How to Dance With a Duke [Mass Market Paperback]

Manda Collins (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 31, 2012

How to Dance With a Duke

Manda Collins

 

What’s a wallflower to do when she’s suddenly in need of a husband? Use all the pluck and moxie she can muster to get what she wants…

Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father’s exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father’s name of a scandalous rumor, Cecily needs to gain admission into the Egyptian Club—and is willing to marry any old dullard to do it.

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is anything but dull. He’s a dashing and decorated war hero determined to help Cecily—even if that means looking the other way when she claims the dance card of Amelia Snow, this season’s most sought-after beauty. But Lucas has a reason for wanting Cecily to join the Egyptian Club: His brother went missing during one of Lord Hurston’s expeditions to Egypt. An alliance with the explorer’s bluestocking daughter could bring Lucas closer to the truth about what happened…or it could lead him to a more dangerous love than either he or Cecily could have imagined….

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Collins’ debut delivers a fast-paced, adventurous love story that will enthrall readers. Her dynamic characters, a murder and passion combine with the perfect amount of lively repartee.”--RT Book Reviews

"HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is sensual, compelling and irresistible."--Romance Junkies

"An excellent debut by Manda Collins that has me desperate for the next book in this trilogy."--Night Owl Romance on How to Dance With a Duke (Top Pick!)

“Regency lovers have a new author to add to their dance cards! Manda Collins heats up the ballroom and writes romance to melt even the frostiest duke's heart. With sparkling Regency wit, a dash of mystery, and just the right amount of steam, HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is an enchanting debut, sure to sweep readers off their feet!”—Tessa Dare

"Warmth, wit and delicious chemistry shine through every word of Manda Collins’s delightful debut. With a heroine to root for and a hero to die for, HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is a romance to remember."—Bestselling author Julie Anne Long

“Sexy, thrilling, and romantic—whether she’s writing of the mysteries of the heart or of the shady underworld of Egyptian relic smuggling, Manda Collins makes her Regency world a place any reader would want to dwell.” –USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer

"Manda Collins writes sexy and smart historical romance, with a big dash of fun.  Romance readers will adore How to Dance with a Duke!"-- Vanessa Kelly, one of Booklist's new stars of historical romance

From the Back Cover

What’s a wallflower to do when she’s suddenly in need of a husband? Use all the pluck and moxie she can muster to get what she wants…

SHE’S IN NEED OF A PARTNER

Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father’s exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father’s name of a scandalous rumor, Cecily needs to gain admission into the Egyptian Club—and is willing to marry any old dullard to do it.

AND HE HAS ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is anything but dull. He’s a dashing and decorated war hero determined to help Cecily—even if that means looking the other way when she claims the dance card of Amelia Snow, this season’s most sought-after beauty. But Lucas has a reason for wanting Cecily to join the Egyptian Club: His brother went missing during one of Lord Hurston’s expeditions to Egypt. An alliance with the explorer’s bluestocking daughter could bring Lucas closer to the truth about what happened…or it could lead him to a more dangerous love than either he or Cecily could have imagined….

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312549245
• ISBN-13: 978-0312549244
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.7 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she'd been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with two cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Debut January 31, 2012

By Queen of Books

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I read the book by an exciting new authoress Manda Collins's "How to Dance with a Duke". I was totally surprised by this story. I loved the characters: Miss Cecily Hurston, a Blue Stocking kind of girl would rather use her mind in other pursuits. She loves her academic knowledge in Egyptian antiquities and wants admission into the Egyptian Club, but can't because she is a woman. So Cecily decides to hunt for a husband that will let her become a member.
Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is a handsome, decorated war hero who meets by chance Cecily in her attempt to enter said club.
Boy, do sparks fly between these two when they come together. You have to read this book, because it has mystery, murder and of course romance.Thanks Ms Collins for an outstanding first novel.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars When a Wallflower Needs a Husband... January 31, 2012

By akb--bookworm VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Known as part of the Ugly Ducklings, Miss Cecily Hurston and her cousins are used to being wallflowers at the society events. Cecily is more interested in ancient studies and languages than fashion, much to the chagrin of her very fashionable step-mother. When her father is struck severely ill after his last excursion to Egypt, Cecily is determined to secure her father's journals so she can translate them to prove he is being wrongly accused of murdering his secretary who went missing. Unfortunately, no one will admit Cecily within the Egyptian Club to view the journals: only woman married to members are allowed entrance. With no other option to her, she decides she needs to secure a husband among its membership. Cecily seeks her step-mother's help in securing a fashionable wardrobe and a full dance card.

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is the brother of Lord Hurston's missing secretary. He is just as interested in the events of the Egyptian dig as Cecily is in hopes he can locate his brother. He decides to work with Cecily in uncovering the clues to his brother's whereabouts and finding her father's journals. As they get closer to discovering the truth about what happened in Egypt, the closer they become to each other.

This was a fun story. Its strength was in the mystery about the events in Egypt. The dig in Egypt had far reaching effects. The secrets of the dig came out slowly creating puzzle pieces you aren't quite sure how they fit together until the end. The villain was a nice personal touch.

I really liked both Cecily and Lucas and thought they made a great pair. As they start to work together, they come to an agreement: Lucas will vet out her suitors to help her choose someone without major vices, etc. and Cecily will share any information and leads in their search about the events of Egypt.

Even though I enjoyed the romance between Cecily and Lucas, there were a lot of small things detracted from it and the story in general.

First, there are two large reasons why Cecily is rushing this marriage plan. Cecily goes on and on about how her heart was broken once before and is afraid to fall in love again. Her own paranoia keeps getting in the way her happiness with Lucas; in fact, she would rather marry someone she isn't in danger of loving. Even though she told us SEVERAL times about her previous heartbreak, I never felt it or understood it. It seemed so "this is why I'm doing this." Also, she keeps mentioning that with her father sick her horrible cousin who is in line to inherit has descended upon them: she doesn't want to be at his mercy with him choosing her husband. But do we ever meet this horrible cousin? No. We are only told this. Again, it seemed so "this is why I'm rushing marriage" explanation.

Second, I also though it odd that several times Cecily mentions how she could sense Lucas entering a room, drawing near to her. Then, a paragraph later he startles her as she had no notion he was there. It was a small inconsistency, but it happened three times that I noted.

Third, Cecily keeps making a big deal about the dance card she "borrows." Yes, she claims those dances at that night's ball. But she acts as if it is a valid dance card for every ball of the season. Yes, I get that it's the tips on flirting Lady Amelia wrote on the back of the dance card, but it really came across as if Cecily planned on using the same card at all future balls.

Despite these small annoyances, Cecily's story was very enjoyable. I loved watching Lucas and Cecily fall in love. The mystery was fresh and very well done. Cecily's fellow Ugly Ducklings are set to get their own books, and I look forward to reading their stories.

The Ugly Ducklings
How to Dance With a Duke
How to Romance a Rake
How to Entice an Earl

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid debut novel January 31, 2012

By Kimberly

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Cecily Hurston has long been wary of marriage, as she has no desire to wed a man like her father - one who would try and curtail her studies of ancient Egypt. But a disaster on one of her father's expeditions has Cecily hearing wedding bells, for there is no way she can gain entrance into the Egyptian Club and find the proof to clear her father's name unless she marries a member of the club. Though Cecily and her cousins are known as the "Ugly Ducklings," Cecily must learn how to become a swan in order snare a husband. There's just one unexpected complication...

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is determined to find out what happened to his brother, Will. Will went missing during Lord Hurston's last expedition and the gossips are whispering that Hurston may have killed Will. Hurston's daughter is Lucas's best chance of learning what happened to Will, and he won't let the opportunity slip him by. Cecily's plan to gain entrance into the Egyptian Club through marriage may make sense to her, but Lucas cannot bear to see the beautiful bluestocking wed one of the nodcocks now dancing attendance on her. Cecily needs someone who will not only aid her in her quest to uncover what happened on Huston and Will's last trip to Egypt, but will also appreciate and adore her for who she is. Though Cecily doesn't see it, she needs someone like him.

An "ugly duckling" comes into her own in Manda Collins's debut novel, How to Dance With a Duke. I was delighted by the premise of How to Dance With a Duke -- it reminded me of the vintage Amanda Quick books. Yet while I think Ms. Collins has a promising future in historical romance, How to Dance With a Duke fell a bit short of my expectations. The elements of a good story were there: bluestocking heroine, considerate hero, mystery, murder, and romance. However, the story was weighed down with repetition, slow pacing, and a bunch of overused historical romance tropes. It took a long time for anything to actually happen in How to Dance With a Duke and Cecily seemed to reiterate the same information ad nauseam. I understand this was meant to highlight information that would come into play later on in the book, but it became a case of beating a dead horse very early on.

For the most part, Lucas and Cecily were likeable protagonists and it was easy to be charmed by their love story. Cecily is prone to pushing Lucas away as a defense mechanism, but at a certain point it got to be annoying. Lucas, in turn, is patient, kind, and all things wonderful, which made him a bit flat at times, but I could overlook it. What did pull me out of the story a bit in How to Dance With a Duke was that -- when talking amongst themselves -- Lucas and the men Ms. Collins sets up to be potential future heroes tended to talk like women rather than men.

Overall, How to Dance With a Duke was a decent read. Its flaws shone brighter than its strengths, but I could see the author's potential nonetheless. While I'm not sure I'll be revisiting How to Dance With a Duke, I am interested in reading Ms. Collins's next Ugly Duckling book, How to Romance a Rake.

Kat
Reviewed for Wit and Sin