Eliza and the Duke

The second of the scandalous Dove heiresses finds a husband in St. George’s latest Gilded Age-set “Doves of New York” series (following The Stranger I Wed). However, Eliza’s “duke” turns out not to be a titled lord. Instead, he’s the secretive Simon Cavell, a back-alley, bare-knuckle boxer known as the Duke. Since her father insists she must marry in order to receive her inheritance, Eliza becomes engaged to a dull aristocrat. She makes a deal with Simon to take her out exploring the seamier side of London before she’s consigned to a loveless marriage, but the pair grow closer than expected during their night out in Whitechapel. Simon and Eliza know they likely can’t be together—Eliza will lose her inheritance and risk her family’s security, and Simon has secrets and an underworld crime boss on his tail—but their spark of attraction quickly catches fire. While this can be read on its own, fans of St. George will be thrilled to step back into the lush Gilded Age world she’s created. Several previous characters make reappearances, and the end of the book sets the stage for another intriguing entry in the series.