One Dance with a Duke proves to be the undoing of Amelia D’Orsay in this latest offering from author Tessa Dare. Amelia has come to the ball with no hope or intention of catching the eye of the dashing “Duke of Midnight” as Spencer Dumarque, the Duke of Morland has been dubbed. Spencer has developed this reputation by showing up at balls precisely at midnight and dancing one set with a desirable young woman before his departure. Neither Amelia nor Spencer count on the events that lead them to leave the ball together that evening, nor do they quite realize where that chance encounter will ultimately lead.

Amelia is of an age to be considered a spinster, and has long since given up on the idea of marriage and children. With several older brothers to love and take care of, she’s kept busy keeping their lives in order, especially that of her beloved brother, Jack, a risk taking gambler who has pushed his luck one too many times. Spencer is also part of the events surrounding Jack’s problem, and Amelia hopes that she can intervene with Spencer so that Jack may get out of the trouble he is in. What she doesn’t count on is a marriage proposal from Spencer, and a marriage that takes place that very same day.

Usually courtship precedes marriage, but in this case, marriage precedes courtship, and Spencer sets out to win his wife’s love and affection. He is a man who plays his cards close to his chest, and as Amelia delves deeper into his secrets, the couple grows even closer together. The tension and heat between Amelia and Spencer sizzles like a Texas sidewalk in August, and their relationships unfolds at a languid, sexy pace. Amelia digs deep beneath the layers that vulnerable Spencer has kept around him most of his life, and as she peels those layers, the couple fall more and more deeply in love.

One Dance with a Duke is a steamy historical romance, but it’s a mystery story as well. Spencer holds membership in the exclusive Stud Club, a group of men who share ownership of a prize race horse. When one of the other members is murdered, Spencer finds himself working with the remaining two members, Julian Bellamy and Rhys St. Maur, Lord Ashworth to solve the mystery. The two plot lines, Spencer and Amelia’s romance and the murder of the Stud Club’s founding member, intertwine perfectly throughout the novel, driving the story along at an ideal pace. Best of all, One Dance with a Duke is just the first of three novels in Tessa Dare’s trilogy. Bring on number two!