My One and Only Duke/ Grace Burrowes/ 346 pgs

In some ways, this book is your typical marriage of convenience historical romance. However, trust Burrowes to make it different in her own way. Our hero, Quinn, is a wealthy banker who made his way up from poverty and an abusive father. Unfortunately, he's made an enemy who has framed him and he's now in prison awaiting execution by hanging. By chance he meets Jane, the pregnant daughter of a supposedly do-gooder man of the cloth. Quinn marries Jane at the prison, so that she can get away from her father and raise her child decently. The rope is around Quinn's neck when we get the twist. Turns out he's the long-lost heir to a dukedom. He's saved from the noose and now he and Jane are stuck married to each other. As usual, the author's style is one of subtle sentimentality and decent people (at least the main characters) stuck in tough situations. Though the circumstances might stretch credulity, Burrowes has a way of making sure every question is answered satisfactorily.

Counting on a Countess/ Eva Leigh/ 370 pgs

This was my first time reading a book by Leigh who also writes as Zoe Archer. The story was serviceable but I was rather indifferent to both main characters so it wasn't a favorite. Kit, an earl and a former soldier, finds out he is to inherit a goodly sum of money from an old friend/mentor--but only if he marries. So he sets out to find a bride. Tamsyn is in London from Cornwall. She's a lady but she's also running a smuggling operation out of her village. She needs money to buy back her family's home from an awful relative. She and Kit agree to marry to get the money but neither tells the other that they have plans for the money. After the marriage, the will is read and it turns out that once married, Tamsyn is put in charge of the money. This does not sit well with Kit. As I said, there was nothing wrong with the story or writing, this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Someone to Wed/ Mary Balogh/ 383 pgs

I have read a couple of Balogh's books from a different series but was intrigued by the premise of and praise for this one. Wren has a birthmark covering a significant portion of one side of her face and, after a tragic childhood, retreats to the peace and quiet of her aunt and uncle's estate to become a recluse. When her two beloved supporters pass away at nearly the same time, Wren finds herself the heiress to a large fortune. She's also thirty years old and lonely. She decides to make a list of eligible men in the surrounding area and interview them to see if she'd like to propose they marry her in return for her money as she wants a husband and children. Enter Alex, the Earl of Riverdale, newly inherited and in desperate need of money. The two don't marry right away. This is a slow romance, with much of the focus on Wren taking a chance and moving into the light of society while being supported by Alex and his family. His family--they wouldn't stop coming out of the woodwork. Many of these characters probably appeared in other Balogh novels but they overwhelmed this one. I wish there would have been more time spent on the two main characters.

The Duke's Disaster/ Grace Burrowes / 439 pgs

Grace Burrowes has a lot of historical romance titles to her name but I've never read her books. I had one of her paperbacks lying around so I picked it up and started reading. About a half later I put it down, went to the library's OverDrive site and dowloaded the ebook to my Kindle:-)

Noah is the duke in question and he's not much for small talk and socializing so he decides to cut to the chase and ask Lady Thea, a down-on-her-luck earl's daughter turned companion to marry him. Thea agrees because she doesn't think she has any other prospects and Noah has agreed to provide a decent dowry and come-out for her younger sister. The marriage takes place straight away and off we go. Thea has a secret that she only tells Noah in dribs and drabs so things are rocky almost from the start. These two have problems communicating about the big things and that was frustrating. And yet, I found there everyday interactions adorable and enjoyed the rapport between them. Burrowes has a distinctive cadence to her writing, especially dialogue. It's at once refreshing and wearing, especially over the course of the book. Still, I enjoyed the story and just might give another of her books a try.