A Duchess in Name

A dutiful heiress and a bankrupt earl marry as strangers but become ardent lovers in this passionate launch of the Grantham Girls late Victorian series, the first historical from contemporary romance author Weaver. In 1891 London, Victoria Carson is responsible and well prepared for her wifely duties. Love is not part of her arranged marriage to Andrew Hargrave, but Victoria needs to be free of her social-climbing mother. Andrew, Earl of Dunnley, is heir to a vast, insolvent estate and a title he despises; he wants only to continue his archeological work in Italy with his mistress. Their fathers force the marriage as part of a secret wager. After the wedding night, Andrew leaves for Italy, leaving Victoria feeling shocked, lonely, and rejected. Over time, as they confront secrets, lies, family travails, and loss, Victoria and Andrew struggle to trust each other and leave behind their unhappy childhoods. Weaver’s picturesque period settings and attention to the nuances of the class system enhance the patina of her well-written, pleasingly British romance. (Jan.)