This is the third book in The Duke Hunt series. This can be a stand alone story. I did enjoy that the heroine from the first book makes an appearance.

Gwen is working as a village blacksmith, keeping her family’s business going despite losing her father and uncle and having to deal with a smarmy competitor setting up shop.

I have mixed feelings with this book. The premise was eye-catching, I mean, a lady blacksmith sounded like a great and attractive idea, so I was excited to read it. It started really strong but then started to become kind of slow... at the end I enjoyed it, but sadly, not as much as I expected.
Another thing, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first two books before this one.

Very entertaining story. Not only was the plot interesting, but the characters are as well. This really made for a captivating story that I was unable to put down. I am new to Sophie Jordan and plan on reading more of her works.

This was a cute and fun Historical. My biggest issue is that the third act conflict happens so late and then them getting back together was very quick.

This historical romance includes some fun tropes (fake engagement, forced proximity, only one bed) and focuses on a female blacksmith, something you don’t see in most romance novels. The hero Kellan is a criminal whom Gwen saves from being hanged for his crimes. It focuses on small town life and the realities of being a woman in a man’s profession.

The writing is excellent, and characters from the other books in the series make an appearance. If you want a sexy historical romance without high society, this is a good read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher

Kellan Fox is a swindler and a conman who has most recently been posing as the heir to the Duke of Penning. Eventually the towns people discover Kellan's father is NOT the real Duke which leads to him quickly abandoning Kellan to the mercy of the locals. While fleeing for his life Kellen winds up in the blacksmiths shop which is where he is discovered by the very attractive and very female blacksmith Gwen Cully. Gwen takes a liking to Kellen and can't stomach the thought of him being hung in the town square. Which leads to her publicly claiming "true love" exists between herself and Kellen in front of all her neighbors, putting her neck on the line for him. Discretely Gwen ends up proposing a marriage of convenience to Kellen hoping to use him as free labor to get her business back on track. The attraction in undeniable and as time goes on Kellen realizes he'll do anything to make his marriage of convenience into a permanent love match.

I had a hard time with this one. It was a somewhat original story, but I just wasn't super engaged. It was very one note throughout and the only thing that kept me going was that one steamy scene...you know the one 😉 AND if you don't maybe you should read this one cause it was pretty fantastic!

This was another great historical romance from Sophie Jordan, and I would definitely recommend trying the book if it sounds interesting to you!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

My very first book of Sophie Jordan and I already love her! The book opens with a fast paced and thrilling scene that’s so well written that I was really afraid for the hero, despite knowing that this was an historical romance and he couldn’t possibly die! And it goes on with gorgeous banter between the characters and very sensual scenes. I loved the idea of a female blacksmith who’s not afraid of competing in a men’s world and I really, really ADORED the hero who respects her for who she is and doesn’t even dream of changing her. I cannot give the book five stars only because the end was too abrupt and I would have preferred a more fulfilling conclusion. But all in all it's a wonderful read! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had a fun time reading Sophie Jordan’s latest release. This might be my new favorite book by her. I loved that neither Gwen nor Kellan were members of nobility and that Gwen wasn’t a “conventional beauty” in the eyes of society. She’s tall, strong, and a blacksmith! How cool.

I always enjoy a forced marriage/marriage of convenience type plot, and though I wanted a bit more steam, I really liked Kellan and Gwen’s romance overall.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

It was a good book. A book genre that I usually don't read, I really enjoyed the characters.

Thank your for an arc.

Sophie Jordan weaves such a fantastic story with deep characters, great plot and excellent romance. The heros in this series are phenomenal, I highly recommend.

A quick, fun and enjoyable read,

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
I have to say it’s quite novel to read historical romances that aren’t set amongst the glitz and glam of the Ton. This was completely different for me with a heroine who was a blacksmith, which I wasn’t sure how I would feel about, but I quite enjoyed this book.

Our heroine is the small villiage’s blacksmith following in the footsteps of her family. She was minding her own business when suddenly she gets drawn into a lynching and she saves the the victim’s life by claiming she is in love with him (even though she has never met him). So what’s a girl to do but to then marry this stranger?

This book was oh so delicious with the amount of forced proximity and only one bed! The hero was a conman and morally grey but I loved his redemption arc. This book had some great steak and was a great read.

I was so intrigued with this book! I was captured at the very beginning and became invested in seeing the characters through to the end. It also had a great introduction to the characters. I can say Sophie Jordan kept me entertained as I laughed out look just imagining her surprising beginning! I don’t want to give any spoilers out besides that this was a 5 out of 5 for me! I would definitely recommend if you like romance! I thank Sophie for keeping the plot fresh and the characters real.

This ARC was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This would be close to by top 5 books I’ve read! If I come across it in the store I’d definitely purchase it for my personal library of books!

A delightful story filled with laughs and some lovable characters. I enjoy reading a good historical romance story and this one did not disappoint. It was refreshing and it was good from beginning to end. This was a great addition to this series, and I enjoyed reading the story.

Kellan Fox is a con artist trying to escape the mob of townspeople wanting to hang him for impersonating the son of a duke. He tries hiding in a smithy, where he meets Gwen Cully, a female blacksmith struggling to maintain the family business on her own. He’s quickly discovered by the townspeople and prepared to hang. To save Kellan, Gwen claims she’s in love with the stranger and kisses him in front of the people she’s known her entire life. Gwen and Kellan become “engaged” and build a relationship as they’re forced to perpetuate the lie.
The Scoundrel Falls Hard is the third book in The Duke Hunt series by Sophie Jordan. It can be read as a stand-alone, but Gwen is introduced in the first book (The Duke Goes Down), and her backstory and relationship with the town add to the character development. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s a fun read filled with romance, wit, and a touch of humor. I loved the first two books in the series and was glad Gwen got her own story!

The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan was an interesting story. This is the third book in the series and while it can probably be read as a standalone, I thought having read the other books gave me a bit more context with the characters.

I enjoyed the story and loved how the characters met and became involved in each other's lives. Gwen is a strong, independent woman but it's clear she's feeling like something is missing now that her father and uncle are gone. When Kellan crashes into her life, things get interesting for her.

Kellan has been living the life of a swindler with his father. When they are caught and his father takes off without any thought of Kellan, he thinks this is it for him but when Gwen saves him from the town, he decides to change his ways and does his best to prove himself to Gwen.

I loved how their relationship built throughout the book and they became partners. There's a bit of angst and misunderstanding but in the end, this one wrapped up as I had hoped.

Life should not be all toil.

A fiery main couple and low conflict story make this book a breeze to get through.

This book had a lot of bad reviews from some of my favorite fellow readers. Honestly I went into it with low expectations. I was so pleasantly surprised! If this is the worst of Sophie Jordan’s books I cannot wait to read the others.
The writing is really good. A lot of the conflict in this book is just because of meddlesome, annoying, or cranky people. That’s very real and almost affects me more than “big drama” often found in romance books. One small thing I didn’t love was the pacing, which felt off. It took 7 chapters to get through the opening scene, but the last couple of chapters felt slightly rushed, especially the last chapter. However, a lot of reviews I read were upset it ended so early and I feel the exact opposite. I love them as a couple and I’m glad the third act breakup was brief. Why drag out a HEA?
Our main characters click from their first interaction. I love Kellan’s positive attitude. Usually the grumpy one is the man and this is a fun twist on that. Also when he bought her a dress I was completely won over. Gwen did frustrate me in a few places because she was so against having any help, even though she had a loving family and has good friends. Mostly though she’s feisty and amazing. The side characters are awesome! The real Duke and Miss Lockhart better get their own book because they’re entertaining!
Slight spoiler for a tiny plot hole: My one problem is, what took him days to get back to her after the fair? I thought maybe he was getting the money back, but nope.
Mostly I definitely recommend this book. It’s an easy, fun read and I enjoyed it.

Tropes: Instalust, marriage of convenience, grumpy/sunshine
CW: Violence, bullying, death of parent

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. Opinions are all my own.

This was such a cute book! I hadn't read the other books in this series and it didn't seem like that was a problem. So, it can definitely be read as a stand alone. I will be giving the others a try soon. I loved that Gwen was a blacksmith and the scoundrel, Kellan was a handsome charming conman. Their chemistry was wonderful. This was a super fun and sexy read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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

This is one bonkers plot but I really enjoyed it. The beginning is fast-paced, but the middle does slow down as they get to know each other better. We also learn just how vile the rival blacksmith is and I liked how Gwen handled him. And when these two finally get together it is steamy!

Kellan is running for his life. It's been discovered that he and his father were posing as the Duke of Penning and his son. His father managed to get away but didn't take the time to warn Kellan. Which is how he finds himself hiding in Gwen's shop.

With the town in an uproar over his deception, they are ready to mob him but Gwen manages to calm a few people down. Kellan takes the opportunity to kiss her in front of the whole village. Now they are waiting to be married. Gwen doesn't plan on making him go through with it but they agree to a year of marriage.

Gwen is looking forward to having an extra pair of hands around to help with the daily tasks around the shop and home. Their attraction quickly becomes obvious as they share a few passionate kisses. But Gwen isn't sure if she can trust him with her heart.

Thank you so much to the author, Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Wow, when I say I loved this one... I LOVED this one! One-part confident sexy female blacksmith, forging her own path in life and one-part devilish rogue who while no stranger to hard work generally has picked the path of least resistance. This equals steam: the physical and emotional variety!

Gwen is the village blacksmith, taking care of her family and providing a trade, one that's being threatened by a local rival. She's strong and ready to do battle at a moment's notice when it comes to her family and her business.

In comes Kellan with one of the most interesting introductions, hiding with her forge, taking shelter to avoid a group of angry villagers. While it's sometimes hard to see the heart of gold beneath the tarnish, Kellan definitely works hard to polish it as he starts to see a different future that could be his laid out before him as he and Gwen get to know each other during a yearlong marriage of convenience that should hopefully benefit them both - in ways they never would guess!

Such a great read, Sophie Jordan always writes a book full of passion, well developed characters and complex storylines, this one is no different!