Good Duke gone wild

The sensual first Bluestocking Booksellers Regency from Bennett (Any Rogue Will Do) kicks off after Caroline "Caro" Danvers's father, a vicar, discovers that she writes erotica and throws her out of the house. She travels to London to stay with her aunt and uncle at their bookshop, Martin House Books. Outside the shop, Caro runs into a man she later discovers is Dorian Whitaker, Duke of Holland. Caro agrees to Dorian's request to organize his late wife's library for sale--and discovers spicy love letters hidden among the pages. A distressed Dorian reveals that the letters were written by the man his wife cheated on him with, and Caro offers to help him learn the man's identity. Along the way, their friendship evolves into a love affair, but the class difference between them means they can never marry. Meanwhile, Caro anonymously publishes an erotic novel that takes London by storm--especially as the capital's gossipmongers spread rumors that the hero is based on Dorian. What will happen when Dorian learns of Caro's scandalous side hustle? Bennett expertly develops her characters, highlighting how their similarities enable them to breach Regency England's societal strictures. As emotional as it is steamy, this promises good things for the series to come. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore and Co. (Aug.)

Caroline, the cast-out daughter of a vicar, makes her way in life as a writer (anonymously) of erotic novels. She meets Dorian, Duke of Holland, outside her cousin's bookstore. He almost knocks her over, and the first time they embrace is as he keeps her from falling. For the next two years, Caroline thinks of the duke and works in the store, saving her royalties to buy a quiet cottage. Dorian spends those same years feeling that he has failed his dead wife and happily glimpsing Caroline whenever he visits the shop. But their mutual attraction seems doomed: he needs to marry suitably; her career is scandalous. When he hires her to sell off his wife's library, their proximity and the secrets Caroline finds in the pages of the late duchess's books make them forget reality. They engage in an affair as they work together to uncover more about the duchess's past. Their agreement makes for an odd-feeling situation for much of the novel and throws off the pacing. Thankfully, the last quarter of the book showcases Bennett's (Dukes Do It Better) full strengths with plotting, characterization, and dialogue. VERDICT This series starter shows strong promise for the next entry.—Neal Wyatt

The sensual first Bluestocking Booksellers Regency from Bennett (Any Rogue Will Do) kicks off after Caroline "Caro" Danvers's father, a vicar, discovers that she writes erotica and throws her out of the house. She travels to London to stay with her aunt and uncle at their bookshop, Martin House Books. Outside the shop, Caro runs into a man she later discovers is Dorian Whitaker, Duke of Holland. Caro agrees to Dorian's request to organize his late wife's library for sale—and discovers spicy love letters hidden among the pages. A distressed Dorian reveals that the letters were written by the man his wife cheated on him with, and Caro offers to help him learn the man's identity. Along the way, their friendship evolves into a love affair, but the class difference between them means they can never marry. Meanwhile, Caro anonymously publishes an erotic novel that takes London by storm—especially as the capital's gossipmongers spread rumors that the hero is based on Dorian. What will happen when Dorian learns of Caro's scandalous side hustle? Bennett expertly develops her characters, highlighting how their similarities enable them to breach Regency England's societal strictures. As emotional as it is steamy, this promises good things for the series to come. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore and Co. (Aug.)