One should never judge a duke by his cover. As far as London society knows, Giles Drew, the Duke of Basingstoke, is everything a proper aristocrat ought to be. But when a notorious scandal sheet publishes details of Giles's questionable bedroom antics, only one bride can salvage his reputation.
Prim and penniless, Francesca Stanhope has resigned herself to a season full of the ton's snickering—until the Duke of Basingstoke's dizzying courtship transforms her fate. Yet wedded bliss quickly turns into a clash of wills as Franny realizes her handsome duke is a devil in disguise.
But beneath the newlywed's skirmishes lies scorching heat. And while each attempts to tame the other, the truth is that this unconventional union may be all either could ever desire . . .
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
July 25, 2023 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781420155426
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781420155426
- File size: 3278 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
Publisher's Weekly
June 26, 2023
Bradley (The Virgin Who Captured a Viscount) launches her Drop Dead Dukes series with a sexy but occasionally frustrating Regency about feuding families who plan to reconcile through marriage. Lady Francesca Stanhope’s world collapsed 10 years ago when her mother was “ruined” by the late Duke of Basingstoke, who then killed her father in a duel. Franny’s Uncle Edward inherited her father’s estate, forcing his sister-in-law and niece to leave London for remote Herefordshire. Now Franny accepts an invitation to participate in the London season, planning to confront Edward and persuade him to support her ailing mother. When she first goes to visit him, however, she runs into the new Duke of Basingstoke, who, to distance himself from the earlier generation’s scandal, plans to propose to her cousin, Susannah. Upon meeting Franny, however, he reevaluates which Stanhope woman is right for him, much to Edward’s chagrin. When scandal strikes anew and the Basingstoke reputation is at stake once more, he proposes to Franny in a panic—but to make the marriage work, the lofty duke must learn to put someone else first. Though the chemistry between the leads is undeniably strong, the characters’ motivations are not always intelligible, leading to some unfortunate plot holes. Bradley’s off to a rocky start. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary. -
Booklist
July 1, 2023
It is certainly true that Francesca "Franny" Stanhope's ball gown is a disastrous shade of pink. But that still doesn't give Giles Drew, the duke of Basingstoke, the right to refer to Franny as a "radish plucked from the country mud." While Giles' accurate though unkind remark on her appearance means that Franny is now under much greater scrutiny by the ton, the gossipy blowback against Giles is even worse. Now if Giles wishes to keep his engagement to Franny's cousin Susannah on track, he will need to initiate some societal d�tente with Franny. Fortunately for Giles, if he is willing to pay her price, Franny is more than happy to kiss and make up with Giles in public. Bradley debuts her new Drop Dead Dukes series with a brilliantly conceived Regency-set romance that not only effectively makes use of her almost Heyeresque command of the high-society world but also smartly showcases her flair for brilliantly combining glowing sensuality with delectably sharp wittiness.COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-
Formats
- Kindle Book
- OverDrive Read
- EPUB ebook
subjects
Languages
- English
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.