This one made me laugh out loud quite a lot, always something I enjoy in a romance novel. ( )

Desperately Seeking a Duke
3 Stars

Synopsis
Three cousins are in competition for the same inheritance - the first to marry a duke will inherit a fortune. Vicar's daughter, Phoebe Millbury, is at a disadvantage due to a romantic scandal in her youth but then she meets Rafe Marbrook and accepts his proposal. The only problem is that it is Rafe's older brother, Calder, who is in line for the dukedom and whose proposal she has unknowingly accepted. Will Phoebe abide by her duty or give in to her heart's desire?

Review
Light and fluffy.

Rafe and Phoebe are sweet together. However, the fact that they seem to fall in love in 5 minutes, which is apparently enough time for him to give up his rakish ways and for her to agree to marry a complete stranger, stretches the imagination.

The pacing is also off. The beginning is engaging but the story seems to lose momentum for the rest of the first half. The climax beginning in the second half is then rushed followed by a resolution that is unnecessarily drawn out and tedious - the twist at the end is cute though.

The secondary characters are the highlight. Rafe's cold, dark and brooding brother, the bumbling villains, the besotted butler and the avaricious aunt all round out a compelling cast who add some wit and banter to an otherwise simplistic plot. ( )

A delicious Regency read!! Engaging characters and an entertaining plot line. Nice amount of steam to keep the story popping!

I love a lively historical with all the pomp and circumstance! Really enjoyable read!

A fun series. ( )

Ridiculous, but fun. ( )

I totally enjoyed the relations ship entre the hero and heroine, they were friends first. Haven't read this sort of relationship in regency recently if ever. ( )

This was a delightful frothy romance set during Regency times in London.

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2008/06/desperately-seeking-duke-by-celeste.html ( )

The first of a series of three, this book tells the story of Phoebe who, together with her two cousins, are competing to win their grandfather's estate by being the first to marry a duke. Only one week into the season, Phoebe meets Rafe Marbrook at a ball and is immediately smitten. When she receives a marriage proposal the next morning from a titled nobleman named Marbrook she accepts immediately, only to discover too late that her fiance is Rafe's brother, Calder. Phoebe, her cousins, and their chaparone immediately move into Calder and Rafe's home to prepare for the wedding. Predictibly, Phoebe and Rafe find themselves in too-close-for-comfort contact with each other, and each struggles to behave appropriately.

As the book progress, sparks continue to fly between Phoebe and Rafe, we become better acquainted with Calder, the cousins, and the chaparone - Phoebe's "aunt" Tessa. We are also introduced to Stickley and Wolfe, the executors of the grandfather's estate, who have their own reasons for not being pleased about the impending marriage.

I thought this book was very good. The characters are well-developed, the relationships progress in believable directions, and there are enough twists and turns that we are kept guessing until the very end. We already know there will be two more books featuring these characters, and there are some nice clues provided about what those stories might include. I especially liked the relationship that developed between Phoebe and Calder in the last part of the book - a very nice development that a lessor author would not have done. Bradley is a first class author and should be an automatic read for all fans of regency romance, but I think all romance readers will enjoy this book. ( )

The second book in this series is much better. This one was just okay for me.

Grandfather left his money to whichever granddaughter marries a duke first. The three granddaughters hit the marriage mart. In this first book, Phoebe gets engaged to the heir to a dukedom but loves his brother. The brother loves her. Eventually love wins. I liked it so I could have probably given it four stars. Book 2 is much better. ( )