down by Anna Bennett