My One and Only Duke shares with us a family raised from poverty and familial cruelty to hard earned wealth to possible loss of a cherished brother. Quinn Wentworth is a man who does not fit into his skin. Condemned and accepting his fate for his own reasons, suddenly finds himself a duke. He was already wealthy, but had no idea he was the heir to a dukedom.

While awaiting his hanging, the daughter of a vicar invades his prison cell and his life. Jane Winston has an unbelievably generous, kind heart and a way of getting under your skin that is really welcome. The widowed, pregnant Jane wins Quinn’s heart in a way he does not even see. They wed so she can give her unborn child a future, but when Quinn’s life is spared, Jane is ecstatically happy. I loved that these two hashed out whether or not to stay married before Jane became aware of her change to duchess.

Ms. Burrowes is one of the best at developing her characters in a way that seeps into your heart so you hope for the unusual couple to find their HEA quickly. Yet, the development is at just the right pace to keep you entertained and hoping.

The entire Wentworth family is unique in their upbringing and how each of them dealt with the cruelty of their father. Quinn’s sister, brother and cousin are all prominent in Quinn and Jane’s romance. Quinn and Jane’s challenge to the other to keep honesty in their relationship is pulled to the edge. His family helps to keep us intrigued by making sure Quinn is staying honest. Add in Ned and the other servants brought from Newgate and you have a delightfully complete household.

Jane had a very unique way of disagreeing with others and taking them to task. Quinn become quite good at realizing she was waiting him out and counting to keep her temper. It was good to see her finally deal with her father, but even then, she was kinder than any one else would have been.

The ending is perfect and could not have been written better. One of the things I like best about Grace Burrowes’ books is the feeling you are there with her characters. You begin to feel you are part of the family watching their lives unfold around you. Her ability to develop the human characteristics and depth of emotions keeps you waiting for the next book in any of her series. Looking forward to Duncan’s story!