The Trouble with Dukes

October 17, 2016
This droll, delightful Regency-era romance kicks off the Windham Brides, spun off of Burrowes’s Windham Sister series (Lady Eve’s Christmas Portrait, etc.). Hamish MacHugh, a Scotsman who’s just become a duke, feels like a fish out of water in London, and he’s dismayed that the socialites have picked up his wartime nickname, the Duke of Murder. Only bespectacled Miss Megan Windham understands his brand of wit—their banter as she teaches him proper etiquette is great fun—and inspires his lust. The feeling is mutual, but Megan isn’t free to encourage Hamish’s pursuit, as villainous Sir Fletcher Pilkington is using proof of Megan’s youthful indiscretions to blackmail her into matrimony. Burrowes never loses sight of the central couple, even with plenty of meddling added by the strong personalities in Megan’s extended family, which includes a duke and duchess, her parents, and various cousins and siblings. Unfortunately, the book’s light tone often gets lost in the final third, when Sir Fletcher steps up his nefarious efforts.

Starred review from December 1, 2016

Annoyed that he has inherited an English dukedom and feeling like a fish out of water when he brings his two sisters to London, Hamish MacHugh, newly minted Duke of Murdoch and Scottish warrior to the core, is more than ready to head back home. But his sisters deserve a Season, so he'll do his best to oblige. When he rescues Megan Windham's spectacles from disaster in a bookstore, he discovers a reason of his own to remain. Spot-on sibling and cousinly interactions keep the pace lively and the mood funny and upbeat in this engaging, sensual romance. An honorable, rule-flouting hero with a violent military reputation and an intuitive heroine who sees the real man are drawn to each other and foil a cruel, avaricious villain in the process. VERDICT Gorgeously written and thoroughly delightful, this is a wonderful start to a new (but in some ways, continuing) series and a must-buy for most romance collections. Burrowes (Will's True Wish) lives in rural Maryland.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
Hamish McHugh is a new duke reluctantly overseeing the London season for his unmarried sisters while wishing he was back in Scotland, especially since rumors about his military career have people calling him the Duke of Murder. Megan Windham does not believe he is capable of murder, as he is kind to her at every turn. She actually feels as though she could kill someonethe man she used to love, who is now blackmailing her. Readers will be thrilled that Burrowes (Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait, 2013) has returned to the Windham clan, combining past series and characters for a very enjoyable romp. Intrigue and suspense keep the pages turning, as does the romance, as Megan takes the romantic lead in the relationship for a refreshing change in the historical-romance tradition. Many scenes will delight Burrowes' fans, as the extended Windham family is as nosy, matchmaking, and protective as always. Readers who enjoy Tessa Dare will embrace the realistic problems and humor Burrowes presents throughout this affecting and clever tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)