Yours Truly, the Duke

Grey (Gone with the Rogue) launches the Say I Do trilogy with this slow-burning Regency romance. Fredericka Hale does her best to raise her nieces and nephew­­—nine-year-old Elise, seven-year-old Charles, and five-year-old Bella—after the untimely death of their parents, but her cousin, Jane, threatens to take the children away from her. To keep the family together, Fredericka agrees to an out-of-the-blue marriage proposal from Wyatt, Duke of Wyatthaven. Wyatt, for his part, needs to wed within a week to avoid being disinherited by his grandmother. Knot tied, Wyatt abruptly returns to London, not expecting Fredericka to follow. But follow she does, showing up at his home in the middle of a ball with the children in tow. After all, Fredericka needs Wyatt’s power and influence to counter Jane’s scheming. As the couple spend time together, a powerful attraction develops and they realize that their marriage may be more than just convenient. The slowly blossoming romance is made even more enticing by a healthy dose of humor, due largely to the antics of the children and the quirky behavior of Wyatt’s marriage-phobic friends. Fans of the marriage-of-convenience trope will be chuffed. (Mar.)