Most often than not, an author who has made an excellent first impression fails to have the same effect in their subsequent works. Very rarely does it happen that an author who has been making an average impression in their previous works follows up with something stupendous; I am happy to say Anna Bradley has done just that.

In her new series “Drop Dead Dukes” , Bradley presents us with three ridiculously handsome men who may look like angels but are far from that. Giles Drew, the Duke of Basingstoke has been doing all in his power to restore the good name and reputation of his Duke hood, ever since the death of his father two years before. His next step in that path is to marry Lady Vanessa Stanhope, a woman of impeccable reputation who is purported to be the ‘Debutante of the year’. But fate throws a curve in his path in the form of Lady Francesca Stanhope, the penniless older cousin of Lady Vanessa.

An oddball remaining in the fringes of society, Lady Francesca does not long for love nor marriage. What she wants the most in the world is to gain the money that will help her mother recuperate and regain her lost health. Their frequent meetings however begin to create an eagerness in their hearts to follow a new path rather than the ones they have set for themselves. Will they be able to break the obstacles of class, wealth and past baggage to follow their hearts? Or do the bonds of responsibility prove too much for them?

In this book, author Anna Bradley has come up with an interesting plot point which is convoluted and simple at the same. The three Dukes are intriguing and magnetic people whom women can’t help but fall in love with. They can be clueless and irreverent but they are not unlikable. I absolutely loved how Francesca has been written. She is smart, resourceful and strong with an unflappable core of loyalty. I loved the way Francesca and Giles’s relationship develops and I simply adored their pair. There are quite a number of tastefully written intimate scenes which can hold the imagination of a reader.

I must say I enjoyed this book more than the previous book that I had read. And I definitely can’t wait to catch the rest of the books in the series when they are available. If you love regency romantic novels that touch your heart, this book is for you.

This book gets 5 out of 5 stars.