Deirdre Cantor will inherit her grandfather’s fortune if she can marry a Duke. Calder Marbrook, the Marquis of Brookhaven and future Duke of Brookmoor has become available as his future bride has married someone else. Deirdre sets her sight on him and does what she can to catch her man.

Deidre is a headstrong woman who finds herself married to a man she hardly knows. It is a shock when she is not only a newlywed but a stepmother too. How she deals with her problems shows her true character. Deidre is more than capable of handling her duties as a stepmother but it is a challenge to be a wife. Calder is a man with secrets and comes across as a bit of a coward especially when he doesn’t tell his new wife about his daughter or his daughter about his plans to wed. The scene where he introduces them is quite entertaining as the reader can feel each of the characters’ emotions; from the outrage from the two ladies and Calder wanting to be gone as soon as possible. The author is able to show the positive as well as negative aspects of her lead couple. They feel very real and eventually they will win the hearts of the reader.

The Duke Next Door is the first book in a new series by Ms. Bradley. It is a page-turner as the reader will want to know what happens next. This was a great beginning and it will definitely entice readers to pick up the next book in the series.

Reviewed by: Susan T