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:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 2714
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: 1st
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
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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 10 more reviews...
Thoroughly Entertaining July 19, 2008
Phoebe Millbury and her two cousins, Deidre and Sophie were in contention for a fabulous inheritance, from their deceased grandfather Hamish Pickering - only if one of them were the first to snag a duke as a husband. After a scandalous incident in her earlier years, Phoebe was as anxious as the others but secretly desired to please her cold and distant father, "the vicar". However, in trying to project herself as an innocent debutante, Phoebe was tempted beyond measure by the devilishly charming and oh, so handsome rake Rafe Marbrook. With one look Rafe set fire to Phoebe's imagination, before they even touched at the first ball she attended.
The very next morning her Aunt informed her that she had received a proposal of marriage from a Marbrook, the Marquess who would soon be a Duke. As her aunt repeated the long titled gentleman's name, the only name registering in Phoebe's confused mind was that of Marbrook and her acceptance was immediate. However, what she soon discovered was that she had just agreed to become the bride of Rafe Marbrook's older legitimate brother Calder.
*** First of all, after reading other reviews I don't think the people who say Phoebe's acceptance of a mistaken proposal was as ludicrous as it sounds without examining Phoebe's motivation. Why didn't she just admit the mistaken identity? As the author pointed out, for the most part, Phoebe had lived her life without love and warmth from her father "the Vicar". She had made a disastrous mistake as a young teenager and this was the first time she had gained her fathers admiration, why he'd even smiled at her. The `vicar' had actually told her she'd made him proud! No matter that her heart was breaking, Phoebe simply could not deny her father's happiness and his long sought after approval.
Rafe could not believe that his half-brother had gone ahead and snapped Phoebe up before he'd had a chance to even pay her a morning call. Rafe knew his half brother Calder to be an efficient, cold, methodical and immovable man, but other than pointing Phoebe out from across a ballroom, Calder had not even spoken to her. And so, once more Calder had gotten the prize leaving Rafe standing empty at the gate. The author laid the groundwork with Rafe's emotional feelings of inadequacy and losing to his brother once more.
The author used Phoebe's self deprecating humorous dialogs to herself as well as entertaining antics throughout the story that often proved to be to be uproariously funny. Into this fun filled melange of supporting characters the readers get glimpses of the other two cousins, Deidre - a concoction of beautiful sophistication; and Sophie, tall, plain, slender and studious whose personalities are hinted at and can only invite the readers to look forward to their stories. There is also a sliver of what I suspect is an interesting little side romance going on with the stately butler.
Bottom line: Celeste Bradley delivers a funny laugh out loud Regency filled with sensual romantic trysts, engaging characters, warmth, and laughter.
Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com
 Delightful July 11, 2008
I enjoyed the characters and the story line, looking forward to the next two in this series.
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
3 out of 3 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.
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