Along Came a Duke

Boyle (Mad About the Duke) launches the Rhymes with Love Regency series with this delightful Cinderella story. The duke of Preston is the worst sort of rake, ruining young men with reckless wagers and seducing innocent misses during parties. Tabitha Timmons is an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle and works her fingers to the bone as a scullery maid. A sensible girl who speaks her mind, she immediately pegs Preston as a ne’er-do-well. It takes a late-night dinner and an impromptu dancing lesson for her to sense hints of Prince Charming. Tabitha may be naive about many things, but she is resourceful and practical when it comes to saving herself from greedy relatives interested in her inheritance. Preston is amazingly obtuse about his feelings, but endearing in his efforts to make Tabitha happy. Readers will cheer them all the way to happily-ever-after. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates. (June)