Celeste Bradley - The Duke Next Door (Heiresses Brides2)

In his will Hamerish Pickering expresses his disappointment about his daughters. Being a self made man, he had high hopes of his daughters marrying a title. But instead they all married a common fellow. Now he wants to set things straight. His fortune will go to the first Pickering girl in 3 generations to marry a duke... If not... smugglers of wiskey will gain everything...

Now we meet the 3t generation: Phoebe, Deidre and Sophie and their stephmom entering society to find a duke and get a hold of the money.

This time it's the stunning beauty Deidre that tries to get a hold of the pot of gold by proposing to Calder, Marquis of Brookhaven and a future duke.
But the money isn't what sets her on this course. When Deidre was only 16 she fell in love with the handsome marquis the first time she met him. She had to watch how her cousin Phoebe was engaged to him without seeing his value. So now she won't waste anymore time and she proposes to him.
Calder weighs the pros and cons and sees the advantages in a marriage to beautiful Deidre. She won't bother him and he'll be able to keep focused on his fabrics.

Too bad he didn't get to know Deidre better because finally out of the clutches of her stephmother Tessa, Deidre can be herself again after marrying Calder and being an absent wife is not what she had planned...


I had so much fun with this book. The antics of Meggie and Deidre, the story of Fortescue and the reactions of Calder to the events the women in his life has in store for him. His organized life is ruined and even though it's hard for him to admit, it's hard not to enjoy it...

Deidre lived under the supervision of Tessa after the death of her father. Tessa, who is after the heritage more than Deidre, made Deidre's life miserable. So now finally able to toss Tessa out, she won't live under a new patron telling her how to live her life.

Calder is the same stoic marquis we met in the previous novel. After the death of his first wife and the loss of Phoebe to Rafe, he's not sure how to handle the spiritous Deidre. Everything he says or does seems to go the wrong way.

This story made me laugh several times, made my heart bleed for Meggie and brightend up my evening when reading this.

Like the previous book this is a light read, no deep drama...
There could have been if things with Meggie were worked out more. That's what I regret most... A bit more of why and how, perhaps a more intense making up between father and daughter...

But besides that, a worthy follow up of Desperately Seeking a Duke. Sophie's story is next and it won't be long before I pick up this book.