The Duke's Rules of Engagement

July 22, 2022

A buttoned-up duke in search of the perfect duchess meets a determined, idealistic matchmaker in Haymore's stand-alone (A Highlander's Heart) Regency historical. Joanna Porter is a matchmaker who believes in love and has set up many happy couples, yet has come to the conclusion at the age of 27 that she will remain a spinster for life. When the Duke of Crestmont, Matthew Leighton, comes to her looking for an amiable, but not lovable duchess, she takes his stern demeanor and scorn for love as a challenge. Their clash of wills collides with the crackling sexual tension between them, and they soon are caught up in an affair that threatens the duke's grim march to the altar with a so-called perfect bride. This is a satisfyingly steamy historical romance, with believable chemistry between the romantic leads and interesting, well-drawn historical details, such as the duke's interest in meteorology. VERDICT Readers who like stern, forbidding dukes (who themselves can't resist smart, no-nonsense heroines) will enjoy Haymore's light Regency romance.--Sierra Wilson

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2022
A matchmaker takes on her biggest client yet in this Regency romance. Joanna Porter is good at her job: finding perfect matches for the esteemed members of the "ton" in London in 1817. It's how the 27-year-old spinster supports her family, including her loving, widowed mother; her younger sister, Bessie; and her best friend, Lilly Appleby, a gifted aspiring architect who has lived with the Porters for years. But Jo's thrown for a loop when 33-year-old Matthew Leighton, also known as the Duke of Crestmont, enters her office on a mission: get married to a suitable duchess-in-training as soon as humanly possible. Jo knows from experience that even a facilitated relationship takes time to grow, but Matthew has his own reasons for hurrying to wed, namely a scheming uncle with his eyes on the duke's legacy, and a bruised ego from a past engagement that went awry. And if Jo "could match a duke, then everyone in London--no, all of England--would want to work with her." When Lilly's love, Charles Cherrington, reveals that he can't marry her unless one of his sisters is engaged to a man with a sizable enough wealth to erase the Cherrington family's debt, Jo sees an opportunity. She plans to match Matthew with one of Charles' many sisters, so Lilly and her beau are free and clear to wed. What Jo doesn't count on is her growing feelings for Matthew, a gruff but good man with passions for meteorology and rowboats--and for his matchmaker. What's a single woman and loyal friend to do? Haymore has a deft hand with witty dialogue and romcom-esque circumstances, pushing Jo and Matthew together and pulling them apart in a way that's both realistic and pleasurable for romance fans. Their relationship is built on equality and mutual respect as well as sizzling hot chemistry, evident in scenes that easily blend sensuality with intellect. The subplot involving the Cherringtons, a tightknit group of siblings who stick together no matter what, is entertaining and heartfelt. And Lilly, bursting with design talent in an era where women are only expected to marry--and marry well--is a delightful sidekick and friend. A historical novel that offers a charming, feminist love story.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)