Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea

In the first of Nash's Royal Entourage novels, Alexander Barclay, the Duke of Kress, must atone for outrageous behavior at a bachelor party (at which he blacked out) by abiding by the wishes of the Prince Regent. Alex must return to his estate at St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall and choose a wife within a month's time, but he is derailed on his journey when he rescues a young woman hanging onto the side of a cliff. Roxanne Vanderhaven, Countess of Paxton and damsel in distress, relies on Alex's charity as she leaves behind her former life and husband, since he abandoned her on the escarpment's face. As a parade of eligible young misses arrives at the Mount, Roxanne's jealousy flairs up. As she tries to thwart Alex's matrimonial plans and elude her husband, Roxanne's antics add humor to this enchanting Regency romance. As Alex's thoughtful deeds reveal his genuine ardor for Roxanne, he is transformed from the ne'er do well bachelor into a man worthy of the love and trust of Roxanne. Readers will look forward to what Nash (Secrets of a Scandalous Bride) has in store for the other dukes in this engaging series. (Mar.)