Series:
Daring Debutantes (Book 1)
A match destined to end
Yet impossible to resist…
Since he inherited a dukedom, all Declan seems to do is
put out fires. The latest? Deterring his feckless cousin from chasing a
reprehensible woman. Except Grace Nayao Richards is far from reprehensible, and
the beguiling, feisty young woman draws Declan closer…
As the illegitimate daughter of an earl, Grace needs an
advantageous marriage to protect her and her sister's futures. The handsome
duke's solution? A fake courtship with him to increase her popularity among the
ton. But as he teaches her to navigate London society, it's her dangerously
attractive guide she desires!
Intriguing story about two people from very different
backgrounds. Declan recently inherited the dukedom and feels he's done little
but solve other people's problems. The latest issue is his mother's and aunt's
claim that his cousin Cedric is about to disgrace the family by marrying an
unsuitable woman.
Grace is the illegitimate daughter of an earl and a
Chinese woman. She and her sister were recently found by the earl and brought
to England. Grace knows she needs to make a good marriage to protect herself
and her sister.
Grace was a fascinating woman. She disguised herself as a
boy in her early life and became a ship's navigator. But when revealed to be a
woman, she returned to the temple orphanage where she was raised, where her
father found her. She knows Cedric only wants to marry her for her dowry,
especially the ship, but she accepts its necessity. Unfortunately, being
illegitimate and biracial makes acceptance into Society nearly impossible.
Declan initially agrees with the ladies that Grace is
unsuitable as a wife for a man who will eventually be an earl. But his first
meeting with Grace leaves him astounded and intrigued. In his attempts to
convince Cedric to back off, he offers to introduce Grace to society so she can
find a more suitable mate. He uses a pretend courtship to make her more
appealing to other men.
But prejudice and pettiness complicate matters, and
Declan becomes more and more protective of Grace. There were some terrific
scenes during which he stood up for or protected her from harm. Declan is a man
who never stops learning, and Grace's life fascinates him. I loved the respect
he showed her knowledge and customs.
Grace is drawn to Declan even though she knows there is
no way a duke can marry a woman like her. I liked her willingness to stand up
for herself and her sister, and loved her self-defense scene. She is equally
protective of Declan and is afraid of doing anything that could harm him,
including believing they could have a future together.
The ending was fantastic. I loved Declan's
"aha" moment and the awesome scene at Almack's. The epilogue was an
excellent lead-in for Lucy's story - I can't wait to read it.
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