"The Handmaiden's Necklace" by Kat Martin

I did it again - read a book in a series out of order.  Oh well.  Rafael, the Duke of Sheffield, and Danielle Duval were madly in love and engaged to be married five years ago until he found one of his friends naked in her bed.  Danielle protested that the man had just barged in and had no idea why, but Rafael would not believe her and broke off their engagement.  Shunned and humiliated, she moved to the country with her aunt but has made one last surprise appearance at a society event before her move to America to marry a Pennsylvania widow with two young children.  Rafael confronts her but she continues to proclaim her innocence and even blames him for not believing her.  This encounter makes Rafael realize that he still has feelings for her and sets out to find the truth.  But Danielle has already left on the two month voyage to America; if he's been wrong all these years, will he go after her?

This is the first book I've read by Martin, and I have mixed feelings about it.  While she tells an intriguing story, Rafael was not a likable hero.  He's heavy-handed with Danielle and doesn't take her wishes into consideration because he thinks he knows best.  There are many deceptions in this book with multiple side stories and a large list of characters.  The couples featured in the two previous books in the series make appearances and sound more likable.  Still, it was an interesting read.  407 pages.