An American heiress nobody wants; a duke every woman desires; and a murder no one expects.
As a young duke, all Nathaniel wants is to be left alone. So when he meets Charlotte, an outspoken American heiress, he is suspicious of her indifference. Too many women have sought–and failed–to catch him.
However, Charlotte is unimpressed by his title. She has no interest in English dukes. All she … dukes. All she wants is to leave dreary England and travel to the sunny sands of Egypt to see the grand pyramids.
Unfortunately, a debutante seeking to entrap Nathaniel gets murdered, and his reputation as a confirmed misogynist makes him a suspect. On impulse, Charlotte comes to his aid, unaware that her actions place her in danger, too.
Neither Charlotte nor the duke know that a highwayman interested in rich heiresses is following Charlotte, and that another debutante lies dead in Nathaniel’s carriage. And unfortunately, the evidence soon complicates Nathaniel’s efforts to prove his innocence and convince Charlotte that he is worthy of her love.
Some nights just don’t go as planned.
Note to Readers: This book was previously published as “I Bid One American”.
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Enjoyed the banter between characters. Enough twists to keep your interest. Enjoyable read.
A good read for the genre. Not too heavy, but the author still makes you care about the characters, and there is enough of a plot to keep it interesting – you will want to finish this book, rather than lay it aside for another time…
Loved this !!!
Ferric
She was won in a game of cards at White’s because no one wanted the American Heiress. Mr. Archer and his wife Lady Victoria under their wings and made Charlotte feel loved. She lost her parents at a young age and was raised in America which she was from and then sent to England where she was passed around. But love from a Duke is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately two young women died because of someone wanting the Duke. It is a wonderful story.
Great fresh look at the Regency period with an American dreaming of Egypt! It kept me turning to see what they would do next!
Great book liked the characters and story line. It was a good change on the love story. Also a murder mystery which was well thought out. Yes I recommend this book.
I really enjoy this book . Tragic life happily ever after ending !! Mystery and intriguing at times .
I liked this book because it was more realistic than other romances within the category. However, it still held the romance and the intrigue that makes novels like these entertaining and keeping my interest piqued.
The plot was slow moving
In addition to being an entertaining read with well developed characters, there was also depth to the plot. Not just an airy romance. The author had you guessing from beginning to end.
Exceptionally writteb
Heartwarming
this story had me guessing all thru the book and i loved the ending..
Amy Corwin is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This book did not disappoint.
Entertaining, lighthearted. Easy way to pass the time in a story. 🙂
These are great historical romances, well-written and well-thought-out. The characters are vibrant and three-dimensional, and you will have a hard time putting the book down – so to speak! Great characters and an intriguing plot. Who needs more? Highly recommended.
The story reads like a comedy of errors of emotions and situations. How the main characters come to an amicable end is challenge. Add in some murders and back stabbing plots, this is an interesting story
Nathaniel is the very eligible Duke of Peckham and, due to women being quite enthusiastic in their efforts to trap him into marriage, he has garnered a reputation as a woman hater. His uncle, Archer, wins guardianship of an American heiress in a poker game. Said heiress, Charlotte Haywood, has had a hard time adjusting to life in England. She’s also had a hard time keeping guardians; she’s not a simpering miss and her having opinions has gotten her in ‘trouble.’
Nathaniel and Charlotte meet at a soirée for Lady Beatrice. Beatrice is one of the more determined misses striving for Nathaniel’s affection. The ball leaves Charlotte feeling very much the wallflower, since she is no dainty English rose but is rather tall and has red hair. Bored and discouraged, she heads outside and begins to investigate the moths (something she studies). That is when they meet. Charlotte lets her spunk come out and Nathaniel is charmed, particularly because she’s *not* throwing herself at him.
It is at this soirée that the poor Lady Anne is found dead from a blow to the head. She was rumored to be getting a marriage proposal from the Duke and her death makes him a suspect.
Corwin does a good job of creating 3-dimensional characters. Even though Nathaniel is a hothead part of the time, it’s quite understandable since he’s harassed by eligible ladies to the point that they’re hiding in his carriage and wardrobe as well as under his bed. Charlotte is on the insecure side, but it’s understandable after losing her parents and beloved aunt and then having guardians who barely tolerate her and are eager to get rid of her. The Archers are a sweet couple and people you’d want as your guardians. They have a congenial relationship with their nephew, which only helps with the development of the HEA.
The mysteries (because there is more than one crime to figure out) have several red herrings and who committed them isn’t obvious, so readers will appreciate being left guessing until the end as to who committed the crimes. I often can guess the murderer, etc., but not with this tale.
My decision to give this 4 rather than 5 stars comes from frustration over Charlotte’s seemingly dogged determination to believe that Nathaniel’s attention is meaningless and/or villainous. Toward the end, I was slapping my forehead and shaking my hand above my head in frustration because of her obtuseness. This attitude on Charlotte’s part, particularly because she’s not a stupid girl, unduly adds to the delay in the HEA. I’ve read other stories where the heroine suffers from similar insecurities, but Charlotte’s determination to believe that Nathaniel doesn’t care after he’s kissed her more than once just was a little too much.
I wasn’t that much of a fan of the Audible recording. The narrator’s discomfort with the American accent left Charlotte sounding stilted and robotic and there were a couple of other accents that sounded forced. It pulled me out of the story.