Find Another Book

Book details

Anna and the duke

Kathryn Smith - Author

This historical romance centres on Anna’s uncertain engagement, family inheritance and growing attraction to Ewan. Her interest in poetry and doubts about love unfold alongside a plot against Ewan.

Add to Compare Explore

Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Choice· AffirmedMarriage· AffirmedInheritance

Consider

Relationships and intimacyViolence and harmFamily disruption

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

romancechoicemarriageinheritancefamilysuspense

Fiction

Themes in Context

Love and marriage

Anna is engaged to Richard but questions whether their match is love or an arrangement; she and Ewan develop feelings for one another.

How the book presents it: Anna’s feelings for Ewan develop while she is engaged to Richard and concerned about hurting him; the romance includes light kissing.

Talk about: How does Anna weigh her feelings against her existing commitment?

Inheritance and family conflict

Ewan inherits the title his half-brother Richard expected to receive, and someone tries to challenge Ewan’s legitimacy.Provisional reading

Talk about: How do Ewan and Richard respond to the inheritance dispute?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story gives space to the difference between a socially advantageous match and a relationship chosen for love. It also brings questions of inheritance and family loyalty into the romantic plot.

What Deserves Attention

Pay particular attention to relationships and intimacy.

A Conversation Worth Having

How do Anna’s ideas about love affect the way she thinks about her engagement and the choices she faces?

Reading Approach

If suspense is a concern, read together around the sections involving the threat to Ewan, then check in about how tense the uncertainty feels. You can also pause to discuss what Anna values in a relationship.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Love and marriage: Anna’s feelings develop while she is engaged to Richard, bringing romantic conflict and questions of commitment into the story.
Inheritance and family conflict: The challenge to Ewan’s legitimacy adds suspense to the inheritance and family conflict.

Anna and the duke by Kathryn Smith | Open Library

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Love and marriage; Inheritance and family conflict

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: Anna and the Duke | janeaustenrunsmylife