It's Hard Out Here for a Duke: Keeping Up with the Cavendishes

by Maya Rodale

Overview

In the fourth novel of Maya Rodale’s tantalizing series, a newly minted duke spends one night with his perfect woman...but can he win her for a lifetime

Some Mistakes…

When American-born James Cavendish arrives in London tomorrow, he’ll become the Duke of Durham. Some might be ecstatic at the opportunity. Not James. He’s a simple man, fond of simple pleasures. And right now, nothing could be more pleasurable than spending his last night of freedom with a beautiful stranger.

Are Far Too Good…

One wild night, Meredith Green, companion to the dowager Duchess of Durham, said yes to a man she thought she’d never see again. Suddenly, they’re living under the same roof, where Meredith is expected to teach James how to be a duke—while trying not to surrender to temptation a second time.

To Be Forgotten

For a duke and a commoner, marriage would be pure scandal. Yet nothing has ever felt as right as having Meredith in his arms…and in his bed. Soon he must choose—between a duty he never desired, and a woman he longs for, body and soul…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062697332
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/28/2017
Series:	Keeping Up with the Cavendishes , #4
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother's insistence. She is now the bestselling and award-winning author of smart and sassy romances. She lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.

Editorial Reviews

Rodale continues to deftly channel the infectiously fun flavor of popular romantic comedies by skillfully gifting her protagonists with plenty of sizzling sexual chemistry and infusing her writing with an abundance of deliciously dry wit.” — Booklist

“Rodale keeps the pace moving with her sprightly humor and heated sexual tension. For those new to the series, Rodale will bring readers up to speed while drawing them into a charming, classic “lessons in love” storyline that everyone will savor.” — RT Book Reviews

“A lighthearted romp enhanced by witty quotes from The Rules for Dukes; a perfect addition to the series.” — Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 01/15/2018
Rodale concludes her Keeping Up with the Cavendishes Regency series with this delightful fourth installment (after Lady Claire Is All That). James Cavendish travels from America to England after learning that he has inherited the dukedom of Durham. While staying at a tavern in Southampton, he meets the beautiful Meredith Green, and the undeniable attraction between them leads to one night of incredible passion. When James and his sisters arrive at the London home of their aunt, Dowager Duchess Josephina, James is surprised to learn that the woman he met at the tavern is a companion to the duchess. The encounters between James and Meredith at Durham House are filled with longing and regret, as she frequently reminds him of his duty as a duke to marry a woman suitable to his rank, not a mere lady’s companion. The ever-present desire and romantic yearning lure the reader into James and Meredith’s story, which Rodale writes with great depth of emotion. This series finale will leave readers deeply satisfied. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Rodale continues to deftly channel the infectiously fun flavor of popular romantic comedies by skillfully gifting her protagonists with plenty of sizzling sexual chemistry and infusing her writing with an abundance of deliciously dry wit.

Booklist

Rodale keeps the pace moving with her sprightly humor and heated sexual tension. For those new to the series, Rodale will bring readers up to speed while drawing them into a charming, classic “lessons in love” storyline that everyone will savor.

RT Book Reviews

Rodale continues to deftly channel the infectiously fun flavor of popular romantic comedies by skillfully gifting her protagonists with plenty of sizzling sexual chemistry and infusing her writing with an abundance of deliciously dry wit.

Booklist

2017-09-18
A Maryland horse breeder struggles to adjust to newfound English dukedom and his desire for an impoverished lady's companion in this fish-out-of-water Regency romance.In the final novel in her Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series, Rodale (Lady Claire Is All That, 2016, etc.) pairs the brother of the Cavendish women with their aristocratic aunt's employee. James, a new duke who's worried about the title he has suddenly inherited, spends the night with a lovely stranger he meets at an inn. To their surprise (but not the reader's), she is the one charged with tutoring him and his sisters when they arrive at the ducal home in London. Unnerved by the coincidence, Miss Meredith Green tries to remember her place and her duty to her employer and ignores her growing love for James. But memories of their passion and their constant proximity during lessons on etiquette and dancing erode their determination to let go of each other. There have been more memorable takes on the one-night-with-a-stranger plot, such as Mary Balogh's Slightly Wicked. This courtship is less absorbing, and the sex scenes feel rote, a common affliction at the end of a series. The characters are given some interiority and depth, though their oddly modern speech can be jarring. The novel also makes a strong pitch for women's individuality and dreams through its portraits of Meredith and the Cavendish sisters, but it has an unfortunate tendency to prove their worth by casting domestic arts and traditionally feminine interests as inferior. Moreover, the repeated claim that American classlessness is superior to outdated British class structures wears thin in a novel steeped in Georgian nobility.A Cinderella-story mashup of historical romance, chick lit, and reality TV, with a secret-paternity plot and a dash of American exceptionalism.

Kirkus Reviews