Terrific romance and redemption story!

Rath, the Duke of Rathburne, is still coming to terms with the societal and emotional fall-out from a wager he made years ago with a couple of his friends. While they didn't intend to hurt any of the young ladies nor their reputations, their little prank went too far and lives were changed forever.

Now Rath finds himself the somewhat unwilling guardian to the beautiful Miss Marlena Fast, not realizing her connection to some of the affected ladies nor what she has done in the intervening years to even the score. Their romance is full of chemistry and denial, as well as secrets and more than one well-deserved comeuppance.

The writing is easy-going, drawing the reader right into the Regency era and high society settings. The characters are lively and the friendships, especially among the female circle, were delightful. As the third in a three-book series the HEA nicely tied up all loose ends. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

The Duke of Rathburne had a few regrets. In It’s All About The Duke, “Rath” admits that he was the one responsible for the idea that embarrassed several young women after a prank went wrong many years ago.

The second was that he was standing on the doorstep of another young woman about to advise her that he was her guardian. Her long-time guardian believed himself nearing the end of his life, and wanted to see his beloved ward settled with a new guardian before his death.

It was now up to the Rath to launch her into society and find her a husband. He had met Miss Marlena Fast many years ago when she was a young hoyden and didn’t hold out much hope for success.

Miss Marlena Fast may enjoy doing her own gardening, and without the benefit of the hat, but she was no hoyden. The young woman who greeted him was strikingly beautiful and not at all what he had expected.

Marlena was quite startled to find the Duke in her garden. She feared her secret was out.

For the last several years, Marlena has been the author behind the “Miss Honora Truth’s Words of Wisdom and Warning About Rakes, Scoundrels, Rogues, and Libertines” scandal sheet. Since the Duke was regularly featured in those pages, she worried the Duke was there to expose her.

Finding out he was to be her guardian was not much of an improvement on her initial supposition. Having one of the “Rakes of St. James” as her guardian was not what she considered a good idea.

Opposites Attract

It’s fun to watch two people who think they want one thing get another and be perfectly happy with it. Marlena spends years outing the Duke for his behavior, only to find that he is what she wants.

The Duke thinks he wants a typical young lady, only to find that he is very much attracted to someone quite different.

Reading the two of them dance around each other was a lot of fun. The author, Amelia Grey, managed to paint a very entertaining picture in this novel. I can’t wait to find it what the other Rakes of St. James are up to.

Reviewed for LnkToMi iRead in response to a complimentary copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

I enjoyed this third and final book in the Rakes of St. James series. The series is based on a really lame scandal, but the books are all nice reads even if they are a bit prosy. You can read each as a stand-alone if you wish to do so. I loved the last names of all of the heroines in the three books – Swift, Quick and Fast.

The big scandal is a wager made by three young friends – all dukes. They would write ‘secret admirer’ letters to all twelve of the debutants who were in their first season. The letters would say that they had long admired the lady and hoped she would meet them at a certain place and time. Whichever of the dukes had the most ladies actually show up would win the bet. When all twelve of the ladies show up and word of the wager and the ladies all going to the meeting places leaks out – well – SCANDAL. The dukes immediately felt remorseful, but there wasn’t anything they could do to change things. Someone decides that the duke should be punished for what they did and starts a scandal column that only talks about the scandal and the dukes.

Rath, Duke of Rathburne, was the one who suggested the cursed wager and he’s felt guilty about it ever since. He’s come to a point in his life, he’s almost thirty, where he feels he should become the gentleman his father always wanted him to be. I know he was described as a rake and scoundrel throughout the book, but frankly, I just didn’t see it. Yes, he had mistresses and widows on occasion, but he wasn’t a letch and he didn’t chase innocent ladies. Seems he was just a normal gentleman of the time – and maybe better than most.

When Rath received a letter from Mr. Olingworth, a very good friend of Rath’s father, his first inclination was to turn down the request it contained. Then, after he has finished a bottle, he pens a letter to Mr. Olingworth saying that he agrees to be the guardian of Miss Marlena Fast. When he awakens the next morning, he regrets penning his acceptance, but it is too late – the letter is already in the post – thanks to his efficient new butler. Mr. Olingworth is quite ill and can no longer properly see to Marlena’s care. Rath had met Marlena once when she was about twelve and holding a frog. He was sure it was going to be a challenge because ‘ruffian girls rarely, if ever, become decorous young ladies’.

Marlena Fast has been an orphan since shortly after she was born. She’s been passed from place to place and never had a real home that was hers. First, she lived with an aunt and uncle, then Mr. Olingworth, then her cousin Justine. Now, it seems, she is being passed on again – into someone else’s care. But, it can’t be – not HIM – one of the Rakes of St. James. He’s one of the despised men who helped make her friend’s life miserable – she can’t be his ward.

I liked both Marlena and Rath and I liked the way their insta-lust grew into solid attraction and love. Now, I’ll be honest – I did skim-read some of those long prosy descriptions/conversations – but it was still a good read. The book often refers to the conversations as banter, but I think more often than not it was either bickering or arguing – there is some lovely banter too because they both had quick wits and a lovely sense of humor.

The secondary characters are a hit-or-miss bunch. I loved the other Dukes of St. James and their families that made an appearance – especially Lady Vera. Then, there are Marlena’s best friends, Eugenia and Veronica, I never did like them – they seemed more like users than friends to me. They did, however, redeem themselves a little in the end – well, Eugenia did anyway. When it comes to Marlena’s cousin, Justine, well – nobody has enough time, space or energy to deal with her!

One of my favorite scenes is of Rath in a ladies shop – he was looking for smelling salts. Yes – where else would you go to buy something ladies use except Miss Lola’s Lacy Linens? His interactions with Miss Lola and then a couple of unexpected customers are delightful. Definitely shows his humor and irreverence.

We also finally unmask Miss Honora Truth, the person who has been taunting the dukes in a scandal sheet for the last three years. Will her identity surprise you? Probably not – but it sure surprised the duke!

If you are looking for a hold-your-breath, action-packed read, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for a nice, steady read of two people coming together, finding love and dealing with obstacles, then you have found a good one here.

The first two books in the series are:
Last Night With the Duke— Duke of Griffin and Esmeralda Swift
To the Duke, With Love — Duke of Hawksthorn and Loretta Quick

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

It’s All About The Duke is the third book in Amelia Grey’s The Rakes of St. James series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I enjoyed reading the second book in this series, so I was looking forward to finding out what was going to happen next.

The Duke of Rathburne, or Rath, as he prefers to be called, finds himself in possession of a young ward who needs to make her debut in Society. Rath is acting out of a sense of duty and responsibility; this jaded rake certainly isn’t going to do anything foolish like fall in love with the girl.

Marlena Fast is perfectly content with her life. She lives next door to her best friend, and she occupies herself with a variety of pursuits, including producing a gossip sheet. Her former guardian was an older gentleman who did not visit very often, but Rath’s arrival presents several problems. To begin with, he could quite easily discover her big secret. And of course, he is distractingly handsome. Marlena doesn’t need any of this in her life, not one bit!

This was a sweet book. I didn’t get a strong sense of chemistry between Rath and Marlena, but I absolutely loved the secondary characters- especially Marlena’s chaperone Justine, who insists that the duke is in love with her. One aspect that I found interesting was that Rath is forced to confront the aftermath of the scandalous prank he and his friends perpetrated a number of years ago. Yes, the three dukes have given the matter their consideration over the years, but Rath must now make amends for the situation he and his friends created.

I would recommend It’s All About the Duke. This book functions fairly well as a standalone, so readers don’t have to read the first two books in the series first. There isn’t a great deal of interaction between Rath and his friends; there is much more interaction with Marlena and her circle, and it was fun watching this eclectic group interact. I’m looking forward to finding out what comes next for Grey!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book.

The Duke of Rathburne, one of the famous Rakes of St. James, has taken on Marlena Fast as his ward. It's a challenge to try to be a gentleman, especially when he's attracted to her and realizes that she is just as attracted to him.

It's All About the Duke is part of the Rakes of St. James series, but it's not entirely necessary to have read the others in the series. The wager that the Rakes had made years before is spelled out and referred to often, especially in the context of Marlena's secret: she is the Honoria Truth of the scandal sheets, and had written extensively about the Rakes as a sort-of revenge on behalf of her best friend and neighbor's sister. Of course, her desire to maintain her weekly column is at odds with her growing attraction and desire, and her loyalty to her friends is an admirable trait. The fact that Rath is Marlena's legal guardian doesn't seem to make this a squicky kind of relationship because it was a sudden change of guardianship at the start of the book, and he leaves the decision up to her. Rath doesn't take advantage of the power differential and makes sure he has consent for every stolen kiss.

Marlena's steadfast loyalty despite her tendency to be dismissive of some society norms is part of what leads to her happily ever after, which is a wonderful thing to see in stories like this. Often, there's some kind of contrived plot device to get the hero and heroine together, and here it's because her friends are just as loyal to her as she is to them. Everyone here gets a happily ever after, and it ties up the trilogy of novels very well.

What could be worse? Trying to outlive an old scandal or trying to make a new one by writing about it? This series is about three rakes who made a wager long ago that has haunted them for years. With two happily married, the third, Rath, the Duke of Rathborn is left. Marlena Fast, has been writing a column under the pen name Miss Honora Truth, using her gossip sheet to keep reminding the public of the three men's misdeeds. When fate steps in and Rath accepts a request to assume guardianship of Marlena and help present her to society, the irony is not lost on her. Has he found out who she is?
Of course there is an automatic attraction that they both try to fight. Each chapter began with a quote of her witticisms from her column or thoughts. But the chemistry between the two is just overwhelming. There are several twist and turns with many delightful side characters coming into play. The story runs its course and comes to a page turning conclusion. Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone. But be sure to read the others and you will be glad you did!!

I've never read any of Amelia Grey's previous works before, and It's All About the Duke was a great introduction to her writing because this book charmed from start to finish, and it's all because of the characters.

I love both Rath and Marlena. Marlena especially is totally adorable and she has my heart. She's young and innocent, but I like that she's not a pushover, and she has no problems speaking her mind in Rath's presence. I also love her loyalty to her friends Eugenia and Veronica. I mean, she started a gossip column and wrote a book for them! Although the reason for it was mainly fueled by teenage fury, I still admired her sense of loyalty to her loved ones. I also love her unconventionality, and her relationship with her chaperone, Justine. Justine can be so annoying sometimes, but Marlena is such a sweet-tempered girl, she deals with Justine so calmly. I would have been tempted to cause Justine bodily harm.

The first chapter described Rath as someone older and wiser, a reformed rake. He's a bit mellow now that his two best friends and fellow pranksters have found love and happily settled down. In the first chapter he did a bit of reflecting; he acknowledged that while he was competent with ducal responsibilities, he wasn't the perfect gentleman his father had hoped he would be and he regretted that, especially after the prank he and his friends played on the ladies of the ton a few years back. I really liked how the chapter ended with Rath feeling determined to be the perfect guardian to Marlena, to help her find a husband and marry.

"He could be a rake if he looks so deeply into your eyes you know he sees all the way to your soul."

The major reason why this book worked for me is Rath and Marlena's relationship development. Marlena especially had some notions about Rath after the whole prank that affected the lives of her friends. She had been dragging his name and the other Rakes of St. James through the mud with her scandal sheet for a few years, so imagine her surprise when they finally met and Rath wasn't a complete ogre of a man. In fact, he was a perfect gentleman??? I love seeing her feeling all sorts of conflicted because Rath turned out to be a...*gasp* nice man??? how is this happening??? and he was apparently not the shameless rake she has her whole column based upon. The more time they spent together the more she liked him, and she started to dread the upcoming Season because the only man she wanted to spend her life with was the man she wasn't supposed to fall for.

Rath was instantly charmed by Marlena from the moment they met. He had no chance; Marlena was super cute and witty, and there was a spark between them in the first meeting. Boy, that did a number on him and his senses too. Like, here is his new ward, of whom he was supposed to look after and see that she married well, and he only wanted her for himself. There is a little hint of forbidden romance in the story because of the whole guardian/ward thing, but overall it was so entertaining to see Marlena and Rath fell in love with each other despite reasons. I sighed at all the stolen moments (and kisses!) they shared.

"I know we shouldn't kissed. It doesn't keep me from wanting to."

Overall, It's All About the Duke has been a fun read, and I'm so glad I requested to read it. Amelia also wrote a HEA for Marlena's friends, and I appreciate that so much because the girls definitely deserved all the happiness. The epilogue had me smiling because it was so satisfying and wrapped up the book perfectly. I'm definitely going to check out Griffin's and Hawk's books next.

In the third Rakes of St. James novel, It's All About the Duke, the last unattached rake of St. James has met his match in young Marlena Fast. Amelia Grey's feisty heroine secretly writes a scandal sheet lest the three Dukes, whose secret admirer letters ruined her neighbor's chance at a prosperous marriage, forget their rakish pasts. She writes in order to keep her best friend and her older sister from facing poverty, but when she meets the very people she writes rumors about, her secret causes an inner turmoil she could have never foreseen.

It's All About the Duke is filled to the brim with wit and banter between the Duke of Rathbourne and Marlena. She's proper, but knows her own mind and is not afraid to speak it. Especially, not afraid to tell the Duke he's a rake and should behave in a manner befitting his station. Rath prefers to live by a lax set of rules and doesn't particularly care what others think of him. This slow burning connection between Rath and Marlena is pretty low-key until their desires can no longer be contained. I liked that they weren't all over each other from the beginning, because it made their experience more believable. At certain points throughout the story it's more talk rather than action, so the story lags a little. However, this doesn't detract from connecting with the characters and enjoying their path to happily-ever-after! If you've enjoyed stories from Valerie Bowman or Jana McGregor, you'll love It's all About the Duke!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I enjoyed my time in It’s All About the Duke, the third story in The Rakes of St. James series. I am familiar with Amelia Grey’s works so I wasn’t surprised at the conversations going on in our characters’ minds or that this is a dialogue driven romance. Years ago three gentlemen made a, to them. frivolous bet that ended up doing more harm to those ladies than any of them could have imagined. Now two of those gentlemen have found loving wives and a sense of repairing what was done to some extent. Yet there is a scandal sheet circulating that never allows the public to forget that bet or the resulting actions caused by it. Neither the author of that scandal sheet nor the remaining bachelor of those who made the bet ever expected to be falling in love with each other… certainly not with the secrets that they both carry.

Although the story seems to indicate a love at first sight, I really didn’t feel that way about Rath and Marlena in the beginning of their story. Attraction, yes, lust perhaps, but love… no, but I did feel that emotion grow on them over time, and that was more believable to me. With so many secrets abounding it was impossible for there not to be misunderstandings, and even anger between this couple. Watching them work their way through the past actions into a loving relationship now was an interesting and enjoyable journey. If you enjoy Historical or Regency Romance then you’d also enjoy It’s All About the Duke. I don’t think you really “must” read the first two books to enjoy this one… but I always do believe that any series is best when started from the first book to catch all the nuances of the story thread.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

It's All About the Duke was a fine book. It wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out either. The writing was good. The story was just okay. It was a quick, pleasant read.

The third installment of her Rakes of St. James series is as entertaining as the first two.

The sins of his youth weigh heavily on the Duke of Rathburn's conscience. Just when he believes the antics of his friends and himself are resolved, he's appointed guardian to a young lady about to start her first season.

Miss Marlena Fast is an independent young lady. She saw the results of the pranks by the Rakes of St. James and has worked to see justice for their victims. Then, through fate and some unlikely legal technicalities, the most notorious rake is appointed her guardian.

This is a delightful story of how getting to know someone can change preconceived ideas. It's a fitting novel to round out the Rakes of St. James series.

This is that last book of the series and it is about the Duke of Rathburne, who is trying to make amends for a wager that caused him and his best friends in an scandal. He is taking on a ward, who is needing a husband. Miss Marlena Fast is a very spirited. She was orphaned at a young. Marlene likes her independence and having a wicked duke being responsible for her is not ideal. He challenges her and she likes it, but she has to be careful because she has a secret of her own. I can't wait for Amelia Grey to start a new series.

This is the first book by Amelia Grey I've read, so I cannot say if her other books are written this way. It's such slow-paced, it drags the storyline. This is centred on a heroine who's hell-bent on discrediting the hero through the scandal sheets. Granted, the hero and his friends, has done horrible, selfish and thoughtless acts in the past against the young ladies, but this did not affect the heroine directly. The focus on him being a rake from start to finish and the heroine is in lust with him, despite her disapproval of his rakish behaviour, just grates on my nerves. Neither are the secondary characters endearing.

But this is not all doom-and-gloom. On one hand, Miss Marlena Fast, who's conflicted with her feelings towards the Duke of Rathburne, has shown fierce loyalty and generosity towards her friends (who both seem to have weak constitution and disposition). Rath, on the other hand, has been doing his best to atone for his misdeeds. Marlena and Rath forgave each other's transgression. There was conflict and there was resolution. The characters have their HEAs.

This is my honest review of the eGalley copy I voluntarily read.

Unfortunately, I really struggled with this book. If not for the ARC, it would've been a DNF. Readers looking for a fresh take on the guardian trope won't find it here. I have not read the previous two books in this series and nothing in this one motivated me to do so.

First of all "Rath" volunteers to take on Marlena's guardianship as her guardian is elderly and planning ahead. He sees it as a way to redeem himself. Immediately, he just wants her to change so he can dump her on another man, get a cookie for his efforts, and move on. And how is she so unmanageable? She's gardening when they meet again. Yes, she dared get dirt on herself.

Marlena is neighbours and friends with Veronica and Eugenia. Veronica married because she had to after Rath's previous actions (seriously, he was a jerk who sent love letters to a bunch of ladies with his friends and then Veronica's suitors all dumped her for falling for the letters - how emotional!) Sadly her husband is more interested in artifacts and denying they're bankrupt than talking to her or creating a baby. Marlena's been keeping them financially afloat with her secret book under a pen name.

Rath continues being a dolt throughout the book. He eventually tries to make up for his actions but his continued poor treatment of the heroine - magically justified by not wanting to be in love - make it a weak romance.

If you haven't read the other books in this series yet, don't be afraid of jumping right in. I haven't read them, and this one totally stood on its own. It started out a bit slowly for me, though I adored Rath right from the start. It was Marlena I had a bit of trouble warming up to. Though her heart was in the right place, it seemed cruel to me that she kept being the author of a scandal sheet secret when it was obvious that Rath's heart was becoming engaged. But she did it for her friend's sake, so I eventually forgave her.

The chemistry between Rath and Marlene was apparent at the start, and I enjoyed their interactions. Tut the dog was adorable....you have to love a duke who is kind to critters. I enjoyed her friends, but wanted to slap her cousin Justine upside the head! Reading about Rath's friends Griffin and Hawk made me want to go back and read their stories.

Don't be hesitant to share this book with your mother. Though there's heat and attraction here, the heat falls more into the PG-13 realm. The emphasis is on romance, not sex.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I had only read book 2 in this series and when I started this book, did not even realize it was the third book. The back story is explained over time and I did not feel like I was missing anything not having read the first book, and not remembering much of the second book (I read so many books that it is hard to remember book plots from months ago).

While there is a lot of description in the book, I did enjoy reading about the last of the three rakes, Rath, and Marlena Fast. Not sure what is with the last name of the three wives of the rakes - Swift, Quick and Fast?? i do have to admit that when there got to be a long descriptive that I just skim over and get to the dialogue between characters.

I loved that this book tied up the whole scandal and the gossip that resulted. I liked that while initially the rakes didn't see any damage from their little wager, it did hurt Veronica and Rath had to acknowledge that he was responsible for that hurt. Fortunately, he was able to bring about some good and try to repair Veronica's situation. As well as helping her sister elope!

Justine was just too annoying to me and I wanted to smack her instead of smile at her fondly like Marlena and Rath did. And no way would I ever want her living in my house if I was Marlena after marrying Rath!

There so many things that I liked about the book and I really did like Marlena and Rath together. I liked that Marlena felt that she needed to be honest and admit her secret before accepting his marriage proposal.

Great ending to the series!

This is the final book in the Rakes of St. James series. The series is based on three friends (all Dukes) who play a stupid prank and later regret their actions. Personally, I thought the whole "prank" was lame - they each write a letter to several young ladies telling them that they have a secret admirer and ask them to meet them in secret - all the ladies get the same letter and the all go to meet their admirer - the dukes placed a wager to see who would get the most ladies to show up - so the ladies all show up and they are all ruined <eyeroll> but the dukes remain unscathed. But years later, they are now trying to clean up their acts and in the previous books had female relations that they worry will be targeted because of the "prank" - it doesn't help that a gossip sheet is dredging up the "scandal" that ruined so many girls.


The Duke of Rathburn "Rath" has decided to turn over a new leaf and become the man his father had hoped he would be, he starts by agreeing to be guardian to Marlena Fast. How being a guardian will make him a better man is beyond me - but that's the story. He will find Marlena a husband and that will atone for his previous behavior - Alrighty.


Marlena is an orphan and has been shuffled around most of her life, but to those she loves, she is loyal and steadfast, so when a dear friend is "ruined" by the Rakes of St. James, Marlena takes up her quill and fights back. But now she is the ward of one of the Rakes - this is going to be a problem...

This story was OK, it is a bit on the wordy side and I found myself skimming. I thought the characters were likable, Rath is not what I would consider a Rake - more like a typical young man of the era with too much time, money and affluence - not mean, but perhaps thoughtless and shortsighted. the story moves a bit on the slow side (thus the skimming), the love scenes are warm, the secondary characters are entertaining and the ending is sweet.


This is the third book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title with no problems.

The Duke of Rathbourne (Rath) has recently become the guardian of Miss Marlena Fast who has been the ward of his father’s ailing friend. Now, Rath must see that Marlena finds a husband.

When he calls upon her where she staying with a widowed cousin, Justine, Marlena is surprised that Rath, of all people, is to be her guardian. Marlena is secretly the person who anonymously writes the Miss Honora Truth’s Weekly Scandal Sheet. It’s a gossip sheet that includes tidbits of who is seeing who and she has often named Rath in her writings. She fears that if he ever finds out, he will have her thrown into goal. But she cannot stop writing the scandal sheet because her friends, Everard and Veronica, sisters and neighbors to Marlena, desperately need the money she makes from it.

Rath invites her to move into his home, but Marlena declines because she cannot leave her friends behind. Justine is in her mid-30’s and cannot stop talking about her season where she calls herself a Diamond of the First Water. She thinks that the Duke is attracted to her, when it’s Marlena who has caught his eye. At Marlena’s insistence, Rath relents and give his permission for Marlena to stay where she is.

Rath and his friends had been guilty of insulting some debutantes back when they were young and now he is trying to make up for the hurt he caused.

As Marlena and Rath become more acquainted, they are attracted to one another. However, Marlena feels that if he finds out about the sheet she writes, it will destroy their relationship. Can they open up about their secrets and find love?

I had a bit of difficulty with this book. To me, Marlena comes across as very naive and Rath appears to be a true rogue. Some of the dialogue was repetitious and the plot was not very intriguing. This surprises me because I have long been a fan of this author and love her books. But, thunderbolts and lightning, Readers, perhaps, this is just a one-off.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey is the third and final part of the trilogy in The Rakes of St. James series. Rath, the Duke of Rathburne, becomes guardian of, Marlena Fast. When Rath was a young man, he lived recklessly so as he has grown, he had regrets for things he and his friends, Griffin and Hawk, have done. One being a secret admirer wager that still bothers him for it was his suggestion. He felt that becoming Marlena Fast’s guardian , it would be one thing that would have been an approval from his father. He remembered Miss Fast when she was 12 years old and stuck a frog in his face so when he goes to meet her, he is not surprised to find she is very independent woman. When they meet, there is an attraction between the two of them but Marlena, has concerns about Rath finding out she writes the gossip sheet: Miss Honora Truth’s Weekly Sandal Sheet. Rath works at doing the right thing, trying to do right by her and also make up for all the hurt he and his friends caused. Watching this story evolve had some slow parts but the end was so worth it. I voluntarily received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I did enjoy this story, although it was a little slow paced at times during the first part. At first, there was a good bit of repetition about the time Marlena lived with her cousins. However, the story did pick up pace and proved to be an entertaining read, particularly when Lady Vera joined the story. I liked the growing relationship between Marlena and Rath ( Duke of Rathburne) and the banter Rath had with his friends. Marlena had a very caring nature and was a likeable character. Rath, too, was a worthy hero. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.