How Not to Marry a Duke
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4.2 • 32 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
From the moment her pet pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of Warwick. Certainly the man is handsome, but such an arrogant arse. But when her scoundrel half brother demands she marry a stranger over a failed investment, the duke does something shocking…he announces he’s courting her.
One moment, Daniel Millstone is enjoying tinkering with his inventions in his quiet country home with relative anonymity. The next, he’s courting the willful Miss Adeline. It might have begun as a way to vex her half brother—his childhood nemesis—but her striking beauty and kissable lips prove an irresistible temptation.
Now Adeline and her faux beau must convince the ton and their families that they’re an item. It doesn’t matter if they can barely tolerate each other. It doesn’t matter that scandal is only a touch away. Because if this charade doesn’t work, Adeline will find herself in dangerous hands…
Each book in the Daring Ladies series is STANDALONE:
* One Night with an Earl
* How Not to Marry a Duke
* Make Mine a Marquess
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gabrielle's fast-paced second Daring Ladies Regency (after One Night with an Earl) pairs a stoic white duke and the strong-willed, mixed-race daughter of an earl. After Adeline Foster's father dies, her white half brother, Edwin, throws Adeline, whose mother was Lebanese, out of her childhood home and into the family's run-down hunting cottage. There, her new neighbor, the handsome but unpleasant Daniel Millstone, Duke of Warwick, pays a visit, ending in a skirmish with Adeline's pet pig, Henry. Daniel left the bustle of society to focus on his scientific studies and he wants to be sure that Adeline's presence will not distract him. But when Daniel hears of Edwin's plan to force Adeline into an unwanted marriage to save their family from financial ruin, he does something rash and proclaims that he is courting Adeline. The ruse will protect Adeline from the unwanted match, but to pull it off, the bickering duo will have to persuade both their families and all of society that they are in love. Gabrielle delivers plenty of fun banter without shying away from the racist realities of the time. Fans of the fake relationship trope and anyone looking for diverse historical romance should check this out.
Customer Reviews
Daniel and Adeline
Daniel Millstone, Duke of Warwick, is in the country to work on his inventions. Lady Adeline Foster is trying to escape her half-brother and his schemes to marry her off to pay his debts. She is a healer. She learned Eastern techniques and medicines from her mother. These two meet when Daniel comes to her cottage to complain about howling hounds. They don’t seem to like each other at first. It didn’t that her “guard” pig ran him over. When her half-brother comes to rather aggressively demand she marry the loan-shark, Daniel steps up to say he is courting her, and from there, an idea is born. Now they are off to London to prove to his godmother, her half-brother, and the Ton that they courtship is real. This is a charming, character-driven story about two people who don’t fit the mold Society expects. Daniel is a genius and, along with his duties, throws his energy into his inventions. Adeline is an Arab/English lady who is just as keen on her medical activities. She provides help to people who can’t afford fancy doctors. Will they be able to fool everybody until the end of the season? Can their fake courtship become more? Their path to HEA is definitely not an easy one, but it is not impossible. A good read with interesting characters.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Don’t recommend
Ugh…I found this book so boring and slow. It was overly simplistic and still the author felt a need to repeat things over and over.
Great Story!!
This is the first I have read from this author, but it definitely will not be the last, I will be looking for more of her stories. I enjoyed the way the characters interacted with each other. I also enjoyed the fact that they were different than what the Ton would have expected from them. I now need to go back and read the first story in this series and find more of Ms. Gabrielle’s stories to enjoy.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.