Pink outfits, red hair, and a London season!

Give the Devil His Duke (Drop Dead Dukes #1) by Anna Bradley     

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Lady Francesca Stanhope has come to London to save her mother. Her mother had been embroiled a scandal years before. Consequently Franny’s father had been killed in a duel. Her father’s viscous brother, her uncle, Lord Edward Stanhope became the Earl, and had promptly thrown them out of the family home, giving them no assistance, and they’d had to make their way in a damp, cramped, country cottage.

Her mother’s health is failing and Franny consents to a season with the kindly Lady Crump who lives a step away from her uncle. Franny sees this as an opportunity to throw herself on her uncle’s mercy and ask for assistance for her mother. BTW Lady Crump has a wardrobe of pink ball dresses recently made but never worn because her niece Dorothea married and not had her London season. So the dresses will be used by Francesca. Francesca of the red hair will endure the pink dresses if it gives her a chance to approach her uncle.

Of course nothing goes to plan, including a run in with the deplorable yet blindingly handsome Giles,  Duke of Basingstoke, whose father was the engineer of all the Stanhope family woes. Oh, and who it seems is becoming engaged to Fanny’s cousin Susannah.

Then there’s interesting factor of Giles discovering a Peeping Thom, sorry Peeping Thomasina in his garden. Mmm!

A rapidly moving and lively story with wit, rancour and romance.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.