Sandy M’s review of Desperately Seeking a Duke (The Heiress Brides, Book 1) by Celeste Bradley
Historical romance released by St. Martin’s on 4 Mar 08

Ms Bradley is another author whose books I have on the to-be-read shelf, amid all my other thousands of books, and I have never gotten as far as cracking one open until now. I plan to remedy that very soon. I thorougly enjoyed this book. I was intrigued and delighted with the heroine from Chapter 1 and she never once let me down.

I’m an arse woman myself, just as Phoebe is when she first spies Rafe and his arse – it’s the first thing she enjoys about him. Although she’s had a rough time in her life with scandal, Phoebe is too exuberant, too alive, too naturally sensual to be kept down. And it’s Rafe that brings her back to life. Rafe is no stranger to scandal himself. He chose the dark road once he was old enough to realize he was born on the wrong side of the sheets and that everything he enjoyed in his life would eventually be his brother’s. He loves his brother Calder, and he’s done his best to support him, but even Calder sometimes makes Rafe feel like a bastard instead of a brother. Meeting Phoebe, however, has given Rafe hope for love and family and, finally, a life he wants to live.

You feel Rafe and Phoebe click right away. They share the same spirit and outlook at life. We’re given a short comedy of errors when Phoebe believes it is Rafe who has asked for her hand, and her first introduction to Calder left me chuckling. The ensuing relationship between Rafe and Phoebe is fraught with emotion. Rafe is devastated once again that Calder has taken what is his, that Phoebe is now lost to him, and he admirably tries to be a good brother and stay away. But his love for Phoebe won’t let him.

Phoebe is just as in love, but she won’t allow herself to love Rafe because of her past. She has to continue being the good daughter her father expects. It’s Rafe’s emotional upheaval that pulled at me most, though. When he finally makes the decision to throw everything into the wind for love, only to be trapped against his will, he goes from guilt to euphoria to utter devastation seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The secondary characters are both villainous and fun. Phoebe’s Aunt Tessa is the typical washed-up woman who wants everything for herself and will do what she has to to get it. Phoebe’s cousins are interesting and they finally come around to try to save the day when you least expect it. I’m looking forward to their subsequent stories. The two would-be highwaymen are a hoot and very bad at being criminals. I wanted to like Phoebe’s father because she obviously loves him, but that was quite difficult and although I looked at him differently later in the book, it was nearly too little too late. And Calder. Well, Calder is going to be rudely awakened very soon. I can just feel it.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

Only a duke will do… The only way for vicar’s daughter Phoebe Millbury to inherit a family fortune is to find herself a duke—just as her late grandfather demanded in his will. But Phoebe, who’s still trying to make good after a romantic scandal, also has her two cousins to contend with. They’re all competing for the same money, maybe even the same men…until Phoebe meets her match in the terribly handsome and charming Rafe Marbrook.

But will it be “I do” — or Adieu? When she receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, Phoebe is thrilled to learn that Rafe is headed for dukedom…and accepts his offer. There’s only one problem: It’s from Rafe’s older, less captivating brother, Calder. Now Phoebe finds herself on the verge of yet another scandal as she faces a desperate choice: Marry Calder for his money—or follow her own heart? Each way can only lead to trouble…

Read an excerpt (scroll down a bit).