Better Than a Duke

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It takes more than Cupid to arrange a marriage in this sparkling Regency romcom from New York Times best-selling author Suzanne Enoch, where The Parent Trap crashes into Bridgerton as two precocious children decide to play matchmaker for their unsuspecting single parents.

Beckett Raines, the Marquis of Hentrose, needs a wife, and he's resigned to participating in the Season to search for a suitable mother for his young daughter Rebecca. Beckett is determined to wed for practicality rather than love--and he thinks he's found the perfect, proper woman for the job.

Instead, he's stunned when his new next door neighbor Iris Silbern bursts into his London home in pursuit of her mischievous son Edmund. Her ferocity, sharp wit, and humor charm him, but she is by no means proper. Meanwhile, Iris' relations are trying to set up a match with a wealthy, elderly duke--an answer to her financial troubles, if not her resistant heart.

Rebecca and Edmund have no interest in practical plans, not when the perfect father and mother are right in front of them. With only one Season to summon Cupid, they scheme to bring their parents together. But will Beckett realize how perfect a messy life can be? And will Iris open her heart to a man who may not be a duke, but something even better?

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Bestseller Enoch (A Duke Never Tells) puts a Regency spin on The Parent Trap in this sparkling romp. Widower Beckett Raines, the Marquis of Hentrose, reluctantly arrives in London to fulfill his mother's wish that he find a suitable bride and mother for his nine-year-old daughter, Rebecca. His mother believes that Lady Pauline Grenedy is the perfect match, and Beckett tentatively agrees to pursue her--but grows conflicted when he meets and feels drawn to widow Iris Silbern. Iris is staying next door to Beckett with her aunt and uncle, who seek to arrange her marriage to the elderly Duke of Trent to free themselves of the burden of caring for her and her 10-year-old son, Edmund. As Edmund and Rebecca become fast friends, their parents engage in some steamy clandestine trysts but don't believe that a lasting relationship would work. With both of their parents' potential engagements looking increasingly likely, Edmund and Rebecca come up with a plan to ensure they marry no one but each other. There's plenty of wit and intrigue on offer as the children's scheme unfolds. Meanwhile, the chemistry between Beckett and Iris is palpable. Historical romance fans won't want to miss this one. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Mar.)

Kirkus Book Review

Two roguish children trap their parents within the happy ending the couple secretly wants. Beckett Raines, Marquis of Hentrose, doesn't want to get married again. He chose his first wife impulsively, and since she died in childbirth, he's focused on raising their daughter, Rebecca. But his meddling mother continues to put women in his path, and she's finally hit on an argument for remarriage that resonates: 9-year-old Rebecca is growing up and she'll need a trusted woman to help. For once, Beckett's not appalled by the woman his mother's offering: Lady Pauline. However, moving back to London for the Season means he's now living next door to Iris Silbern, a vivacious, opinionated, and penniless widow who's also been thrust back onto the marriage market against her will. Rebecca and Iris' 10-year-old son, Edmund, become fast friends, and though Iris and Beckett feel some sparks, they're more focused on the realistic matches they've been roped into. After Rebecca learns that Lady Pauline is secretly awful and plans to send her to boarding school, she begs Edmund (and most of the household staff) to help her bring their parents together instead. But though Beckett and Iris grow increasingly close, it may be too late to extract themselves from their impending marriages. Enoch's latest meets all the expectations of a classic Regency romance and then elevates the story by featuring the mischievous antics of Rebecca and Edmund. Though the story is primarily told from a standard, dual point of view, occasional extra perspectives add depth and whimsy. Don't be mistaken; this is a story for grown-ups, containing several steamy scenes in addition to a serious consideration of the matrimonial trade-offs even privileged adults had to make in the era. But it's an adult story that keeps one-upping its own hijinks as it goes along, culminating in an ending that would be ridiculously over-the-top if it wasn't so satisfying. A lively Regency romance that brings two lovable families together. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.