Much Ado Over a Duke

Two rivals from opposite worlds. One absurd treasure hunt. No time whatsoever for falling in love.

Lady Cordelia Nichols has buried two dukes in six weeks and has not the time, or patience, for a third. But when her father's estate and title pass to commoner Justin Wright-the adopted son of a former scullery maid, by way of the most baffling entailment in English legal history-Cordelia must decide how far she'll go to protect Hollyhead House and the three eccentric sisters who depend on her.

Justin has no interest in being a duke. He has a London life, an architectural firm, and a perfectly comfortable absence of aristocratic obligation. But settling the estate requires returning to the country house where he was never welcome. He finds a crumbling manor, four unmarried women, and a very beautiful eldest daughter who rides like a highwayman and argues like a barrister.

Then the late duke's will surfaces a secret: a hidden fortune, left only for the heir "worthy enough" to find it. Suddenly Cordelia and Justin are rivals in a madcap treasure hunt where ciphered Shakespeare, overturned garden statues, and increasingly poor decisions abound. With a gossip columnist circling and their reputations unraveling, the search for the duke's treasure may ruin them both. And falling in love along the way is the one disaster neither of them anticipates.

Tropes you'll enjoy:

• Rivals to lovers
• Grumpy x Grumpy
• Forced Proximity
• Eldest Daughter Falls in Love
• Slow burn
• Cozy mystery
• Class difference
• He falls first
• Found family antics

The Nichols Sisters Series

Book 1 - Much Ado Over a Duke

Book 2 - A Rake by Any Other Name

Book 3 - A Winter's Vow

Book 4 - The Taming of Miss Beatrice Nichols