I'VE GOT MY DUKE TO KEEP ME WARM by debut author Kelly Bowen is a nominee for the RT 2014 First Historical Romance award, and I think that it should win, hands down. It is a fabulous Regency romance, with a touch of suspense and outstandingly vibrant, three dimensional characters. It is book one in the Lords of Worth series.

Gisele Whitby faked her own death and that of her stepdaughter four years ago in order to escape a wildly abusive aristocratic husband. She absconded with a massive diamond necklace which has funded her underground railroad to save other women from abusive partners. Now, she must risk everything, including herself, to save another innocent from the clutches of her previous husband, who is poised to marry an unsuspecting heiress. Gisele is determined that no one else will be at the mercy of her depraved husband, but she needs a daring and honorable man for her new scheme to save the girl. Gisele is a phenomenal heroine. She's compassionate, smart, and independent, and I loved her so much!

Jamie Montcrief was a hero on the battlefield at Waterloo. Crushed by guilt about his brother's death next to him on the battlefield, Jamie has descended into drunkenness, getting by just by the skin of his teeth, working at an inn to fund his drinking habit in order to dull his pain. Gisele sees his innate chivalry, and offers him a chance to work in her scheme to rescue the girl. Jamie just gets more and more wonderful as the story unfolds, and his honor and courage make him so incredibly appealing to me. Yet he never feels too good to be true, he simply seems like a fine upstanding man that any woman would be incredibly lucky to call her own.

As Jamie and Gisele work closely together (along with their companions, whom I also really enjoyed) to save the hapless fiancé, they fall rapidly in love, despite Gisele's determination to remain single and uninvolved. Jamie's heroism, with his determination to protect Gisele from a truly evil man, clash with Gisele's independent streak and her determination to save everyone around her. The slow revelations about each, along with the unfolding mystery, drew me in quickly and did not release their hold on me until I turned the last page. I'VE GOT MY DUKE TO KEEP ME WARM is a fantastic read, and I intend to grab up A Good Rogue is Hard to Find, book two in the series, the moment it is available.