My husband recently asked why I spend so much time with the Calthorpe family.
I had to tell him that when I am at my desk, they aren’t just characters on a screen. They feel like old friends. I suppose that is the peril of being a reclusive bookworm; the worlds I build become quite real to me.
Coming from a large family myself, I have always been fascinated by those tight-knit bonds: the way siblings can exasperate you one moment and be your fiercest defenders the next. That is truly the heart of The Duke’s Heritage series.
For anyone who has not yet met them, the Calthorpes are the family of the Duke of Thistlewayte: one of the most powerful and wealthy families in England, yet still very much subject to the ordinary trials of finding love. Each book follows a different Calthorpe sibling, or one of their closest connections, as they navigate the glittering (and often treacherous) ballrooms of the Regency marriage mart. Duty, familial expectation, and the quiet pull of the heart all collide, with a few puzzles and surprises left behind by the previous Duke to keep matters interesting.
The first three books actually centre on the Wingfield sisters, who become intertwined with the Calthorpes through marriage and friendship after the eldest, Georgiana, weds the Marquess of Billington. Only then do we return more fully to the remaining Calthorpe siblings themselves. The families are close, the households interwoven, and the bonds between them feel wonderfully lived-in.
Whether I am crocheting a new blanket (or, more truthfully, attempting one and ending up with something that more closely resembles a rather ambitious potholder) or savouring a cup of tea, I find my mind wandering back to the twins, Marjory and Millicent, or wondering what Lady Matilda would say about the modern world. Usually, she’d find it far too loud.
If you, too, find yourself drawn to the Calthorpes, you can read The Duke’s Heritage series now in Kindle Unlimited.
📚 The Duke’s Heritage: Available Now in Kindle Unlimited
Do you find yourself missing characters once you’ve finished a book? Which literary family feels most like home to you? I should love to hear about them in the comments.