The Duchess Affair

We’ve got the inside scoop and we’re so ready for our Duchess era!

Can you tell us a little more about The Duchess Affair?

Rachel: Your marriage to the (boorish) Duke of Sussington saved your family from ruin… but he wants nothing to do with you. Happy to keep you distracted, your husband hires a tutor to further your academic… and erotic knowledge. But as your “studies” progress, you find yourself willing to risk everything for a love you never knew was possible.

Sounds intriguing! We hear there is a certain timely (or untimely in the Duke’s eyes) tutor we should watch out for. Care to indulge us?

Rachel: Oh, yes. The tutor: insert Nat Pippin. Your character might be a little naive in the ways of the world, but Nat is anything but. They know a little bit of everything and are eager to share it with you. Let’s just say that with Nat, poetry never sounded so… good.

Daniel: I’m not saying Nat’s going to ruin your life, but... by the end of the first chapter, you just might want them to.

Nat certainly sounds like the best "tutor" in town. 😏 Our community wants to know… The Duchess Affair has a very similar title to another Choices tale! How do The Duchess Affair and The Nanny Affair differ?

Daniel: I’d almost say that this time, players are the Sam Dalton in the relationship. Also, I think The Duchess Affair utilizes humor a little more frequently. This book has some of the zaniest secondary and tertiary characters in the Choices catalog.

Rachel: Spoiler: They both deal with affairs. Now that the obvious is out of the way, I think the books are widely different with familiar elements. The Duchess Affair is perfect for anyone who always wanted the steam and forbidden romance in The Nanny Affair, but with the manners and historical element of Desire & Decorum. However, with The Duchess Affair, you’ll be swept away in elegant outfits befitting a 1700s duchess, indulge in forbidden luxuries that never tasted so sweet, and during this time, I think it’s safe to say that a kiss on the wrist can be as irresistible as one on the lips.

We are HERE for it! Is there a particular piece of 18th-century-based media that inspired you when writing this book?

Rachel: I mean, who hasn’t been obsessed with Bridgerton — both the books and the TV show? The wrong time period by a few decades, but it was fun research to see what they did and compare it to what we had already been working on. But also, there’s a Queen Charlotte spinoff that I learned about not too long ago! For those “eagled-eyed readers”, they might even see a familiar historic cameo later on in The Duchess Affair…

We will keep our eyes peeled! What's your favorite part about the time period this book takes place in?

Rachel: Honestly, I’m obsessed with the outfits of the time. The full, embroidered skirts, the risqué necklines, the cravats — even the powdered wigs! It’s such an important part of a period piece, and I think our art team did a great job of capturing the world.

Daniel: What’s fun about writing 18th century England’s upper crust is that almost everything they say to one another is a flex, a dig, or a threat veiled in fancy language.

We do love some good ol’ fancy-veiled threats. 🧐 We’re excited to start our tutoring classes and get to know the characters in The Duchess Affair. Until then, look out for tomorrow’s trailer! 

<3 The Choices Community Team