Never Marry a Scandalous Duke
by Renee Ann Miller
A well written story . A scandal a marriage of convenience and two wild wards . Great read .

Marriage of Convenience trope! I love these.

Here we have the story of Sara, our butterfly-loving spinster, and Ian, our yummy rake. Said Rake lays one on her at a masquerade mistaking her for someone else. All of this of course, leads to love. Great story!

This was a perfectly fine historical romance and the two kids were also great and well dev eloped:). I may try the rest of the series

a rogue Duke caught in a closet with a lady entomologist.....the scandal. Lady Sara knew that party was a bad idea.....Duke of Dorcester makes an offer of convenience.....throw in 2 wild wards....a great read.

“Whether we are here or in a crush, I will never let you fall. Never.”

Can someone catch ME because I feel a swoon coming on. I can say with confidence that the Duke of Dorchester’s arms are more than strong enough to hold me (wink)! Never Marry a Scandalous Duke is absolutely swoon worthy. It’s not only FUN…it’s funny and engaging and charming and full of energetic characters…especially the butler and the kids.

Sara Elsmere is a bluestocking. Her passion is bugs, butterflies to be exact. Ruined during her come out, Sara is firmly on the shelf with no hopes of having a family of her own. Despite this, Sara is constantly hounded and belittled by her “loved ones” and encouraged to make a suitable match…any match or have her allowance revoked. Sara unhappily dances to their tune only to preserve the one thing she’s not willing to do without.

Ian McAllister, Duke of Dorchester is a successful businessman with a taste for women. He’s unapologetically rakish and has absolutely no desire to wed. When a case of mistaken identity leads to a passionate kiss at a masquerade that threatens one of his contracts, Ian considers entering a marriage of convenience. This unlikely agreement could be the best deal he’s ever made for it could solve his biggest issue of all…what to do with his two young wards.

Never Marry a Scandalous Duke is definitely worth a read. From beginning to end, you’ll find yourself captivated and charmed.

🌟 3.5 🌟

Lady Sara Elsmere would be content enjoying her spinsterhood studying butterflies if not for her families insistence she finds herself a husband. What they don't expect, and neither does she, that she will be mistaken for the wrong shepherdess at a costume party and be caught in a steamy kiss with a scandalous duke.

This book took me a bit to get into. The writing at times felt like there were too many discriptors that bogged down scenes. However, as the story progressed it did pull me in and I came to enjoy it.

I really liked Ian and Sara's relationship but I wish more got done with their bargain. They really suited eachother regardless and how her presence is what opened him up to his wards was nice to see. Sara was also a great heroine. I loved how she desperately wanted to make connections with the people in her life and that extended to servants as well.

There is a third act conflict that has little to do with their relationship and I kind of loved that. Cause it forced them to confront their feelings without a big break up or anything.

I voluntarily received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was charming, hysterical, annoying, sweet, sexy and satisfying. The dialogue was great and flowed just right to keep me engaged, but the issue with her laughing i just could never understand. But beyond that there were some incredibly hilarious moments tucked into this book filled with sentimental and sexy times as well. These were two people not looking for love that were certainly surprised by it, and that's always the best kind to read about. #netgalley #nevermarryascandalousduke

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lady Sara Elsmere wants nothing to do with balls or finding a husband even though that is what both her father and brother want. She is content to hide in the library than making a fool of herself when a man asks her to dance. One night at a ball, she accidently finds the Duke of Worcester and a lady in a scandalous position. Embarrassed to be caught watching the pair, she gets a reprieve from society when her father unexpectedly expires at the ball that very night. Now, a year later Sara finds herself in a compromising position with the scandalous duke.

I thought the last book was charming, although predictable, but the things that I found charming in the last book were noticeably absent in this one. The heroine to me just came off extremely childish especially for a heroine who was a little older. On top of that, she is a scientist and a bluestocking which are traits I like in a heroine. She just felt flat and awkward. Ian was better, but he is one of those heroes that I won't remember in a year. Their relationship was super sweet at the end, but I found that most of the time they were together the moments didn't flow. It wasn't easy, and it felt like the author was really trying to force them together.

I don't think this is the worst book I have ever read nor the best. It was a decent enough read, but it isn't something that I would choose to put on my keeper shelf or read again.

This is the sixth book of the series, and though I have not read all of the prior books, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. Sara is firmly on the shelf, but does not mind because her interest lies more with studying butterflies than attending balls and soirees. After an embarrassing debut, men tend to steer clear of her, except for one very frustrating and devilishly handsome duke, Ian McAllister, the Duke of Dorchester. One mistaken kiss leads them to a marriage of convenience neither had expected or particularly wanted. Though Sara and Ian had a rough start, it didn't take long for their feelings to blossom. Their strong chemistry and attraction to each other also helped move things along. They do come across an unexpected hurdle near the end, which brings a bit of a challenge.
This was definitely an enjoyable read that kept me entertained till the end. I also enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching their relationship grow. A lovely read, and I would definitely like to read more from this author soon!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Lady Sara Elsmere has been relegated to the fringes of high society thanks to her unfortunate tendency to burst into nervous laughter when asked to dance. She doesn’t really mind since she’s devoted to her study of butterflies and has no interest in society gossip. She’s still a bit embarrassed about her behavior around men, but there’s not much to be done about the fact that they make her nervous. However, one man doesn’t cause that reaction in her when he yanks her into a dark room at a ball and kisses her thoroughly.

Ian McAllister, the Duke of Dorchester, has quite the reputation as a scandalous rake and he would’ve been perfectly fine with keeping that bachelor’s image for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, he’s now kissed the wrong shepherdess. Though he enjoyed it immensely, he now must decide if he can go through with marrying the innocent girl whose reputation, he’s ruined to ensure that his business dealings aren’t damaged by the scandal. His two young wards also need a mother figure they won’t be able to run off as they have with their last three nannies. Sara wants freedom and independence, so when Ian offers to let her keep her dowry for herself upon their union, she agrees to a businesslike marriage. But as Sara and Ian begin life together, the mutual attraction between them burns ever hotter, surprising them both with the stirrings of genuine emotion in the midst of their perfectly civilized arrangement.

I’m not sure if this was really the book or just me, but I found the pacing to be quite slow and for some reason I never really found any of the characters to be particularly compelling. Sara annoyed me most of all, I think because she’s meant to be highly educated and erudite, but she’s incredibly naïve about nearly everything. I think her prudishness was also pretty over the top given that she’s supposed to be so educated. Her character just seemed a bit all over the place to me. She was also unnecessarily mean to Ian even when he didn’t deserve it, baiting him out of nowhere, and it just didn’t make sense to me. I loved that these two were together so early on, but the intimacy faded quickly enough to give me whiplash and then we had no other intimate scenes between them for quite some time. Perhaps most disappointing for me was nearer the end when the way was paved for a truly wonderful love scene in which the hero is going to show the heroine all the emotions he cannot give voice to, and then it fades to black.

I also think a lot of this story was bogged down with inanities that really did nothing to advance the plot. Some descriptions of mannerisms and gestures were repeated ad nauseum, most specifically that Sara lifted an eyebrow in imitation of the arrogant way that Ian had. I’m not sure why, but this repetition got on my nerves after a while. Sara spends much of the book trying to prove her independence to Ian, but most of this behavior just comes off as rude, and all the while she’s harping on about how rude he is when really, he’s just awkward and uncertain. Basically, Sara just makes a lot of power moves for no reason

There’s quite a bit of book in which not much happens but everyday life and Ian and Sara not spending much time together. There are also a good number of pages devoted to the pranks Sara and the boys play on each other, which were humorous and cute, but I think these also did pull away from the romance of the story. Sara also spends a lot of time thinking about all the questions she has about Ian, but rarely asking him anything, instead going to the servants to try to glean information. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the other woman drama that got inserted near the end, though it did ramp up the pacing and helped reinvest me and made me want to go ahead and finish the book. Ian had such potential to be one of those unloved heroes who has to learn how to give and receive love, a trope I adore, but it just fell a bit flat here and I still can’t quite pinpoint why. This wasn’t a bad story by any means, and I did enjoy it, I just don’t think it quite lived up to the hopes I had for it given all the potential these tropes held, but I still found it to be worth the read.

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

Never Marry a Scandalous Duke is book six in the Infamous Lords series. This is my first book by this author and won't be my last! I really adored this book, it had so much humor and heart.

Lady Sara Elsmere is a bluestocking who wants to study her butterflies and stays on the fringe of society after an embarrassing first season. Ian McAllister, Duke of Dorcester, is a rogue (I mean, when is a Duke not?). Though they are familiar with each other around the ton, their paths rarely cross, until mistaken identity at a masked soiree leads to a marriage of convenience.

Ian has two young wards, Edward and Jacob, and he needs a wife to help tame their wild way. I loved the dynamics between the all the characters, and will totally check out the other books in this series.

This is a funny and feel good romance. Great escapist read with joyful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

Never Marry a Scandalous Duke by Renee Ann Miller is the sixth book of the Infamous Lords. Lady Sara Elsmere is firmly on the shelf, and she doesn’t mind one bit. She is far more interested in in studying butterflies in her work as an entomologist. Sara’s debut into society was botched when she began nervously laughing when asked to dance and all she could think about was messing up and knocking them both to the floor. The one man who doesn’t make her nervous is the rakish Ian McAllister, the Duke of Dorchester, especially when Sara is pulled into a dark room at a masquerade and kissed so passionately by him. Ian discovers he has kissed the wrong woman. He faces a dilemma when his indiscretion with Sara is witnessed, and now his business arrangement may suffer from the scandal. Ian decides the only thing he can do is offer for Sara’s hand in marriage. He figures Sara would be a great maternal figure for his two young wards who chase off every governess. He agrees to give Sara the use of her dowry to fund her studies, and they enter a marriage of convenience. But when Ian and Sara embark on their lives together and get to know each other more, they realize their mutual attraction may lead to something neither of them expected.

One word: delicious. I devoured this book. I completely adored Ian and Sara as a couple and as individuals. Ian and Sara are characters you can’t help but root for. I will definitely check out the previous Infamous Lords books!

This book was a light historical romance filled with some heartwarming moments between MCs and some drama. I liked it, I definitely like that FMC is not a typical member of Society but otherwise – speaking from having read this a month ago – a not-so-memorable read.

I knew I liked it enough to give it 4 stars but I honestly can’t remember much from this book (I really should write a review sooner to the date I’ve finished a book) therefore I’m taking a star away.

I very much enjoyed this marriage-of-convenience historical! Lady Sara Elsmere is an entomologist who just wants to be left alone to study her butterflies, especially after she fails as a debutante on the marriage market by laughing hysterically when any gentleman asks her to dance. Her brother and sister treat her very poorly and see her as odd, unfashionable, and graceless. Enter Ian McAllister, the Duke of Dorchester, who has no interest in a wallflower like her…until he mistakes her for his mistress and drags her into a closet to kiss her. After they are caught in this lip lock, the Duke realizes that he and Lady Sara can help each other. He can give her control over her inheritance so that she can pursue her studies (and free herself from her unfeeling siblings); she can make him seem respectable to his business associates and, most of all, tame his two young, mischievous wards.

Like many historical readers, I love a marriage of convenience and Never Marry a Scandalous Duke really hits the spot on this score. If you are writing a marriage of convenience, you really have to invest in the 19th century world that would make such an alliance appealing and Miller delivers here. You feel that Lady Sara and her Duke are truly nineteenth-century aristocrats who must abide by the strictures of this world…which makes their falling for each other within the starchy confines of their arrangement all the more delicious. I also really liked how Lady Sara and the Duke light it up in the bedroom from the beginning whereas the other parts of their connection take more time to develop. Miller sets up their agreement so that it is, from the beginning, a real marriage; this book is not a marriage of convenience book where they are planning to call it off or annul it or separate permanently after a year. They very much understand that they are stuck with one another and the Duke even promises her at the outset that he will be faithful as long as she agrees to share his bed. Their connection in the bedroom surprises them both and they end up having to work from there to build a real marriage. I found this handling of the marriage of convenience really refreshing.

I recommend Never Marry a Scandalous Duke to readers who love a marriage of convenience with a nineteenth-century feel, STEM heroines, and stuffy dukes who need to learn how to feel.

Lady Sara Elsmere is a twenty-seven-year-old veritable well-educated wallflower and secret butterfly entomologist, that everyone ignores except her family. Sara forced to go to a ball, could not avoid looking at Ian McAllister, the Duke of Dorchester known as one of the last Infamous Lord. As Sara was attempting to hide from the ball, she escapes to the library, but she is not alone because Ian is there with another lady. When Ian discovers Sara heated words are exchanged noticing her at that moment. That was a ball Sara would rather forget because her father dies. The next ball Sara attends is a masquerade where she is dressed as a shepherdess. Sara can’t believe the audacity of her brother to wear the atrocious costume, she tries to escape yet again. When Ian finds Sara, he kisses her and enjoys the kiss so much. Unfortunately, both are discovered and must marry quickly in order to prevent her ruination. Ian can’t believe the mistake but maybe being married to Sara won’t be horrible especially when he realizes that he is slowly falling in love with her.
What an amazingly delicious, lovely historical Regency romance that is definitely a keeper! The story flows beautifully with wonderful imagery, settings and the characters are just marvelous! The writing is crisp and yes, because of it the book is hard to put down! Sara the smart, studious, kind bug loving heroine is truly a delight! She sparkles with wit and sass even with her quiet demeanor and nervousness that really makes the story. Ian the playboy but manages to have a genuine heart anyway pretty much pales in comparison to Sara’s secret vivaciousness. Still, Ian manages to be swoon worthy and is indubitably a fabulous book boyfriend anyway. Yes, the tale deserves five stars in truth requires ten! Is this a book that others will enjoy all I can say is yes amazingly so a truly rapturous read that really requires a reread, which of course I will many times!

Sara is a bluestocking spinster. Her nervous laughter when asked to dance and her interest in studying butterflies is enough to scare off most men. When she's caught in a compromising situation at a costume ball kissing Ian, who mistakenly took her for someone else, the two make a marriage of convenience arrangement. Sara's brother has threatened to cut off her money if she doesn't marry, making her scientific studies of butterflies impossible. The scandal would harm Ian's business dealings and anyway he needs someone to handle his two rambunctious, recently orphaned wards. With marriage, Sara would have money and freedom, while Ian will save his business plans and his wards will have a mother figure. The story is funny and warm, with witty banter as the four adjust to being a family.

I honestly had a hard time staying interested in this book. I finished it but the middle and end drifted for me. It wasn't my cup of tea but others will like it. I liked the cover!

For the most part, this was a cute read that can be enjoyed as a complete stand-alone from the others (although certain characters do appear from the prior novels, in my opinion, you do not need to know their backstories in order to understand and enjoy this story).

Ian and Sara were .... interesting. There were times when I enjoyed them getting to know one another, and times when I wanted to throttle Ian for being such a prat. He tells his staff to make Sara happy, they do as she asks and he gets mad and throws a hissy fit about it. Mind you, this was over something as trivial as a room she wanted in which to keep her books, and butterfly specimens, and in which she could continue her research into butterflies, the exact thing he had promised her she could do should they marry. And of course, there is the internal back and forth between both of them wanting the other, but refusing to admit it. Because gosh darn it! They won't be the one to make the first move!

Then we have the two little boys that he is guardian to. I enjoyed the prank war they got into with Sara, and the way she refused to be cowed by them, instead giving just as good as she got. It was enjoyable watching as the boys began to trust her and open up to her little by little during the time that Ian was away.

Speaking of Ian's wards, I'm still a little confused about why Edward and Jacob, (who drove off three nannies prior with their antics) were suddenly the most well-behaved children on the planet when they went to stay with Ian's friend so that he and Sara could enjoy a slight honeymoon without them. I would have liked to have heard a least a tiny complaint about their behavior, but no. As far as the friend was concerned the boys were angels.

I'm still a bit confused about the seemingly last-minute addition of Ian's stepmother and the sudden plot to have him killed. Considering said stepmother was Ian's former paramour (to whom he had actually proposed before she married his father), I feel there were so many other, more enjoyable ways the author could have used her that would have been more believable. As it stands, her arrival in town and her nefarious plots changed absolutely nothing except it made Ian admit to Sara that he had fallen in love with her too. That's it. There was no discord between the couple over her arrival, no mistrust. Nothing. Just Sara knowing the other woman was up to no good, and ultimately putting the pieces together in enough time to thwart her plans.

If you're in the mood for an easy read to pass the time, I would highly recommend this novel. Especially if you're a fan of the marriage of convenience troupe.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

4 out of 5 stars :)

This was my first time reading anything by Renee Ann Miller, and from this book, I can see that she is a very good writer -- she has the ability to write very *softly* if that makes sense, giving the story a kind of tranquil feeling. While I didn't LOVE LOVE the book, I still really enjoyed it, and the plot along with our love interests (Sara and Ian) was still super lovely and heartwarming.

(That being said, I do feel that Sara's and Ian's relationship lacked in chemistry and steam/swoon energy. For example, at one part of the book, we have Ian say to Sara, he is going to show how much he loves her with quote "not words, but actions" and then that chapter ends and the next chapter starts with Sara's point of view, with one paragraph on the sex they had earlier. Then later, that "show you how much I love you with both words and actions" quote comes up again, and it just felt weak. Like yes, I should think that he'd show you with "words and actions" -- to me, that's not even close to a clever or swoony statement to the love interest. In my opinion, it added nothing. It was meh). -- All of that is in brackets because I don't know why it bothered me, but it did. Aside from that and the "tell not show" memory of sexual encounter, however, it was a solid read.

Another great book in the Infamous Lords series! Sara and Ian had wonderful chemistry and I loved how the author focused on how the couple made the other better. The focus was not on steamy scenes but how they built a bond and formed a family. The book does not have much angst, there is a villain but that person doesn't provide much drama. Loved the supporting characters especially Ian's wards.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.