Book #Review ~ It's All About the Duke (The Rakes of St. James, Book #3) by Amelia Grey #Historical

It's All About the Duke by Amelia Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Amazon

About the Book:

Nearing thirty, the Duke of Rathburne is finally ready to make amends for the wager that caused him and his best friends such scandal―but taking on a ward who needs a husband is a feat he’s not sure he can manage. The last he saw of Miss Marlena Fast, she was a spirited little ruffian, not the sort of bride most bachelors on the marriage mart sought. But one glance at the lovely lady she has become is enough to convince him otherwise…

Orphaned young and shuffled from family to family, Marlena counts on her fierce independence and quick wits to keep herself content. Being the responsibility of a notoriously wicked duke who upended so many lives is an unexpected challenge when she realizes he arouses her decidedly feminine desires. Marlena must be careful. She has her own scandalous secret to protect. If he finds out, will it shatter her chances of a happily-ever-after with the notorious rake?

My Review:

The story of the Rakes of St. James wraps up nicely in this book. Secrets are divulged that tie up loose ends concerning the scandal sheet that is woven through all the books in the series. The possible exposure and the actual exposing the truth of the scandal sheet and the person behind it cause many problems with the hero and heroine of the story.

Rath is the last of the rakes to be single. Looking to undo the effects of the scandalous events of his past, he agrees to take on the ward of a friend of his father’s. Their attraction is almost instantaneous and the chemistry they have sizzles. One weird thing to me about the book is that the author paired a ward and her keeper. I would have preferred they not be in that type of situation. Marlena is a strong character and doesn’t automatically yield to Rath, though. She’s independent and has a loving heart. Anxiety abounds with Marlena, however, when she learns that she has become the ward of one of the Rakes of St. James. As the story moves along, secrets become harder to keep and threaten to destroy relationships if they are revealed.

I enjoy Amelia Grey's writing style and her historical romances are some of my favorites. Her characters in It’s All About the Duke are well written and her world building is realistic. The book is descriptive, and I was able to visualize the characters, scenery, and events as they played out. The dialogue between all characters was smooth, interesting, and enjoyable. The banter between Rath and Marlena is entertaining, and I loved every scene.

I love the way Ms. Grey can write the emotions of the characters in such a way that the reader feels them. I want to be able to feel the anguish as if I'm the person upset; I want to cry if that's what the scene calls for; I want to laugh at the silliness of the antics that are written on the page. All the books I’ve read by Amelia Grey fulfill the emotional content. This novel has a fantastic plot, excellent characters, a great story, and is full of superbly written scenes with emotional content, and believability.

I was given a paperback book to read.

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Book #Review ~ To the Duke, with Love (The Rakes of St. James, Book #2) by Amelia Grey

To the Duke, with Love by Amelia Grey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon

My Review:

Book 2 focuses on Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorn, or Hawk for short. He is in the process of finding a match for his sister before the Season even begins. He wants to spare his sister any of the problems that may arise from the fact he is her brother. Hawk knows exactly who he wants as a match for her, but his selection comes with a roadblock.

After having barely escaped being married to a man she didn’t want to be with, Miss Loretta Quick only wants happiness for her brother. Loretta wants her brother to marry for love, not necessity. When one of the Rakes of St. James comes calling with a proposition for her brother to marry his sister, she digs her heals in and stands firm against the Duke. Only, their continuous battle of wits takes a sharp turn into the land of romance.

Amelia Grey’s historical romances are some of my favorites in the genre. I enjoy her writing style character development, story continuation, and world building. Her characters in To the Duke, with Love are well written and her world building is realistic. The book is descriptive, and I was able to visualize the characters, scenery, and events as they played out. The dialogue between all characters was smooth, interesting, and enjoyable. The banter between Hawk and Loretta is entertaining and I loved their characters and the chemistry between them.

The author also has the ability to write the emotions of the characters in such a way that the reader feels them. This, in my opinion, it was separates the excellence from the so-so. I want to be able to feel the anguish as if I'm the person upset; I want to cry if that's what the scene calls for; I want to laugh at the silliness of the antics that are written on the page. There are passages in To the Duke, with Love that take over and control my emotions and that, my friends, is what it's all about. A book could have the perfect plot, excellent characters, and a great story but if it doesn't pull me in, keep me engaged, and run me through a gauntlet of emotions then all that greatness is wasted. Fortunately, this novel has a fantastic plot, excellent characters, a great story, and is full of superbly written scenes with emotional content, and believability.

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