The Duke

An Indie Next Pick!
An Amazon Best Romance Book of May!
* Bookish, “30 Must-Read Books Hitting Shelves in 2026”
* Goodreads, “100 New, Red-Hot Romances to Read in 2026” and “Spring into Love with the Season’s Most Anticipated Romance & Romantasy Reads”
* Woman’s World, “9 New and Anticipated Historical Fiction Books Brimming with Steamy Romance and Yearning”
* Fangirlish, “The 10 Best Romance Books of April 2026”
* Autostraddle, “Our Most Anticipated Queer Books for April 2026”

“Cowan (Untamed) employs time-honored romance tropes to great effect, gender-swapping the archetype of the brooding aristocrat with fantastic thighs to create the same dynamics in a sapphic relationship. Fans of romances by Loretta Chase and Sarah MacLean and readers who dream of tall, powerful women brought to their knees for the women they love will adore The Duke.” - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Weaving in this subject matter, however, serves to make the story even sexier, with a hefty dose of yearning from both sides and scenes of glittering ballrooms and steamy carriage rides. The explosive finale is well-earned and immensely satisfying. A fresh sapphic take on well-worn Regency romance tropes.” - Library Journal

“Cowan’s feminist reimagining of the Regency gives the novel a bold, unwavering edge. Readers will find this refreshing and impressive.” - Publishers Weekly

“Cowan takes the trappings of the classic historical romance–a brooding, intimidating hero; political machinations; a glamorous ball; secrets, betrayals, and lots of yearning–and flips it on its head by making it queer and giving women power… [Celine and Kate] are driven by desperation–for power, security, pleasure, love–which heightens the drama and fills the lushly written tale with deep emotions. An exquisite slow-burn romance filled with captivating political intrigue.” - Kirkus

“A steamy sapphic historical romance [that] serves up the perfect enemies-to-lovers revenge story for spring. The Duke brings the heat, the yearning, and the glamour in a reimagined Paris and London, where women can hold the seat.” - Shelf Awareness

“Rich with political intrigue, social politics, and gripping sapphic tension, Cowan’s The Duke captivates. This exciting 18th century world where women battle in the House of Lords, take wives, and fight for political gain is only surpassed by the twisty, provocative, and gutting romance between Kate, the Duke of Howard, and Celine, the improbable ingenue who’s blackmailing her. A truly exquisite read.” - Emma R. Alban, bestselling author of Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend

“Full of adventure and humor, The Duke turns everyone’s favorite historical romance tropes on their head. Delightfully queer, sexy, and joyful.” - Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of the Bright Falls series

“Bridgerton with butches? Say less. The Duke is everything I want in a historical romance - it’s elegantly woven, it’s sexy, it’s passionate, and its characters are flawed but deeply human. I absolutely loved it.” - C.L. Clark, author of The Unbroken

“Gorgeously written and desperately hot, The Duke is one of those books you don’t recommend so much as evangelize. The clever, slantwise way Cowan wields the tropes of the genre! The incisive clarity of her characters! Hands down, my favorite romance of the decade.” - Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

“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

“Anna Cowan has pulled off a stupendous magic trick here. She’s plunged her hands into the classic historical romances, pulled out their bloodied heart, and shoved it into the chest of something entirely new. Celine and the Duke of Howard deserve to enter the annals of the genre’s most compelling protagonists. I’ll be rereading this one whenever I want an invigorating reminder of what romance can do when at its dizzying, heightened best.” - Freya Marske, author of Sword Crossed

“Cowan has created a complex and twisted alternative history. The Duke offers all the lush, brooding charms of classic historical romance with a sharp modern edge and queer sensuality.” - E.E. Ottoman, author of The Companion

“I can’t remember the last time I sank into such gorgeous, specific prose. I can’t quite express how much of a good time I had–in the truest sense, I was swept away. I was just reading in a state of pure pleasure.” - Shelley Parker-Chan, USA Today bestselling author of The Radiant Emperor series

“Riveting! Anna Cowan weaves messy, complex characters into an intricate web of power dynamics. A page-turning, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a dramatic, satisfying conclusion.” - Erica Ridley, New York Times bestselling author of the Wild Wynchesters series

“The Duke is simply stunning, a completely gorgeous book.” - Cat Sebastian, bestselling author of You Should Be So Lucky

“The Duke is sumptuous and seductive. This is the queer romance you’ve been craving: addictive, lush, darkly glamorous and blisteringly sexy.” - Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

Anna Cowan started writing at eight and hasn’t stopped yet. After years of travelling (including a quick stop to marry her Scottish sweetheart on the shores of Loch Lomond), she studied Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Her debut novel, Untamed, was published in 2013. She lives on Wurundjeri land in the hills outside Melbourne with her family.

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