Playing the Duke’s Fiancée

A pretend proposal

For the unconventional heiress

When American heiress Violet Wilkins crosses paths with William, Duke of Charteris, she has extremely low expectations of the “Duke of Bore.” But when this seemingly stuffy aristocrat offers her escape from a dreadful arranged marriage, she leaps at the chance! To her surprise, the arresting Charles whisks Vi into an exhilarating make-believe romance. And as she gets to know the man behind the title, she can’t help wanting more…

Purchase Links:
US – UK 

Author Bio:

Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen–a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject…)
She’s never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe with a Poodle, a cat, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network–even though she doesn’t cook.
Amanda also writes as Laurel McKee for Grand Central Publishing, the Elizabethan Mystery Series as Amanda Carmack, and the Manor Cat Mystery Series as Eliza Casey.

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Tracy’s Review:

Playing The Duke’s Fiancée (Mills & Boon Historical) by Amanda McCabe

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Dollar Duchesses, #2

Release Date: July 22, 2021

With both her sisters married and her parents returned to the States, heiress Violet Wilkins believes she is safe from her mother’s matchmaking and can finally pursue her dream of becoming a photographer and joining the Photographic Society of London and the Solar Club. She has no pressing desire to marry and even though she is intrigued by her brother-in-law’s friend, William, the Duke of Charteris, she feels she is not “duchess material” and is sure a man like William, AKA the Duke of Bore, would never want a woman like her anyway!

William has just returned from a trip to Egypt and feels like a changed man, during his travels, he changed, he allowed himself to have fun and discovered a balance between work and play could be achieved and is determined to shed the “Duke of Bore” moniker once and for all. But even with his new outlook, he still has responsibilities – such as marriage, producing an heir, and taking care of his tenants and dependents. As such, he considers looking for a bride and he couldn’t think of anything worse than a wild American for a wife.

But when Violet’s parents decide to betroth her to her father’s business partner and William needs rescuing from a woman bent on entrapping him, they devise a plan to save each other – a faux engagement! It is the perfect plan until these two complete opposites do the unthinkable and fall in love!

This was a fun story, set in London and Russia during the Royal Wedding of Prince Alfred to Grand Duchess Maria. The story has very likable characters, interesting historical facts woven into the fictional story, spectacular imagery, very mild love scenes, cameos from Rose, Lily, and Aidan, as well as true historical figures, a dash of angst, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*