Amanda Diehl

A marriage of convenience gives way to acceptance and love between two characters marked by trauma in Kerrigan Byrne’s suspenseful historical romance How to Love a Duke in Ten Days.

Piers Atherton needs to solidify his claim as the Duke of Redmayne and the quickest way to do that is to take a wife and produce an heir. Lady Alexandra Lane is low on funds and in desperate need of money to pay off a blackmailer. Piers and Alexandra are upfront in what they expect from their marriage, though the true nature of why Alexandra requires money isn’t revealed to Piers.

A decade earlier, Alexandra was raped by the headmaster at her school. (Content warning for readers: the scene is graphic, and very much on the page.) She took her revenge by killing him, and her two best friends helped her cover up the murder. The three women are certain there are no loose ends, until a blackmailer reaches out to Alexandra for money in exchange for keeping their secret.

Strong, resilient Alexandra is a wonderful heroine and her friends, Cecelia and Francesca (who are obviously sequel-bait for the next books), are unconditionally supportive. The sense of girl power and female solidarity is infectious, and some of the best scenes are when all three have the opportunity to get into some mischief.

Piers has a whole closet full of baggage—he was raised by a philandering mother, was jilted by his former betrothed and survived a jaguar attack that nearly took his life. He’s slow to trust and his scarred face has caused the locals to dub him the “Terror of Thorcliff.” The tenderness and respect he displays when faced with Alexandra’s avoidance of intimacy makes him a worthy hero, and he learns to let go of deep-seated grudges as the story progresses.

As Alexandra and Piers travel for their honeymoon, a series of bizarre events make it obvious to that pair that someone is after their lives. Piers assumes it’s his cousin trying to kill him off for the title of Duke of Redmayne. Alexandra thinks her blackmailer is no longer satisfied with money. The reveal of the unseen villain is surprising and will undoubtedly keep readers guessing to the very end.

Byrne’s writing harkens back to classic romance superstars like Judith McNaught and Bertrice Small: There’s a grand complexity to the plot, an alpha hero and a headstrong heroine who has overcome great emotional turmoil. Alexandra’s trauma and PTSD were respectfully portrayed and, as a fellow survivor, reached me on a personal level. Her dedication to rebuilding her life and allowing herself to take joy in even the smallest things is a heady mix of heartbreaking and inspirational.

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is an intense journey from start to finish, but Byrne delivers. Readers will be left breathless, and with a few tears shed along the way.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Kerrigan Byrne about How to Love a Duke in Ten Days.

Mary Balogh returns to her Westcott historical romance series with Someone to Honor, an emotional and sweetly indulgent romance in which first impressions aren’t always indicative of a person’s true character.

Abigail Westcott and Gilbert Bennington truly get off on the wrong foot after she chastises him for working shirtless on the Westcott estate. It’s not proper, especially when there are young, unwed ladies in his midst. And this single interaction leads to a host of misunderstandings. Abigail makes the assumption that Gil is just a servant on the grounds and not the officer who helped her brother return home from the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, Gil reduces Abigail’s comments to her being a spoiled and rich woman, something that deeply taps into his feelings of inadequacy given their class differences.

Despite their disastrous first meeting, Abigail and Gil begin spending more and more time together, often enjoying walks around the grounds, where they have rather insightful and illuminating conversations. Gil realizes he was wrong about his assessment of Abigail. She’s a wealthy and independent woman whose life was upturned by a family scandal. Meanwhile, Abigail learns of Gil’s heroic treatment of her brother, and when he reveals a personal, heartbreaking predicament, Abigail and her brother offer to help. But that help comes in the form of marriage.

Self-assured and practical, Abigail has grown accustomed to being a pariah since her father’s bigamy scandal. What she never expected was how much it would give her in the ways of freedom. With no man wanting to attach his name to her, Abigail has settled into a lovely, quiet country life in which she can do as she pleases. Gil carries lingering trauma from his military service, and while he may have earned the respect of many, he can’t shake the insecurity he feels from being an illegitimate child and growing up in poverty. A bit broody, Gil is a hero who prefers to observe and be on the sidelines, harboring an understandable distrust for upper-crust society.

Balogh writes with an inescapable tenderness, in which each conversation furthers Gil and Abigail’s affection ever so slightly. There is always a softness and subtlety to Balogh’s romances, serving as a lasting reminder that love is patient and kind. Previous fans of the Westcott series will love seeing familiar faces integrated into Gil and Abigail’s romance. Though well-meaning, the Westcott family isn’t afraid to meddle and can’t leave well enough alone.

With a relationship built on trust that slowly blooms with understanding, Someone to Honor is another fantastic novel by Balogh, who expertly navigates all the highs and lows that come before a happily ever after.