How to Forget a Duke

Starred review from March 19, 2018
In this clever, original standalone Regency set in the Whitcrest area of Sussex, the methodic Crispin Montague, fifth Duke of Rydstrom, meets his match in Jacinda Bourne, an impertinent, unapologetic busybody and part owner of the Bourne Matrimonial Agency. Crispin enlists the agency’s service in finding a wealthy bride who will ask little of her husband. An incomplete application and a suspicious letter lead the naturally inquisitive Jacinda to believe Crispin is hiding something; when she’s plagued with a bout of amnesia while trying to uncover his secrets, he feels obligated to take care of her. Jacinda charms everyone from the staff to the villagers to Sybil, Crispin’s mute young sister. Crispin’s need for funds to save his crumbling estate falls victim to his growing desire for the financially strapped Jacinda, whose agency’s only rule is “never to fall in love with the client.” Lorret proves her skills by making Jacinda’s character plain to readers even though she doesn’t always understand herself. Jacinda’s constant mischief and Crispin’s reactions to her behavior add welcome humor to their slow-brewing romance, and their constant bickering is the perfect foreplay. Readers will hope for Lorret to develop a series from here. Agent: Tonya May, Janklow & Nesbit.

Narrator Justine Eyre's smooth voice weaves a tale of forgetfulness and secrets in this historical romance. Jacinda Bourne is one of three matchmaking sisters with a penchant for getting into mischief while investigating her clients. But when she loses her memory and is left in the care of the Duke of Rydstrom, her inquisitive nature will uncover their quickly growing attraction to each other even as unavoidable truths about the Duke's financial situation loom. Eyre delivers a solid performance, skillfully jockeying between Rydstrom's dour manner and Jacinda's curious exuberance. Add in a cast of characters she voices with fun audible quirks along with the atmosphere of a crumbling castle, and listeners will recognize this as a keeper. A.L. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

June 15, 2018

Jacinda Bourne's investigative methods are anything but conventional, but when it comes to ensuring a happy marriage for her family's matrimonial agency clients, she'll stop at nothing--not even haring off to the Duke of Rydstrom's Sussex estate to discover what he, their most prestigious patron, is hiding. Unfortunately, she wakes up on a rock, drenched in seawater, with no memory. The locals who rescue her assume she's the Duke's bride-to-be, setting the stage for a comedy of errors that becomes a romance of dukely proportions. A persistent, unorthodox heroine and a protective hero find love in a story that benefits from a beautifully realized supporting cast and an assortment of charming apropos quotes and references to Jane Austen's Emma. VERDICT With clever wit, heady sexuality, and lush description, Lorret's title puts an enticing spin on the classic amnesia trope and launches a series (the author's Avon print debut) in fine style. Lorret (Just Another Viscount in Love) lives in Indiana.

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