One Night with the Duke

Jodi Ellen Malpas

Aug 2022 · Sold by Forever

About this ebook

A #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers a sexy and scandalous Regency romance about an adventurous woman and the mysterious son of a duke who finds his way into her life—perfect for Bridgerton fans.

Eliza Melrose has always cherished her independence. And when she and her family lived in the countryside, it was easy to slip out for a midnight ride, write articles for her father’s newspaper, and otherwise do as she pleased. But now that they’ve moved to the heart of fashionable London, her every move is scrutinized and judged. Worse yet, her father wants her to wed and take her proper place in society.

But Eliza wants nothing to do with marriage. And when the new Duke of Chester moves into his family’s long-abandoned home across the square, her journalistic instincts immediately kick in. Are the rumors true—did he really kill his family? Is he as rakish as everyone says? The more Eliza finds out, the more she wants to know. Because the duke is a fascinating study of contradictions—reclusive and arrogant, fiercely protective and deeply passionate. But those who dance too close to the fire often get burned. And as the undeniable flame between them ignites, the only question is: Who’s holding the match?

Sexy, scandalous and utterly unputdownable, this is the Regency novel you've been waiting for!

Ratings and reviews

Intriguing plot I loved the subtle commentary on the timely issue of news with integrity vs. paid propaganda, and I appreciated Eliza's inner social justice warrior. I thought the plot was unique and found myself as captivated by the elusive Duke of Chester as the characters were. However, I struggled to like Eliza, finding her quite morose and cynical, and since the entire story is told exclusively in her POV it was difficult to get a balanced read on the rest of the characters. I was frustrated by Eliza's inability to either stand up to or stand by her father; her frustrations with his selfish manipulations seemed at odds with her unfailing determination to win his approval. It was difficult to know what I was rooting for. Johnny's indecision wasn't as easy to read through Eliza's POV, but he made it clear he'd never marry her and even at the end, when we're supposed to believe in their HEA, he doesn't offer marriage. In a contemporary romance this wouldn't be a problem, but in a regency where the main conflict is her father's attempts to marry her to the wrong man this omission leaves the conclusion far too open to interpretation. The writing style wasn't as smooth as I'd like. The author put significant effort into arranging the dialogue to fit what she must believe was appropriate for the day, yet her own use of grammar, especially personal pronouns, falls short of what is even acceptable today. This was my first book by this author, and I'm not sure I'd take a chance on another. There's a lot of promise in the creative premise but the execution could have been better. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Eliza finds herself trapped by family obligation and the structure of London society. I definitely had my love of historical romances rekindled by this book.