Book Spotlight and Interview: Say Yes to the Duke by Kieran Kramer

1. Tell me about your new release Say Yes to the Duke.

It’s a fun, romantic story about the middle sister – the one who’s not noticed as much as her “It Girl” older sister and her adorable younger sister.  Her mother told her, ” If you’re going to fall in love, it might as well be with a duke.” How many of us have been told, ” If you’re going to fall in love, it might as well be with a rich man?” Anyway, poor Janice is under so much pressure!  This is the story of her and her duke…but you might be surprised by what happens.

As usual, I put a lot of thought into my secondary characters, too.  I like the story to be populated with memorable people, so look out for Isobel, the maid, and the dowager duchess.  And then there’s Luke, the hunk in the stables!!!

2. Where did you come up with the idea for the series?

I dreamt about it one night. I woke up at 1 a.m. and ran to my computer and emailed my editor and agent.

3. The cover for Say Yes to the Duke is gorgeous.  How much input do you have on your covers?

I get to help choose the cover models, which is absolutely a blast! This cover was actually chosen by readers.  Heroes and Heartbreakers featured three covers created by the St. Martin’s Press art department, and this one won by a landslide!  I LOVE this cover.  Thank you.  I’ll be sure to tell the art department you like it, too!

4. What are you working on now?

I just finished my first contemporary romance called Sweet Talk Me.  It takes place in a fictitious South Carolina town and is about a starchy Southern belle and her troublemakin’ country singer ex.  They fall in love while he’s helping her get ready to marry another man.

5. Which authors/books do you feel have been a big influence on you becoming a writer?

Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Victoria Holt, LaVyrle Spencer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Sophie Kinsella, Beverly Cleary.

6. What was the first book that you ever wrote?  Was it published?

The first one I wrote as an adult was called Madeira, My Dear.  It was a 60,000-word Regency I wrote years ago when my children were babies.  It had a talking dog and all sorts of craziness.  I’d love to find it and read it again.  I did write a little book called The Adventures of Tom Nooley when I was eleven years old.  I was very proud of that.

Thank you so much for answering my questions.  I have loved all the books in the House of Brady series and I’m excited to read Say Yes to the Duke.

Thank you very much for these wonderful questions.  I wish you and all your readers a lovely autumn filled with many cozy moments reading fabulous books!

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer currently writes fun contemporary romance for St. Martin’s Press. A former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher, Kieran’s also a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer. She lives where she grew up–in the Lowcountry of South Carolina–with her family. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.kierankramerbooks.com.

Jennifer’s Review of Say Yes to the Duke

Title: Say Yes to the Duke

Series #: House of Brady #3

Characters: Janice Sherwood and Luke Callahan

Author: Kieran Kramer

Order Links: Amazon/ B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Janice Sherwood wants to marry for love, but she’s failed to make a match after two Seasons.  Her parents, the Marguess and Marchioness of Brady, arrange to send her to the Duke of Halsey’s country estate as a short-term guest of his grandmother, the dowager, in hopes that she might win the duke’s affections.  What they never could have imagined is that Janice would fall for the ruggedly handsome servant Luke, who lives in the stables and carries an air of mystery and temptation.

When Luke Callahan learns that he is the legitimate heir to a dukedom, he will stop at nothing to claim what is his.  But first, he must begin a game of disguise to secure his rightful inheritance.  Janice isn’t part of his plan.  But by engaging her in this dance of deception, might he lose her forever?

Review (4.5):
I am always impressed with Kieran Kramer’s talent in writing such wonderful romances that will have you rooting for the heroine to finally get her happy ending after facing obstacles that almost prevents her from finding true love.  I have loved this series from the beginning with Loving Lady Marcia and enjoyed her creative take on the classic television series, The Brady Bunch.

I’ve always liked Janice and I was happy to see her finally get her story.  Just like the television show, Janice was the middle daughter and always felt that she was outshined by her sisters.  Her older sister, Marcia, was the “pretty one” and Cynthia was the “cute one” while Janice was left in the shadows of their spotlight.  One thing I loved was how her personality changed over the course of this book and she became a strong woman who wouldn’t back down from anyone instead of just going along with everything like other women at the time.  There are a couple of scenes where Janice took advantage of her newfound situation and made the Duke’s lackeys help the community when they never had any intention of helping anyone but themselves.

The Duke of Halsey was an absolute jerk who took advantage of his social standing and used it as a platform to engage in unsavory activities.  He believed that women were just there to be used for his entertainment.  He never planned on getting married because that would spoil his never-ending party.  He was only interested in Janice because she did the exact opposite of what everyone expected and he wanted to see if the rumor about her sexual history was true or not. I wanted Luke to hit him over the head for some of the things that Halsey had done, he was that much of a jerk.

Luke Callahan was a great guy for Janice.  He was on a mission to find the truth about his heritage and didn’t plan on meeting or falling for Janice.  He never planned on deceiving her about his true intentions but I’m glad that everything worked out in the end.

I loved Say Yes to the Duke and can’t say enough good things about Ms. Kramer’s charming House of Brady series.  I’m looking forward to reading her next book in the series because I am sure to fall in love with her fun witty characters.