I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher through NetGalley. The review is my honest opinion.The Bachelor grabs your attention from the first chapter, Lady Gwyn is facing her blackmailer. She is rescued by her Major Wolfe who does not seem happy to be close to her. Gwyn is immediately drawn to the Major from the very first encounter. I loved watching the progression of their relationship from a teasing banter to full-on passion. Their relationship was not the usual we get each other you often see in romance. They irritated each other and they both had self-deprecating tendencies so they thought that the other mirrored the same feelings they had about themselves. I liked that even in their passion that there was a silent rivalry.Lady Gwyn is a strong woman who wants to learn to protect herself, she understands her limits and she knows how to navigate the world she lives in socially. She is tired of not having control in her life, she loves her brother but resents his protection. I love that she tried to fix her problems with her blackmailer herself and she did not try to involve her brother. She cares about her family and would do what it takes to keep them from harm even from themselves.The Bachelor is a steamy historical romance exploring early cultural customs painting a vivid picture of the people, places they frequented and a glimpse of what they valued. The story was evenly paced with the right amount of steam and suspense. I appreciated that the happily ever after for now and the lurking mystery that the third installation of the Duke Dynasty series will pick up from. The book can be read as a standalone, the author presents glimpses of past events that happened in the previous book. I felt a connection for the supporting characters and it did not distract me from the central couple of the story. The supporting characters were fully realized without taking away from the main characters. Joshua Wolfe is a special love interest. He is not the usual dashing prince who wants to swoop in and save the day. He is a real man who suffered from the wars he faced, he mostly kept to himself it was good to see his character evolve from the quiet gamekeeper to the protective bodyguard. He had special limitations and the author handled his character with grace.The only thing that disappointed me was the demise of Lady Gwyn’s blackmailer. I don’t think that justice was served. I would have liked to see him prosecuted even though I understand others may feel like he got what he deserved. I wanted him to be held liable even though I understood the way he met his fate worked with the story.The Bachelor was a great reading experience and I look forward to the next book in this series.