Douglas: Lord of Heartache (Lonely Lords #8) by Grace Burrowes

Historical Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Douglas Allen needs a home for his aching heart…

Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, hates having arrived to his title without knowing how to manage what few properties he has. Guinevere Hollister is a distant family connection raising her daughter, Rose, in rural obscurity and stewarding the estate they live on. At the urging of mutual family, Douglas reluctantly puts himself in Gwen's hands for lessons in land husbandry and discovers beneath her prickly exterior a woman of passion and honor. Yet despite the closeness they find, she will not marry him.

Guinevere Hollister needs a champion…

When the powerful Duke of Moreland arranges an engagement between Gwen and his heir, Douglas knows the marriage is not what Gwen wants. In Douglas's eyes, Gwen deserves to make her own choices, even if she chooses continued poverty and disgrace over the love Douglas offers her. Douglas will take on their family, the meddling duke, and Gwen's own lonely, stubborn heart to ensure his lady's happiness."

If you are a fan of the Windham series by Grace Burrowes this is a must read.   "This is the “missing” prequel to the Windham series."  Here we meet Douglas, Gwen, and Rose and hear their story.  They have been characters in some of the Windham books but there has always been a bit of a mystery as to where they fit into the family.

Douglas is an entertaining story.  Douglas and Gwen are two lonely people who find attraction and love when they meet.  There is just one problem and it is a big one.  Half way through the book that problem shows up when one of the Windham sons arrives to see Gwen.  Gwen and Douglas also have a connection to previous Lonely Lords characters.  It is a story that really brings many of the characters from both series together.

I think is one of the best stories in the Lonely Lords series.  It had a good plot, gave some insight into the Windham family and answered question about Rose and her parents.   It does stand-alone but is much better if you have read either the Lonely Lords books or the Windham books.

Sourcebooks Casablanca published Douglas: Lord of Heartache by Grace Burrows in 2014.

I received an ARC of Douglas: Lord of Heartache from Netgalley.