Claimed by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Duke Ryder

Another great read by Melissa Foster! The book is set on Elpitha Island, a small island owned and inhabited by an extended family of Greeks. Gabriella's grandfather has asked her to come home and meet with the investor looking at purchasing the island to build a resort. Gabriella is a family law attorney in New York City. She has always felt that her family pushed her off the island when that was really where she wanted to be. Duke Ryder is the investor that Gabriella meets at the ferry. Even though she thinks he isn't what the island needs, there is instant attraction. Gabriella is determined to ignore it since she feels its a conflict of interest due to the sale. Duke isn't about to let her go.Sit back and enjoy the ride! Melissa takes us on a journey with both main characters. Gabriella has to stop looking at the island from the eyes of a child seeing perfection to realize the island & it's culture are dying. There are no prospects for the younger generation unless they move off island. The tourist trade is high but there is nothing to sustain them for the rest of the year. Duke has to realize that there is more to life than business and short term affairs. He needs to realize that he is looking for love. Can Duke negotiate the purchase of the island without alienating Gabriella? Can she reconcile Duke's vision and her love of the island life?I love the plot line in this book and the added element of the Greek culture. There is such a huge feeling of family & looking out for each other. Melissa's writing does this perfect justice. You are drawn into the story from the first due to the chemistry between the characters & then the give & take between them keeps you involved. The characters are well developed & realistic. The only problem is that the story keeps you enthralled & reading so intently that the next thing you know, the book is finished! And you have a long wait for the next one!!

♥♥♥♥♥You will fall in love with Duke. He is what every woman would want in a man.Duke is an investor and looking to buy an island off the cost of South Carolina. It is called Elpitha Island. The owners had come from Greece and now it is a mix of Greece and Southern. It is in need of some updating and change to bring the tourist back to the island so the people living there can continue.Gabriellla is a lawyer that lives in New York, but grew up on the island and loves everything about it and does not want it to change. Her grandfather asked her to come back and show the investor around the island. She was not sure why she was the one put up to it but her goal was to make him hate it and leave. Little did she know who she was dealing with. Duke was not one to be ran off.They hit it off and the more she tried to run him off the more he impressed her. She was falling for him and he was very smitten with her. She had told him that they needed to take a step back until this deal was done because she didn't think she could separate her feelings for him and the island.Duke worked his magic and charm and got even closer to her. They were becoming more and more to each other. She was scared of what she would feel for him after he came and changed her island that she loved so much. He had made a promise to her but those were meant to be broken.The more Gabriella spent with Duke the more she wanted to be with him. Also the closer they got to closing the deal on the island the more she worried, until one day things changed. I will let you read to find out what changed. But I will tell you there are some hot and heavy love scenes.This is a book I highly recommend.I want to thank you for reading my blog and I hope you go and grab the book for you to read today.Until next time: Happy reading.

Claimed by Love is a part of Melissa Foster's Love in Bloom series. It specifically focuses on the Ryders, though it wouldn't be complete without a few Braydens in the mix. Although it can be read as a stand alone, Melissa Foster has worked her magic to intricately weave her characters across several story lines from this series into this fantastic book. A true fan will be delighted to catch up with these characters, while learning more about new ones!Duke Ryder, a real estate investor has been sent to the exclusive island of Elpithia. Here he finds family ties and roots run deep. The island had long ago been settled by Greeks as well as deep southerners. Now the culture is entwined and heavily influenced by both customs. Duke has his eyes on the prize as an investment, until he meets his tour guide and daughter of the owner, Gabriella.Gabriella absolutely loves her native island. Her focus is to use her persuasiveness as a lawyer to help Duke loose interest in thr island resort he plans to build. After all, she is a top notch Lawyer from New York City and she has battled with the best of them.There is chemistry and compassion throughout this book. I completely fell in love with Duke's ability to help those he cares about. His kindness and compassion for making the world a better place, blew me away! I can't wait for more from the Ryders. I loved catching up with past characters as well. Well done Melissa!

Loved, loved, loved it!!!I have read all of Melissa's Love in Bloom books so far and up until today Slope of Love was my favourite. Slope of Love still is however this book now shares the top spot.I read this book within 3-4 hours, not because it was short (it isn't) but because I could not put it down. When I find a book I love it takes a lot to drag me away from it as I get lost in the book and the characters.Melissa is an amazing author and I could read her books all day, so much so I am currently re-reading the series.Melissa has this ability to make you understand the characters and the emotions they are feeling roll off the page.When I leave reviews I don't give away spoilers but I will say this Duke and Gabriela are perfect for each other from page 1 and the way the book is written makes you see that.At the very end of the books there is the first chapters for more of her upcoming books, which is teasing but I cannot wait.I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did and if you haven't read any of her previous books then I highly recommend you do so.

Another fantastic book by Melissa Foster! Reading this book made me desperately wish I was on holiday lying on the Island of Elpitha soaking up the sun and drinking a cocktail. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Duke finding his very own Duchess in the form of Gabriella Liakos. The way Gabriella's family is depicted reminded me of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' where all her relatives are spurring her on and trying to get them together.As always with Melissa's books the main theme of 'moving away from a place where someone belonged in the pursuit of creating a future' is a relatable concept and I found myself understand Gabriella's reluctance to see change in somewhere that meant so much to her, and her resentment at having to break away from the blissful bubble that she had known as a child.Duke is every girls dream of a hero and the lengths he goes to in the hope of claiming Gabriella's heart is sweet and totally swoon worthy!

Duke Ryder has just made it to the top spot, for the hottest, most loving, God known to man! He will not leave a single pair of panties dry, he has charm, charisma by the bucket load..Gabriella loves the island she grew up on, only its in financial ruins and residents and her grandfather wants to sell it..Hating to loose it, but knowing it has to happen, breaks her heart...So when Duke Ryder is interested in buying it, she wants nothing to do with it, or him.. But the sparks fly and they can't deny their attraction..Only she soon finds out, he's nothing like the person she thought he was and realises it's unfair to judge him..Melissa Foster never fails to knock your socks off, with an amazing story!!

Another fantastic read from Melissa. A book full of surprises where the heroine has a strong lead. Gabriella is in family law and life outside of Liakos Island is not how she imagined it to be. Liakos island is full of magic and love for all families. The only trouble is Liakos Island needs to be saved. What was once a popular tourist island has slowly fallen into despair and needs a wealthy investor to revitalise it. Gabriella comes back to the place that her heart belongs to in order to help her grandfather get a good deal.Duke Ryder is sent to Liakos Island to assess what needs to be done. As a renown property investor he has some ideas. But what he doesn't realise is just how quick those ideas change due to the fact that he falls in love with Gabriella. His previous ideas on how to shake the island up into a destination that the wealthy would visit soon changes. The more he falls the more determined he is to keep the island as Gabriella wishes. Although Gabriella puts up a fight as she thinks that Dukes ideas are going to ruin the one place that she truly loves.When Gabriella has to go back to work due to an important settlement Duke decides that he will do everything in his power to ensure Gabriella's happiness and also to ensure that the island is developed into the beautiful place that it was once. Gabriella knows she cant fight her feelings for Duke, she is deeply in love with him.Going back to the island to her parents anniversary party she notices that there are several visitors already there. When she finds her grandfather with these people she soon finds out that it is Duke and his team. After all Gabriella not only gets her Duke forever but also has the final say in all aspects of the development.Great to catch up with the rest of the Ryder's too.

Another hot story about the ryders this time, love all the characters in every series. This was nice n different cultures too, Greek southern and of course our New Yorkers. Gabriella loves her island but when Duke comes to look at buying it, she wants rid until he wears her down, promises the moon stars to her. I love her quick wit regarding the porn videos but most importantly I love them together as a couple. I can't wait for cash and Siena Ryder to start making babies, I think Jake will have his hands full with Addy lol So another marriage to look forward too, babies oh how I love reading Melissa fosters books, fantastic as always.