England - 1815

Cousins, Phoebe Millbury, Deirdre Cantor, and Sophie Blake, have arrived in London for the Season planning to go forth, navigating the ballrooms of London with the instructions to marry a duke still ringing in their ears. It was their grandfather’s stipulation in his will; the one who marries a duke will inherit his vast fortune while the other two will receive mere pittances. However, although all three would like to win the trust fund, only Deirdre seems intent on catching a duke. Sophie certainly has no interest in a duke, or even marriage for that matter. And Phoebe, proper vicar’s daughter, longs only to marry the man of her dreams, be he duke or not.

Fortunately for Phoebe, she falls in love with her dream man at her first ball. Marbrook is devilishly handsome and charm personified. Their brief, private interlude out in the moonlight leaves Phoebe starry-eyed. Her delight knows no bounds then, when the next day she receives a marriage proposal from Marbrook, who, as it turns out, is heir to a dukedom. Phoebe immediately accepts his offer, but when her dream man calls later in the day, she meets a stranger. His appearance is very similar to the man she met the night before, but that is where the likeness ends. The man who captured her interest at the ball stirred her emotions and engaged her heart with his witty banter and easy manner. This man, who is now her fiancé, is stiff and formal, and so like her father that it is all Phoebe can do to not run from him. He is Lord Calder Marbrook, but the man who stole her heart is Raphael Marbrook, half brother to Calder, and even though Phoebe longs to follow her heart and correct the mistake that has been made, to do so would cause a huge scandal, which she is not certain she can survive.

Rafe is sure he is living a nightmare. His brother is engaged to the woman Rafe planned to make his wife. Once again, it seems the legitimate son reaps all rewards, while Rafe, the bastard, is left with nothing more than what his brother is willing to give him. But this time Rafe is not sure he can stomach a loss like this to his brother. One encounter with Phoebe left Rafe, a notorious rake, ruined for other women. But how can he expect her to choose him over Calder; a man who was born on the right side of the sheets, a man with immense power and wealth and who will one day be a duke? Rafe’s only hope is to forget Phoebe, or, do everything in his power to make Phoebe choose him instead of his brother.

If tales of love at first sight, or something very close to it, sometimes seem contrived or a bit implausible, DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE is an exception that will make a believer out of you. In it, both hero and heroine become totally smitten with each other within moments of meeting. It helps of course, that there is wit involved to hook readers from the opening sentence of the first chapter when Phoebe notes a certain part of her dream man’s anatomy, a part she falls in love with instantly. From there, the still as yet strangers, Phoebe and Rafe, steal away from the ball for a bout of innocent flirtation that includes more humor and leads to something deeper. At the scene’s conclusion, I was more than willing to go along with Phoebe's and Rafe’s feelings, due in large part to a wonderfully charming Rafe, who quickly makes Phoebe, and readers, fall for him. At first he appears the carefree rake with no responsibilities, but he’s actually the brooding type, who is not so much scarred by his illegitimacy, but his mixed feelings for his brother Calder, the favored son of their father. He loves his brother and hates him, but he masks his vulnerable feelings behind his carefully crafted persona. When Calder secures Phoebe’s hand first, it’s another emotional hit reminiscent of his childhood but so much worse. It’s a blow that Rafe can hardly endure, and it is at the heart of this story. As he struggles with it, it creates tension, turmoil, and strong emotion, not only between him and Phoebe, but him and his brother. Indeed, the relationship between Rafe and Calder is another excellent story of love in DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE. Meanwhile, knowing she’s a pawn between the brothers adds to Phoebe’s overwhelming heartache. For very sound reasons, she cannot simply follow her heart, break her engagement to Calder, and turn to Rafe. It’s easy to sympathize with her dilemma, which stems from a past hurt and her own set of dysfunctional familial circumstances.

DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE is not really a tale about falling in love, at first sight or otherwise, as it is a story of varied relationships, which include, but are not limited to, Phoebe and Rafe’s doomed affair, Rafe and Calder’s contentious rivalry, Phoebe’s damaged relationship with her father, and Phoebe’s mild competition with her two cousins for their grandfather’s trust. All are very complex and very fascinating. Excellent characterization brings each player to vivid life and leaves readers with a desire to spend time with each one. It’s an altogether auspicious beginning for Ms. Bradley’s new Heiress Bride Series. I’m very much looking forward to the next two installments, which fortunately will be coming in the near future, April 2008 for THE DUKE NEXT DOOR and May 2008 will produce DUKE MOST WANTED. In these, we shall learn the fate of Phoebe’s two cousins, both very interesting characters introduced here with many depths to be plumbed and, I hope, captivating stories of their own.

Sandra Brill