The Duke Buys a Bride

June 4, 2018
Jordan’s solid third Rogue Files Regency romance (after The Scandal of It All) immediately grabs readers with its historically accurate but startling premise. In small Collie-Ben, Scotland, an unhappily married man who can’t afford divorce might auction or sell his wife to another man who wants her. Alyse, up for auction, expects to be purchased by a childhood friend who promised to marry her—but he fails to show up. Marcus, the Duke of Autenberry, happens to be in town and is disgusted to find a woman up for sale. Fearing for Alyse’s potential fate, he buys her but tells her they are not married; instead, he plans to set her up as the housekeeper of his Scottish estate. However, as they travel to their new home, they find that maintaining professional distance is much more difficult than expected. Readers hoping the original concept will lead to an original plot arc are in for disappointment. However, the likable characters and well-written sensual scenes carry the day. Jordan’s enjoyable novel will keep series fans hooked. Agent: Maura E. Kye-Casella, Don Congdon Assoc.

June 15, 2018
A duke tries to free a poor woman from a bride auction, but they both have trouble letting go.Marcus, the fifth Duke of Autenberry, has just woken up in jail in a small Scottish village after a night of debauchery. Alyse Bell is about to dissolve her marriage of convenience to her late father's friend so they can both marry other people. When Alyse's fiancé stands her up, her current husband uses a legal loophole to auction her off to the highest bidder in the town square. While Marcus watches the auctioneer extol Alyse's virtues in a thick regional dialect--"She can work yer farm, run a 'ouse, and care fer bairns"--he thinks of how best to save the young woman from slavery. And the answer is that he can't. So he buys her himself. Instead of a forced marriage, he offers her a job as housekeeper at Kilmarkie House on the Black Isle. It's nowhere near London, where she wants to go, but at least she'll get to see some dolphins. As the two strangers travel to the estate together, their close proximity puts them in danger of turning their fake marriage into a binding contract--or worse, true love. With a country setting and a hero with rough hands, this Cinderella story really emphasizes the cinders. Luckily, they're hot. Alyse doesn't dream of fancy balls and beautiful gowns; she dreams about having a choice about where she lives and what she does with her life. The author's sly humor softens what could be a grim situation for the purchased bride and turns it into a grand adventure.The down-to-earth duke is the highlight of this muddy, messy, and very romantic road trip through Scotland.

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August 1, 2018

Waking up in a dung-ridden stable after decimating the local taproom in a remote North Country village, all Marcus Weatherton, Duke of Autenberry, wants to do is leave town. Then he sees a young woman being auctioned off by her husband in front of a crude, rowdy crowd, and he does the only thing he can think of to save her--he buys her and finds himself with a wife. But Marcus doesn't want a wife (he doesn't believe the whole thing is legal, anyway), and capable, well-educated Alyse Bell has no interest in being a duchess. Instead, Marcus offers her the position of housekeeper (with a good wage!) at Kilmarkie House on the Black Isle off the Scottish coast, and she accepts, setting the stage for an adventurous journey north. Details on the English custom of wife selling and commentary on Scottish marriage law add fascinating historical appeal in this clever spin on a classic plot. VERDICT A surfeit of humor, a zippy pace, and a cast of well-defined and intriguing protagonists make this a delicious late-summer read. Jordan (Beautiful Lawman) lives in Houston.

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