Historical Romance published by Berkley 26 May 20
The Duke of Everingham still has nightmares about his aborted wedding to Lady Rose Rutherford. Back on the marriage mart, the last thing he intends is to offer for Rose’s niece, Lady Georgiana Rutherford. But conniving relatives and a gorgeous Arabian horse overturn his best-laid plans and have him going down on bended knee in full view of the ton.
Despite her noble blood, George has had an unusual upbringing. Determined to be independent, she first spurns Hart’s offer for her horse and then subsequently his offers of marriage, despite his blatant attempts at blackmail. Her tender heart foils her, though, when she’s taken in by his mother’s acting skills. Unfortunately for George, while she has agreed to be Hart’s duchess, the ton is pretty unforgiving, including her erstwhile swains, leading her to thumb her nose at the ton on her wedding day.
Hart comes across as a typical privileged member of the aristocracy who’s determined to win at all costs, even if that cost is running roughshod over others’ hearts and lives. He is baffled by his attraction to George and uses every opportunity not only to look out for her in the face of the hostility of his peers but to win her kisses. In his own way, he indulges her the best he knows how, while waiting for the other shoe to drop and find the rotten core inside her enticing interior.
Just when things are getting interesting between Hart and George, the author shifts gears and we seem to be in the midst of an entirely different story, a mystery at that. This gives me a bit of a pause on how to rate this book, but, all in all, I quite enjoyed it. I absolutely loved George’s baffled innocence and stoic indifference to the aristocracy that she’s now a part of. I totally laughed aloud when she asked her aunt how long human females were in heat when she’s trying to rationalize her desire for the duke.
Grade: B
Summary:
A marriage born of passion and scandal turns into something more from the bestselling author of Marry in Secret.
When a duke denied . .
The proud and arrogant Duke of Everingham is determined to secure a marriage of convenience with heiress, Lady Georgiana Rutherford. He’s the biggest prize on the London marriage mart, pursued by young unmarried ladies and their match-making mamas, as well as married women with a wandering eye. He can have any woman he wants. Or so he thinks. . .
…Hunts an independent lady . . .
Lady Georgiana Rutherford–irreverent and unconventional–has no plans to marry. Having grown up poor, Lady George has no intention of giving up her fortune to become dependent on the dubious and unreliable goodwill of a man. Especially a man as insufferable as the Duke of Everingham, whose kisses stirs unwelcome and unsettling emotions . . .…Sparks are sure to fly
The more she defies him, the more the duke wants her, until an argument at a ball spirals into a passionate embrace. Caught in a compromising position, the duke announces their betrothal. George is furious and when gossip claims she deliberately entrapped the duke–when she was the one who was trapped–she marches down the aisle in a scarlet wedding dress. But the unlikely bride and groom may have found love in the most improbable of places–a marriage of convenience.
No excerpt available.
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