Desperately Seeking a Duke by Celeste Bradley

Synopsis

The only way for vicar's daughter Phoebe Millbury to inherit a family fortune is to find herself a duke—just as her late grandfather demanded in his will. But Phoebe, who's still  trying to make good after a romantic scandal, also has her two cousins to contend with. They're all competing for the same money, maybe even the same men. ..until Phoebe meets her match in the terribly handsome and charming Rafe Marbrook.

When she receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, Phoebe is thrilled to learn that Rafe is headed for dukedom…and accepts his offer. There's only one problem: It's from Rafe's older, less captivating brother, Calder. Now Phoebe finds herself on the verge of yet another scandal as she faces a desperate choice: Marry Calder for his money—or follow her own heart? Each way can only lead to trouble…

Kristin Ramsdell <P>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. - School Library Journal

When their grandfather's will stipulates that the first one to marry a duke will inherit his fortune, cousins Phoebe, Deirdre, and Sophie suddenly find themselves competing for the elusive prize. Scandal-averse vicar's daughter Phoebe Milbury is the first to find love-but not with a duke. It is Rafe Marbrook, bastard brother of the Marquis of Brookhaven, who has claimed her heart. Yet in a strange twist of fate, she ends up engaged to the Marquis and must make some difficult decisions. Light, enjoyable, and romantic, this story nicely sets the stage for the two novels that follow. Told in consecutively released books (The Duke Next Door, Apr.; So I Married a Duke, May), the fairy tale-inspired "Heiress Brides" trilogy ably interweaves the cousins' stories and will appeal to readers who enjoyed Bradley's (Seducing the Spy) "Liars' Club" and "Royal Four" series.

Biography

CELESTE BRADLEY is the bestselling author of The Liar's Club series, which includes, The Pretender, The Impostor, The Spy, and The Rogue and The Royal Four series which includes To Wed a Scandalous Spy, Surrender to a Wicked Spy, and One Night with a Spy. She is the author of Fallen, which was nominated for a RITA in 2002. According to Bradley, the best thing about writing is that she finally gets to use the brain full of trivia she's collected over a lifetime of living in eight states, residing in over twenty homes, and changing her major five times. “It was research for my writing career! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!” For now, she lives in northern California with her journalist husband, her two divas-in-training, and the smartest dog in the world.

You can visit her Web site at:  celestebradley.com .