How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days
By Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April
29, 2014
Five years ago, near the end of an unsuccessful season in
London, American heiress Edie Jewell was dreading her return to New York. Edie
was unsurprised that not even her father’s millions were enough to win her
acceptance in New York Knickerbocker society where the nouveau riche label had
destroyed the hopes of wealthy young women with far more beauty and grace than
Edie possesses, but the whispers that followed her every move after the
nightmare in Saratoga left her reputation in tatters. The rattling tongues and
her fear of encountering the man responsible for her ruin made New York
intolerable for Edie, but her father’s hope that his wealth will be sufficient
to overcome the deficiencies of his
tall, ginger-haired, freckled older daughter has proved vain. Even the wiles of
Lady Featherstone, the renowned matchmaker for American heiresses in London,
have failed. But just when it seems that Edie must steel herself to return to
New York, she meets the Duke of Margrave, who accepts Edie’s astonishing
proposal: she will pay the heavy debts he has inherited and fund his expedition
to Africa, and he will give her the protection of his name and her freedom,
insuring the latter by never returning to England.
Stuart, Duke of Margrave kept his promise to his wife for
five years. But when an attack by a lioness leaves him a few breaths away from
death, Stuart knows he must break his word and return home—to England and to
Edie. His wife’s dismay at his return
makes his dream of a real marriage seem impossible, but Stuart, an optimist by
nature, persuades Edie to strike a new deal. He has ten days to persuade Edie
that she can have a whole and happy life as his wife. If he fails, he will
disappear and leave Edie to live her life without the duke.
What follows is a story of sweet seduction that offers a
rare blend of serious problems, light-hearted pursuit, and genuine
communication. In another reversal from the expected, Edie is the one with the
power. Stuart, in his quest to win the favor of his lady, does sometimes
manipulate her into situations that push the boundaries of her comfort zone,
but she always has a choice. It is a measure of Stuart’s understanding that he
recognizes, even before he learns the details of Edie’s trauma, that having the
power of choice is essential for her.
How to Lose a Duke in
Ten Days is the second book in Guhrke’s American Heiress in London series. I
liked the first book, When the Marquess
Met His Match, and I thought this one was even better. Edie is an
intelligent woman who is using her intellect and her considerable strength to
survive a devastating experience, one that leaves contemporary women, with far
more resources than a woman in the late 19th century had, battling
anxiety and depression. Stuart is a heart-stealer hero with more than his share
of charm, tenderness, and two undervalued qualities—patience and honesty.
I’ve been a Guhrke fan for years, but this one is special
even as a book from a favorite author. I did have a quibble with the title,
which suggests lighter fare than the book delivers. But that’s a minor point
and certainly not enough to prevent my giving this book my highest
recommendation and counting it among my top five Guhrke novels.
I really enjoy the
American in England trope when it is done well. Guhrke’s Trouble at the Wedding is another excellent
example of the trope, as are two of Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflower books. Do you
like the trope? What’s your favorite romance with an American heroine in England?
