A Duke in Shining Armor (Difficult Dukes Series #1)

by Loretta Chase

Overview

Not all dukes are created equal. Most are upstanding members of Society. And then there’s the trio known as Their Dis-Graces.

Hugh Philemon Ancaster, seventh Duke of Ripley, will never win prizes for virtue. But even he draws the line at running off with his best friend’s bride. All he’s trying to do is recapture the slightly inebriated Lady Olympia Hightower and return her to her intended bridegroom.

For reasons that elude her, bookish, bespectacled Olympia is supposed to marry a gorgeous rake of a duke. The ton is flabbergasted. Her family’s ecstatic. And Olympia? She’s climbing out of a window, bent on a getaway. But tall, dark, and exasperating Ripley is hot on her trail, determined to bring her back to his friend. For once, the world-famous hellion is trying to do the honorable thing.

So why does Olympia have to make it so deliciously difficult for him . . . ?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062457387
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/28/2017
Series:	Difficult Dukes Series , #1
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	212,521
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Loretta Chase has worked in academe, retail, and the visual arts, as well as on the streets—as a meter maid—and in video, as a scriptwriter. She might have developed an excitingly checkered career had her spouse not nagged her into writing fiction. Her bestselling historical romances, set in the Regency and Romantic eras of the early nineteenth century, have won a number of awards, including the Romance Writers of America’s RITA®. For more about her past, her books, and what she does and doesn’t do on social media, please visit her at LorettaChase.com.

Editorial Reviews

…a merry romp…Chase's consistent gift is to gently puncture all the genre's conventions but one: the one that makes you care about her Regency hero and heroine and their happy ever after.

The New York Times Book Review - Mary Jo Murphy

★ 09/18/2017
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. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 12/01/2017
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.]

Library Journal

2017-09-19
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.

Kirkus Reviews

Overflowing with Chase’s signature wit and laugh-out-loud humor, this series starter will definitely win readers’ attention. It’s not just the lyrical prose, wonderful dialogue, appealing characters, or the sensuality, but also the depth of emotions Chase infuses into her runaway bride scenario that has readers sighing with pleasure.

RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars

Chase’s consistent gift is to gently puncture all the genre’s conventions but one: the one that makes you care about her Regency hero and heroine and their happy ever after.

New York Times Book Review

When it comes to writing unforgettable, superbly crafted historical romances, RITA Award–winning Chase is the crème de la crème, 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.

Booklist (starred review)

I should have been able to read A Duke in Shining Armor in a day. Instead, it took me a week. And do you know why? Because I purposely kept putting it down once I realized that eventually I would RUN OUT OF BOOK. How DARE this book be over?

Smart Bitches

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