I am giving a fair and honest review in return for this ARC. There is a LOT going on in this story! Great characters, nice story and well written but definitely complicated.

This book was an absolutely wonderful read. I enjoyed every minute of this second chapter in Amelia Grey's Rakes of St. James series.

Hawk and Loretta were strikingly vivid characters so it was easy for me to fall in love with their romance. I loved their delightful verbal sparring, Loretta's stubborn streak, and the way Hawk instantly fell head over heels for her. I also liked the emotional aspect of the story even though I would've preferred a far different ending for Farley's character. I'm just glad that Amelia Grey decided not to totally break my heart where he was concerned.

All in all, this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the third book in the Rakes of St. James series.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorn, who, along with his friends, wrote to 12 debutantes requesting a secret meeting and signing it from a secret admirer. Each lady turned up causing their marriage prospects to diminish. Now the Duke has a sister of his own about to debut and does not wish for her to suffer for his actions. He decides to arrange his sister marriage before the start of the season. He does not bargain on his choice of groom having a sister who is vehemently against arranged marriages.
Miss Loretta Quick has been banished to the country for refusing to marry the man of her uncle’s choosing. She has determined that her brother should marry a lady of his own choosing and will not allow a haughty duke to dictate to her even if he does inspire attraction.
This is a story of instant-lust. The two main characters are instantly drawn to each other upon meeting. The romance itself is interesting the banter between the two main characters was fun but I couldn’t connect to the characters. Loretta’s vow to remain single was ridiculous in my opinion and it was overcome way too easily.
As for the introduction of Farley, this should have been excluded altogether as your hopes are raised that this twelve-year-old street urchin will have a happy ever after but it becomes a side note. while Hawk’s treatment of Farley may have been typical of that era it’d not what I enjoy in a romance.

What I liked about this, is that our heroine is no "damsel in distress". She's strong, unlike her brother, and is not afraid to speak her mind. For the most part, she has chosen the life she leads and is adequately content, until a dashing duke comes along.
The banter between the leads is nicely done and they are quite credible. However, Loretta's brother and the Hawk's sister are rather annoying in their naivety. Overall, I quite enjoyed this one and look forward to the next one.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

I’ve read a few by this author and she is a great writer. However, this one was just okay... I think the plane was on autopilot.

To the Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey is an intriguing regency romance. Arranged marriages and refusal to be married to the wrong person...can create an irresistible plot like this one. Wow! So, the strong heroine is a bit biased on arranged marriages. However, as I discovered, she has some right to be biased. It happened to her and didn't bide well. She ended up vowing to be celibate and forced to live alone in the country. But, she has a loving brother who dotes on her. He comes with her. Feeling like she finally accepted her fate...a Duke arrives. Causing chaos to her quiet lifestyle. Their banters are playfully wicked and charming.

I couldn't stop laughing. They really are a couple to follow and love. Their siblings make it even more entangled and exciting. Temptation, isolation, humor, and sexy characters that have enticed readers like me, to read till the ending. What a perfect way to end this adventure...Amelia Grey has stunned me to the core with the level of depth from her characters and the visual scenes that are unforgettable. Overall, I recommend this historical romance to all.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Tricky and seemly impossible but Amelia Grey makes the transition smooth and painless for the reader. Top Notch. My favorite of the series. You'll remember this one.

TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE – Amelia Grey
The Rakes of St. James - Book 2
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
ISBN 10: 1250102510
ISBN 13: 978125010251
December 2017
Historical Romance

England, Early 19th Century

At eighteen, Loretta Quick backed out of a marriage arranged by her uncle, the Earl of Switchingham, while the guests gathered at the church. It angered her uncle so much he made her vow to never marry. He then estranged her to a distant property, Mammoth House. She is isolated there with her brother, Paxton, except Paxton remains in society. He stays when he is not traveling around England or in London. Most of society believes the rumor she entered a convent, but none actually know her uncle isolated her far from society.

The Duke of Hawksthorn, Sloan Knox, who goes by Hawk, slowly slogs his way through a cold drizzle of rain to Mammoth House. He has an appointment with Paxton Quick to bespeak an engagement between the young man, an earl’s nephew, and Sloan’s sister Adele. Adele’s debut season begins soon, and Hawk wants to protect his sister. Someone might seek revenge on him for his own youthful scandal involving his friends, the other two Rakes of St. James, the Dukes of Griffin and Rathburne, and the reputations of twelve debutantes. He walks a convoluted path he didn’t expect, leading his lame horse. Once he arrives, he discovers Paxton never received his missive. The young man has been absent from Mammoth House for three weeks. Instead he meets Loretta. When he tells her of his mission, she is against any arranged marriage. The two should be able to choose for themselves. He knows Loretta’s story, and of her abandoning society, but how did he miss this engaging and challenging woman during her only season? His fascination grows the longer he is with her.

Hawk also captivates Loretta but she knows she can have no expectations. She knows his history as she has kept up with 'Miss Honora Truth’s Scandal Sheet.' While he is at Mammoth House, Hawk learns of Loretta’s predicament. He also saves the life of a young boy, Farley, who came to the house begging for food. Farley adds another dimension to the atmosphere at Mammoth House when he falls desperately ill. His story and back history does the same for the Hawk and Loretta’s story. After Hawk goes back to London, he makes a vow to himself to rescue this lady from her imprisonment and get her to London, while still determined to make a match between their respective siblings.

Hawk is a reformed rake, and as such he knows all about disreputable men and the emotional scars they can leave on young women. His sister Adele is about to enter her first season and he's set on ensuring she avoids any ill-suited men and potential ruin, so his plan is to choose her husband for her and marry her off first.

His choice: Loretta's brother. After her own disastrous experience with an arranged engagement, Loretta is set against her brother marrying for anything other than love and swears she'll fight against Hawk to persuade her brother not to settle for anything less.

For a few reasons, I couldn't quite get into this book. There was no chemistry between Hawk and Loretta, despite them falling in lust instantly and in love within a matter of days - on the whole, their romance was fairly unbelievable. Hawk's attitude to Farley and Adele's spoiled nature really tainted them as characters for me, and I honestly felt disappointed by the decision made by Adele and Loretta's brother at the end of the book. As for Farley, I'm not actually sure what his role in the book was or why that subplot was introduced...

Overall, a quick and light read, though it felt like the book had the potential for more.

Rakes of St. James are back and this time its Sloane Knox, Duke of Hawkshorn ‘s turn. In To the Duke, With Love. Sloane is trying to circumvent what happened to Griffin (Last Night with the Duke) and his sisters, he didn’t want it to happen to him. So, he went on a mission to find a suitable groom for his sister Adel. But, a person was standing in his way. That person was headstrong beguiling Loretta Quick the sister of the man he suspects will make a suitable husband. However, Loretta who avoided the arranged marriage trap, refuse to see her brother pushed into something he didn’t want.
This story was somewhat better than the first book but not by much. The story started off good, the banter between the two main characters was fun. But again, that didn’t even hold my attention for long. I got through about half the story before, I got bored with the story and start skimming the pages. I did find that I like one of the secondary characters…. Farley. It would have been nice that he received an HEA but it was not to be in this story.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was book two in the series. I haven’t decided if I love it yet or not. In this book we have a duke that is just kind of a controlling know it all.. I just wasn’t a huge fan of him.

This story contains a key element for me sticking with a story and really liking it – talking, lots and lots of talking. I love the banter and the witty comebacks. Hawk and Loretta and terrific when it comes to banter. I liked that Hawk knew what he wanted and did not give up. The side stories of their siblings' arranged marriage and the street urchin added a nice touch. Thank you Ms. Grey for bringing the street urchin’s plight out in a manner that was realistic. In the end, this story is a very nice read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the chemistry between Hawk and Loretta from the very beginning. I don't really understand why Loretta punished herself all because she did not desire the husband her Uncle picked for her. I was surprised how headstrong Loretta was with Hawk but coward to her Uncle. I can not wait to read more books from this author.

It is possible that I am in a historical romance rut where every book I read does not excite me, but I was just not feeling this novel. It is entirely possible that I just need a dynamic palette cleanser to give me back the enjoyment of trashy romances. 

This novel did not keep me enraptured, but it was not horrible by any means. It just fell short. In a historical romance, I am looking for drama and passion, but this book was much more melodramatic. The "villain" of the story, her uncle just did not have enough evil page time to give the story more action. The passion between the main characters was short and sparse. 

If one is looking for a melo, not a lot of sex, historical romance, this one could be for you. Sadly, it was not one I overly enjoyed.

Utterly boring! Let's start off with Hawk. A rake who doesn't want his sister's reputation compromised. Yet, he has no issue with plotting constantly compromise Loretta. Then there's Loretta, a complete ninny. And very self-righteous and downright annoying. How she took to Farley and wanted to keep him. When he was just a rude ingrate. Paxton and Adele, featherbrained idiots. Paxton constantly smiling and never being serious for more than 30 seconds. Adele, a spoiled brat who felt everyone should cater every last one of her needs. I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen, something, anything significant. But the plot never seemed to pick up. I skimmed through pages only to find more of the same. Just plain awful.. This is my honest opinion and I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.

A great second book of the series. A slow seduction... I loved how the book developed in storyline and character development. This Historical Romance is a 2 for 1. Two couples get together in this book in two different ways. Who says one is better than the other? This is a must read! And can be read as a standalone if you haven't read the first book. Both are page turners.

To The Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey reminded me why I love historical/regency romance.

There's just something about the balls and gowns, dukes and duchesses, society and all that, it makes me wish I've been born then... I think what I found most interesting about this book was that for once, there weren't balls for the heroine to attend. Imagine that!

I enjoyed the banter between Loretta and Hawk from the moment they first meet. Sparks fly, yet I didn't think it was love at first sight as they're just intrigued by what they see.

Hawk is the perfect (alpha) gentleman. Once he sets his mind on winning Loretta, he doesn't waver. Even when he shares with his friends the challenge she presents, he's always thinking of how not to lose her when he's only just found her. I loved that. He sort of reminds me of Sebastian, the Duke of St Ives, one of my favorite heroes of all time.

I liked that Loretta isn't the naive type of heroine. She's no damsel in distress, and has learned to live within the means her uncle provides as part of her punishment for not marrying the man of his choosing. She's also not quick to fall for the duke. She knows he can get her out of her misery but she refuses to do that because that would be too easy, and she wants true love. I was totally digging her reasons.

However, I did find Paxton, her brother, and Hawk's sister annoying and unreal. Hawk's sister was too childish for a young woman who's 18 years old, and therefore the arrangement between her and Paxton didn't seem right to me. Thank goodness his sister was in few scenes, else I'm not sure I would've been able to read the book.

All in all, this was a good book that I might read again.

This was an enjoyable read that I read a couple weeks ago and honestly not much of it stuck with me which makes it harder to review. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. The attraction was a little too instant for me and while I know arranged marriages aren't too unusual back then it still rankled me a little especially when we meet Hawk's sister and she was so willing to put her entire future in Hawk's hands. She's the sort of females in these books that irritate me when they find little need to think for themselves and rather rely completely on the men in their lives. The conflict over Loretta's vow never to marry was resolved just a little too easily for my tastes especially since such a big deal was made of it. It was one of those moments where I felt like "That's it?! All that bemoaning and hand wringing and then it's solved just like that?".

Other than that the story itself moved along nicely and was a pleasant read but not one I would rush to go read again.

The Rakes of St. James continues with the Duke of Hawksthorn or Hawk trying to protect his little sister by betrothing her to Paxton Quick, younger brother of Loretta Quick, before the season. He is hoping an engagement will protect her from whomever it is that seeks revenge against the three rakes. Apparently, he has been watching the gentlemen around London for some time looking for the one that will be a good match for his sister, Adele. My first thought was – would Adele be amenable to an arranged match? Apparently so, as you find out deeper into the book.

Hawk goes to Mammoth House in the country to make the offer of his sister in marriage to Paxton. Instead of Paxton, he comes upon Loretta, Paxton’s sister. He quickly realizes he has come up against a young lady who is so adamantly against arranged marriages, she walked out of the church to keep from taking part of her own arranged marriage. While she is convincing him this is not a good idea because she wants her brother to marry for love, he is falling in love with her and her strong personality. But, keep in mind she walked out on marriage once already.

Loretta does not live at Mammoth House because she wants to live there. She was banished there by her uncle and guardian after refusing the arranged marriage he planned for her. That evening a street urchin knocks at their back door for food during an ice storm. Loretta is so taken with the little boy, Farley, that she wants to make him part of her household. Through out the book Hawk warns her against this telling her Farley will not change. She believes he is wrong.

There are several strong characters in the book, among them Paxton, who always appears to be kind of happy go lucky. But, when push comes to shove he proves to be as strong as Hawk himself. All together these characters weave together to make a really good romance.

Ms. Grey is great about making her romantic books realistic in so many ways leaving you feeling the book ended better than you would have thought. She brings in the other rakes of St. James to help keep you in touch with them. I am already looking forward to Rath’s story. Since he does not have younger siblings as Griffin and Hawk, his story should be as different as the first two.

This story was interesting, but not the best of this author. Still, I liked the H and h, and liked them together, I suspect there is another book or two to come in the series for the siblings of this couple, and to reserve the story of how the young waif from this story ends. This story just didn’t seem quite as dynamic as some of the others I’ve read of the author. Still a fun regency romance.