In New York Times bestselling author Marie Force’s dazzling historical romance debut, the clock is ticking for a wealthy Duke who must marry by his thirtieth birthday—or lose his title . . . Derek Eagan, the dashing Duke of Westwood, is well aware of his looming deadline. But weary of tiresome debutantes, he seeks a respite at his country home in Essex—and encounters a man digging on his … man digging on his property. Except he’s not a man. He’s a very lovely woman. Who suddenly faints at his feet.
Catherine McCabe’s disdain for the aristocracy has already led her to flee an arranged marriage with a boorish Viscount. The last thing she wants is to be waylaid in a Duke’s home. Yet, she is compelled to stay by the handsome, thoughtful man who introduces himself as the Duke’s estate manager.
Derek realizes two things immediately: he is captivated by her delicate beauty, and to figure out what she was up to, Catherine must not know he is the Duke. But as they fall passionately in love, Derek’s lie spins out of control. Will their bond survive his deception, not to mention the scorned Viscount’s pursuit? Most important, can Catherine fall in love all over again—this time with the Duke?
Praise for Marie Force
“Genuine and heartfelt. . . . Will have you swooning.”
—RT Book Reviews on It’s Only Love, 4.5 stars
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I truly enjoyed the characters and the original, unique plot. Very steamy, and some super interesting secondary characters as well. I hope they get stories of their own!
Ahhh the FIRST EVER historical romance from Marie Force!
Marie Force just released a new book in one of my favorite genres! Duchess by Deception is a brand new historical romance!
Check this out: Duchess by Deception is the story of Derek Eagan, a duke who must marry by his 30th birthday and is running out of time to find a wife when he encounters Catherine McCabe on the run from a boorish aristocrat. The last thing she wants is another man with a title. Derek lies to Catherine about who he really is to protect her from the viscount who will stop at nothing to have her. When Derek’s lies are uncovered, can he get Catherine to fall in love with him all over again—this time as the duke?
If you love historicals, get this book!
Duchess by Deception, Marie Force’s first historical romance, is the story of Derek Eagan, a duke who must marry by his 30th birthday and is running out of time to find a wife when he encounters Catherine McCabe on the run from a boorish aristocrat. The last thing she wants is another man with a title. Derek lies to Catherine about who he really is to protect her from the viscount who will stop at nothing to have her. When Derek’s lies are uncovered, can he get Catherine to fall in love with him all over again—this time as the duke?
Marie Force has made her first foray into historical fiction, and let me tell you, I’m thrilled she did. What a fun, romantic, page-turning story! I loved it!
This is the 70th book by Marie Force,
And a new genre too ~ Historical Romance.
Loved the book, enjoyed the characters.
Very Steamy. Can’t wait for the next book
In the series to read other other characters.
Marie doesn’t disappoint ~ if you’re into historical Romance this is definitely a must read. If you love anything Marie Force, add this to your must read list.
Im a sucker for for historical romance, this is no different with a very beauty and the beast feel!
Force makes a strong case for herself as a well rounded author. Duchess by Deception takes the best parts of contemporary romance and travels back in time to create a captivating tale of love lost, secrets found and new beginnings revealed. Derek and Catherine meet by chance in a time where women are nothing more than window dressing. Knowing she’s destined for more, Catherine sets out to pave her own way in the world. Derek is the dream she never hoped to find. An interesting first meeting paves the way for a romance unlike any other. Can there love affair survive the secrets that they keep? Force brings a fresh voice to a timeless genre.
I jumped at the chance to read an ARC by Marie Force (thank you to Netgalley). I’ve seen the author’s name a lot on line, but had not read her before. I didn’t know till I had finished it that it was her first historical romance. What a treat!
Her characters are wonderful…Catherine is full of spunk and determination and Derek is strong but willing to bend in order to win Catherine’s trust and love. I really thought that it would just be another marriage of convenience in order for Derek to keep his title, but this took a different turn. It took a turn I really enjoyed. It was reversed into a marriage of convenience for Catherine, but with immediate attraction thrown in.
The entire story flowed gently and kept me interested and turning the pages. Ms. Force did a fantastic job in transitioning to historical. I’m looking forward to more!
I’m a sucker for a good historical and Marie Force brings on all the feels in her debut historical, Duchess by Deception.
I’m so excited that Marie has jumped into historical! Love her writing!
A brand new historical romance from the amazing Marie Force! It’s about a duke who has to marry before his birthday. A woman who does NOT need another entitled man in her life. So he lies to her about who he really is. Drama ensue. Don’t miss this book!
This review is for the Advanced Review Copy. It seems the finished version might be slightly different, regarding the duke’s title.
Suspension of disbelief required
I will most probably be accused of being mean-spirited or petty, but the moment I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. The blurb says that the duke will lose his title if he is not married before his thirtieth birthday. The thing is, this is impossible: a dukedom is a matter of birthright and no cockamamie scheme can deprive the rightful heir of his title. No one chooses who will bear the title or not, not in the past, not today. The only reason a duke might lose his title is if he dies or is accused and condemned of treason, then the next in line inherits. Case closed. It is akin to someone writing a novel set in 2019 where Barack Obama had been re-elected for a third term; if the law has not been changed, it cannot happen. I was hoping that it had been a mistake in the blurb, but unfortunately, it isn’t. The whole foundation of the story is built on quicksand. I find it disconcerting that, for an author of Marie Force’s stature, apparently no one cared enough to ensure that her novel was not based on a fallacy, when it would have taken only a few minutes of googling to fact-check first. The worst is that the story could have easily been written otherwise without fabricating this preposterous premise. The fact that Catherine was found by Derek – the duke – was entirely sufficient to make the romance happen.
The writing is good, the pace is steady, and I was pleasantly surprised that I did not fine one single typo, although the book is riddled with inconsistencies of all sorts. The romance is fine although it happens much too quickly: there is instalust and instalove, which did not feel particularly realistic for 1902. However, it was easier to digest than the rake whose miraculous metamorphosis into a perfect gentleman happens literally within 5 minutes, which is the basis for a second – it was rushed but it was a clever plot twist, and because of that, again, the preposterous clause in the will could have been dispensed with. However, I was astonished that when Catherine learns that Derek has lied about being the estate manager, she does not give in to histrionics, and that the misunderstanding did not last for ages. This was handled much better than it usually is, even when it happens a second time. Because, of course, the first time Derek had forgotten to tell Catherine about the ludicrous “clause in the will”. The reason for Catherine’s presence on Derek’s estate – her quest – turned out to be entirely anticlimactic, which I thought was a shame because it could have been more fully exploited instead of the absurd premise of the will.
Catherine is a more interesting character than Derek, but my favourite was by far Simon – Derek’s cousin and friend. There are also several sex scenes, for the most part rather uninspired. DUCHESS BY DECEPTION is the first book in the Gilded series, which sounds more like a saga than the type of series we usually see, if I judge by the last pages.
I am a historical romance fan–its my preference for reading and I absolutely loved DUCHESS BY DECEPTION. So wonderful, so satisfying. I have always enjoyed Marie Force’s contemporaries but this just blew me away!
Duchess by Deception by Marie Force is book One in the Gilded Series. This is the story of Catherine McCabe and Derek Egan. Catherine was being forced to marry a Titled man who had even tried to force himself on her…so she went on the run. Derek is a Titled Duke since his parents death when he was little, not though he has a deadline to be married by 30 or loose that Title to his evil Uncle. Derek is 29 and has not found a women to catch his eye or his interest so he lives town to get some peace…but what he finds is Catherine. Derek doesn’t tell her who he is but does give her a fake…what will happen when the truth comes out? Loved Ms. Force’s writing so this was a must have book for me.
I was lucky enough to win an advance copy. I enjoy historical romances and found Duchess by Deception a breath of fresh air. Marie brought Catherine and Derek to life for me from the very beginning. When they were happy, you couldn’t help but be happy too. When they were in anguish, so were you. While I have read other historical romances with a similar premise, Marie took the execution of this premise to a new level. Marie had me rooting for Derek to “fess up” to his deception and Catherine to forgive him for not being honest from the beginning because they are so great together. If you like Marie, give this a try. If you enjoy historical romance, give this a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
As historical romances go have to say this was more than just historical. There was tons of sizzling scenes between these two very easy to see they are compatible in every way. The thing I liked the most is that Marie Force didn’t make Derek seem stodgy, arrogant or like other aristocrats blah. He seemed genuine and the love he has for his Catherine was beautiful in a way that Marie Force made it seem so real. Not only was it just Derek and Catherine but Simon and Madeline was hot as well. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
I love a good historical romance and I’m so thrilled that Marie Force has jumped into something new and different! I can’t wait to fall in love with the duke!
I have loved each and every Marie Force novel, and I have read all of them. Since Marie had not written a historical romance novel before I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I was totally captivated by the story of Derek, a duke, and Catherine. It had all of those elements that love in a novel- romance, humor, and suspense. Duchess by Deception now falls into the category of my most loved books that I will reread. As I read I was reminded of some of my favorite historical romance novels from Julie Garwood, Lisa Kleypas, and Julia Quinn because there is humor, suspense as well as romance. I was reading it quickly and forced myself to slow down because I knew that I would be sad when I finished the book. Whether or not you are a fan of historical romance novels , I highly recommend Duchess by Deception.
Another great novel by Marie Force. Derek and Catherine meet in an unexpected manner and fall in love. Though there are a few twists along the way. True love wins in the end.