Format: Book of the Month Hardback
Genre: Historical Romance
Page Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Romance (January 26, 2021)
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
The Heiress Gets A Duke was one of my most anticipated BOTM choices this year. I was so excited to read this story, and it did not disappoint!
Here’s a plot synopsis from Amazon: American heiress August Crenshaw has aspirations. But unlike her peers, it isn't some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger--it's Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it's clear that August's outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitable for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage. Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He's recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can't walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn't the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants. But August won't go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she's no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more.
I thought this book was such a cool idea. The story is set in London, during a time when wealthy American families spent time overseas in hopes of marrying their heiress daughters to royalty. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, not for August Crenshaw. August has different expectations for herself: she wants to work in business and basically become a female tycoon. Up until this point in her life, she believes her father supports her ambitions. Instead, she is sucker punched in this book to learn he really only tolerates her interest in the business, despite allowing her to work in it all these years. Once she catches the eye of Evan Sterling, a duke, her father has no interest in anything except marrying her off. I thought August was a fiery, engaging character in this book, and I could totally identify with her thirst to prove herself. She wanted to be taken seriously, and that mattered more to her than a advantageous marriage. She also has the hots for Evan, something she finds increasingly inconvenient for her supposed goals. Once Evan shows he will treat her as his equal, she is all but lost…it just takes her mind a bit of time to catch up to her heart.
August is scared to lose herself to a man during a time when women were treated more like property than spouses, but Evan is in dire need of a wealthy wife. He is also in dire need of August, a woman he started falling for almost at first sight. Evan carries a heavy burden in this story, and I love how strong he is. I also love how un-afraid he is to show August his more sensitive side and let his emotions out. He wants more than a wife; he wants a partner, and he takes every step he can to show August she is that partner for him.
My only complaint about this book is I sometimes found August annoying. She constantly whined about not wanting to get married while wanting to put her hands all over Evan. She was a bit overbearing at times, but overall, I enjoyed her character. She just had her moments where she made me want to throw my book!
If you like Evie Dunmore books (or historical fictions/regency romances), you need to pick this book up now! You will thank me!
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