A Duke in Shining Armor

Starred review from September 18, 2017
Longtime romance author Chase’s first Difficult Dukes historical sparkles with wit. The unconventional 1833-set historical romance between Lady Olympia Hightower and Hugh Philemon Ancaster, Duke of Ripley, begins when Olympia leaves the Duke of Ashmont, Ripley’s close friend, at the altar. Ripley impulsively follows her, intending to get her to return and marry Ashmont, but circumstances conspire against his plan. Meanwhile, their marvelous banter and delicious chemistry banish the staid behavior that earned the bespectacled 26-year-old the title of Most Boring Girl for each of her seven London social seasons. As she decides to explore activities and experiences that have always been off-limits to her, Ripley tries to remain honorable. Chase’s spot-on humor and period-authentic writing combine with easy-to-love characters for a superb soufflé-light romance. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary.

October 1, 2017
When a duke and his would-be bride both get drunk--separately--before their wedding, the best man sets off to retrieve the bride, who's climbed out a window. A series of fateful events complicates the quest and convinces the wedding refugees they're meant for each other.After bookish spinster Lady Olympia Hightower saves the Duke of Ashmont's life, he winds up offering for her, a windfall for her impoverished but aristocratic family. However, on the day of the wedding she overimbibes on brandy and gets cold feet. "I thought I was ready to make the sacrifice--though I know most people would say it's preposterous to refer to becoming a duchess as a sacrifice," she says. Olympia's flight sends best man the Duke of Ripley in pursuit, since Ashmont is too drunk to chase his bolting bride. At first Ripley simply wants to get her back without ruining her reputation, but things get confusing when he winds up aiding and abetting her escape, without understanding why. Then, after she's stood up to bullies, re-energized his grieving aunt, and shared a few breathtaking kisses with him, they realize they belong together. Unfortunately, since society frowns on bride-stealing, Ripley has to figure out how to marry the girl, assuage the ton, and save his cherished friendship. Author Chase is a grande dame of historical romance, and her latest displays the clever plotting and brilliant dialogue for which she's known but is marred slightly by the main characters' lurching indecision. Launching a new series revolving around three notorious libertines known as "Their Dis-Graces" is a perfect playground for this stellar writer whose spirited heroines tame rakes as well as anyone in the business.Chase brings a fun blend of quirkiness and wit to a sexy love story that's both charmingly romantic and laugh-out-loud funny.

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Starred review from November 1, 2017
In theory, giving a jittery bride-to-be a cup of tea laced with brandy to steady her nerves seemed like a good idea. In reality, Olympia Hightower, soon to be the new Duchess of Ashmont, had quickly moved on from sipping her tea to taking a few nips from the flask of brandy she borrowed from her brother. By the time Hugh Ancaster, the Duke of Ripley and Ashmont's best friend, arrived on the scene to see what was taking the bride so long to appear, Olympia was attempting to escape through the closest window. Hugh did promise Ashmont that he would do whatever it took to see to it that his friend's wedding ceremony went through as planned, but Hugh never imagined that it would entail trying to catch a runaway bride! When it comes to writing unforgettable, superbly crafted historical romances, RITA Award-winning Chase is the creme de la creme, and A Duke in Shining Armor, which launches her new Disgraceful Dukes series, is another exquisitely sensual, perfectly calibrated masterpiece of frothy wit and flawless characterization.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

Starred review from December 1, 2017

Smart, well-read Lady Olympia Hightower has no idea why the scapegrace Duke of Ashmont proposed to her, but she knows that she only accepted for the financial good of her family (and their library, of course). Now, minutes before the wedding, she's having second thoughts. Fortified with a bit too much brandy, she flees into the rain, only to be seen and tracked down by the Duke of Ripley, one of Ashmont's best friends and another of the three notorious Dis-Graces. All Ripley wants to do is bring her back to her intended, but the more time they spend together, the less sure he is of his own intentions. A canny bluestocking virgin and an honorable rakehell duke lead fans on a rollicking escapade in a delectable story that overflows with Chase's signature lively wordplay, hilarity, and simmering sexual tension. VERDICT Another riveting read from the unparalleled Chase (Dukes Prefer Blondes); she lives in Worcester, MA. [Previewed in Joyce Sparrow's "Love Is All Around," LJ 10/15/17; see also "Editors' Fall Picks," LJ 9/1/17, p. 34.]

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