Duke with Benefits by Manda Collins Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on June 27th 2017
Pages: 320
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LADY + DUKE = TRUE LOVE?
Lady Daphne Forsyth is a brilliant mathematician with a burning passion for puzzles. When she learns that the library belonging to her benefactress houses the legendary Cameron Cipher an encrypted message that, once solved, holds the key to great riches Daphne is on the case. Unfortunately, her race to unlock the cipher s code is continually thwarted by a deliciously handsome distraction she hadn t counted on. . .and cannot resist.
Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, is curious as to why Daphne is spending so much time snooping around his aunt s bookshelves. He s even more intrigued by her bold yet calculating manner: She is unapologetic about her secret quest. . .and the fiery attraction that develops between them both. But how can they concentrate on solving a perplexing enigma once the prospect of true love enters the equation?
Witty, sensual historical romance that will captivate readers. Romance Junkies
I received Duke with Benefits for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Mathematician Lady Daphne Forsyth receives news she has inherited a home and all the contents with three other female scholars, she packs her bags as fast as she can. Her benefactress left her more than a house and friendship with the three other lady scholars. She left her the chance to solve the legendary Cameron Cipher and be rewarded with all the riches to be found upon completion. One hitch Daphne doesn’t expect is her benefactress’ nephew, Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, to help her in the quest.
Dalton is a young, handsome, witty Duke who wants to make sure his aunt’s home is in safe hands. When he meets Daphne, he is immediately struck by her beauty and charmed by her plain and more often than not inappropriate speaking.
Both Daphne and Dalton play a large part in the first novel in the series, Ready Set Rogue. They begin this novel with a shocking proposition. Daphne never intends to marry, but she believes she would enjoy the pleasures of the marriage bed. She therefore asks Dalton to be her lover, what we would now call Friends with Benefits. He refuses to be like his father who had numerous affairs and sullied the dukedom. The rejection seems to sting Dalton more than Daphne. Dalton doesn’t give up hope that she will eventually agree to become his wife.
Daphne’s lack of filter had me both laughing and cringing. Not the sort of lady who should be a duchess, but I’m overjoyed that Dalton never gave up on her. After joining her on the hunt for the Cameron Cipher, he learns more about the reasons why Daphne is the way she is. Along the way, Daphne learns to let her heart led her in a direction her head tells her to never tread. I love how Dalton acknowledges several times that he is not as intelligent as the object of his affection, but it is that humble attitude that helps him win her heart.
With death, danger, and a diabolical villain, Duke with Benefits is more than a romance. It’s a journey into the past with love and iminent peril nipping at your heels.
About Manda Collins
Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with two cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and always lots of books.
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