by Eloisa James
First published 2011
Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, needs a wife who will enhance his reputation. Georgiana Lytton fits every requirement: she follows social rules, maintains a fashionable figure, and will make an ideal duchess. Her twin sister Olivia breaks every convention. She speaks her mind, ignores propriety, and carries curves that scandalize society. Worse yet, another man already claims her hand in marriage. Tarquin tries to focus on sensible Georgiana, but Olivia captivates him. Their conversations spark with wit and attraction that proper courtship lacks. He knows duty demands he marry Georgiana, so he forces himself to forget Olivia's laugh, her boldness, her refusal to fit society's narrow expectations. When crisis strikes Tarquin's life, his careful plans crumble. He realizes that marrying for social advantage might cost him the only woman who truly moves him. Winning Olivia would require abandoning everything he believes about marriage, status, and his role as duke. He must choose between the safe path that preserves his reputation and the risky gamble of following his heart to an unconventional woman who may no longer be available.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity
Setting: Sconce
Period: 19th-century
405 pages · Kindle Edition · Avon