Forbidden to Love the Duke

Longtime Regency romance author Hunter (the Boscastle series) opens the Fenwick Sisters Affairs series with a frankly absurd premise: a duke’s son is unaware that an earl’s four daughters live down the road. Ivy, Rosemary, Rue, and Lilac Fenwick live behind a thorny garden in a crumbling Tudor manor. After their father dies discredited and in debt, they’re reduced to pawning the family jewels to keep food on the table. The young Duke of Ellsworth returns wounded from Napoleon’s war, intending to salve the pain in debauchery with a lush mistress; instead he finds himself saddled with his brother’s young children. Desperate Ivy applies to become their governess, and sparks immediately fly. There’s skullduggery and derring-do, and of course abundant stage-setting for Rosemary, Rue, and Lilac to get their stories in due time. Deep emotion is absent, but the shenanigans are amusing. (Feb.)