Alexander Haversham had gone to the family estate to draft a bill for Parliament, with his friend Lord Slade. During the night, Alex's older brother Freddie, the Duke of Fordham, died unexpectedly and Alex was now the new duke. The fourth Duke of Fordham in as many years -- was the family cursed? Alex faces another daunting task that to inform Freddie's betrothed, Lady Georgiana Fenton, that her fiancรฉ is deceased. Instead of being hysterical, Georgiana insists on seeing Freddie's body and then proclaims that he had been murdered. Alex and Georgiana both want to find the killer, and as much as she likes him, Georgiana cannot help but think that Alex had the most to gain from his brother's death.
A friend of mine has been a faithful reader of Cheryl Bolen for a long time, and I surmised there was nothing like the present to judge for myself. And I was enchanted by Ms. Bolen from page one. The author's prose is refined, polished, elegant and very much in tune with the Regency era. Her vocabulary is as impressive as is her attention to detail; her descriptions of the surroundings are crisp and vivid; the characters are carefully drawn, and her precision extends to the relationships that tie everyone together. While it's obvious that the two previous books concern Alex's best friends -- Lord Slade and Lord Wycliff -- I never felt left out. Alex is a wonderful hero: charismatic, a charming rake and a gentleman who respects Georgiana's boundaries and appreciates her intellect. Georgiana is a superlative heroine: opinionated, matter-of-fact, practical, and independent in ways that remain perfectly acceptable in an era that was not too kind to women. Georgiana's mother, Lady Harworth, is a constant source of entertainment and humor.
Cheryl Bolen achieves a perfect balance between the very compelling mystery and a most lovely romance, highlighted by very witty dialogues. I had decided to read a few pages for a quick preview, but instead, I kept on reading. I was completely immersed in LAST DUKE STANDING because of the exquisite prose and dialogues, the steady pace that wouldn't let me tear myself away from the book, and the undeniable chemistry that bound Alex and Georgiana. I also very much appreciated that no lengthy and unnecessary sex scenes disrupted the flow and the tone; there are, but a couple of chaste kisses and everything was as it should have been. There is nothing quite like discovering a new author whose work leaves you entirely satisfied.
As the third son of the Duke of Fordham, Alex never thought he'd become a duke. But he's suddenly catapulted to the lofty title after his slightly older brother dies in his sleep. Now Alex has the onerous task of announcing the death to the woman his brother was to wed. Ever pragmatic, Lady Georgiana Fenton insists on seeing the late duke's body, and when she does, she's convinced he was smothered as he slept. She and the new duke decide to secretly work together to uncover the murderer. But the longer they're together, the harder it becomes to resist the duke's scorching kisses--and even harder to dismiss him from the list of suspects. No one had more to gain by her fiancé's death. .
EXCERPT
“You believe he might have killed Freddie in the hopes the new duke would allow him to purchase the parcel?” Lady Georgiana asked. “I never said I believed it. It’s a possibility, and a certain lady has warned me to be open to all possibilities.” Their eyes met again, and then both broke into smiles. “This is nothing to smile about, but I agree with you. This is a possibility we cannot ignore.” Her brows rose. “I wonder how long before the man approaches you. If he’s that eager, I daresay he’ll approach you soon.” He rose. “We shall have to see.” Looking down at Sir Arthur’s and Lord Barnstaple’s papers, he asked, “Can I help you put these up before I go?” Her face fell. “No. I need to devise a way of storing these in an orderly fashion.” She sighed as she circled the table and came abreast of him. “I suppose you’ll go back to White’s tonight?” “Yes.” “How I wish I could be there. I’ve become most passionate in our pursuit of this vile murderer.” Passionate. Yes, he thought, hard as she could be, this woman might be capable of passion. She just hadn’t met the right man. He moved closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. The firelight danced in her blazing gaze. In that instant a profound desire rushed over him like a roaring tidal wave. He pulled her close and lowered his head to settle his lips upon hers for a scorching kiss.
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