How to Forget a Duke

Starred review from March 19, 2018
In this clever, original standalone Regency set in the Whitcrest area of Sussex, the methodic Crispin Montague, fifth Duke of Rydstrom, meets his match in Jacinda Bourne, an impertinent, unapologetic busybody and part owner of the Bourne Matrimonial Agency. Crispin enlists the agency’s service in finding a wealthy bride who will ask little of her husband. An incomplete application and a suspicious letter lead the naturally inquisitive Jacinda to believe Crispin is hiding something; when she’s plagued with a bout of amnesia while trying to uncover his secrets, he feels obligated to take care of her. Jacinda charms everyone from the staff to the villagers to Sybil, Crispin’s mute young sister. Crispin’s need for funds to save his crumbling estate falls victim to his growing desire for the financially strapped Jacinda, whose agency’s only rule is “never to fall in love with the client.” Lorret proves her skills by making Jacinda’s character plain to readers even though she doesn’t always understand herself. Jacinda’s constant mischief and Crispin’s reactions to her behavior add welcome humor to their slow-brewing romance, and their constant bickering is the perfect foreplay. Readers will hope for Lorret to develop a series from here. Agent: Tonya May, Janklow & Nesbit.

June 15, 2018

Jacinda Bourne's investigative methods are anything but conventional, but when it comes to ensuring a happy marriage for her family's matrimonial agency clients, she'll stop at nothing--not even haring off to the Duke of Rydstrom's Sussex estate to discover what he, their most prestigious patron, is hiding. Unfortunately, she wakes up on a rock, drenched in seawater, with no memory. The locals who rescue her assume she's the Duke's bride-to-be, setting the stage for a comedy of errors that becomes a romance of dukely proportions. A persistent, unorthodox heroine and a protective hero find love in a story that benefits from a beautifully realized supporting cast and an assortment of charming apropos quotes and references to Jane Austen's Emma. VERDICT With clever wit, heady sexuality, and lush description, Lorret's title puts an enticing spin on the classic amnesia trope and launches a series (the author's Avon print debut) in fine style. Lorret (Just Another Viscount in Love) lives in Indiana.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2018
Matchmaker Jacinda Bourne knows that Crispin Montague, Duke of Rydstrom, is hiding something; she just doesn't know what it is. However, if she is to successfully match him with the perfect spouse, there can be no secrets between them. This means Jacinda has no choice but to do some digging into Crispin's past. However, while en route to his ancestral estate, Jacinda suffers a mishap that leaves her with no memory of whom she is or exactly why she finds Crispin so familiar. As Jacinda struggles to regain her past as well as determine exactly how Crispin may fit into her future, the one thing she does seem to keep remembering is something about never falling in love with a client. Lorret launches her Misadventures in Matchmaking series, and historical-romance fans will quickly fall in love with the result: an elegantly written Regency historical that dazzlingly combines captivating characters, clever plotting, and copious amounts of sizzling sensuality.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)