The Duke Heist
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4.2 • 18 Ratings
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
A woman accidentally kidnaps a duke in this fabulous Regency romp that Bridgerton author Julia Quinn hails as a "delight."
Chloe Wynchester is completely forgettable—a curse that gives her the ability to blend into any crowd. When the only father she's ever known makes a dying wish for his adopted family of orphans to recover a missing painting, she's the first one her siblings turn to for stealing it back. No one expects that in doing so, she'll also abduct a handsome duke.
Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe, is tortured by his father's mistakes. To repair his estate's ruined reputation, he must wed a highborn heiress. Yet when he finds himself in a carriage being driven hell-for-leather down the cobblestone streets of London by a beautiful woman who refuses to heed his commands, he fears his heart is hers. But how can he sacrifice his family's legacy to follow true love?
"Erica Ridley's love stories are warm, witty and irresistible. I want to be a Wynchester!" —Eloisa James
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2021
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With this entrancing Regency, Ridley (Forever Your Duke) introduces the Wild Wynchesters series, named for a found family of six orphans each with a useful if disreputable talent who were long ago adopted by the late Baron Vanderbean and now live together as adult vigilantes on the fringes of London's polite society. Chloe Wynchester, an accomplished pickpocket able to blend into any setting, is determined to recover a painting stolen from her family by the late Duke of Faircliffe. When she learns that Lawrence Gosling the new duke, who hopes to marry into the money needed to restore his family's honor plans to give the painting to his intended, Chloe infiltrates the woman's social circle to steal it back. But things don't go to plan: the painting is a fake, and Chloe inadvertently abducts Lawrence, thinking his carriage is her getaway vehicle. Lawrence agrees to owe Chloe a favor if she promises not to tarnish his reputation by revealing that they were alone together, and Chloe uses his gratitude to continue hunting for the missing painting but soon learns that behind Lawrence's stuffy fa ade is a man just as intelligent, passionate, and delightfully silly as she is. Their affecting romance is grounded in push and pull, but the real star of the show is the love the Wynchesters have for one another. This lighthearted paean to shunning respectability is a knockout.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful
I absolutely recommend reading the preview first, it helps give the family more depth and the reader more understanding in their feelings towards the Duke. The preview (which was free) was so good it made me preorder this book!
I was not disappointed, the characters are multi layered, fragile and lovable. The camaraderie in the book is reminiscent of the famous five books but much more adult. The love feels real and deep, between family and the main characters. It took me through rollercoaster of emotions but never frustration. I couldn’t put this book down and wait for the next one with anticipation.
Lighthearted
With the exception of her family, people find Chloe Wynchester forgettable which is fine when she and her siblings are on one of their adventurous missions but less flattering in social situations. Trying to speak with the Duke of Faircliffe, who she has long admired, is particularly galling when he looks straight through her. If the Duke won’t listen to any of the Wynchester’s they’ll just have to steal their painting back. In so doing she unexpectedly abducts the Duke himself and suddenly she is no longer invisible. Loved this story filled with humour and colourful characters. Looking forward to the next book
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.