Despite the Duke
Kathleen Ayers
Rated: 3.00 of 5 stars
3.00
· Steam/Spice level: 4 of 5
Explicit open door [?]
· 3 ratings · 266 pages · Published: 07 Mar 2026
Lady Sophia doesn’t suffer fools. Her blunt manner of speaking hasn’t earned her many suitors, unlike her stunning older sister. Long regarded as the less attractive, troublesome daughter of Lord Canterbell, Sophia is more surprised than anyone when the Duke of Roxboro approaches her at a ball. Several glasses of champagne later and Sophia finds herself alone in the gardens with the most notorious duke in London, breathless with anticipation when he steals a kiss and claims to want to court her.
Sophia is thrilled…until Roxboro abandons her to the gossips.
Alexander, the Duke of Roxboro is a libertine. He enjoys women, spirits, gambling and the occasional opium den, though not necessarily in that order. Rarely out in polite society given his proclivities, he’s surprised when Lord Canterbell accuses him of compromising his daughter, Lady Sophia. Canterbell demands Alexander do the honorable thing and wed her.
Alexander insists has never seen Lady Sophia in his life. She’s lying. He didn’t attend the Perswick ball, nor did he compromise the girl.
Or did he?
Tropes You'll Love:
- Forced Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Mistaken Identity
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London Vices
Book 1 - Despite the Duke
Book 2 - Anything But a Lord
Book 3 - Persuading a Gentleman
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Tagged as:
- historical 4
- regency 4
- virgin heroine 3
- arranged/forced marriage 2
- enemies to lovers 2
- m-f romance 2
- late 20s mmc 2
- mystery 2
- rich hero 2
- sassy heroine 2
- plain heroine 2
- cliffhanger 2
- funny 1
- alpha male 1
- competent heroine 1
- early 20s fmc 1
- hurt/comfort 1
- aristo/royal heroine 1
- himbo 1
- Add topics
- content warnings
- death / grief 2
- alcoholism 2
- geography
- united kingdom 3
- england 2
- Format
- third person pov 1
- interconnected standalone 1
- standalone 1

