A Gamble at Sunset (Betting Against the Duke)
Georgie is the second daughter of a “Blackamoor” family, which has a debt-ridden coal business. Mark, shy third son of a marquess and composer, is struggling to write a sonata that will prove his musical worth to the world. Enter a mysterious half-Russian, half-British duke with an African ancestor—and a past that’s entangled with Georgie’s older sister. When Georgie kisses Mark in the garden, just to spite her older sister, it sets in motion a roller coaster path for them all.
Set in London in 1816, this Regency romance has readers’ favorite elements—titled men, beautiful young women who are reluctant to marry, scandal, and a culminating ball with all the ton present. This story goes a step further by creating characters based on well-researched history involving British and Russian people of African and mixed ancestry. I especially liked that the author created characters who each have their own interests, such as the third daughter who dons men’s clothing to sneak into scientific lectures. A Gamble at Sunset is a fun read, not only for the romance but also for a better understanding of the era and how people of color have long been a part of all strata of British society.
