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The Dukes and Desires Series
''A romance writer who deftly blends humor and adventure…[sustaining] her devoted audience to the last gasp.'' – Booklist
Lovely Alice Lacey was truly incomparable, and her marriage to the Duke of Ferrant was the event of the season. Almost no one realized, however, that Alice was secretly in love with someone else - or that she had confided her feelings to a clever talking mynah bird who announces these intimacies at the moment of the couple's wedding.
Now the gossip mongers are relentless. Alice's marriage started out, and has remained, cold and impersonal, and her new husband is already rumored to be taken with another woman.
Before she even realizes what is happening, Alice finds herself in a world of opposites: The man she thought she loved is something other than he seems; and the man she married, something far more than she hoped. Her last hope and redemption has to be convincing the man she wedded that they are in love.
This seven-book boxset introduces you to an array of sense and sensibility characters in truly diverting tales that are the perfect escape.
The Dukes and Desires Series includes: The Desirable Duchess, Her Grace’s Passion, Pretty Polly, The Sins of Lady Dacey, My Dear Duchess, Lady Lucy's Lover, and The Scandalous Marriage.
Lovely Alice Lacey was truly incomparable, and her marriage to the Duke of Ferrant was the event of the season. Almost no one realized, however, that Alice was secretly in love with someone else - or that she had confided her feelings to a clever talking mynah bird who announces these intimacies at the moment of the couple's wedding.
Now the gossip mongers are relentless. Alice's marriage started out, and has remained, cold and impersonal, and her new husband is already rumored to be taken with another woman.
Before she even realizes what is happening, Alice finds herself in a world of opposites: The man she thought she loved is something other than he seems; and the man she married, something far more than she hoped. Her last hope and redemption has to be convincing the man she wedded that they are in love.
This seven-book boxset introduces you to an array of sense and sensibility characters in truly diverting tales that are the perfect escape.
The Dukes and Desires Series includes: The Desirable Duchess, Her Grace’s Passion, Pretty Polly, The Sins of Lady Dacey, My Dear Duchess, Lady Lucy's Lover, and The Scandalous Marriage.
Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2020
154 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Beaton
342 books6,027 followersLike her on Facebook!
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
Learn more on her website!
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, Sarah Chester.
Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.
Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 28, 2022
You have seen this format before, so this is not a spoiler. Seven short stories with the same format in each one. Young woman meets a Duke. They have an adversarial relationship. At the last minute they realize that they really love each other. It's the middle part in each story that was a downer for me. I really like M.C. Beaton and Hamish. This is more like she writes under Marion Chesney, but with more angst.
February 21, 2021
A Joyful Romp!
Charming and witty with lovely heroines, silly society and magnificent settings. Unputdownable escape into romance. She is my favorite author and I am never disappointed.
Charming and witty with lovely heroines, silly society and magnificent settings. Unputdownable escape into romance. She is my favorite author and I am never disappointed.
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October 30, 2022Charming and fun
All the books in this series are positively delightful and absolutely unique. Each book is cleverly plotted, with lovely characters and wonderful authentic historical settings. As you would expect, every story is filled with romance and definitely some adventure. I recommend these fun novels to all.
All the books in this series are positively delightful and absolutely unique. Each book is cleverly plotted, with lovely characters and wonderful authentic historical settings. As you would expect, every story is filled with romance and definitely some adventure. I recommend these fun novels to all.
June 19, 2020
I had a hard time with this
I didn’t finish it. I couldn’t even finish the first book in this set. The characters were very one dimensional, and the story line was lackluster. There was a lot left to be desired.
I didn’t finish it. I couldn’t even finish the first book in this set. The characters were very one dimensional, and the story line was lackluster. There was a lot left to be desired.
December 6, 2022
Regency romances collection by one of the leading ladies of the genre. Silly girls, arrogant men and British society conventions make for comedies of errors and social commentary. These are light and mostly enjoyable reading.
July 26, 2020
An excellent collection of stories, full of romance, intrigue and interesting insights into the human condition.
August 28, 2020
Delightful Romances
This volume is a great buy with 7 novels all entertaining and fun to read. They combine lots of romance with a bit of mystery too.
This volume is a great buy with 7 novels all entertaining and fun to read. They combine lots of romance with a bit of mystery too.
January 5, 2021
Great books, all of them.
I’m so glad I bought these books. Just realized the author, after reading all the books. Should have known. Loved them all.
I’m so glad I bought these books. Just realized the author, after reading all the books. Should have known. Loved them all.
Read
October 3, 2021One ofthbest
All of these stories were terrific. This (these) author has always held me reading her books since I can remember.
All of these stories were terrific. This (these) author has always held me reading her books since I can remember.
April 22, 2023
7 stories, each female silly and ridiculous.
May 2, 2025
Excellent!
All the stories in this book were excellent! They were all different and kept me turning pages until I finished. If you like romance, definitely give this book a try!
All the stories in this book were excellent! They were all different and kept me turning pages until I finished. If you like romance, definitely give this book a try!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews