THE PORTRAIT OF A DUCHESS

An unexpected duke and his surprise duchess shock society.

When Cornelia Ludgate ran away to Gretna Green to elope with Rafe Goodwood, it was out of desperation. Unlike the other couples at the anvil, however, they were mostly friends, there just for a quick marriage of convenience to free her from being the ward of her awful uncle. Though their trip inspired strong mutual attraction (and a consummation of the same), they went their separate ways the next day. She grew into her talents as a painter and a notorious activist, and he became a renowned horse breeder and a secret anti-monarchist. When they finally meet again 20 years later, Rafe has become the Duke of Rosemere through a series of accidents. And that means that Cornelia is, secretly, a duchess. It turns out she needs their marriage of convenience again, to come into an inheritance, which means they need to go public with it. They’re both willing to do so in a radical way, using their new visibility to unsettle the institutions they despise. But to convince everyone it's true that they’ve been secretly married for the last two decades, they’ll have to spend a lot of time together, and that quickly rekindles a lot of feelings they’ve both been avoiding—and want to keep ignoring. In exploring these feelings, readers won’t believe it’s possible, but somehow the second book in Peckham’s Society of Sirens series pushes more boundaries than The Rakess (2020) did. And though an explicit ménage à trois early on will surprise some historical romance readers, it’s more than just really steamy (though it is that!). It’s also the setup for a romance that respectfully imagines what a poly happily-ever-after could have looked like in 1797 and that also celebrates complicated human emotions. Cornelia, who is biracial, is another of Peckham’s trademark rule-breaking heroines, and readers will enjoy watching her explore ways to be herself within the framework of the genre. Rafe is not quite as well developed a character but is winningly sweet, and even when the plot falters a bit, their connection carries the book.

An open-minded duke and duchess find true love together and spread the heat around.