Polite Society doesn’t take Lady Anne Adamson seriously. However, Anne isn’t just another pretty young miss. When she discovers her father betrayed her mother’s love and her family descended into poverty, Anne comes up with a plan to marry a respectable, powerful, and honorable gentleman— a man nothing like her philandering father.
Armed with the heart of a duke pendant, fabled to land the … land the wearer a duke’s heart, she decides to enlist the aid of the notorious Harry, 6th Earl of Stanhope. A scoundrel with a scandalous past, he is the last gentleman she’d ever wed…however, his reputation marks him the perfect man to school her in the art of seduction so she might ensnare the illustrious Duke of Crawford.
Harry, the Earl of Stanhope is a jaded, cynical rogue who lives for his own pleasures. Having been thrown over by the only woman he ever loved so she could wed a duke, he’s not at all surprised when Lady Anne approaches him with her scheme to capture another duke’s affection. He’s come to appreciate that all women are in fact greedy, title-grasping, self-indulgent creatures. And with Anne’s history of grating on his every last nerve, she is the last woman he’d ever agree to school in the art of seduction. Only his friendship with the lady’s sister compels him to help.
What begins as a pretend courtship, born of lessons on seduction, becomes something more, leaving Anne to decide if she can give her heart to a reckless rogue, and Harry must decide if he’s willing to again trust in a lady’s love.
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I loved this book so much! Christi Caldwell has written a funny, romantic story with such likable characters. I will not tell you everything that happened in the book as it has been done in many prior reviews that you can read. Lady Anne Arlette Adamson, age 20, is our smart, spirited heroine & wants to marry (in this her 3rd Season)but not just anyone – she wants a Duke.. The Duke of Crawford is in the market for a wife & he is wealthy, staid & would suit her. However, the Duke never pays her any attention – she needs help; therefore, she asks Harry Falston, the 6th Earl of Stanhope, age 30, for his expertise. He is well known throughout the Ton as an absolute rogue & Anne asks Harry to teach her how to seduce the Duke in order to gain his proposal. The fun, laughs, tears & romance begin& what a romp it is – can Anne & Harry fight their feelings? Will Harry give up his wild ways & will the Duke offer for Anne? This is a fun one & I highly recommend this book & the series.
Society thinks Lady Anne Adamson, beautiful, vain and empty-headed. Her twin, Katherine, Duchess of Bainbridge, knows otherwise. But Anne is the twin with more “plans” that go awry and into trouble!! When their family is left in poverty by their faithless, gambling father, Anne is determined to never again have her and her siblings belongings ripped away by creditors. Wearing the heart pendant given to her sister by a gypsy to attract the heart of a duke, Anne decides to further her chances by asking the help of Harry Falston, Earl of Stanhope. He is the same rake who befriended her twin Katherine when she was estranged from her husband. At first, Harry believes society’s view of Anne. She asks him to give her lessons to attract the Duke of Crawford, not because of his title, but for the fear of losing everything and leaving the family in dire circumstances as her father. Harry’s heart was broken 8 years before when Margaret rejected his suit to marry an elderly duke. Because of his friendship with her twin, Harry agrees to help Anne. What neither one expected was to see the true person under the hurt and fear of life’s adversities. With each meeting, Anne is the first to realize she has fallen completely in love with Harry, but also enchants her original target, the Duke. Definitely not the empty headed beauty, Anne knows she can never marry him with her heart given to Harry. When she tells Harry, he panics. Added to the drama, Margaret, now a widow, returns to the London Season – and still is interested in Harry. A meeting with Harry during a ball goes wrong, and Anne is ruined. Harry agrees to offer to wed her, but Anne will not accept since she feels his heart is still Margaret’s and a forced marriage will end in bitterness for both. She decides to set him free with a performance allowing him to think her a title-grabbing mercenary. But Harry has realized he never loved Margaret, but cannot live without Anne. Her desire to see him happy backfires, devastating them both. How can love go so wrong? Will fate intercede and bring these two hearts together with truth and faith? Romantic and charming story of the path to life’s greatest blessing – Love!
More Than A Duke is book two in The Heart of a Duke series. Caldwell is a master romance writer and she out does herself in this story. Lady Anne Adamson wants to wed a Duke but feels she needs lessons in seduction. When she scandalously seeks out the help of Harry Falston, the 6th Earl of Stanhope who is a hopeless rake, Anne gets more than she bargained for. “Her breath caught. The moon bathed the lean, towering gentleman in soft light. The earl’s gold locks, loose and unaffected, gave him the carefree look of one who flouted Society’s rules. But then isn’t that what the Earl of Stanhope had earned a reputation for? Which made him perfect. Perfect for what she intended, anyway.” I found this to be a real page turning romance. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series.