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The Duke

A Novel

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Pub Date Apr 28 2026 | Archive Date Apr 28 2026
St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

Description

"Gorgeously written and desperately hot... Hands down, my favorite romance of the decade." - Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

A sapphic regency romance about the duke who fears nothing... until the woman she never forgot walks through the door and brings her to her knees.


Set in a world of powerful female nobles and the women who love them...

Kate, Duke of Howard, is known throughout Europe as a merciless autocrat not to be crossed. Consumed by a bitter rivalry, she avoids society and has vowed never to trap a woman into marriage with a monster like herself.

The beautiful, ambitious courtesan Celine Genet once threw herself on the mercy of the visiting Duke of Howard. She was desperate to escape the guillotine. But after a night of searing passion, the duke left her to the ravages of Revolutionary Paris and didn’t look back. Now Celine is in London and in possession of a dangerous letter that proves the Duke of Howard committed treason as a child - and possibly even murder.

Celine wants a titled husband in return for keeping the duke’s secret, leaving Kate no choice but to parade her around the most fashionable ballrooms. But as Celine takes society by storm, Kate finds herself growing fond of the woman set on destroying her. And as their attraction mounts, Kate faces an impossible choice: keep her childhood secret, or win the woman she loves.

Anna Cowan's The Duke is an utterly unforgettable, page-turning romance featuring two women who, separately, are a danger to each other, but together, could be the most powerful duo London has ever seen.

"The Duke is Georgette Heyer quadrupled and queered, flipping the erotic appeal of a cold-hearted alpha into an alternate England in which women can be dukes and marry whom they please. I loved and envied the way it combined the originality of My Lady Jane, the luxury of Bridgerton, and the smutty, fabulous sex of Fingersmith." - Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author of Viscount in Love

"Gorgeously written and desperately hot... Hands down, my favorite romance of the decade." - Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

A sapphic regency romance about the...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250382849
PRICE $19.00 (USD)
PAGES 352

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Average rating from 85 members


Featured Reviews

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I’m cooked, I’m done, I’m fried. This is a book hangover book FOR SURE. When I tell you I was erotically stimulated by an aborted kiss that landed on a PALM OF THE HAND, or when I tell you I was moved to tears by the ice queen realizing her feelings, I am not exaggerating. This book was so much more than I bargained for.

Anyone who is a fan of Bridgerton knows that the women of Regency London run the ton. The Duke asks: what if those women weren’t backstage machinations, but performing in front of the curtain?

This is so much more than a romance. This is a story of strength, of enduring, and of resilience.

Apparently the author has one other book which is MF, but I’m really hoping this isn’t the last sapphic title she pens. In fact, I need a Julia Quinn-length sapphic series post-motherfucking-haste.

Also, I need every edition of this on my shelf. That is all.

6 out of 5 stars.

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Bold, lush, and deliciously romantic—I couldn’t put this down. The tension between Kate and Celine is electric, the writing gorgeous, and the twists kept me hooked. A daring, unforgettable romance!

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