DEFENDING THE DUCHESS by Rachelle McCalla

Julia Miller goes to Lydia to spend time with her sister who is queen there. One day she decides to go out unguarded and ends up being attacked. Linus Murati is a royal guardsman whose assigned to watch over Julia. He finds her and saves her life. But it wasn't just a random attack. It seems that trouble has followed Julia from her home in the states. But who is after Julia and why? As Linus and Julia begin gathering clues as to who it might be behind the attempts on her life, they begin to realize that seeds of love may be sprouting between them. But nothing can come of it because of Linus's past. Or can it?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It had danger, suspense and, of course, romance. I liked that the story involved royalty. That was neat. I might mention that this is part of a series and though I followed the story fine, I feel it would have been better had I read the previous stories. There are things that happened previously that I'm sure would have enhanced this installment had I read them. It was fun getting to know Julia and Linus. Julia had a lot of spunk but she was reasonable. I like that in a heroine. Linus was a great guy who related well to Julia. His steadfast faith had an impact on her. You don't know until the end who was behind everything which for me is a plus. When you get the book, be sure to read about the author at the very front. That is as enjoyable as the story!

Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (March 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 037344530X
ISBN-13: 978-0373445301

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review*