A Duke to Remember

In her second Season for Scandal novel (after Duke of My Heart), Bowen once again sets up one of her fabulous Regency-era women in such unusual circumstances that it’s no wonder the eponymous duke finds her irresistible. To keep order in London’s high society, mysterious Elise deVries and her professional cohorts at Chegarre & Associates specialize in smoothing over scandals, both petty and major. They end up on a wild goose chase when they’re contracted to locate Noah Ellery, the Duke of Ashland. He may be dead, he may be estranged from his mother, or he may be alive now but slated for death by his feckless cousin Francis, who has his eye on the dukedom. In one of Bowen’s signature diverting happenstances, Elise stumbles on the errant duke hiding away on a farm and employs all her wit and charm to convince him that he should reunite with his family. He’s not as keen on that as he is on uniting with her in a very carnal way. This merry-go-round, emphasis on merry, is guaranteed to charm Regency fans. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit. (Aug.)