Why Dukes Say I Do

Manda Collins

Jul 2013 · Wicked Widows Book 1 · Macmillan + ORM

About this ebook

A scandalous London debutante meets a benevolent duke with a penchant for the country life in this Regency romance series debut.

"Witty and smart, Collins' prose flows smoothly as she merges a charming, compassionate love story with gothic suspense... . . . Add strong pacing and depth of emotion, and there's no doubt this is a winner." — RT Book Reviews (Top Pick, 41⁄2 stars)

Even in London society—where everyone knows what you did last season—you never know who's next in line to walk down the aisle . . .

With her whirlwind social life in London, Lady Isabella Wharton has little interest in the customs of the country. But when her godmother asks her to pay a visit to her bachelor grandson in Yorkshire, Isabella can't refuse. It behooves her to please the old dowager, since she harbors one of Isabella's most scandalous secrets. So off she goes to see the newly-titled—and notoriously rustic—Duke of Ormond . . .

Trevor Carey doesn't care about what goes on behind ballroom doors. He is content with the simple life—and isn't ashamed to admit it to a society flirt like Lady Isabella. But the country air brings out a different side of Isabella—one full of longing and passion. Can her sophistication be hiding a desire for love? When a blackmailer from the city arrives to threaten Isabella, Trevor will shield her from harm—even travel to London. Can the duke tackle the ton on Isabella's behalf . . . and manage to keep her all to himself?

"This was a sensual and romantic novel with a wonderful hero and an endearing heroine. A good choice for Regency romance lovers." — Affaire de Coeur Magazine , (4 stars)

Ratings and reviews

For Isabella, men were users and abusers of women. Having a father who loved control, a husband that love to beat her, and a brother in law who almost killed her sister. No wonder she caused gossip when she was finally widowed. A reputation she was proud of. No one knew of her past besides the ones closest to her until she started receiving threatening messages. One being from the Dowager who demands Isabella to bring her grandson back from the country to finally take his seat as Duke. Both find trust and💕

About the author

Manda Collins grew up on a combination of Nancy Drew books and Jane Austen novels, and her own brand of Regency romantic suspense is the result. An academic librarian by day, she investigates the mysteries of undergraduate research at her alma mater, and holds advanced degrees in English Lit and Librarianship. Her debut novel, How to Dance with a Duke, spent five weeks on the Nielsen Bookscan Romance Top 100 list, was nominated for an RT Reviewer's Choice Award for best debut historical romance, and finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest. Both How to Entice an Earl and Why Dukes Say I Do were selected for inclusion in Eloisa James's Reading Romance column. Why Earls Fall in Love, the second book in her Wicked Widows series, was called "sparkling romance" by Publishers Weekly and is set in Bath, England, one of her favorite cities in the world.