My Unwanted Duchess by Rose Collins

 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Duke & The Deception

The Duke starts out with all the warmth of a frozen pond, but watching him thaw as he lets Charlotte into his life is the real treat here. Charlotte finds him to be a surprisingly kind and considerate man—which is a bit of an irony, considering she’s busy hiding her entire scheme from him. It’s funny how you can find someone is firmly on your side, even when you’re supposedly at odds in what you want from life.

The story is warm and genuinely surprising. There are several twists that manage to catch you off guard, weaving through the plot until they settle into a sigh of affection.

The characters are wonderful, and while the ton is as predictably awful as I usually find in this trope, the real treasure is the surprise I found in the Duke. I hope you find it, too—it’s exactly what makes this story special.