Phineas Duncombe, ninth Duke of Mayne, should not be the duke. After all, he had four—count them—four older brothers! Phin never wanted the dukedom, and the suspicious circumstances of the eighth duke’s death lead Phin to question the Countess of Longstowe. The beautiful widow isn’t at all what Phin expected. He’s intrigued by her and determined to seduce her. The countess is not interested in Phin romantically, but when she comes to him with another request, he can’t deny it. A few days in the country with Lady Longstowe reveal two truths to the new duke. One, he cares for the countess much more than any other woman he’s ever known. Two, Phin either has very bad luck or someone is trying to kill him.
They call her the Wanton Widow.
Annabel was barely eighteen when she was married to the elderly Earl of Longstowe. A harsh, sadistic man, the earl’s death was not something Annabel mourned. Now in her mid-forties, Annabel enjoys her widowhood and has no desire to ever be under a man’s thumb again. Not even a handsome duke like Mayne, who is far too young for her anyway. Annabel’s one desire is to find the daughter who was taken away from her. For that she needs a man with power and status. She needs the Duke of Mayne. When the two are thrust together, Annabel struggles to fight her attraction to the charming Phin. She’s losing the battle. But can she ever trust another man, especially with the one part of herself she’s never given away—her heart?
I loved the pairing of Phineas Duncombe, the ninth Duke of Mayne and Lady Annabel Longstowe; it’s a fabulous twist on the May-December romance! Annabel is 15 years older than Phin and her reputation as The Wanton Widow is the talk of the town. Loved the scene when Phin asks Annabel about the nature of her relationship with his late brother. This conversation between the characters sets the tone for the novel. A jealous Phin tries to determine if his brother and Annabel were lovers. Loved that Annabel remained cool, calm and collected and then challenged Phin as to the real reason for their meeting!
Annabel has a secret and she needs a powerful ally to help her. She knows that Phin is sexually attracted to her. Annabel uses this knowledge to her advantage when she asks him to help her locate her daughter. Loved that Phin struggled with his attraction towards Annabel when she started to disrobe-he was very, very distracted- but, agreed to help Annabel. I loved the sexual chemistry between Phin and Annabel and that he truly wanted to help her.
Annabel and Phin begin their adventure by travelling to Ceald House. Annabel believes that her late husband’s papers may hold clues to her daughter’s whereabouts. Loved that the author employed a double romance-Annabel and Phin and Meg and Reynolds. This choice added so much to my enjoyment of the novel! Loved that Phin cared for Annabel and that she began to trust him during their adventure while their servants were falling in love below stairs!
A Duke A Dozen is a fabulous story – the characters are relatable and their journey is poignant. The author weaves in lots of social commentary and a bit of intrigue. Shana Galen has a gift for writing smart, witty conversations infused with humor for her characters; the conversations between Phin and Annabel are marvelous. The conclusion to the novel is superbly written and I loved the ending which surprised me!
Reviewed by Susan Gorman
ARC provided by the author
