The Heiress Gets a Duke

The Heiress Gets a Duke
Author: Harper St. George
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2021-01-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593197208

Even a fortune forged in railroads and steel can't buy entrance into the upper echelons of Victorian high society--for that you need a marriage of convenience. American heiress August Crenshaw has aspirations. But unlike her peers, it isn't some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger--it's Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it's clear that August's outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitable for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage. Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He's recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can't walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn't the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants. But August won't go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she's no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more.

Duchess by Design

Duchess by Design
Author: Maya Rodale
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2018-10-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062838822

“Captivating . . . Sparkling characters, able plotting, and joie de vivre make the first in Rodale’s Gilded Age Girls Club an utterly enjoyable standout.” —Publishers Weekly In Gilded Age Manhattan, anything can happen . . . Seeking a wealthy American bride who can save his family’s estate, Brandon Fiennes, the duke of Kingston, is a rogue determined to do the right thing. But his search for an heiress goes deliciously awry when an enchanting seamstress tumbles into his arms instead. . . . and true love is always in fashion Miss Adeline Black aspires to be a fashionable dressmaker—not a duchess—and not even an impossibly seductive duke will distract her. But Kingston makes an offer she can’t refuse: join him at society events to display her gowns and advise him on which heiresses are duchess material. It’s the perfect plan—as long as they resist temptation, avoid a scandal, and above all do not lose their hearts. “Rodale’s Gilded Age-set series launch is a smart, bright love story that perfectly balances messages of female empowerment and social potential with romantic tensions created by class and gender dichotomies ripe for revolution.” —Kirkus Reviews “Overall, after a year of mediocre to decent to very occasionally brilliant romance, Duchess by Design stands out as unique and refreshing. It’s more than worth your time.” —All About Romance

The Silver Swan

The Silver Swan
Author: Sallie Bingham
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0374711860

"Men who inherit great wealth are respected, but women who do the same are ridiculed. In The Silver Swan, Sallie Bingham rescues Doris Duke from this gendered prison and shows us just how brave, rebellious, and creative this unique woman really was, and how her generosity benefits us to this day.” —Gloria Steinem A bold portrait of Doris Duke, the defiant and notorious tobacco heiress who was perhaps the greatest modern woman philanthropist In The Silver Swan, Sallie Bingham chronicles one of the great underexplored lives of the twentieth century and the very archetype of the modern woman. “Don’t touch that girl, she’ll burn your fingers,” FBI director J. Edgar Hoover once said about Doris Duke, the inheritor of James Buchanan Duke’s billion-dollar tobacco fortune. During her lifetime, she would be blamed for scorching many, including her mother and various ex-lovers. She established her first foundation when she was twenty-one; cultivated friendships with the likes of Jackie Kennedy, Imelda Marcos, and Michael Jackson; flaunted interracial relationships; and adopted a thirty-two year-old woman she believed to be the reincarnation of her deceased daughter. This is also the story of the great houses she inhabited, including the classically proportioned limestone mansion on Fifth Avenue, the sprawling Duke Farms in New Jersey, the Gilded Age mansion Rough Point in Newport, Shangri La in Honolulu, and Falcon’s Lair overlooking Beverly Hills. Even though Duke was the subject of constant scrutiny, little beyond the tabloid accounts of her behavior has been publicly known. In 2012, when eight hundred linear feet of her personal papers were made available, Sallie Bingham set out to probe her identity. She found an alluring woman whose life was forged in the Jazz Age, who was not only an early war correspondent but also an environmentalist, a surfer, a collector of Islamic art, a savvy businesswoman who tripled her father’s fortune, and a major philanthropist with wide-ranging passions from dance to historic preservation to human rights. In The Silver Swan, Bingham is especially interested in dissecting the stereotypes that have defined Duke’s story while also confronting the disturbing questions that cleave to her legacy.

The Lady Tempts an Heir

The Lady Tempts an Heir
Author: Harper St. George
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2022-02-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593197240

One of Oprah Daily’s Most Anticipated Romances of 2022! A fake engagement brings together a lady with bold and daring dreams, and the heir whose heart she captured—perfect for fans of Bridgerton! Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement. He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires… Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American. As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…

Duke of a Gilded Age

Duke of a Gilded Age
Author: Suzanne G. Rogers
Publisher: Idunn Court Publishing
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2018-11-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1947463152

When American-born Wesley Parker inherits a dukedom in 1890, he must be taught how to be an aristocrat. Assigned to the task is his attorney’s daughter, prim Belle Oakhurst. As they travel to England together on a luxurious ocean liner, their tempestuous relationship encounters more than rough seas. Neither Wesley nor Belle can foresee that their voyage across the Atlantic will be fraught with peril, and will cost more than one man his life.

Bold Entrepreneur

Bold Entrepreneur
Author: Robert Franklin Durden
Publisher:
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2003
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

Bold Entrepreneur is the scholarly biography of James B. Duke, a man who was more important to Duke University than it was to him or his life. His munificence in underwriting the establishment and permanent support of Duke University came towards the end of his life, after a long series of remarkable achievements in the business world. Along with such achievements, his great philanthropic actions have earned him a prominent place in history. James B. Duke, or Buck as his family called him, took over the family's tobacco manufacturing business after his father retired. He also played a key role in the establishment and then management of the British-American Tobacco Company in and after 1901-1902. From the standpoint of business history alone, this was a pioneering and colorful venture. Duke also ventured into Canadian hydroelectricity, a highly creative and bold move that dramatically revealed his entrepreneurial panache and genius. In this fascinating biography, Durden presents the life of a man who was not only a business genius, but also an avid horticulturist. He spent several million dollars on transforming a large portion of the Duke family farm in New Jersey into a magnificently landscaped park, one of the late Gilded Age's most magnificent country estates. This is also the biography of a most creative entrepreneurial capitalist, one who, after a lifetime of big business successes, finally turned his talent towards investing in a unique plan for perpetual philanthropy in the Carolinas. "Duke's labors, loves, and legacy are all deftly chartered in this meticulously researched and impeccably presented portrait, which unflinchingly presents the good with the bad." -Midwest Book Review, July 2003 ". . . the author makes a compelling case that this robber baron was a native genius whose business skills benefited all." -The News & Observer, August 3, 2003 "...Bold Entrepreneur ably relates the story of a fascinating historical figure and fills a large void in the historiography of the region." -The South Carolina Historical Magazine, October 2003 "...a very solid and compelling biography of a man who helped shape the history of North Carolina." -Georga Historical Quarterly, 2004

The Dukes of Durham, 1865-1929

The Dukes of Durham, 1865-1929
Author: Robert Franklin Durden
Publisher: Duke University Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 1975
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780822307433

Chiefly a record of the life and descendants of Washington Duke. He was born 20 Dec 1820 to Taylor Duke and Dicey Jones. He married Mary Caroline Clinton in 1842. They were the parents of two children. She died in 1847. He married Artelia Toney in Dec 1852. They were the parents of three children. She died in 1858. He died 8 May 1905.

“King Lehr” and the Gilded Age

“King Lehr” and the Gilded Age
Author: Elizabeth Drexel Lehr
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2018-04-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1789121256

HARRY SYMES LEHR was born in 1869 into a family that was neither wealthy nor socially prominent. His natural gift for entertaining and his penchant for hobnobbing with the very rich earned him entry to the powerful circle of the New York and Newport social elite, where Harry clowned his way to a position of prominence. One of his admirers and patrons, Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, introduced him to a young widow, Elizabeth Wharton Drexel. Elizabeth was smitten with young Harry, his elegant dress, and outrageous behavior. They were soon married. But King Lehr had a secret—he was not what he seemed. On their wedding night he cruelly dictated the rules of their strange relationship to his new bride. For twenty-three years, Mrs. Lehr protected his secret and remained in a loveless and abusive marriage. After Harry’s death Elizabeth remarried, to the Baron Decies. Lady Decies wrote down her secret story in 1938, incorporating Harry’s most intimate diaries, and told all in this scandalous tale of power, desire, and deception.

How the Dukes Stole Christmas

How the Dukes Stole Christmas
Author: Tessa Dare
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 397
Release: 2019-09-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062962426

From the ballrooms of London, to abandoned Scottish castles, to the snowy streets of Gilded Age New York, four bestselling authors whip up unforgettable Christmas romance. “Meet Me in Mayfair” by Tessa Dare Louisa Ward needs a Christmas miracle. Unless she catches a wealthy husband at the ball, the Duke of Thorndale will evict her family from their home. When Louisa finds herself waltzing with the heartless Thorndale, she’s unnerved by his handsome looks—and surprising charm. “The Duke of Christmas Present” by Sarah MacLean Rich and ruthless, Eben, Duke of Allryd doesn’t care for the holidays. But when Lady Jacqueline Mosby returns to town after a long absence, Eben falls under the spell of Christmas—and the woman he never stopped loving. “Heiress Alone” by Sophie Jordan When Annis Bannister finds herself stranded in the Highlands during a Christmas snowstorm, she must fend off brigands terrorizing the countryside. Her only hope falls on her neighbor, a surly hermit duke who unravels her with a kiss. “Christmas in Central Park” by Joanna Shupe Mrs. Rose Walker pens a popular advice/recipe column. No one knows Rose can’t even boil water. When her boss, Duke Havemeyer, insists she host a Christmas party, Rose must find a husband, an empty mansion, and a cook. But Rose fears her plan is failing—especially when Duke’s attentions make her want to step under the mistletoe with him.

Duchess by Deception

Duchess by Deception
Author: Marie Force
Publisher: Zebra
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2019-01-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1420147854

For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dazzling world of America’s 19th century elite in this lush series of sparkling, page-turning love stories… In New York Times bestselling author Marie Force’s dazzling historical romance debut, the clock is ticking for a wealthy Duke who must marry by his thirtieth birthday—or lose his title . . . Derek Eagan, the dashing Duke of Westwood, is well aware of his looming deadline. But weary of tiresome debutantes, he seeks a respite at his country home in Essex—and encounters a man digging on his property. Except he’s not a man. He’s a very lovely woman. Who suddenly faints at his feet. Catherine McCabe’s disdain for the aristocracy has already led her to flee an arranged marriage with a boorish Viscount. The last thing she wants is to be waylaid in a Duke’s home. Yet, she is compelled to stay by the handsome, thoughtful man who introduces himself as the Duke’s estate manager. Derek realizes two things immediately: he is captivated by her delicate beauty, and to figure out what she was up to, Catherine must not know he is the Duke. But as they fall passionately in love, Derek’s lie spins out of control. Will their bond survive his deception, not to mention the scorned Viscount’s pursuit? Most important, can Catherine fall in love all over again—this time with the Duke? Praise for Marie Force “Genuine and heartfelt. . . . Will have you swooning.” —RT Book Reviews on It's Only Love, 4.5 stars An Official Military Spouse Book Club Pick