Duke Most Wicked

Bell’s middling third Wallflowers vs. Rogues historical romance (after The Devil’s Own Duke) pairs aspiring composer Viola Beaton and the wicked Brandan “West” Delamar, Duke of Westbury. West is so ruinous a rake that he’s gambled away his sisters’ dowries, but upon realizing the damage he’s done to their futures, he attempts to reform. Part of that means courting an American heiress to replenish the empty coffers, a subplot that ends abruptly halfway through the book, and the other is engaging Viola, his sisters’ music teacher, as the ladies’ chaperone. Viola needs the job as her Beethoven-esque composer father is going deaf, and his patron, Lord Sprague, wants Viola to pay off her father’s debts by becoming his mistress. However, working so closely with West only increases Viola’s long-standing infatuation with him, and West soon worries that he cannot bring himself to marry for money when he is so smitten with Viola. Though there isn’t much to differentiate this from others in the crowded historical romance field, the sex scenes are full of feeling and the anachronism-laden plot makes room for some girl power moments. For Bell’s diehard fans, that will be enough. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (Oct.)