Phoebe Millbury has come to London along with her cousins,
Deirdre and Sophie so they can find husbands. No ordinary
man will do--they must strive for the highest ranking in the
ton. The fortune from their grandfather's will go to the
granddaughter who marries an English duke. If none of them
is able to pull this off, the entire fortune will go to
smugglers.
When Phoebe was fifteen she did something so inexcusable
that her father, the local vicar, can now barely stand to
look at her. She must remain proper at all times and never
think lustful thoughts. At her first ball, she can’t help
notice that one of the guests has a nice backside. As he
turns and they stare at each other, the attraction is
instant. So when this handsome man asks her to dance without
an introduction, she allows him to sweep her off her feet.
Lord Raphael “Rafe†Marbrook is the illegitimate half
brother to Calder, the Marquis of Brookhaven. When he spots
Phoebe, he asks her to dance and becomes quite charmed by
this innocent vicar’s daughter. They share a sweet kiss in
the moonlight and Rafe quickly decides that Phoebe is the
perfect wife for him. But through some miscommunication,
Phoebe becomes engaged to Calder, thinking she was accepting
Rafe’s proposal! Now she is stuck engaged to a man who the
rumors say killed his first wife. It also doesn’t help
matters when Rafe, who can’t stop thinking about Phoebe,
wants her but can’t stand to be around her because the
temptation is too great. For some reason these two keep
finding themselves alone with each and their passion
threatens to explode regardless of the consequences.
I am a true fan of Celeste Bradley and she writes some of
the funniest and adorable historical romances out there.
DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE, first book in the new heiress
bride series is no exception. Poor Phoebe wants to be a good
girl, but her passionate nature tends to overtake her. It
was such a joy to read about a hero who falls head first in
love with the heroine. I really felt for these two and
wanted them to have their happily ever after. Deirdre and
Sophie were also interesting characters and they too will
have their own books to come in a few months. They are the
voice of reason for Phoebe and help her along to figure out
which man she should be with.
At times the plot is a bit loopy and far-fetched but Celeste
Bradley is a true joy to read which helps overcome this. I
had such a fun time reading DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE that
I can say it's a must read for any historical romance fan
out there!
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.
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…
“Let yourself be seduced!”—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Everything her readers crave: wit, deliciously sensual
romance...laced with intrigue and danger.”—Booklist (on the
Bradley’s Liar’s Club series)
CELESTE BRADLEY is the bestselling author of The Liar’s
Club series, which includes, The Pretender, The Impostor,
The Spy, and The Rogue and The Royal Four series which
includes To Wed a Scandalous Spy, Surrender to a Wicked
Spy, and One Night with a Spy. She is the author of Fallen,
which was nominated for a RITA in 2002. According to
Bradley, the best thing about writing is that she finally
gets to use the brain full of trivia she’s collected over a
lifetime of living in eight states, residing in over twenty
homes, and changing her major five times. “It was research
for my writing career! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to
it!” For now, she lives in northern California with her
journalist husband, her two divas-in-training, and the
smartest dog in the world.
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