A Duke by Scot (The MacGalloways #1)

Amy
Jarecki
Genre: 
Historical

Lady Julia St. Vincent is out of options. Her father accumulated so much debt with a horrible moneylender and now he is sick. She has to come up with a way to pay the lender and the care her father requires. She decides to become Mr. Jules Smallwood, a steward to the new Duke of Dunscaby. If only the Duke, whose name is Martin, were an old man, not the handsome man who is capable of stealing her heart. Thankfully, the Duke doesn’t suspect a thing! But things get tricky when she is required to show up at a ball as Lady Julia, and the Duke can’t take his eyes off of her. Is it possible to be courted by the Duke and work for him? Unfortunately, she has no choice.

This book is clever and heartwarming, with wonderful Cinderella vibes! Readers can’t help but immediately love Lady Julia. She is smart and beautiful, but is not afraid of hard work and will do anything for her family. Martin is a rake but not quite the egotistical sort. Their chemistry is off the charts–even when Lady Julia is Jules. Julia has a few close-calls when readers will be sure she will be discovered, but it usually results in awkward and laugh-out-loud encounters. Lightheartedness aside, this book is especially tender. It shows the plight of women when society is run by men and how easily they can lose all security at no fault of their own. The main characters are not the only stars, the supporting characters are just as delightful and readers will look forward to seeing them in future books!

Amanda Hupe