One Duke Down: A Rogues to Lovers Novel

Anna Bennett

Jan 2023 · Rogues To Lovers Book 2 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

The next delightful novel in Anna Bennett's Rogues to Lovers series!

"Tantalizing...readers will be swept away." - Publishers Weekly

A FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER
Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family’s fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father has fallen ill, and her foolhardy brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to read or pursue her own dreams. But she’ll do anything for her family, so she cheerfully spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. The very last thing Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in them is a dangerously attractive man. Especially one with a head wound—who’s convinced he’s a duke.

AND A DUKE OUT OF WATER
Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, but he’s having the devil of a time convincing his fiery-haired rescuer of that fact. The truth is he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Unfortunately, someone in Bellehaven wants to kill him—and he intends to find out who. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead. She wants no part of the scheme but can’t refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange for food and shelter while he recovers. It’s a mutually beneficial business arrangement...nothing more.

ARE ABOUT TO MAKE WAVES
Under Poppy’s care, Keane regains his strength—and a sense of purpose. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, he’s dazzled by her rapier wit and adventurous spirit; she’s intrigued by his mysterious air and protective streak. Though Poppy’s past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble in the storm of their passion. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane’s attempted murder, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie. Torn between the world she’s always known and the one she’s always dreamed of, she’ll need true love for a shot at her fairytale ending.

Ratings and reviews

I loved this historical "beach" romance! Poppy rescues a man who washed up on her beach, but she doesn't want to believe his claims that he's a duke, let alone one in danger. Her mother left the aristocracy behind to marry her fisherman father, and those now-distant relatives proved that nobility doesn't automatically mean noble or virtuous. Keane doesn't know much about his attack, but he knows he's still in danger until he finds out who tried to kill him. He's content to hide out on Poppy's beach as he heals and investigates the events of that night. This leads to a couple very exciting trips into London, allowing him to get to know Poppy better, before an unexpected, very surprising yet brilliant twist sheds light on a whole new angle to the mystery. I really enjoyed Poppy's relationship with Keane's valet, Diggs. I love when those in the employ of titled men act more as devoted friends, and Diggs certainly has that relationship with Keane. Poppy's frustration with her here-one-day-gone-the-next brother really showed what she had to deal with in her life, and how limited her choices really were. The gradual revealing of all the secrets in the third act was exquisitely done; even after we knew who the villain was we still weren't sure of where the story was going to go or what the end goal was going to be. Of course we get a splendid HEA at the end, and I loved how all the secondary characters were handled in the wrap-up. I loved this book as much as the earlier one in this series, and I highly recommend both for anyone who loves smart and sexy historical romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

One Duke Down is a fantastic historical romance by Anna Bennett. Ms. Bennett has provided readers with a well-written story populated with an outstanding cast of characters. Poppy has taken over her father's fishing business since he became ill. She finds Keane, the Duke of Hawking, on her beach with a head injury. Poppy and Keane's story is packed with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense. I loved this book and look forward to my next book by Anna Bennett. One Duke Down is book 2 of t

Miss Poppy Summers expects a lot of fish in the sea to get caught in her nets, not a figurative fish who claims to be the Duke of Hawking in One Duke Down by Anna Bennett!! I love Poppy’s cynical, get-off-my-beach vibe, but we also see her kindness during her meet-cute with Andrew Keane. However, she is not kind enough to believe he is a duke. She is busy, she lets him know it, what a boss!

About the author

Anna Bennett is the award-winning author of the Debutante Diaries and Wayward Wallflowers series. Her dream of writing romance began during a semester in London, where she fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. Now Anna's living happily-ever-after in Maryland with her family, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen.