Customer Reviews

How To Marry A Duke

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TOO WOO A DUKE is a wonderful, light hearted love story. Debbie Raleigh's ability to add humor, wit, and sensuality is pure magic. I laughed a lot at the antics and the witty dialogue in this story. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Raleigh's books.
Sandy Blair has outdone herself again. THE ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS is a captivating love story that is heart warming, charming, and humorous. I was not able to put this book down until I read the last page. The secondary characters added a lot of flair and made the story even more interesting. I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit while reading it. Ms. Blair has a magical ability to create a love story laced with sensuality and humor. I am anxiously waiting for Ms. Blair's next book.
Regan Allen did a beautiful job with this magical story. A TOUCH OF MAGIC is a charming and heart-felt story. I was rooting for Tess the whole way. She is a lovely creature that is pure of heart. Ms. Allen did a wonderful job with adding light to a young man who saw his responsibilities as a bleak world. I also look forward to reading more of Ms. Allen's books.
HOW TO MARRY A DUKE is a fantastic read! I enjoyed each one of the short stories in this anthology. All three of these stories left me breathless. They are charming, witty and magical. I could not put this book down. I did not want these captivating stories to end. I highly recommend this book to everyone. This is definitely going on my keeper's shelf.

Reviewed by Billie Jo
Romance Junkies

When her aunt loses her dowry to a marriage fraud, crusading journalist Shevon Quinn decides to right the wrongs and help her aunt recover the fortune. She signs up for the 'marry a duke' course and follows the instructions. Unfortunately for her plans, though, this particular duke isn't responding to the lessons, he's responding to Shevon. Now how is she supposed to prove that the class is a fraud when she has a duke wrapped around her little finger (and around a lot more, as well)?

Unemployed, ex-governess Rachel O'Leary breaks into an empty London house and supports herself and her Irish family with her baking skills. But when long-travelling Duke Connor Kenroe returns home from Egypt, he figures he can blackmail Rachel into helping with his plans--plans that have nothing to do with her Irish relatives and everything to do with his own goals of rebuilding his ancient ducal estates in Scotland. The pretend engagement would have been bad enough if Rachel didn't find herself responding to the sexy Scot--and wishing she could turn pretend into reality.

Stephen Anthony needs to marry and father children. He's picked a suitable wife and waits only her arrival to propose. But then a beautiful sprite dances into his life--claiming to be Tess, Lady of the Forest, and his fated bride. Stephen is a realistic man, and he doesn't believe in fairies, exactly. Still, the attraction he feels toward the stacked sprite is nothing short of magical. How is he supposed to be happy with a suitable wife when the fates have brought him something so special.

In a trio of historical novellas, authors Debbie Raleigh, Sandy Blair, and Regan Allen tell tales of strong women who drive to their goals--picking up the loves of their lives as they go--and none of the dukes knows what hit them.

I was surprised and pleased to see a hint of social conscience in all three of these stories about marrying the top of the British Aristocracy. Shevon worked as a journalist, reporting on the follies of the rich and trying to help the down-trodden. Rachel breaks with aristocratic tradition and goes into 'trade,' and Tess worries about sheep grazing which destroyed the traditional Scotish clan structure and converted common lands to privately owned enclosures during the 19th century. Mixing glamour with a bit of reality adds some depth to these amusing novellas.

Sandy Blair's The Accidental Duchess is one of 3 novellas in the anthology How To Marry a Duke. You know a story is going to be a good one when the author has you hooked by the 2nd page. And Sandy Blair did just that in The Accidental Duchess, just as she had done in her novel A Rogue in a Kilt - which I recently finished reading and also highly recommend.

In The Accidental Duchess, Rachael, a destitute governess, find shelter in what appears to be a townhouse that has been left unoccupied for the winter months. But, when the owner, Connor, the eighth Duke of Kilgory, returns and finds Rachael asleep in his bed - the story quickly grabs your interest even more. It's guaranteed you won't want to stop reading until you've finished the story. Sorry, I can't say anymore, you'll have to grab a copy of the book and find out what makes Sandy Blair's writing style so special and unique.

The two other novellas in this anthology are To Woo a Duke by Debbie Raleigh and A Touch of Magic by Regan Allen.

Zebra's latest anthology offers three good stories by some of todays' up and coming authors. Debiie Raleigh, Sandy Blair, and Regan Allen have all contributed good stories. None are better than the other and all offer fun characters with short and sweet stories.

"To Woo A Duke" is the story of Shevon Quinn is on a mission to get back her cousin's dowery from a fraud who claims she can teach a young lady how to catch any peer that they set their eyes on. Shevon goes "undercover" in order to prove she has no idea how to go about this...she takes the course and catches the eye of...a Duke!!! Can this turn into a happily ever after?

"The Accidental Duchess" is the story of Rachel O'Leary a governess turned out after she disciplines a nasty little lord. After having all doors closed to her she breaks into an empty house on a snowy, stormy night. She has no idea that she has just broken into a Dukes house. What will she do when the errant owner of the house comes back and catches her in his bed?

"Touch of Magic" is the story of Tess Dewood. She is invited to a party to celebrate the engagement of Duke of Longoford, Stephen Anthony. Stephen is drawn to his mysterious guest will he be able to resist her sweet charms?

These were very short stories offering a quick escape for the reader. These three authors show great potential for having very successful careers in writing romance.

[...]

Sandy Blair's "The Accidental Duchess" proves once again the lady knows how to spin a romance. Although Ms. Blair's previous two historicals, "A Man In A Kilt", and "A Rogue In A Kilt" both had a paranormal element in them, this offering is a feast of pure historical romance, set in Victorian England. The hero is another delicious Scottish hunk, who finds the heroine, a spunky Irish lass with the gift of making pastries-to-die-for, asleep in his bed upon his return from five years in Egypt. The secondary characters add spice and flavor to this tale. If you enjoyed Ms. Blair's previous two offerings, her story in this anthology will keep you craving more of her work.

The Accidental Duchess, a Highlander tale within this enjoyable novella, was just awarded the 2006 Golden Quill for Best Novella.

This was a very light read. I was very disappointed. I don't feel that the authors spent much time at all on these stories. Sandy Blair's was okay, but could have been bulked up a little. There just wasn't enough there. I read one of the other ones (I don't remember which one), but I only skimmed through the last one. It was about a fairy or a wood sprite or something. Karen Marie Moning does otherworldly stuff far, far better. I should have just waited until her next book comes out. This book really was a waste of time.