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My dear Duchess

Ann Fairfax

First published 1980 · 301 pages

A frothy, fast-paced Regency romp where a desperate marriage of convenience blossoms into a battle of wits and genuine affection.

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What it feels like

Reading this classic Regency romance feels like indulging in a perfectly spun sugar confection, light, sweet, and delightfully satisfying. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical clip, sweeping the reader into a world of glittering ballrooms, wicked stepsisters, and high-stakes social maneuvering. It carries a breezy, sparkling mood, anchored by a wry narrative voice that never takes itself too seriously, even when the heroine's reputation is on the line. The prose is snappy and dialogue-driven, focusing on the crackling tension and comedic misunderstandings between a sheltered but spirited runaway and her exasperated, dashing duke. It is a cozy, comforting read designed for fans of old-school historical romance who love watching an underestimated underdog outwit her rivals and claim her happily-ever-after.

Mood
  • breezy
  • sparkling
  • cozy
Tone
  • playful
  • wry
  • lighthearted
  • melodramatic
Pace
brisk
Themes
marriage of convenience · underdog triumph · coming into one's own · jealousy and rivalry
The writing
Snappy and unpretentious, driven by sharp dialogue and a charmingly theatrical narrative voice.
The arc
Begins in desperate vulnerability and builds through comedic misunderstandings to a confident, swoon-worthy romantic triumph.
Who it's for
Readers who crave classic, old-school Regency romps featuring spunky heroines, dashing dukes, and delightfully wicked rivals.
Content notes
  • family cruelty
  • emotional abuse

About the book

Handsome, dashing Henry Wright, the Duke of Westerland, needed a wife in a desperately short period of time. If he could not find a wife, he would lose the legacy he so desperately desired.

Young, lovely but sheltered Miss Frederica Sayers needed a husband just as much as Henry Wright needed a wife, only she needed a husband to save her from the life of shame that almost certainly awaited her when she fled the callous cruelty of her family.

Sloe-eyed, winsome Frederica, fresh from the schoolroom, married the Duke of Westerland--and set the Ten-thousand a-twitter! All because her social climbing stepsister, Clarissa, missed her chance to snare him, never guessing he would soon claim a coronet.

Marriage between the dashing lord and this reckless runaway was clearly the answer for both of them - until the duke discovered he had a duchess he could not tame... and the duchess found that she would rather lose her until then spotless reputation than lose him to another beautiful woman who was everything she was not...

Now her beautiful stepsister again casts her shimmering nets for his lordship. And jet-haired little Frederica, wed in haste, must win her young Lord's love... before he succumbs to Clarissa's golden charms.

Description from Open Library.

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