The Temporary Duke

by Melinda McRae

Just before his wedding, a duke disappears, leaving his sister no choice but to hire an impostor to take his place to protect their inheritance. While she instructs the double on the behavior of a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451195779
• ISBN13: 9780451195777
• Release Date: July 1998
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

what's in a name?

Lady Rosemary, sister to the Duke of Alston, is in a horrible situation! Her brother has gone on a hiking trip to the alps and can not be found! His wedding is only 6 weeks away and if he doesn't show, not only does the family name get dragged through the mud, but they lose over half of the family's money because of something their grandfather wrote in his will! So now Rose and her Uncle is on a desperate search for someone to impersonate the duke until he returns! Luckily there just so happens to be a man who is the exact image of the duke...BUT they have to convince him to play the part and teach him HOW to play the part. Afterall how much can a country latin teacher know about this kind of society stuff?? And they are desperate because there is NO WAY in hades the Lady Rose is going to give up what is rightfully her's and live a lesser life like a Viscount!When Adrin Sramford is proposed this idea he thinks it'll be a great lark to play upon society! Who of coarse he absolutly CAN NOT stand! He dispises those snobby, rich, better-than-everybody, people. All he cares about is digging for pre-roman artifacts, and teaching a little latin here and there for some pocket money.It all starts out as a lark for him too. He sees that Rose is just the same as every other nobel and worse! Until she's put to the test, then her true self comes out and he just can't seem to act in a brotherly way towards her when she does that. But after a while it's no longer a lark, things start to get a bit more than that. Rose starts to really see the world she lives in for the first time and she's afraid of what else this man will make her see about herself!Overall this was a pretty good book. The plot was there, the characters were really well thought out, and their love seemed well played out. The only reason that I won't give it the final star is because I didn't finish with that "sigh" that a reader should. You know the one that you get at the end of a book where everything has worked out and everybody is happy! This wasn't my first book by Melinda McRae and it won't be my last!

Enjoyable, if a little improbable

A well-written tale, with likeable characters; Adrian is particularly likeable as an amusing, intelligent Latin teacher with a sharp sense of humour and unwillingness to put up with snobbery.Highly improbable that a duke would agree to his sister marrying a penniless teacher, however, even if his mother was 'of good family' who married beneath her.Still, suspend disbelief and it's an enjoyable book.