Desperately Seeking A Duke (Heiress Brides) | 
| Author: Celeste Bradley
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 2116
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: First Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.6
ISBN: 031293968X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780312939687
ASIN: 031293968X
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The only way for vicar’s daughter Phoebe Millbury to inherit a family fortune is to find herself a duke—just as her late grandfather demanded in his will. But Phoebe, who’s still trying to make good after a romantic scandal, also has her two cousins to contend with. They’re all competing for the same money, maybe even the same men. ..until Phoebe meets her match in the terribly handsome and charming Rafe Marbrook.
When she receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, Phoebe is thrilled to learn that Rafe is headed for dukedom…and accepts his offer. There’s only one problem: It’s from Rafe’s older, less captivating brother, Calder. Now Phoebe finds herself on the verge of yet another scandal as she faces a desperate choice: Marry Calder for his money—or follow her own heart? Each way can only lead to trouble…
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Desperately Seeking a Duke July 3, 2008
Vicar's daughter Phoebe Millbury has a chance to inherit a fortune. There is one catch, Phoebe must be the first of her cousins to marry a duke. Not only must Phoebe compete with her cousins to marry a duke, Phoebe has a romantic scandal in her past. Then Phoebe meets Rafe Marbrook.
When Phoebe receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, she happily accepts. Not only is Phoebe madly attracted to Rafe, as Marquis, he is next in line to the dukedom. Then Phoebe learns that the Marquis of Brookhaven isn't Rafe but his older brother.
I love historical romance and I love Celeste Bradley. The heroes make my eyes cross and the heroines make me long to walk a day in their slippers!
Desperately Seeking a Duke fulfills all my wants for a delicious reading experience. Sumptuous romance, clever dialogue and a battle for riches make Desperately Seeking a Duke a delight!
Annmarie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
 I liked this one least in the series June 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The hero and heroine fall in love at first site, and then have to face obstacles to being together before they finally get their HEA.
I think it is very hard to pull off a love at first site book, because falling in love is one of the best parts of a romance for me. If the hero and heroine are already there at the end of chapter one then a lot of that magic can be lost.
One of the problems for me with this book is that inital meeting and falling in love just didn't seem to have the fireworks necessary to make the couple fall in love the way they did.
Second there is no more interaction between the couple til nearly page 100. I like lots of interaction between my leads.
Overall I found this book to be only average.
A light read June 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's an entertaining book, but I didn't like it as much as the other author's series (Liar's Club & Royal Four).
The plot sounds interesting, although not very original: three cousins (vicar's daughter Phoebe, beautiful Deirdre and plain and shy Sophie), are trying to catch a Duke to win their grandfather's money. Other important characters are Lady Tessa, mean step-mother to Deirdre; Calder, the Duke; Rafe, Calder's half-brother and a rake; and the vicar.
The problem is that the story is not very well developed and neither very convincing.
Phoebe and Rafe meet one night in a ball and supposedly they fall in love. Although I "believe" in some way in love at first sight, it doesn't seem convincing in this book.
From that point, the book follows a very basic outline:
Step 1 (done): main characters met and fall in love. No matter that we're in the first 2-3 chapters.
Step 2: Big Misunderstanding (or Mistake in this case) --with lots of problems associated-- to complicate the couple's road to love (I almost sounded poetic, lol), in the next chapter (5 or so). What happens? Calder proposes to Phoebe, and she agrees, thinking it comes from Rafe. She doesn't cry off because she doesn't want to disappoint her father after running off with her dancing master ten years ago.
Step 3: to solve the problems caused by the BM, with an angry and hurt Rafe, a very indecisive Phoebe, and Calder, which I disliked a lot.
Step 4: problems solved and happily ever after.
And intertwined, we have a romance between Calder's butler and an Irish maid.
Where's the love story, the romance? Difficult answer. Phoebe and Rafe, although they made a good couple, spent most of the story separated (but very much in love, yeees), so the love story it's not believable.
As this is a romance novel, the lack of "falling in love" is frustrating, but well, the book is entertaining enough and a light read. That's the reason for the 3 stars, although perhaps 2 would have been better.
Not bound for the "Keeper Shelf" June 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was entertaining enough, but it wasn't that great. I really disliked the use of modern lingo - it was jarring to hear Rafe talk about rockets.
Also, once the heroine realized the big mistake she made, she really ought to have corrected it immediately. It really didn't speak highly of her character.
Don't think I'll complete the series.
 Just okay May 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had high hopes for this book, but it was tough for me to get through. I just found the male to be boring and the storyline was really flat for me. I had bought the second in the series before reading this book, and I just can't bring myself to read it because I was so let down by the first.
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