To Dare a Duke — Emma V. Leech

Dreams of true love and happy ever afters are well and good but all Prunella Chuffington-Smythe wants is to publish her novel. Marriage at the price of her independence is not an option. Having tasted success writing under a false name in The Lady's Weekly Review, her alter ego is attaining notoriety and fame and Prue rather likes it.

Robert Adolphus, The Duke of Bedwin, is in no hurry to marry, he's done it once and repeating that disaster is the last thing he desires. Yet, an heir is a necessary evil that he cannot shirk. A dark reputation precedes him. his first wife died young but the scandals the beautiful, vivacious and spiteful creature supplied the ton have not. So a wife must be found who is neither beautiful nor vivacious but sweet and dull and certain to stay out of trouble

The sudden interest of a certain dastardly duke is as bewildering as it is unwelcome. Prue will not throw her ambitions aside to marry a scoundrel just as her plans for self-sufficiency and freedom are coming to fruition. Surely showing the man she's not actually the meek little wallflower he is looking for should be enough to put paid to his intentions? When the lady is dared by her friends to do something drastic, it seems the perfect opportunity to kill two birds.

However, Prue cannot help being intrigued by the rogue who has inspired so many of her romances, always in the part of a handsome rake set on destroying her plucky heroine. But is he really the villain of the piece this time, or could he be the hero?

Finding out will be dangerous, but may inspire her greatest story yet.