Scoundrel of my Heart

Heath opens her Once Upon a Dukedom series with a satisfying, character-driven Victorian romance following the relationship between Griff Stanwick—the brother of Beauty Tempts the Beast’s heroine, Althea—and Althea’s best friend, Kathryn Lambert. Kathryn has 14 months to marry a titled, first-born son if she hopes to collect her inheritance: her grandmother’s beach cottage. Griff is sympathetic to Kathryn’s desire for a treasured property, as he has his sights on a social club that he hopes to reinvent to cater to second sons, spinsters, and others like him who are deemed socially undesirable. Griff writes a letter in Kathryn’s praise to the Duke of Kingsland, convincing him to court her—though soon after, Griff and Kathryn share a kiss that confirms their real desire is for each other. But a Stanwick family scandal tears Griff and Kathryn apart for a year. When the couple reconnects, Kathryn is all the closer to securing Kingsland’s hand in marriage, but her attraction to Griff remains, forcing her to choose between security and passion. The relationship is grounded and believable, though readers unfamiliar with the previous series will feel they’re missing important context for Griff’s actions. This is a promising spin-off. [em]Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.) [/em]