This was an enjoyable historical romance, from roughly the time of the Regency, and follows the escapades of Megan Penworthy and Ambrose St James, Duke of Wrothston.
Megan has decided that she wants to marry the Duke because she is having a problem with the social structure in her village, and becoming a Duchess would give her precedence over the local lady who won’t invite her to dinner, purely because she is prettier than that lady’s unmarried daughters.
Megan has never actually met the Duke, although her favourite horse was purchased from the Duke’s stables and has been name Sir Ambrose in his honour, despite being a mare. This becomes relevant as the story unfolds, as Megan’s father has employed a new horsebreeder called Devlin Jeffreys, who is none other than the Duke is disguise, hiding from his best friend who wants to duel with him because of a misunderstanding. However Megan doesn’t know that, and immediately locks horns with Devlin, and tries to get her father, Squire Penworthy to sack him. The Squire won’t do so, much to Megan’s frustration.
Then Devlin hears that Megan wants to marry him, and decides to teach her a lesson, assuming that she is just after his title, when Megan has no intention of marrying without loving her bridegroom first.
Things escalate as they can only in a Regency romance, and they end up participating in a most unlikely elopement, as it has the Squire’s blessing, but Megan is going along for the ride only reluctantly.
They do manage to work it all out in the end – as you would expect!
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