Put Up Your Duke

Frampton’s second Dukes Behaving Badly romance (after The Duke’s Guide to Correct Behavior) is pure delight. In 1842 London, Nicholas Smithfield, a rakish young buck, is more than a bit chagrined to discover he’s become the Duke of Gage—and completely flummoxed to find that with his new title comes engagement to the icily proper Lady Isabella Sawford. Isabella’s no more pleased than her intended; she chafes against the socially advantageous match her self-serving parents have forced her to accept, the latest in a lifelong series of edicts that have squelched her true spirit. Yet she and Nicholas can’t deny the increasing excitement they feel in each other’s presence. Will that be enough for them to embrace their union? Frampton pays equal service to character development and sensual tension—the latter both steamy and sweet—and sprinkles moments of humor throughout, including a delightful subplot about a pseudonymous novel writer. Historical romance fans will relish this realistic and emotionally charged story. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency. (July)