The Duke’s Pursuit

A widow uses her sexual conquests to get revenge on her first love in the salacious battle of wits at the center of this erotic Regency romance from Angel (A Season for Scandal). Years ago, Everett Cavendish, Marques of Huntington, was forced by his parents to abandon his first love or face disownment, leaving the poor woman forced to marry another. Now, Phillipa “Pippa” Capell is a widow and the Dowager Countess of Essex, and Everett is determined to reclaim her heart. Sex was all that Pippa ever loved about her loveless marriage. So, finally out of mourning, she’s thrilled at the prospect of taking a lover. But before she can take her pick of London’s eager rakes, she’s sidetracked by Everett’s pursuit. Unwilling to forgive his abandonment, she challenges him to prove his love by staying celibate while she enjoys sexual interludes with various partners. But her fun turns sour when she learns that Everett made a bet with his friends on who could seduce her first. Though both Pippa and Everett are sure to win readers’ hearts, their romance takes a back seat to Pippa’s sexual explorations, making their happy ending feel a bit out of the blue. Still, readers eager for red-hot erotica in a historical setting should snap this up. (Mar.)