The first note I have is that the book was good, but would have been improved if the evil blacksmith got what was coming to him. Seems he got off too easy. Same thing with the the thief father. Otherwise this was a good fish out of water romance, a woman in a man’s profession, and a believable scoundrel.

This wasn’t my favorite by SJ simply because of the pacing. It was BRUTAL! The beginning starts off with a bang and then it just drags. On and on. On and on. ON AND ON!! You get the point. I had whiplash while reading this. I kept putting it down. Unfortunately not for me.

The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan is book #3 in The Duke Hunt. I did not think this was the best out of the three. In fact, I had a hard time getting through the book. The overall pacing was slow and chemistry between Kellan and Gwen was lacking. They didn't spark or stand out in my opinion. They were just thrown together and immediately are lusting after each other. Gwen saves Kellan (a con artist) by hiding him out in her blacksmith shop. He gets caught and is about to face the hangman noose. Out of desperation, Gwen proclaims her love for him, which saves him, and then that leads to a marriage of convenience. From there things slow down before the wedding.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Summary
Cullen and his dad have been pretending to be the new Duke of Penning and his son, but when their scheme is unconverted, Cullen’s dad leaves him to face the angry mob. Gwen can not watch the townspeople hang Cullen and desperately declares that they are in love. Free from the rope around his neck, Cullen and Gwen agree to get married in name only for one year and then go their separate ways, but the feelings between them are too hot to ignore.

Tropes
Bluestocking heroine, Virgin heroine, Fake relationship, Stuck together, Marriage of convenience

The Plot
This is an excellent bad boy redeemed story and Gwen is the perfect heroine to help Cullen better himself. They both are lonely and need each other at a desperate time in their lives. The fates intervened and forced them together in a very unique way! There are several undying plots that wove wonderfully into the story; the other blacksmith harassing Gwen into marriage, Cullens despicable father causing strife between Gwen and Cullen and the townspeople’s lack of trust in Cullen. It all kept the story moving along and interesting, but never stealing focus from the developing love between Cullen and Gwen.

The Heroine
Gwen Cully is the towns blacksmith but since her father and uncle died, she has been trying to do everything by herself…and failing. She is working nonstop, losing business to the new blacksmith that moved into town, and is realizing just how lonely it is by herself. Gwen has always felt out of place as a female blacksmith, a tall woman, and a spinster, but Cullen makes her feel like a beautiful woman and slowly makes herself vulnerable to Cullen. She is fiercely independent but is happy to have Cullen stand beside her and be a helpmate.


The Hero
Kellan Fox was raised by his father, a trickster, and has lived his whole life from one scheme to the next, but when his dad pretends to be the Duke of Penning, Cullen knows he has gone to far. He is ready to leave that life behind, so when his dad runs away without him and Gwen offers him a way out with marriage, he sees the blessing for what it is…a way to start fresh. And for the first time, someone sees him as someone worth redemption. And he works hard to gain Gwen’s trust and for her to return the love he feels for her. I thought he was just adorable and so sweet.

The Steam
Honestly, not a lot of steam…I kept thinking….oh, here is comes, but then someone would interrupt them and cool the heat between them!

Stand Out Moment
When she saves him from the crowd determined to hang him for his crimes! When she saves him from the crowd determined to hang him for his crimes!

Who Would Like This
Anyone who has read the first two books in this series and has been DYING to read Gwen’s story!

Final Thoughts
I thought this was a very unique historical romance, the plot was original, had me hooked on the characters and felt the emotions between Gwen and Cullen.

The Scoundrel Falls Hard is packed to the gills with some of the very best tropes. Marriage of convenience? Check. Forced proximity? Check. Only one bed??? CHECK.

And for me, the fun went beyond just the excellent execution of these classics. I really enjoyed the characters - a female blacksmith (!!!) and a semi-repentant roguish conman - and their almost immediately sizzling chemistry. Not to mention, we love seeing a woman save a man from certain death. Even if it does mean that she ends up agreeing to marry him. (It's fine, it all worked out.) The first half of this book was especially strong, with plenty of tension and banter.

The second half of the book, though, didn't quite work in my opinion. It felt rushed, to the point where I was actually surprised when I turned to the next page to find the epilogue. The story couldn't quite decide what the main external conflict was - Gwen's repulsive blacksmithing rival or Kellan's awful father - and so it didn't really do justice to either one. Gwen's conflict felt somewhat abandoned by the end and the issue of Kellan's father felt oddly stuck in and rushed, just as quickly resolved as it was introduced. I could have easily spent another several chapters with these characters and was disappointed when things came to an end so hastily.

Still, this was a perfectly fun and enjoyable romance, and I had a good time reading it!

3.5/5

This is the third book in the Duke Hunt series. Reading the books in order are not necessary but helps with the understanding of the Duke of Penning backstory. Gwen Cully is one of the town blacksmiths. She hears an angry mob outside her shop ready to hang a man, Kellen Fox, who was pretending to be the new Duke of Penning. To save him from the mob, she proclaims to love him. Kellan can chose between being hung or marrying Gwen.

This book was not as strong as the previous two in the series. I was really intrigued by the idea of a female blacksmith. Gwen has lived her whole life being told she wasn't feminine because of her profession and her size. Kellen has grown up having a swindler for a father. I liked their friendship and ultimately their partnership in marriage. I just felt the story lacked romance. The two lusted after each other plenty but never really had any deep conversations to show their relationship progress from friendship to romantic partners.

Sophie Jordan is such a brilliant writer. I always find her books to be so enjoyable to read. Despite not loving the chemistry, I found that it was a quick entertaining read. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Jordan, and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Let me start off by saying everything I loved about this book. The premise of this book was very intriguing. I love the concept of a lady blacksmith. I also love that she was described as being tall and packing muscle. I also love that Kellan’s surname was Fox, and he is a swindler (IDK if that was done on purpose). I also love that their relationship felt like a partnership. They equally looked out for each other.

Now to my critiques. I think this book would have been better suited as a novella. The event of the first few chapters stretched on a bit too long for me. Secondly, I thought the last minute issue and ending was so abrupt. I understand wanting to create conflict, but it was solved so quickly, This one is a bit nit-picky but the words “wince” and “flinch” were used soooo many times. I also wish there was a moment in the story where we could see Kellan’s swindling abilities to good use. Especially if it was a craft he mastered throughout his life.

Overall, I had fun with the book, and look forward to the next one! If I’m correct, the next one will include the real duke, and Ms. Lockhart, and I love employer/employee romances.

I think I was expecting more from this read than what I got. The writing was good and the pacing was on point. The only issue that I had was the time it took for me to be invested in the romance. It wasn't until a little further from the middle of the book that I started getting mildly interested in the characters. Regardless, I do see the appeal this book will have for other readers. It just wasn't for me.

I absolutely adored this book. It is not often I read a book where one or both of the characters are not titles and/ or wealthy. I liked Gwen immediately and knew Kellen would be a charmer. The story had humor and passion. Two of my favorite things in a book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. This book can be read alone and not as the series. I read this book without realizing it was book three in the series. I will be reading the previous two book. I received this book from NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for an honest review.

This was a really cute book. Gwen is the local blacksmith, and Kellan is the son of a con man who was pretending to be the local duke. The father escapes and the village wants to hang Kellan until Gwen saves him by offering to marry him. From what I understand there are not many romance novels with tall women, and not only is Gwen tall and strong, but she has her own business and is the savior of this story. This book is not only good as a standard historical romance novel but it's a great book for female empowerment.

Struggled with this author and the writing style. I don’t think I was fully immersed In the story and so DNF at 10 %. I really wanted to enjoy this, but it wasn’t for me.

When Gwen Curry, a female blacksmith finds Kellan Fox, a ne'er-do-well (or she thinks he is) hides out in her house from any angry mob, she saves his life from hanging (as her posed himself as nobility) by posing as his lover and agreeing to marry him within 30 days. However they just met.

The slow burn of their burgeoning romance is...wow, just wow. Their slow evolution on reliance on each other for strength, support, and love gives all the feels! Their first, ahem, union is, HAWT!. 'Da' and the Meyer men - - totally YUCKS. What jerks they were, even though Da has some redemption along the way.

I loved this book!

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. I love Sophie Jordan and the previous title in this series "The Rake Gets Ravished" was terrific.
Gwen, the heroine, appears in the last book as the village blacksmith. She has inherited the shop from her late father. Kellan, the hero, is a charming con man who also learned his trade from his father.
Basically, Gwen and Kellan are forced into a marriage and they need to decide if they want to be in it for the long haul. Gwen desperately needs help in her shop and Kellan needs to decide if he can live an honest life at Gwen's side.
This book had a novella feel to it. There is basically one conflict or misunderstanding. This issue is cleared up in a reasonable amount of time and the couple is then on their way to a HEA. The book is unique in that neither character is wealthy and there is no sudden change of fortune. The struggles of the characters are unique as well. Gwen is a businesswoman who is actually working and trying to run her household at the same time. She is not at all like the usual HR heroines. Kellan has never liked his dishonest lifestyle and he works to change and earn Gwen's trust.
The steam in this story takes some time to build up but it is definitely worth waiting for. There is also a cameo appearance by the Duke of Penning--I imagine that he will be featured in the next book.
Altogether a recommended read!

The Duke Hunt is the story of a lady blacksmith and an actor/con-artist. Gwen Cully has grown up to inherit her family's Blacksmith business. Kellan Fox stumbles into her shop searching for a place to hide after his latest job goes south. The local residents want to hang him but Gwen comes to his rescue. During the melee they somehow find themselves agreeing to marriage. After their initial meeting, the story is told of the days leading up to their wedding. Kellen is a con-man, but only because he made an oath to his dying mother to look after his father. Marriage to Gwen is an opportunity to change his life. Gwen is alone in the world and needs help. The story contains a marriage of convenience, a road trip with only one bed, nosey neighbors, and an evil business rival.

It was refreshing to read an historical romance where the characters are not nobility. This is book 3, but it works as a standalone. I am adding the other 2 to my TBR mountain.

4 Stars

ARC review copy via NetGalley

Another perfectly paced novel from Sophie Jordan. She is one of my auto-buy authors and I'm always hooked from the first pages. Her novels are emotional without being angsty and have to be some of the sexiest historicals out there.

I liked this book!! I thought Gwen was a great character and I very much enjoyed the way the relationship and story unfolded. I thought the ending was a bit quick and needed a bit more. Overall, this was a great series and I am looking forward to the next book, which I hope is with the Duke!!

Gwen and Kellan are a dream duo!
I have been excited about this book because Gwen is a blacksmith so that's pretty cool, and when events lead her to save Kellan and they find themselves engaged, they have to learn to trust one another and discover what they wanted in life may not be what they truly desire... A great book, slow burn but worth it. There are some nasty characters in the book and I CANNOT wait for Lord of Penning book!

I love this world that Sophie Jordan has created with women and heroes who have a different kind of life. Instead of parties and titles and ambition, they are more like regular people doing regular things and trying to be happy. I have been waiting for Gwen's story and am so excited to have finally enjoyed it. It was so page turning right out of the first page. However, it slowed down a little for me in the middle but the slow burn heated the last third up just like I wanted. Gwen and Kellen are such a great couple and I can't wait for you to meet them!

The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan is book three in her series The Duke Hunt. This story is a enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, opposite’s attract blend of tropes. The story is told from a dual POV and although it’s a part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone.

Let me start by saying, I had a really hard time with this review. I adore Sophie Jordan’s writing, I have read many of her stories and loved them. Case in point—the first two books of this series I really enjoyed! So when I found myself highly annoyed and frustrated with this book it was a shock. One particular problem that diminished my overall enjoyment was the pacing of the story was way off kilter. The story starts out with a bang and the reader is immediately captured by the situations, then for the next huge chunk of story the pace slows down, like sloth slow.

Finally around 78% the story picks back up again; however, getting from 25% to 78% was very hard, I can’t lie I actually fell asleep three times while reading.

So yeah, pacing was a definite issue for me.

The MCs are Kellan Fox & Gwen Cully.

Kellan is the perfect antihero casted as a bad boy rogue, con-artist, trickster-I loved his character from the very beginning. We are introduced to Kellan in the middle of a crisis and I immediately was invested in his HEA. ❤️

Gwen - this is a character I have been intrigued by since she was introduced in previous books. Gwen is a female blacksmith who looks like a Viking shield maiden, she is independent and lives alone in her own home and owns her own business - by these things alone she was all but guaranteed to be a bad arse, right? Wrong. Gwen was unsure of herself, fretted about everything, was a total cock tease to Kellan, and went back and forth in her decisions so much I almost got whiplash. On top of this she would fly off the handle based on assumptions and take out her anger on Kellan. 🥴 I found myself so annoyed with Gwen I was tempted to skip the chapters from her POV; however, I kept reading them & falling asleep.

I did enjoy the marriage of convenience aspect which was twisted to be of benefit to Kellan. Usually HR base marriages of convenience on how the male is saving the female or about a strong alliance between two powerful families. Jordan based this marriage on Gwen providing safety and security for Kellan, with a secondary benefit to Gwen of having Kellan around to help her keep up with her responsibilities.

Never fear though because even with the previous issues—I did enjoy the book. It just was not what I expected from this amazing author.

Overall 3.5 Stars | 4 Flames

I will go hide in my box of shame now…





Review Copy of The Scoundrel Falls Hard provided by HarperCollins Publishing for an honest Review.

I generally enjoy Sophie Jordan, so I was very excited to get this advance copy even though I haven't read the other books in this series. It starts very strong, but it goes downhill pretty quickly after the 25% point. I may enjoy it more in audiobook format. As an ebook, I had a terrible time focusing and becoming fully immersed. I enjoyed reading a historical romance with two main characters that were normal people, not nobleman or aristocrats, and I enjoyed Gwen who was strong and interesting but the relationship didn't really resonate with me, it felt a bit hollow. It was a quick read and overall enjoyable, but I wish there was a bit more emotional intimacy 2.5⭐