Marcus Reece, duke of Exeter, is used to covering up and even protecting his twin brother David from all the trouble he finds himself in. Unfortunately, David’s latest antics have more serious implications in more ways than one. Unknown to Marcus, David married a vicar’s wife, but instead of placing his name on the marriage certificate he forges his brother’s. Now with David conveniently nowhere to be found, Marcus finds himself married to a woman he has never met. When he meets Hannah, the only thing for a duke to do to prevent scandal is to pretend they are married.

Hannah Preston cannot believe the predicament she finds herself in. After rescuing David from a carriage accident, she and her daughter have both grown fond of him. She even agrees to marry him in order to prevent being sent back to her father’s home. Hannah knows she does not love David, but hopes that in time she will. When she finds herself instead married to Marcus, she is bound and determined to get her and her daughter back home. However, when Marcus offers her a deal, she finds it hard to turn down.

When both Marcus and Hannah find themselves developing feelings for each other, can they walk away from a marriage they never meant to be in?

Readers will love Marcus Reece. Although in the beginning he may come off a bit harsh, the author easily redeems his actions. It was a shock for him to suddenly find himself hitched when he had no plans of marrying. Both characters are easily believable, and their spats will have readers laughing. The secondary characters of David, Rosalind, Molly, and Celia add an extra bit of zing to the story. Caroline Linden does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. She mixes the elements of this story perfectly; devotion, honor, and scandal. What a Gentleman Wants is a must read for all fans of the historical regency genre!

Reviewed by: JoAnn