In this introduction to a new Victorian romance series, American heiress August Crenshaw is forced into a marriage of convenience with Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, and pulls every stunt in the book to make him call off the wedding.
Wry, tenacious August isn’t exactly a friendly woman, but she is a memorable and well-crafted heroine. Prickly at best, she’s practical and often blunt with her words as she tries to get her family’s business taken more seriously. By contrast, Evan’s caring relationship with his mother is a cornerstone of his character (and provides some of the book’s best scenes). It’s lovely to see a mutually respectful and close relationship between a historical romance hero and his mother ... The Heiress Gets a Duke stands out from the crowded field of historical romance by combining old and new. St. George clearly has an appreciation for the genre, as the novel is reminiscent of historical classics that longtime romance readers have grown up with, but there are also meta moments of brilliance ... Fun, tender and definitely sexy, The Heiress Gets a Duke is already at the top of my list for the best books of the year.
It’s a tropey masterpiece ... I cannot say enough good things about August as a heroine. While at times it’s bittersweet to witness her realizations about her place in the world, she’s also quick with a wry (and very meta) observation about men ... Evan is slightly less interesting to me ... Evan is, of course, charming and, yeah, I’ll admit that envisioning a sexy duke with dark hair and stubble boxing in breeches is an easy win for me ... I was charmed by this book. Completely ... it brought me joy the entire time I was reading it ... There’s something special about discovering a book like this and what it was able to do for me.
St. George...heartrendingly depicts Victorian women bartered away for wealth and status, but the deep affection and witty dialog August and Evan share outshines a grim if realistic beginning. Fans of Courtney Milan and Scarlett Peckham will enjoy this 'The Gilded Age Heiresses' series opener.
