Much Ado About Dukes

Devon’s solid second Never a Wallflower Regency romance (after The Spinster and the Rake) unites a very proper duke with a progressive firebrand. Lady Beatrice Haven is pleased her cousin Margaret has found love, but she wishes that Margaret’s intended was anyone other than the brother of the infuriating Will Easton, Duke of Blackheath. Though they’ve never met, Beatrice has written to the unfeeling oaf many times urging him to help the less fortunate and progress the cause of equality for women—all with no response. For his part, Will has read all of Beatrice’s letters and secretly admires her fire. Thrown together by their lovestruck relatives, they’re both shocked to feel an instant attraction, and their relationship evolves from contention to tolerance to true friendship. When Beatrice learns that her uncle’s poor financial choices have left her penniless, Will proposes a marriage of convenience, assuring her that it will be a purely practical arrangement—but Beatrice’s growing feelings for Will threaten this plan. Beatrice’s devotion to helping others is admirable, and Will’s brooding interior monologue will make readers swoon. This fast-paced, socially conscious romance keeps the series going strong. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.)