The Duke's Hero (The Dowager Matchmaker)

Lady Hero Ashcombe's future has been planned since childhood. She was expected to marry her cousin Percy, unite two distinguished families, and preserve the Ashcombe fortune for another generation.

Then Percy falls in love with someone else.

Though genuinely happy for her cousin, Hero suddenly finds herself one of England's richest unmarried women, possessing a vast fortune that attracts ambitious gentlemen, scheming mothers, and relentless fortune hunters. Determined to secure the perfect husband for her beloved granddaughter, the formidable Dowager Countess Augusta Ashcombe launches Hero into London's social season with the best of intentions. Instead, the endless pressure and unwanted attention push Hero to the edge of exhaustion.

Fearing for her granddaughter's health, Augusta retreats with Hero to the quiet English seaside, where life moves at a gentler pace. Away from society's expectations, Hero forms an unexpected friendship with two neighboring sisters, Lydia and Marianne, and meets the compassionate Dr. Jonathan Hale, a country physician who treats her as a woman rather than a fortune.

For the first time in years, Hero begins to imagine a future that belongs to her alone.

But not everyone has abandoned the marriage market.

The handsome and ambitious Lord Silas Vane arrives with one goal—to secure Hero's fortune by winning her hand, whatever the cost. As deception, duty, and love collide, Hero must discover whether she possesses the courage to choose her own destiny before someone else chooses it for her.

Hero's Match is the first novel in The Dowager Matchmaker, a charming Regency romance series featuring unforgettable heroines, a fiercely devoted grandmother with a talent for matchmaking, delightful friendships, memorable villains, and heartwarming romances that prove the truest matches are made by love, not fortune.

Perfect for readers who enjoy clean Regency romance, strong family bonds, witty dialogue, and richly drawn historical settings.