Opposites Attract in Jennifer Haymore’s ‘The Duke’s Rules of Engagement’ [REVIEW]

She’s Regency London’s hottest matchmaker. He’s the ton‘s most difficult duke. When he challenges her to find him a wife, she’s determined to scour high society in search of his ideal bride. The only trouble is, he believes love is a fool’s errand and simply wants someone who will make a good duchess. Will she be able to change his ideas about marriage or will this be one client she won’t be able to please? Find out in Jennifer Haymore’s The Duke’s Rules of Engagement.

Joanna Porter takes great pride in her work as the city’s up-and-coming matchmaker. Sure, she is a far cry from what many of her clients initially expect. Most people expect her to be a short, plump, matronly widow. Instead, she’s only in her 20s, tall, comely, and single. Still, the couples she has introduced thus far have all marched happily to the altar.

Then the dashing Duke of Crestmont enters her office after receiving a recommendation from one of Jo’s most satisfied customers. But he isn’t interested in love. Instead, he wants an amiable woman from a respectable family, one who can run his households, converse with his housekeepers, and be the most engaging hostess in town.

As the duke enumerates the laundry list of traits he is looking for in a bride, none of them are remotely romantic. Instead, he is prepared to settle for a marriage that will be little more than a business arrangement, one which will provide him with “an heir and a spare,” as he tells one of his closest friends.

As Jo listens to the duke prattle on, she finds him insufferable, bordering on rude, and yet there is something about him that piques her interest in a way no man ever has before. Little does she realize that duke finds himself drawn to her as well, even though they both know exploring a relationship with one another is impossible. It could simply never work. But since when do the heart’s desires make sense? Besides, Jo takes her job seriously and is determined to put her own feelings on hold and focus on making the best career choice possible, which means she must find him a bride who has the pedigree he is looking for.

The Duke’s Rules of Engagement is an enchanting love story with two leads who couldn’t be more different from one another. Yet the attraction between them is palpable and real, even if both Jo and the duke are determined to ignore it. The end result is a novel that is sweet, multilayered, and frequently hilarious.

The great thing about love is that there’s almost always a way to work out the kinks in the relationship and find the happy-ever-after even the most cynical individual wants to believe in. How the characters come to that determination, however, is what makes for great fiction.

The Duke’s Rules of Engagement sparkles and bubbles with optimism, like an effervescent glass of champagne that is so delicious readers will want to swallow it in one long gulp. Fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Christina Britton and Julia Quinn are sure to love this one.