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| THE WORST DUKE IN THE WORLD - Lisa Berne Somerset County, England - 1817 Anthony, the Duke of Radcliffe, isn't interested in all of the glories of being a duke. In fact, he loves being a farmer, taking care of his tenants, and enjoying every minute with his eight-year-old son, Wakefield. And right now, the important thing is to fatten up his giant pig for the annual contest. Duchess, the pig, that is, is more than happy to demolish anything and everything presented to her. Anthony has high hopes that she'll win. However, Anthony's sister, Margaret, is determined that he marry again. It's been five years since the death of his wife, and Margaret thinks that's more than enough time to mourn. Anthony does hate pointing out, though, that Margaret has been a widow for ten years and is still wearing black! Getting married again is the last thing on Anthony's mind as his first marriage was anything but happy. Jane Kent has arrived at Surmont Hall with an important piece of paper that she discovered upon the death of her great-grandmother. The woman who raised her had kept this secret for all of Jane's life, and now it's up to Jane to discover if it, in fact, has any meaning. Struggling all of her life to survive in poverty has left Jane on the verge of panic. What will she do if the Penhallow family doesn't believe the contents of the yellowed letter? Asking for old Mrs. Penhallow, Jane is escorted to a sitting room to await the mistress of the house. But by the reaction of the elderly woman upon seeing Jane, it's apparent that the letter does have a purpose. It seems that Jane is the granddaughter of Mrs. Penhallow's dearly departed son, Titus, and is, in fact, the image of him. The pig men of Penhallow, and Anthony's estate, Hastings, have been insulting each other at the local pub, so Anthony ventures to Surmont Hall to discuss the issue with his friend, Gabriel Penhallow. Upon his unexpected arrival, he is ushered into the room where the family is gathered and where a very thin, young woman is wolfing down food as the family discusses her future. Anthony doesn't know why, but he is strangely attracted to the grey-eyed, obviously very hungry girl. He's surprised when he's told that she is Mrs. Penhallow's great-granddaughter. Jane, who has had a limited education, is sent to the local vicar who also tutors Wakefield, Anthony's son. The boy and Jane hit it off right away and he invites her to Hastings to meet the Duchess. Imagine her surprise when she gets there and discovers that it's not Anthony's wife she will meet, but a gigantic pig. When the duke shows up, he finds that Jane is both interested and interesting. They have lunch together and Anthony later cannot get Jane out of his mind. And Jane is equally affected. What ensues is a light-hearted, humorous escapade as Anthony and Jane get acquainted, Margaret tries to arrange various meetings with eligible young ladies for a brother she considers a poor excuse for a duke, Wakefield mispronounces his way through life, and Duchess grows fatter every day. THE WORST DUKE IN THE WORLD was a delightfully fun read. The characters are amazing, from Anthony, who doesn't have high expectations for himself, to Jane who is discovering a whole new world where people love her, to sad Margaret, and then to happy-go-lucky Wakefield who rarely lets anything bother him. The writing is brilliant, and readers will thoroughly enjoy THE WORST DUKE IN THE WORLD. Jani Brooks |
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