The Duke Next Door

Written by Celeste Bradley

Narrated by Susan Ericksen

The dangerously beautiful Deirdre Cantor is determined to inherit her grandfather's vast fortune. All she needs is to marry a duke . . . and be the first granddaughter to walk down the aisle. After all, she has always dreamed of becoming a member of the haute ton. So when the proper Calder Marbrook, the Marquis of Brookhaven and future Duke of Brookmoor, is abandoned at the altar, Deirdre makes it her business to become his wife-in spite of the whispers about his past.

Soon Deirdre's visions of a lavish existence with the handsome Calder are shattered when she learns his shocking secret. Feeling betrayed, Deirdre seeks revenge by playing a perilous and seductive game of cat and mouse with her husband that threatens to drive them both to the heights of passion. She will not surrender to him, no matter how great her desire. But at what cost? Calder is determined to keep his secret under lock and key-and to make his stunning wife his in every way that matters. Even if it means winning her heart all over again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781494570354

Celeste Bradley

Celeste Bradley is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of more than 20 Regency romance novels and has twice been nominated for the Rita Award by the Romance Writers of America. Before becoming a writer in 1999, Celeste was an artist who specialized in pottery and ceramic sculpture. Although originally from the South, Celeste now resides in New Mexico. "It is one of the last habitats of the Free-Range Human." She is very fond of food that someone else cooks, animals of all sorts, painting, jewelry making, reading, and grandbabies.

Reviews for The Duke Next Door

[grapeapril75-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A delicious Regency read!! Engaging characters and an entertaining plot line. Nice amount of steam to keep the story popping!

I love a lively historical with all the pomp and circumstance! Really enjoyable read!

A fun series.

[narshkite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am a big Celeste Bradley fan so it pains me to give a middling review to one of her books, but what's a girl to do? This book seems like it was written by two people or by one writer who started it, put it in a drawer, and finished up 10 years later. The first half of the book is largely boring and frequently repetitive. It also provides us with a wildly unappealing hero. Calder is boring, taciturn, dismissive, condescending, and downright mean. He is also verbally abusive to his young child and at various points leaves her to wander freely through a textile factory (what could go wrong?) and hands her a loaded gun she is not trained to use when she asks for it. I need to note here that I am not clear on the age of the child because she is 7 in the first half and 9 in the second half even though the entire story takes place over the course of a week. One more note, I was really bugged by how Deirdre castigates herself for her impatience with Calder when he is being an ass. She should be patient with him when he orders her about (not is a sexy way) and treats her like temporary help? Its sad and embarrassing.Calder redeems himself to some extent in the second half of the book, but that is insufficient. There is no reason our heroine could want him other than the fact that he has a title she needs to access her own inheritance and he is handsome. This makes it hard to sympathize with her incessant wailing about him only wanting her for her looks while protesting her deep love for him. She loves his title, she loves his abs and glutes (spoiler: she "notices" them a lot), but never explains why that is different from his loving her hair and her breasts (spoiler: he "notices" them a lot.) Its just a lot of stuff and nonsense filling pages where they should be getting to know each other better and/or banging.The second half of the book has our hero suddenly becoming an Edwardian version of Liam Neeson in nearly every movie he has been in the last 10 years. There is no transition time. This guy instantaneously transitions from The Great Santini to Bryan Mills (for those who have not seen Taken or its 74 sequels that is Neeson's character.) Why?I don't ask a lot from my bodice rippers. I would have overlooked most of this if I hadn't spent 200 pages bored to tears. But I did spend 200 paged being bored to tears so I am feeling unforgiving. Bradley has so many lovely books, but this one is a miss.

[Imina Briefs · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book is al over the place. The whole story halogens in a week with the most unrealistic development. Where did the girl get kneeled off such stuff if she's locked up all the time, explanations why she's treated like such is never clear. Why he changed is never clear. This is just complete garbage. You don't even like the characters.

[fanip_12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Simplistic but highly entertaining. I always like marriage of convenience plots so it was easy for me to like this one as well. The characters, especially Calder's, are not described in depth and some scenes, like when he fondled her publicly in the staircase, are over the top, but I liked the result nonetheless. Light but with just a touch of angst to add some interest in the mix, it was fast paced and very enjoyable. I think I may have liked it more than the first one, but certainly Celeste Bradley is an author I'll look out for when I'm in a mood for a mind candy.

[jenj5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Frippery fun - lord knows if I contemplated the plot it really probably wouldn't make much sense, but it's still a light, entertaining read - perfect brain candy.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Duke Next Door
3 Stars

Synopsis
Deidre Cantor has adored Calder Marbrook from afar for years and finally seizes the opportunity to marry him when her cousin Phoebe leaves him at the alter. But Calder has a secret that may just destroy his marriage before it has even begun...

Review
Cute romance but could have done without the silly misunderstandings.

Deidre and Calder have a smoldering chemistry and their sex scenes are intense and erotic. Unfortunately, the problems begin when they open their mouths to speak. Their bickering is snarky and entertaining at first but becomes tedious as they continue sniping at each other and fail to communicate.

Calder has potential as a tortured hero but his characterization as a wounded beast in need of taming fails to come across effectively. On the flip side, Deidre is a strong heroine who refuses to allow the man she loves to dominate her. Her relationship with Calder's impish daughter is the real highlight of the book.

The suspense plot is good - Wolfe is suitably nasty and Baskin seriously demented but the resolution is anti-climactic. Moreover, the tavern scene is convoluted, ridiculous and unnecessary to the story.

Sophie and Graham's book is next and hopefully the series will end on a positive note.