4.5 Stars
It's All About the Duke by Amelia Grey is the Third book in The Rakes of St. James series. This is the story of Rath, Duke of Rathburne and Marlena Fast. I have read the previous books but feel you can make this a standalone book.
Rath and his friends played a trick on some debutantes years ago that cause total scandal. Although the Dukes were taunted in the papers for years Rath still felt the edge of quilt. Now in his present day he wants to be the man his father hoped he would be. So when he receives a letter about a young women now in his charge he writes that he will be her guardian...but he did so in a drunken state so when he gets sober he thinks he made a grave mistake.
Marlena was orphaned at a early age so she is used to being passed around to different guardians. But they attraction she feels for him is different because she never felt this before.
I am such a fan of Ms. Grey's writing...she one of my go to authors!

If you have followed this blog then you know my feelings on picking up books midway or at the end of a series. I do not like it. But I still end up reading/reviewing them. Go figure. Anyways, when I was approached to review It’s All About the Duke, I didn’t know it was the last book in the series until I had already said yes and downloaded it.

This book is a combination of needing to read the other books in the series and stand-alone novel. The author did a great job of introducing the Duke of Rathburne’s backstory. The author adequately proved his and the other Dukes’ guilt over what they did. They made sure that those girls involved were alright. They didn’t apologize to them, though. But considering that this book does take place in Regency England and Dukes were one step below princes, I wasn’t surprised. They did not need to apologize to anyone.

I didn’t like Marlena. She is the main reason I rated the book the reason I did. Why didn’t I like Marlena? Well, she started a scandal sheet that was mainly to drag up old scandals. She had it out for the Dukes’ involved in the secret admirer scandal. She didn’t care who she hurt when she was writing those articles. In her mind, she was vindicating her friend’s older sister….who was one of the girl’s involved in the scandal. Her self-righteousness made me eye roll hardcore. Then she met the Duke of Rathburne and it became all about keeping what she did a secret from him. Especially since he has “set his sights” on her.

I didn’t get how the Duke of Rathburne didn’t know that Marlena was the one writing the scandal sheet until later in the book. It puzzled me. There she was, bleeding out clues, and he was so enamored of her that he didn’t see it. I also didn’t understand how he didn’t know that Marlena’s best friend sister (mouthful!!) was one of the girl’s he “pranked” until later on in the book. That too puzzled me because he had said that he was keeping track of them. How didn’t he know that vital piece of information??

There is Instalove in It’s All About the Duke but, surprisingly, it was on the Duke of Rathburne’s side. He was seeing hearts when he sees her. Marlena, however, was attracted to him but didn’t have romantic feelings until later in the book.

There is sex in It’s All About the Duke. It is surprisingly hot, considering that Marlena was a virgin. She was more than willing to learn and he was more than willing to teach. Made for a steamy couple of sex scenes.

Justine, Marlena’s cousin, was a hoot. From the minute she realized that Marlena was the Duke of Rathburne’s ward, she went out of her way to try to get into his bed. I was dying laughing at her pushing her chest out. The whole scene where she tried to put herself in Rath’s bedroom had me laughing so hard that I was crying.

The end of It’s All About the Duke was sweet. All the storylines were wrapped up. Each character mentioned got their version of an HEA. I am wondering if the author will make a series with the women. There are several girls that I would like to see have their own story.

What I liked about It’s All About the Duke:

A) Great job of introducing Rath’s backstory

B) Marlena not having strong feelings for Rath right away

C) Justine. I loved her scenes

What I disliked about It’s All About the Duke:

A) Marlena. I couldn’t stand her

B) Rath being oblivious to Marlena being the author of the scandal sheet

C) Instalove (even if it was on Rath’s side)

I would give It’s All About the Duke an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is mild violence. There is not language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in It’s All About the Duke.

I would recommend It’s All About the Duke to family and friends. This is a book that I would reread. I would also read the other books in the series.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review It’s All About the Duke.

All opinions stated in this review of It’s All About the Duke are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

After taking a bit of a break from Regency romances I decided to read It's All About the Duke. This story was different from what I've read in the genre because there wasn't the usual tension between the hero and heroine. The tension in this story was due to the fact that the Duke and Miss Fast were attracted to each other but due to the circumstances they found themselves in couldn't really pursue that attraction. But what an attraction it was! I loved the interaction between these two likable characters. I also liked the friendship theme in the story and the relationship between Marlena and Eugenia.

While this is the third book in the Rakes of St. James series I didn't feel like I was missing out by not having read the first two books. The author gave me enough of the story to make me feel up-to-date and to pique my interest and make me want to read the two prior books just to have the entire story. To be able to do both of these things shows the talent of the author.

I enjoyed the pace of the story as events happened at just the right time to keep me interested. The story wasn't too drawn out but wasn't rushed either. There was the perfect amount of buildup to the climax of the story and the ending was not only perfect for this book but I feel like it wrapped up the series in a nice way. (Again, I haven't read the first two books but it felt like closure for all characters.)

I would recommend this book to fans of historical/Regency romance. It is a lighthearted and easy read. I will be adding the first two books in the series to my to-read list as I want to spend more time with these characters.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

Miss Marlena Fast was orphaned young and has been the ward to several people. Now she is to become the ward of the Duke of Rathburne. Now she has to worry he will learn her secret. Marlena is a little older to be having her first season but she needs to find a husband. The Duke was a Rake but is mending his ways. The trouble is he wants to kiss Marlena when he is around her. That is not what you do with a ward. Can they find true love? Can they come to understand the past of the other and be forgiving? You will have to read this enchanting story to learn where the story takes us.

Publisher's Description:

“A master storyteller.”—Affaire de Coeur

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?

It's All About the Duke is the next Regency romance in The Rakes of St. James series from Amelia Grey.

My Thoughts:
I loved this well written and delightful final installment of The Rakes of St. James trilogy.
This often humorous tale is a page turner and had me engrossed from the first chapter. I simply couldn't put it down.
I have read the entire series and reviewed them all. These characters are well developed and extremely engaging.. I am sad to see this series come to an end.
Rath and Marlena's story is very intriguing and another one with just enough humour to make it a can't put down read.
I gave this newest installment 4.75 of 5.'stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames. There is no need for steamy scenes to entice me into completing this excellent book.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

And we came to the end of The Rakes of St. James series, and finally we discovered who was to blame for spreading the news that the Duke of Griffin'stwins sisters were in danger of being dishonored...

First of all, the covers of Jon Paul Ferrara are amazing. All three. They make the perfect match with each character's story.
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About the main character of this book, the Duke of Rathburne, aka Rath, was the main responsible for the wager, years ago, that made 12 young ladies in trouble, each believing that they would meet their secret admirer.

A joke that caused serious trouble to the ladies, but not to the three gentlemen responsible for it.
Now, years later, they find themselves in the midst of the danger of seeing Griffin's twin sisters and Hawk's sister dishonored.
Rath was the only one free from any karma, since he was an only child.
However, fate has a special way of making people pay for their crimes.
An old friend of Rath's father, Mr. Olingworth, had a ward that needed to be presented in the Season, but he was getting worse every day from his illness. So he asks Rath to be the new guardian of Miss Marlena Fast.

Without being able to refuse, Rath goes to St James, to the house of his new ward, to introduce himself, and to impose some rules.
But he did not expect to find a young woman with a strong personality who, though she could not stop him from being her guardian, she had her own ideas of how she would behave thereafter.

And from that begins the war of desires, and one of Rath's greatest desires was to kiss Miss Marlena, and then to make her his.

But Marlena had a great secret, and this one directly affected Rath and his two rake friends.

Rath becomes aware of how his play in the past has affected innocent people, and he tries to make up for some of them.
But more important now, after a life being one of the Rakes of St. James, would Rath finally be content to have only one woman in his bed, his life and in his heart?
4,5 stars

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had previously read another of the books in this series and the plot summary of this book caught my interest also so I decided to review it. After reading this book, I found that it did have a pretty good plot. I really liked Marlena's character and how independent and self-sufficient she was. And her character and Rath's actually had some really good tension and the build up of their relationship I thought was really well done. I wouldn't say there was anything overly exciting or interesting about the plot or the book overall but it was a solid romance novel that I enjoyed a good amount. There were a couple things I found a little odd, like that Marlena was taking on all the risk of writing that gossip column but gave all the money to her friends. I understand she was trying to help her friends but it still seems like a lot to take on. And some of the characters seemed overly selfish but they definitely added to the entertainment overall. I would recommend giving this one a try.

Although I am thrilled to see all the Rakes of St. James settle down with their duchesses, I have to admit that I am upset to see this wonderful series come to an end! Even though the Dukes of Griffin and Hawksthorn were both very mesmerising and rakish, the Duke of Rathburne has always been my favourite. There is just something undeniably magnetic about a rake who doesn’t deny his ways and proves time and time again why we love a bad boy hero.

The Duke of Rathburne has been fighting convention and respectability his whole life. He may be a Duke, but he has no intention of living in the straight and narrow. When he finds himself having to accept the guardianship of a young lady, he feels that he might have to change - not too much of course. And even though he has vowed to never touch an innocent, his feisty and beautiful ward is proving to be testing his patience and good intentions. Will he be able to keep his promise or give into temptation?

Orphaned when she was just a toddler, Marlena Fast has lived with her relatives and later under the guardianship of a peer. The last thing she expected was to find the infamous rake, the Duke of Rathburne as her new guardian. What makes this situation even more disconcerting is the fact that she has a secret that she can never share with the Duke, a secret that she needs to take to the grave. But with each day, she sees that there is more than meets the eye and that sometimes rakes can be much more than womanising scoundrels - especially ones like the Duke ;)

A great and fitting ending to a delightful series! Hope that Amelia Grey returns with a new series soon! Can’t wait!!

Marlena Fast was orphaned at a young age and thus was shuffled from home to home, which makes her fiercely independent and quick witted. In the past, three rogues, the Duke of Rathburne (Rath) and his cohorts Griff and Hawk, pulled a prank that has had repercussions across the years. Dozens of women have been tainted by scandal because of their wager years ago, while the dukes escaped any wrath that ensued. Seeing the negative consequences of this boyish prank, Marlena Fast started a popular gossip sheet to remind the public of the act. However, Marlena never did stop to consider the repercussions of her own act. Rath has now accepted guardianship of Marlena because her guardian is too ill to set up her entrance to society. Ironic that Marlena has become the ward of this rake! When they do meet, Marlena, who worries Rath knows she authors the gossip sheet, is taken in by Rath and he by her. Interesting turn of events. Thus, the story moves into the romance genre, as the pair dance around their budding relationship.

The story was good, but it dragged at times. There was a lot of repetition and introspection of ideas and actions that were completely obvious. I also never did see as much chemistry between Marlena and Rath as I would have expected. All in all, the book was okay, but dragged a bit and could have been a bit shorter. It is a good summertime beach read for those interested in one. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

The Duke of Rathburne should know better than make decisions when in his cups. It is always going to cause him trouble. This time he just has to make the best of it. Who will ever believe, him, one of the Rakes of St. James as guardian to a young lady.
Miss Marlena Fast is terrified when the Duke turns up on her doorstep, he must have come to have her arrested for what she has done. Our heroine was orphaned as a baby and passed between different guardians. She has learned to be brave and independent. That along with her soft heart have led her into mischief with her writings.
Our hero will have to finally face up to the sins of the past, how can he make amends?
A funny and at times emotional romance with wonderful characters.
This is a highly entertaining story. The third and last in the series, but you could read each book on it's own. I have read and loved all of them.

The Rakes Of St. James series has been utterly delightful and entertaining to read. Amelia Grey truly knows how to transports her reader to another time and place with her detailed descriptive narrative. I felt as if I was surrounded by the sights, sounds, and characters of this era. But what truly was enchanting for me was her description of the emotions and feelings of new love. I felt that I was falling in love along with them.
I have Loved, Miss Honora Truth’s and Wisdom and Warnings about Rakes, Scoundrels, Rogues and Libertines Scandal sheet, and all of the wonderful quotes, through this series, and was so excited to read about the woman behind this publication Marlena Fast. This character did not disappoint and gave Rath a rather hard time even though she was falling for him.
This story was Enchanting! I struggled to put it down just because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. This love story was filled with angst, Love, and laughter. I loved their story and how they were both trying to fight their feelings for the other. So many great scenes in this story, full of sizzling chemistry, smart, witty banter, and breathless, sensual, intrigue. Also thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the previous characters from the past Stories in this series. I would highly recommend this series to everyone. LOVED IT!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rather Slow.
The author of a scandal sheet finds herself feeling guilty when she actually meets the individuals she has been writing about for the last three years. The premise of this book was good but it didn’t hold my attention and I struggled to finish it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't normally read romance novels, and in trying to change that fact, I read this book. I was provided a digital advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher, and I'm so glad that I did! The pacing was wonderful for me, and even though this was the third book in a series, I am happy to say that I could pick it up and understand everything that was going on.

My only problem with the book is the trope the love interest writing a gossip column and the fact that her friend was so over dramatic was sort of annoying, but it didn't take away too much from the story. I would gladly tell people that like the romance genre to read this!

He is the last rake of the St. James trio that used to leave a wake of broken hearts and empty pockets all around London who isn't married.  He has quieted his ways now that he is turning 30, and it doesn't help that his two partners in crime are happily married. Being he is the last Rake of St. James, he is the last one still talked about in the scandal sheets of Miss. Honora Truth. No one knows who he or she is, but he is tired of the sins of his past coming back to haunt him.  When he is asked to become the guardian of an innocent young lady, his first response was no, but one night he had a bit too much to drink and wrote to agree.  Come morning, it was too late to back out, so now he is responsible for Miss. Marlena Fast.

The moment Rath walks up her door step and introduces himself, she is sure her secret has been found out and he is there to send her to Newgate.  But no, he is there because he is her new guardian and she doesn't know what to do about that.  The more time they spend together the more she comes to see that he isn't the evil rake she has painted in her scandal sheets, and the people she also wrote about are not evil either. The more she gets to know them the more she feels guilt over her actions. As Rath and Marlena get to know each other, it becomes clear that they both have feelings for the other. Rath ends up not wanting her marry anyone but him, but will be be able to forgive her for writing the scandal sheet and starting a rumor at White's that could have led to his friend's sisters getting hurt when they debuted?

I enjoyed their story.  They were entertaining characters and the story was well developed.  There were the occasional slow part, but for the most part the plot moved steadily and the conclusion was exactly like I wanted it to be.  Overall, enjoyable and entertaining.

Nearing thirty, the Duke of Rathburne is finally ready to make amends for the wager that caused him and his best friends, Griffin & Hawk 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 almost a decade ago, 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.
I absolutely adored the chemistry between Rath & Marlena, little things like Rath knowing almost to the minute how long it had been since he had seen her were so touching & had me totally hooked. Rath is tall, broad shouldered, handsome with a smile that makes your knees go weak. He’s also got a wicked sense of humour, which I loved. Marlena is hiding a secret & gradually learns there’s two sides to every story. A delightful page turning read. I really liked the previous two books in the series but for me this was the best of the three, it could be read on it’s own but to fully appreciate Rath & Marlena I’d recommend reading the first two books

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey
Rakes of St. James #3

Three young men made a wager…
A scandalous wager – at least society said it was.
Three young dukes gained the dubious “honor” of being named…
…The Rakes of Saint James.

In the final book of the series the Duke of Rathburn “Rath” has agreed to become the guardian of Miss Marlena Fast who will be coming out in her first season with the ton. She lives with a widowed cousin, has dear friends living next door and has a secret she really doesn’t want Rath to find out about. Of course, eventually the secret does come out and there is a happily ever after for the couple and a few other couples in the book. The reader gets to see how the other two rakes and their wives are doing, too. Each chapter of the book begins with an epigraph taken from “Miss Honora Truth’s Words of Wisdom and Warning About Rakes, Scoundrels, Rogues and Libertines” – who the author of this tome and weekly scandal sheet is unknown throughout the series but revealed at the end of this book.

I had trouble with this book because I found difficulty relating to the characters and the story. I did not really engage with hero or heroine and didn’t seem to care about them as much as I would have liked to. I had this feeling that the story could have been told in about half the words. Anyway, I am sure that some will love this book and others will find it rather slow and tame.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

This book

This was my favorite book out of the trilogy. I loved Rath's no nonsense attitude. He owned who he was and only apologized for the necessary things. He was true to his feelings throughout the whole story and he remained honorable. I liked Marlena's innocence and I really enjoyed her growth as a character. Her curiosity and shifting feelings felt real and made sense for a woman of her age. I really enjoyed Eugenia and Veronica's secondary story throughout the book and I love that everyone ended up with there happily ever afters. I would have liked to see Lady Vera get her happily every after and a glimpse into what everyone thought when they found out Marlena's secret, but other than that this was the perfect ending to the series.

I received a copy of this book thru Netgalley. This is the third book in the trilogy The Rakes of St. James and it is as enjoyable as the other two. It is very well written, but still needs proofing which is to be expected in this advance read copy. Marlena comes under Rath’s control as being her guardian. Events happen and there is a HEA to this book. There is a lot that happens in the book and it is worth reading. I am sure when the final copy is available all of the grammatical issues will be resolved, that being said, they do not take away from the story. It is a clean romance that is appropriate for most age groups.

It’s All About the Duke is a great finish to the Rakes of St. James. Starting off with the witty conversation between Marlena and Rath, the Duke of Rathburne, is a little slow, but definitely worth staying with it. This could be a stand alone, but I enjoyed reading through the series with a vested interest in what would happen with Rath, who was the rumor starter and who was Honoria Truth.

Marlena has a heart of gold. She is giving, caring and a super loyal friend. All of this came about from her desire to help her new friend three years earlier. Enter Rath as Marlena’s new guardian. His inner conversation is quite hilarious once he decides to be a true gentleman. He indicates his father went to his grave still trying to reform him. Thank goodness he did. It made the story all the more interesting.

Even with her scandal sheet writings, Marlena’s heart is in the right place. Her guilt takes over once she gets to know the people of whom she has been writing. They are no longer nameless, faceless beings. Rath’s heart is just as loyal. He has a strong sense of loyalty to his friends, too, in how he wants to protect them from hurt. With Rath becoming Marlena’s guardian, both of their worlds take an interesting journey.

I loved the fainting neighbor, Eugenia. Great add in to the tale. And, how can you not love a dog lover!

I was engaged and enjoyed the final book in the Rakes series. Nothing was left hanging, all questions were answered and lightheartedly, every one had their HEA.

Cute and coincidental, that is how I view this book. I enjoyed Marlena and her BFF Eugenia and even some of Eugenia’s fainting whenever she saw the duke. That this consummate Rake had an epiphany and became an honorable gentleman who could sponsor a ward who is in her twenties…well, that was a stretch. Okay, now you think I didn’t like the book but that is not true. Ms. Amelia Grey can write circles around most others and give you laughs one minute and have you tearing-up the next. This was a most enjoyable Historical Romance, cute and coincidental.