Duchess Material

In this enchanting Victorian romance, Sullivan (the League of Scoundrels series) delivers sparkling banter, gentle mystery, and plenty of swoonworthy moments. Schoolteacher Phoebe Atkinson has devoted her life to educating working-class girls—and when one of her students, Alice Clarke, goes missing, she’s determined to find her. When her sleuthing leads to her getting arrested for trespassing, she turns to Will Margrave, the Duke of Ellis and Phoebe’s sister’s best friend, to bail her out. Though Will and Phoebe haven’t seen each other in years, Will agrees to help her track down Alice. Will’s duty-bound to find an appropriate duchess and get an heir, and Phoebe’s stubborn independence and scant aristocratic ties make her an unsuitable marriage prospect—but as they work together, he can’t help his attraction to her. Career-focused Phoebe, meanwhile, has no interest in matrimony, believing that if she married the duke he would see her as merely one of his possessions. As their investigation heats up, do does their chemistry. The simmering tension between the leads keeps the pages flying and it’s gratifying to watch Will go from a stuffy, propriety-minded duke to a man helplessly in love. Sullivan’s emphasis on how norm-bucking Victorian women were able to transcend expected roles adds to the appeal. Historical romance fans will eat this up. Agent: Amanda Jain, BookEnds. (Nov.)