Trained to be a Duchess right from the cradle, Laura, the Dowager Duchess of Cole, is the epitome of decorum on the outside. Inside, she harbored a secret identity and deep secrets she could not share with anyone. Now, a lovely young widow, she had sworn off men to enjoy the freedom of a Dowager and to relish a quiet life with her young daughter. For that reason alone, she had moved to the small village of Fortune's Folly.

All is fine until greedy Sir Montague Fortune latches unto a way to make money by reviving a long forgotten medieval tax on unattached women in the village. Not only does this result in an invasion of male fortune hunters besieging the village, but the local women, including his sister, clamor against him, sheep feast on his lawn, but he re-ignites Laura's spirit to fight against this insult that threatens her and the other women's independence.

If Montague wasn't vexing enough, who should come fortune hunting, but Dexter Anstruther, a former lover of hers! To avoid scandal, Laura had made sure it was only a one-night event. Given that, why is she now so jealous of the attention other women paid to Dexter?

For his part, Dexter was there on a mission, but not the one Laura had thrown in his face! He also realized she must be hiding something. He would find out to get his revenge for being tossed aside by this callous woman with the morals of a cat. Yet, when the chance came, why did he seek to protect her? The mystery perplexed him and he was determined to remove every stone that blocked his path and hid a secret. Could Laura withstand his determined assault against the heavily protected secrets that must remain buried in her heart?

Nicola Cornick's new series, "The Brides of Fortune" is off to a brilliant start with this riotous regency romance with its tantalizing twists, intelligent plot, and delightful banter. While this well-crafted story weaves together the present and the past of these two strong-willed characters as they fence with each other, there are interesting secondary characters and intriguing threads that surely will form the stories in the next two books! I can't wait for them to come out. Meanwhile, THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS is an intriguing and spirited romance that you won't want to miss!