My inconvenient duke

Giles Lyon, Duke of Blackwood, knows he is no knight in shining armor. In fact, as one of the "Dis-Graces," Giles, along with his friends the Duke of Ashmont and the Duke of Ripley, are known throughout polite society for their outrageous behavior and outlandish pranks. So, the very least Giles can do for Alice Ancaster, the Duke of Ripley's sister, is to stay as far away from her as possible while Alice navigates the marriage mart in London. However, given Alice's propensity for championing underdogs and righting societal wrongs, it isn't long before Giles needs to dust off his slightly tarnished armor and do what he can to help keep her out of trouble. With the latest dazzling addition to her Difficult Dukes series (A Duke in Shining Armor, Ten Things I Hate about the Duke), readers will again revel in Chase's buoyant yet deliciously sharp sense of wit and her ability to craft radiantly romantic love stories rendered with the meticulous attention to detail she pays to everything, from nuanced characterization to an expertly evoked historical setting.

A duke's sister is drawn to one of her brother's best friends in Chase's page-turning conclusion to the Difficult Dukes Victorian romance series (after Ten Things I Hate About the Duke). Lady Alice Ancaster worries that the reckless behavior of her brother, Hugh, the Duke of Ripley, and his infamous friends the Dukes of Ashmont and Blackwood--who, together, are known as the Dis-Graces--will end in Hugh's untimely death, leaving the dukedom and Alice by extension under the control of her vile cousin, Lord Worbury. To save herself from this fate, she'll need a husband, so she heads to London to enter the marriage market, warning Hugh to stay away lest his reputation hurt her chances. Hugh's friend Blackwood, who has long been attracted to Alice, is also in the city, however, and he steps in to take Alice's side during a public argument between her and Lord Worbury. Alice is determined to avoid further interaction--until Hugh goes missing and she and Blackwood must team up to track him down. Passion ignites, but can Alice trust that Blackwood is really ready to settle down? Chase's leads are captivating; readers will cheer for strong-willed Alice, especially in a subplot about her quest to help London's orphans, and swoon over reformed rake Blackwood. This is a worthy finale. (Jan.)

In a neat twist, Chase fits this continuation of the LJ-starred "Difficult Dukes" series in and around A Duke in Shining Armor and Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. The story of Lady Alice Ancaster and the Duke of Blackwood begins before the events of those two books take place, filling the space when Alice's future was in jeopardy--because if her wastrel brother Ripley won't shape up, their beastly cousin will inherit when Ripley inevitably dies in some accident, duel, or wager. To protect her future, Alice goes on the marriage market and is about to promise herself to a lovely middle-aged man when Blackwood finally wakes up and sees that Alice really needs to spend her life with him. Chase, lauded for her deftness with dialogue, smart plots, and emotional resonance, expects readers to pay attention and rewards them with subtle, clever, and swoony storytelling. VERDICT Showcasing what she does best, Chase pens another winner. Series fans will be delighted, and new readers can jump into the story here.--Neal Wyatt