Cheers to the Duke

The third book in the Widow's Brew series, following The Merry Viscount (2019), takes Jo, the widowed Lady Havenridge, to a house party for the christening of her new godson, the child of the countess of Darrow, her former partner in the Benevolent Home for the Maintenance and Support of Spinsters, Widows, and Abandoned Women and Their Unfortunate Children. There, after a year of correspondence, she meets Edward Russell, the duke of Grainger, and his charming son, Thomas, and their huge dog. Edward had been a widowed solicitor raising his son on his own until the previous duke and his sons were wiped out by flu, and he suddenly had to take on ducal responsibilities. Jo has no interest in ever marrying again, but she is so attracted to Edward, she decides to seduce him. Loving friendships and a strong sense of sisterhood among socially caring women make for a fun and spicy read that will appeal to readers of Eloisa James and Kate Bateman.

A widow weighs her desires for freedom and love in MacKenzie's fast-paced third Widow's Brew Regency romance (after The Merry Viscount). Lady Jo Havenridge enjoys her work at the Benevolent Home for the Maintenance and Support of Spinsters, Widows, and Abandoned Women and their Unfortunate Children, which she founded with her friends Caro and Pen. But Caro and Pen have both married, leaving workaholic Jo to run the home alone. Against Jo's protestations, Livy, a resident of the home who enjoys playing matchmaker, arranges for Jo to attend a house part held by Pen and her husband, hoping that Jo will fall under the spell of fellow attendee Edward Russell, the Duke of Grainger and the home's benefactor, with whom Jo has been enjoying a correspondence for some time. The attraction between Jo and Edward is quick and intense, and only enhanced by Jo's kindness toward Edward's son, Thomas. But when Edward expresses his desire to marry Jo, she remains uncertain if she's willing to risk losing her independence to marriage yet again. Though the emotional attachment that forms between Jo and Edward feels a bit rushed, their romance is sensuous and enhanced by witty dialogue. Readers will appreciate the strong heroine and affable hero. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Oct.)