4 stars

I liked this story. Weston, the Duke of Respute, has a stonger voice, in my opinion, than Elise, our heroine. Elise met Weston prior to her marriage and liked him but Weston was embarking on his rakish reputation, having been treated badly by his ex-fiancee. In the first book he had disappointed his sister so in this book he gets to make amends and cure his poor reputation. The passion is quite muted but enjoyable. The children were entertaining. Weston made sure that all the unpleasant women understood that they had treated Elise poorly. The epilogue was very realistic.

It's a good series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I felt so bad for Elise. She deserves love so much. Her life has been mostly miserable before Weston. Weston turns his reputation around quite nicely. I enjoyed reading, Duke of Disrepute.

Lady Elise Ruthersby lost her husband in a carriage accident. After the baby boy that would have inherited from his father also died shortly after his birth, she and her young daughter are left to the charity of the new Earl.

The only real joy she has is her wonderful little girl.

Weston Wallace, Duke of Treadwell was young and in love, with the wrong woman. She poisoned him against ever settling down. He determined to proove all her evil words true, and earned the title Duke of Disrepute.

Now years later he has his head straight at last and wants a family of his own.

A lovely historical romance filled with emotion and fabulous characters. A good strong storyline that shows that money and power aren't everything and kindness goes a long way.

I loved it.

Weston Wallace, Duke of Treadwell, has spent years bedding one woman after another earning him the moniker of Duke of Disrepute. He does nothing to dissuade this until even he has had enough of his wanton ways. Withdrawing from Society, Weston works as a laborer for a local family and finally learns the meaning of love and family. While on her way back to her in-laws estate after attending her parent's funeral, Lady Elise Ruthersby and her daughter Claire are caught in a terrifying storm near Weston's estate and they are offered sanctuary while they recover from injuries. Weston is immediately drawn to the lovely Elise and wants to do everything in his power to win her love. Can Elise let down her guard and face her own growing feelings for the Duke of Disrepute?

I have been looking forward to Weston's story since reading the Duke of Charm and was not disappointed. We finally find out what happened with Weston and his former fiancee that sent him in a tailspin of an unrepentant duke for years. When he finally decides to turn his life around, he has a long climb out of a hole of his own making. Ms. Aston does a great job of teasing out details for both Weston and Elise. I absolutely loved how Weston bonded with Claire and the Ruthersby boys. That was sweet and it was good to see Weston's true personality shine. There are a few twists and turns before they reach their HEA that will keep readers turning the pages to the end.

This was a really lovely book. I found the writing to be easily accessible and well paced. This novel is a fairly character based one with familial relationships and understandings at the heart. It is filled with mild tropes of instalove, widowed heroine, single-parent, reformed rake with an undertone of a Cinderella-esqe retelling.

Alexa Aston slowly builds up the hero and heroine's backgrounds in the first thirty percent of the novel through different time jumps and insights into their pasts. After the couple meets, in a carriage accident which leads to some forced proximity, the pace picks up as we watch the hero and heroine fall into instant attraction. (There are some trigger warning around incest, loss of a child, loss of a loved one, and miscarriage.)

Our heroine-Elise is a single mother to her daughter Claire. Elise grew up in a household in which she and her mother were estranged (and remain so). After Elise's husband died she was forced into the genteel servitude of governess to her nephew's in order to make sure she and her daughter would be taken care of. Elise has a very mild strength about her that guides her actions in order to protect her child. Elise also has a beautiful and kind heart that make her such a wonderful mother and aunt-this is what I think our hero becomes really attracted to. I loved that Elise's understanding of love was not tainted by her relationship with her mother.

The hero-Weston is a man who has been labeled a rake and his reputation has been fueled quite a bit by rumors from his past. The Weston that we spend most of the novel with is such a kind and sweet man who recognizes Elisa as a woman that he wants to build a life with. I loved that Weston was ready to start a family and embraces Elisa and her daughter with open arms from the first moment of meeting them.

The heart of this novel, to me, really came down to family. About chosen family and about fighting for familial relationships that are fruitful to the people involved. Weston's relationship with Claire (and Claire's cousins) is absolutely beautiful, and it is what really endeared me to him as the hero. I really enjoyed that this novel was mainly just a story of two people who have pasts, come together to start their own family with love and kindness. There is a little bit of action wedged into third act, that to me felt unneeded, but luckily was not too cumbersome or long.

I would highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a gentle and sweet story (that is light on the steam), in which two people find love and excitement in the prospects of their future and the family they can have together.

Duke of Disrepute by Alexa Aston is an amusing story, part of the Dukes of Distinction series. Weston found out the night before his wedding that his bride was not what he had thought her to be. He never told anyone what had happened, he just became the worst rake in London. That had been years ago and now he was sick of it. Now he had been dragged away from London to keep him out of a duel. He was done. Really done. He quietly borrowed a horse and rode into town, paid someone to return the horse in the morning, and started walking. He walked until he came upon Neal Digsby, his wife and family, and his small farm. There he spent months living the simple life and working with his hands. Until one day he was ready to go back, and he took all the Digsbys with him. Elise had had a decent husband until the day he was killed in a carriage accident that took the lives of another gentleman and his son. She had been pregnant with her second child, the first being her daughter, Claire, but her son named Nathan had only lived a few days. Now she was at the mercy of her husband's heir. They were not likable people and didn't really want her with them, but made her the governess for their two sons and treated her like a servant. He father contacted her after several years and asked her to come home. He mother was dying. It was inconvenient, but they allowed her to go. While she was there her mother died, but also her beloved father. One her way "home" a wheel broke on the carriage and she and Claire were rescued by a man she had met years before, known as the Duke of Disrepute.

There is so much interesting detail in this book that it is hard to simplify the story. Weston saw Elise and knew she was the woman for him. All he had to do was convince her. He came up with a grand scheme and convinced Elise to be part of it. It nearly worked, but not before he had to spend time with her obnoxious in-laws and had fallen completely in love with Elise's daughter Claire. Weston was a good man, ready to settle down. He probably had been years before until his betrothed did something so monstrous he couldn't forgive her. She was dead now, so no worries there. Elise had not had an easy time of it since her husband died. She had not loved him, but she liked him very much. She wanted more children and so she needed a husband who was willing. This was a truly wonderful story. The previous book totally set it up, although this could be read as a stand-alone. Aston is an excellent romance writer and this is among the best of her works. I couldn't have loved this book more.

I was invited to read a free ARC of the Duke of Disrepute by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dukeofdisrepute

If you seen something so repulsive and keep it a secret, how do you think it would affect your soul? Weston Wallace, the Duke of Treadwell becomes the famous Duke of Disrepute as a result. He goes through women like women change their outfits each day. He now has a non-existent relationship with his sister whereas before they were extremely close.

Years later he has an epiphany and decides to alter the course of his life. He meets Lady Elise Ruthersby and her daughter and decides he must marry marry Elise, but she has other ideas.
Alexa Aston the author once again writes a book that has strong characters and you begin to identify with them, I know I cheered for Weston when he was courting Elise without her realizing . Alexa Aston is such a talented author storylines flow and are easy to follow.

i would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantastic book to read!

I received a free advanced copy from Netgalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

What an adorable romance! It starts out fairly disturbing, poor guy! And you feel terrible for the heroine as she encounters tragedy after tragedy. The hero is truly a hero though and treats her and her daughter, and even her nephews, as treasure. This is a story to make your heart feel things for sure. #netgalley #dukeofdisrepute

I know I have said this before, but it is worth repeating. Alexa Aston has quickly become one of my favorite authors! The third book of the Dukes of Distinction series is as entertaining and hard to put down as the first two books. After the small hints we got in book 2 about what happened between Weston and his fiancé I was dying to find out the details. I still don't think it was reason enough for Weston to have abandoned his sister the way he did, but for the time in which this book takes place you can see why he was so disturbed by it. I really liked the path that led to his realization that he wanted more from his life and was ready to be the man he always thought he would be - it wasn't a big dramatic moment which made you believe in the authentic nature of the change in his behavior and outlook on life. His immediate connection with Elise and Claire made me like him even more. As for Elise, I really really liked her as a character. Much like Sam in book 2 she realized she was going to have to save herself and it was her ability to make that decision that set in motion the events that would lead her to Weston. I was expecting more of a confrontation between Weston and Ivy and was a little letdown by the climax of that particular plot line. I am definitely looking forward to book 4!

Okay, i didn't like it...like at all.
The sequence in which the events of the book happened were so forced and in times, nonsensical.
If the author didn't like a character, she just announce them dead, like that's the answer to everything.
The dialogues at the beginning of the book were cringe worthy, it felt like the characters were children.
The plot was so weak, it wasn't any better than any historical romance out there.
The lead female was the perfect damsel in distress who was waiting for her protector, which isn't bad, but i don't know why the character was a little bit infuriating at times.
I didn't like the lead male, he was overly confident for my liking.
Overall, not a success for me.
*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review*

Weston was in love with Juniper. Just one more night and all of his nights would be spent with her. But, he didn’t realize the secrets of his future wife until that night. He was angry, angry enough to be come the “Duke of Disrepute”.
Elise wants a husband and children. When she and Weston meet, he knows that she is special, but he isn’t at a point in his life that he can change his behavior. Elise marries, has a daughter and becomes a widow when he husband dies in a tragic accident.
Fast forward, Elise is at the mercy of family and Weston has finally changed his ways. But, can she trust him? Weston must convince not only Elise, but her daughter that life with him is a forever choice. But first, he must protect them from an enemy-hers or his?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After being introduced to Wes in the previous book, I wasn't sure how he was going to redeem himself, but he has. Wes, The Duke of Disrepute is ready to turn over a new leaf, and finally take on all his responsibilities including finding a suitable wife and having children. When widow Elise, and her young daughter land on his doorstep, he is quickly smitten with the mother and daughter, and becomes to determined to win Elise's heart. Elise has had rough time of it. As a mother with no source of income and no family to fall back on she feels like she is a prisoner in her own life, relying on her husbands heir for room and board in return for working as governess to his children. When Wes offers her an opportunity at a season, in return for her help in finding him a wife, she jumps at the chance. It isn't long before she realizes the only wife she wants for Wes, is herself.

4 Stars of Yay a Refreshing Take On the Reformed Rake (hey, that rhymed!)

I read and reviewed this of my own volition and all opinions are honest and my own. So, this was my first Alexa Aston read, and I was thoroughly impressed. Not only did I think this was incredibly enjoyable and lovely, but I thought it was a unique take on this blend of reformed rake/Cinderella tropes.

I particularly appreciated that Weston’s reforming arc was not contingent upon meeting Elise and had already taken place when they reconnect. Weston was lovely and charming, if a little tooooo perfect after coming to his senses (that process struck me as needing a little more fleshing out). But then, sometimes Prince Charming is what we want to read, and I definitely think Weston met that charcater description.

I really, really liked Elise as a heroine as she is practical, independent, but also good natured. I am getting tired of ‘spitfire’ heroines being the only synonym for an intelligent, independent woman, so this was a welcome change, as, we all know, women can be intelligent and independent in all manner of ways.

That said, the ‘almost’ is one of the reasons this is a 4 Star book, and only on the cusp of a 4 (possibly more of a 3.8). I thought the Lord Ivy storyline needed to be much more developed into the story. It would have worked, and been interesting, but the way it was executed was purposeless and did not need to happen. If that were removed, it would have made the ending much more seamless. I would have liked to see their relationship at Treadwell Manor more because, while I LOVED that this book moves quickly and spans a length of time once the MCs reconnect, it felt like their relationship arc only occurred in the final 40%. So maybe a solution would have been another 60 pages… which does say I really enjoyed this, as I didn’t want it to end. Finally, SPOILER, so scroll on if you want to miss this!—the last thing I’d tweak was the epilogue. While SIDS, of course, is not uncommon and rarely touched on in Historical Fiction/Romance, I felt as if Elise had been through enough… and we as readers didn’t need another cradle death. If Aston really wanted this in the epilogue it needed to be touched on more, it would have needed to be longer. I would have liked it more if Weston had acknowledged the lost daughter when Elise tells him she is pregnant again. Better if it was dropped, in my opinion. I am not adverse to bittersweet endings (Mia Vincy’s A Wicked Kind of Husband comes to mind) but it needs to be carefully done and here it felt more like an afterthought. Last, last thing: tiny inaccuracy in the epilogue with the description of 1820 Paris. This is mid-Bourbon Restoration and the gaslight and revitalization of the city was only underway... So it wouldn't have been the best place to be in 1820, I'd say. Also the croissant is a mid-late 19th century developement inspired by the germanic 'kipferl' and this style of baking innovation/viennoiserie has an earliest recorded date of occuring in Paris in 1838. So its a little iffy. It is the only innacuracy I spotted though!!!

These, however, are baby gripes. They didn’t detract from my overall reading experience which was extremely positive and has me wanting to devour everything Aston has written.

Highly recommend if you want something heart-warming and angsty. This is pacey and moves quickly, spanning over six years which each character have their independent arcs that lead them towards being together.

*Content Warnings are needed however for this series for child and infant death.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

A wonderful read.
A man who changes his ways, his life and his destiny.
A lady who finds that family who should care, don’t.
She also discovers the man who is helping her, and her child, is the answer to her prayers.

I adore this tale, it’s full of hope and is a pleasure to read.
Alexa just gets better in her writing, and I love reading her books.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

The Duke of Disrepute was an enjoyable regency romance. Weston, a broken Duke and Elise, a beautiful widow make a well matched pair and this story is well written and keeps you engaged throughout their journey to love. They strike a bargain to aid each other in finding their perfect match, but little does Elise know that she is the only one that Weston wants for his Duchess.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

I read an ARC through NetGalley for my honest review.

I freaking loved how the Duke of Disrepute (Weston) changed once he had time to find himself. He is a better man than I could be for keeping his ex fiancées secret.
Elise had such rotten luck that was so pervasive of what women endured in her time period.
I enjoyed the way Weston and Elise get together and how they work through and the way they respond to one another.

I highly recommend this one along with the Duke of Charm. (I didnt get to send a review for that one but I also read in via an ARC on NetGalley). Both books are in the series but can stand alone due to Alexa Ashton's awesome story telling.

Sometimes your fate and destiny is standing right in front of you and you don't realize it. I so enjoyed this latest story in the Dukes of Distinction series by Alexa Aston.! This time it's the Duke of Disrepute, Weston's, story and he's ready to break all of his own rules, marry and settle down. He's already decided who his countess will be but persuading her that his past isn't who he really is, is no easy matter!!

Elise is a widow with a little girl, living with her brother in law and his wife and two sons and she's treated horribly, more a servant than anything else. I wanted to smack the sister in law across the back of the head a few times! lol She would like to remarry and have more children but finding the right man isn't very easy. When the Duke of Disrepute advances her with a deal to help each other, little does she know what he actually has planned!

This story is filled with heart and emotion, interesting from start to end and the ending puts a smile on your face::)

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review..

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Seeing two of his best friends fall in love and marry. Weston Wallace, the Duke of Treadwell, considers it may be his turn. Dubbed the Duke of Disrepute by the ton, following his broken engagement years ago, he's the last person you would imagine would settle down, but while he's out in the country, he saves a young widow and her daughter from a burning carriage, and soon falls for her. Elise may be the dowager Countess of Ruthersby, but following the deaths of her husband, and later three day old son, she's pushed to the sidelines by the new Earl and Countess, and has found herself as the unpaid governess to her two tearaway nephews. Hoping when a letter arrives from her father, that she'd be able to move home, and eventually rejoin society, she's left despondent when within days of arriving, both her parents have died. Being rescued by the dashing Duke of Treadwell, who dotes on Claire, and genuinely seems to want to help, was like a dream, and when he says he'll help her find a husband - as long as she helps him find a wife - it's more than she could imagine. However, she doesn't realise that Weston plans on them being engaged by the end of the season, and to each other no less.

This is the third in the Dukes of Distinction series, and, honestly, they're getting better and better with each new addition. I just couldn't put this book down once I started, and was gripped from the get go. Both Elise and Weston had been crossed in love in the past, but wanted to find romance again, and hopefully have a family. Even from the get go, they were a little family, and the longer the three of them - including Claire - spent time together, you could see a family already formed. Elise have been alone for so long, without friends or family to support or care for her, so to see others from previous books, especially Weston's sister, Samantha, embrace her and support her, was fantastic! The romance and chemistry between Elise and Weston, too, was phenomenal, and I hope we see more from them in the other two books in the series!

This story reminds me a little bit of a <strong>Cinderella Fairytale</strong> - where the female MC has a very hard life, her HEA seems out of reach, then in steps <em>Prince Charming</em> and her world is perfect.

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Weston Wallace, Duke of Treadwell - is Prince Charming in this story. Yes, he has lived as a rake for the past few years after his previous fiancé and he parted ways. We don’t really get to see this rakish behavior in the story, although some of his rules to debauch by are mentioned.

Lady Elise Ruthersby, widow with a young child - is our Cinderella in this story. She has had a life filled with sadness. People who were meant to offer comfort and love...never did. This all changes when her carriage strands her near The Duke of Treadwell’s estate.

From here the story takes on one cliche after another with sweetness and happiness both happening and in the plans. Some plotting by Weston ...and next thing you know he is “teaching” Elise the pleasures of kissing...which of course eventually leads to marriage.

Alas, The Happily Ever After

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It was a sweet story. Unbelievable...but sweet.

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3.5 Stars

Heart-warming, tender and romantic are some of the words I would use to describe this novel by a talented author. I found this book engrossing and had a hard time putting it down. On the eve of his wedding, Weston receives the shock of his life resulting in a broken engagement. Embittered and angry, he storms his way through society, earning the reputation of Duke of Disrepute, and gaining enemies. Confronted with the person he has become, Weston turns his life around which ultimately results in his rescue of the widow, Lady Elise Ruthersby, and her young daughter. Having met Elise at her come out, Weston decides that she is exactly what he needs in a wife especially as little Claire has wormed her way into his heart. The only problem he can foresee is persuading Elise that they are the perfect match. This book is a standalone, well-written and the romance between the main characters is palpable. The cover of this novel is beautiful and sets a romantic scene. I received a copy of this romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.