My One and Only Duke
Includes a bonus novella
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4.3 • 296 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Meet the highly unconventional Wentworth family in this charming USA Todaybestseller with a Cinderella twist, perfect for fans of Mary Balogh.
One minute, London banker Quinn Wentworth is facing execution. The next, he's declared the long-lost heir to a dukedom. Quinn has fought his way up from the worst slums, and now he's ready to use every dirty trick he knows to find the enemy who schemed against him.
Jane Winston, widowed and pregnant, crosses paths with Quinn while her father is preaching to the prisoners. Believing his days are numbered, Quinn offers her marriage as a way to guarantee her independence and provide for her child. Neither thinks they'll actually have a future together.
He's a wealthy gutter rat out for vengeance. She's a minister's daughter who must turn a marriage of desperation into a proper ducal union. Are they doomed from the start or destined for a happily-ever-after?
Also includes the bonus novella Once Upon a Christmas Eve from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt!
When his carriage wheel snaps in a snowstorm, Adam Rutledge, Viscount d'Arque, is forced to seek shelter at the home of the most maddening, infuriating, and utterly beguiling woman he's ever met.
"Skillfully crafted and exquisitely written, Burrowes' latest is pure gold; a brilliant launch to a promising series." --Library Journal
"Burrowes is a writer of towering talent." --USA Today Happy Ever After
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Grace Burrowes allows My One and Only Duke just one nod to convention: Two strong personalities are thrown together with enough force to produce romance-novel-grade sparks. Beyond that, Burrowes’ Regency romance goes rogue; after all, how many historical romances start in a jail cell? That’s where Jane Winston—the pregnant, widowed daughter of a minister— meets Quinn Wentworth, a wealthy convict. Their chemistry is immediate, but Burrowes throws in a marriage of convenience (and a royal title) to complicate matters, making for a delicious read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Burrowes opens the Rogues to Riches series with a gentle, optimistic Regency morality tale, promoting the value of looking toward the future over becoming mired in revenge. Quinn Wentworth's hard-earned money fails to protect him from being framed for murder, but he hopes to put some to good use by marrying Jane Winston, an impoverished, pregnant young widow: when he's hanged, she'll inherit his wealth. A last-minute royal reprieve leaves Quinn alive with a ducal title that provides responsibilities, more debt than assets, and a new reason to hate his noble rivals. Meanwhile, Jane is stunned to go from widow to duchess. Jane and Quinn face the challenge of building a marriage in truth, and their mutual fondness and fierce protectiveness are palpable as they work through their emotional scars. Witty and complex secondary characters, particularly Quinn's gossip-loving manservant, Ned, and his cantankerous brother, Stephen (whose brilliant intelligence and physical disability are clear nods to Stephen Hawking), round out the novel's appeal. This appealing volume also contains a lighthearted Christmas novella by Elizabeth Hoyt (Once upon a Maiden Lane).
Customer Reviews
A special kind of duke
This was such a great story! Humor, intrigues, numerous characters, depth and knowledge of this time period. Can’t wait to read the others!
Loved it!
Love the intrigue involved in taking a banker to convicted felon to pardoned criminal to duke! I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.
Good Start For a New Series
Once upon a time there was a banker waiting to be hanged and a young pregnant widow who accompanies her crazy Vicar Papa when he comes to the prison to perform his mission. The banker and the young woman talk and come to like each other. They marry so that the young woman can take care of herself and the baby, his final act of kindness. Wait… Quinn doesn’t die (it could not have been any closer); he is apparently heir to a duchy and is now the Duke of Walden. Jane is not a twice-widowed mother; she is now a duchess.
This is a very entertaining and busy story. Quinn and Jane must learn to handle the responsibilities of their new station while coming to know each other. Jane must also learn to cope with Quinn’s unusual family, which now includes also, not just Jane, but the “staff” Quinn brought out of prison with him. There’s lots to do, so much to learn, including who was behind Quinn’s murder charge and near fatal prison stay.
As I said, this is a busy story written in Grace Burrowes typical engaging and witty style. The characters, from the hero and heroine to loveable Ned, exhibit strength, intelligence, caring and confidence (although a little uncertainty appears at times). Well-written descriptions of the characters, the settings, and the circumstances draw the reader into the story. The story is well paced and has some drama, danger, and mystery mixed with the fun and romance. My One and Only Duke is a great beginning for what promises to be another wonderful series by Grace Burrowes. You don’t want to miss it!
The bonus novella was a treat!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.