ARC Review: To the Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey (Rakes of St. James 2)

Title: To the Duke, With Love

         Rakes of St. James 2

Author: Amelia Grey

Release Date: December 5, 2017 

(ARC Version)

Published By: St. Martin’s

Category: Historical Romance – Regency

Type: Digital – Paperback

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Blurb: 

There may be times when a gentleman is desperate to gain a lady’s attention, but a gentleman would never resort to desperate measures to obtain it.
—A Proper Gentleman’s Guide to Wooing the Perfect Lady

Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorn is guardian for his sweet, younger sister. Due to his misguided past as one of the infamous Rakes of St James, Hawk is hoping to avoid the Season by securing a match for her before it begins. He has the perfect gentleman in mind, but for one infuriating—and unexpectedly intoxicating—obstacle: the intended groom’s own sister, Miss Loretta Quick.

Having narrowly avoided her own arranged marriage to an unacceptable nobleman, Loretta is determined that her dear brother—a gentle, good-natured soul—should marry for love. Matching wits with Hawk may be her greatest challenge yet. . .until she realizes it may also be her greatest pleasure. For the young duke’s irresistible charm has not only begun to crumble her stubborn resolve, it has claimed her heart in true love as well in To the Duke, With Love.

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Favorite Lines:

“Perhaps you didn’t notice when we spoke this afternoon, Your Grace, but …” She paused, and her hint of a smile was confident. “I’m not known for being agreeable just to placate someone – not even an earl or a duke.”  ~  Loretta

“I suppose you will have to ask Paxton when you tell him that you want him to marry your sister so she won’t have to go out into Society and look for a husband herself among the rakes, scoundrels, and rapscallions. You know –” She gave him a rueful smile. “The kind of men who send gentle-bred young ladies anonymous letters and ask them to meet a secret admirer – that doesn’t exist.”  ~  Loretta

Excerpt:

          Hawk wasn’t used to explaining himself, but felt compelled to say, “I sent him a post last week stating I’d be here today to discuss an important matter with him.”

          Her countenance went from inquisitive to affable. “Ah, therein lies the source of your problem.”

          “My problem?”She just wouldn’t give up. 

          “Yes.”She folded her arms across her chest in a comfortable pose and nodded. “Paxton has been gone almost three weeks. We only receive mail once a week, when Mr. Huddleston takes the carriage into the village for purchases. Paxton has had correspondence arrive but, of course, I don’t open his private letters.”

          A few words that were not appropriate for Miss Quick’s ears tumbled to the tip of Hawk’s tongue, but he held them silent. What were the odds this would happen? He’d come all this way to the middle of nowhere and Quick was gone. That was damned inconvenient. Still, Hawk was a fair person. If Quick had never received his post, he supposed he couldn’t fault the man for not being here to meet with him. 

          “Perhaps all is not lost,” she said, lifting her chin and looking more solidly into his eyes. “Maybe I can help with whatever it is you wanted with Paxton.”

          “That would be unlikely, Miss Quick.”

          She dropped her arms by her side and assumed an air of authority. “I am quite capable of handling many things, Your Grace, and take care of most things here at Mammoth House.”

          He wasn’t indifferent to her assertion. He believed her. She was strong and seductive, and he hadn’t seen an ounce of fear in her. But neither her abilities nor her appeal had any bearing on his mission. He’d be damned before he’d let her admirable qualities let him stray from that. 

          “That I don’t doubt in the least. Yet it is your brother I came to see. Where is he?”

          Undaunted by his determination, she responded casually, “Paxton doesn’t make me privy to all his goings and comings. He has several friends that he visits with from time to time. Besides, I’m not certain I would divulge Paxton’s whereabouts even if I knew, when I don’t know the reason you want to see him.”

          If she thought to discourage him, she was mistaken. If Hawk could arrange a betrothal for Adele before the Season began, her future would be settled. He wouldn’t have to worry about her falling victim to a prankster or any bachelor hoping to get even with him for his past misdeeds. I

          t wasn’t often he’d met an innocent who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Perhaps he never had. And Miss Quick was a lively young lady to converse with, but they were not making much progress. 

          “Must you challenge me on every issue?”

          She crossed her arms again. “When you aren’t forthcoming about your reasons, yes. Dukes are very powerful. It’s only natural for me to be concerned.”

          Hawk wondered what made her so wary. “It’s not for nefarious purposes that I want to see him, I assure you. I have a proposition to make to him, and I’d rather do it sooner than later.”

          She tilted her chin upward again. “Oh. Then you won’t mind if I ask what it is?”

          Yes, actually, he did mind her asking. However, much to his chagrin, her imperious expression was more engaging than defiant. It took great courage to ask a duke what his business was with another man—even if she was asking about her own brother. 

          Hawk supposed there was no harm in telling her. If he did, it might speed up her telling him the whereabouts of her brother so he could get on with the matter of getting this business settled quickly as possible. He wanted to find Adele a suitable husband and then get back to doing some of the things he wanted to do. Hawk was fairly certain Quick hadn’t been in London the past week. He would have seen the blade at White’s. 

          “Very well,” he offered. “My sister will be making her debut this spring, and I’d very much like to arrange a betrothal between her and your brother before the Season starts.”

          Miss Quick went very still. “Surely you must know that arranged engagements don’t end very well in this family.”

          There was no malice in her tone, just a statement of fact. Hawk summoned what he remembered about her and wondered how much of it was rumor and how much was true. The Earl of Switchingham had arranged for her to marry Viscount Denningcourt. Apparently, all the guests and the viscount had arrived at the church for the ceremony, but the bride never made an appearance. 

          Her uncle took a very harsh view of her rejecting his choice of husbands for her. If the rumors were true, she had vowed to never marry. The betrothal was broken and shortly thereafter the viscount married a different young lady. As far as Hawk knew, Miss Quick hadn’t been seen in Society since. 

          “I heard,”he said, “But I aim to change that. I’ve put a good deal of thought into this, Miss Quick, and your brother is the husband I want for Adele. I’ve never seen him too deep in his cups, and he never gambles more than a handful of dollars at the tables. I’ve never heard a harsh rumor about him at White’s; nor have I heard Mr. Quick complain about anyone else. By all accounts he’s a fine gentleman who prefers books over swords, poetry over carousing, and tea over brandy.”

          A soft, sweet smile came easily to her lips and she politely said, “In other words, he’s nothing like the man you are.”

Dialogue Highlight:

          “Perhaps your forthright manner is why I’m so intrigued by you, Miss Quick.”

          Is he? 

          That thought had her feeling as if bees were swarming in her chest and butterflies fluttering in her stomach. 

          “It’s not my desire to intrigue you.”

          “That’s quite obvious, too. And I know you are as fascinated by me as I am by you.”

          Loretta frowned deeply. “You couldn’t know that even if it were true. Which is isn’t.”

          “I know,” he insisted in a husky voice that sent a prickling of something wonderful skipping over her skin. “I see it in your eyes.”

          Loretta sucked in a deep and, she hoped, soundless breath. Could that possibly be true? Some people were more perceptive than others, but—did she dare to refute his claim again? 

          She hesitated, searching for the right words. 

          “While you contemplate your answer, Miss Quick,”he continued in the same lighthearted tone that washed over her as soothingly as warm water, “I think you should know that, as outspoken as you are, I don’t expect you to deny what I see so clearly.”

          Oh, he was a perceptive brute. 

          Of course she was attracted to him, and he was a miserable beast for realizing she wanted to disavow his assessment of her. But he was wrong if he thought to goad her into admitting anything. 

          She forced herself to relax. “I fear you mistake the reason for my interest in you.”

          His brows rose. “Really?”

          “It’s only natural that I should be a little awestruck, Your Grace.”

          “You? Awestruck? If so, you have an odd way of trying to get that point across.”

          “Nevertheless, as I mentioned, I’ve never had a duke visit Mammoth House. Surely you must know that your presence, or anyone’s for that matter, is a rare occasion for the niece of an earl who has been all but banished from Society.”

          His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know the complete story on that, Miss Quick. Perhaps we can discuss it later.”

          Loretta’s proclamation to her uncle and its consequences weren’t things she wanted to talk about in any detail, and the duke had to know that. She quirked her head and offered, “If that be the case, then I suppose you will also want to discuss a certain secret admirer letter that was reportedly read around the world.”

          The Duke of Hawksthorn gave a hearty laugh. His eyes sparkled invitingly. It lifted her spirits and made her feel quite jolly to know that her comment had amused him so much. 

          “Around the world? Your cleverness is refreshing.”

          She smiled. “As you said earlier, I don’t know the complete story on that.”

          “While I have little doubt everyone in England heard about my misguided participation in that youthful prank, I have misgivings about the prospects of the entire world knowing. However, in either case, I must wait for further discussion on the matter.” He extended the glass to her. “And I’ll wait to enjoy this until after I’ve put the mare in the stable, rubbed her down, and fed her.”

          Loretta reached to take hold of the glass, and two of her fingers landed on top of his. A tingling response rushed up her arm and rippled across her breasts; a tightening gripped her lower abdomen. The duke must have felt the strange awareness at their unexpected contact, too. His eyes blinked and narrowed. She was certain there was a jump in his breathing as he slipped his fingers from beneath hers and let go of the glass. 

          Unlike her usually well-controlled self, she felt a blush searing up her neck and quickly cleared her throat. It was ridiculous for her to feel so tantalized at the slight touch of his hand. That was something she’d have to consider at a later date. This wasn’t the time to think about what she’d felt when her hand brushed the duke’s. 

          She hurried to say, “Since you will be our guest for the evening, what time would you like to have your dinner served?”

          “I will dine at whatever time you do.”

          “Oh, but, I don’t stand on ceremony as far as dinner is concerned when Paxton is away. Mrs. Huddleston is an excellent cook and will consider it an honor to prepare something for you and to serve you in the dining room whenever you prefer.”

          He stepped in closer to her as he had earlier, and for an instant she had the wild thought that she should step closer to him, too. 

          “I welcome the opportunity to forgo ceremony,” he said.

Review: 

Loretta Quick is basically living a life of exile. Having fled from an arranged marriage, leaving her intended at the altar, her Uncle has sent her to the country to live. Assuming the solitude will eventually send her begging a way back into society, he waits. But Loretta knows full well the ramifications of the decision she made and has found peace with her solitary life she is confined to. Her brother, Paxton, spends some time with her and overall, things could be much worse than they are. Given her intense disapproval of arranged marriages, when the shockingly handsome, utterly delicious Duke of Hawsthorne shows up at her door seeking a betrothal contract between her brother and his sister, she must maintain her ground. An arranged marriage will NOT be happening as long as she draws breath. Unfortunately, no one else seems to be siding with her views and the Duke is determined to make this match prior to the start of the season. He isn’t accustomed to losing. Rather than having to convince the intended parties, Loretta is the one needing convincing, swayed toward the idea that the marriage could be a good thing for all involved. There is also the small detail that if Paxton marries Hawk’s sister, she has many more chances to see Hawk. She can’t have him, but nothing can stop her from enjoying him.

Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorne has just come through a season with one of his best friends, the Duke of Griffin, and Griffin's twin sister’s debut. He saw everything Griffin went through and helped to protect his sisters. Now that his own sister’s debut is upon him, he refuses to go through the same debacle. Determined to make a match for her prior to the first ball of the season, he sets out to convince Paxton Quick to marry his sister; except he ends up facing off with the enticing and steadfast Loretta Quick. She’s trouble for him and he knows it, but that doesn’t stop him from devising ways to not only ensure the betrothal is made, but also steal time alone with Loretta. The betrothal ends up being easier work than anticipated, the impossible challenge becoming finding a way to make Loretta his. Challenge accepted. If only he can figure out how to break through that foolish vow she made and convince her that she isn’t shirking her responsibility by following a path to happiness and the dreams she never dared to hope possible.

I’m sorry – I just realized that Hawk has a name. I am shocked because I never found a name for Griffin in the first book, other than his title. I don’t recall Hawk’s name ever being mentioned other than the first line in the book. Throughout the book he is never once called by it – always by his title or simply, Hawk. Dang if I wouldn’t have preferred Loretta to call him by his first name. How in blazes did I miss that? In any case … Finally! We are given several glimpses into the relatively unknown – continually mentioned in the first book of the series – elusive until now … A Proper Gentleman’s Guide to Wooing the Perfect Lady. The book that created The Rakes of St. James themselves. Each chapter includes a rule from the book, which is quite amusing and somehow relates to the events of each chapter. I found this element to the plot quite a fun addition and consistent with the first book of the series; foretastes of noteworthy advice peppered throughout each book’s entirety.

This book is basically the first book retold - in the sense that you have a single Duke trying to live down a possible threat to his sister from a foolish act carried out during his rakish youthful years, never envisioning THAT bet would have drawn such attention and plagued him into his adult years. Certainly not that it could ever affect his sister in any way. In an effort to avoid possible retribution, Hawk endeavors to make a match for his sister prior to the beginning of the season and ends up walking right into a head-strong woman who challenges him at every turn and fires his blood like no other. Familiar, yes? I think I may have written those exact words in the previous review. There are some differences in the characters and their back stories, but ultimately everything is quite similar from Book 1 to Book 2. I still enjoyed my time with these characters and was pleased to revisit with characters introduced in the previous installment. The attraction between Loretta and Hawk was palpable and kept me engaged. Knowing how things played out in the first story, I knew what to expect with this one, which also followed the same path. While the intimacy is somewhat descriptive, I’d describe it as quite tame to what I have come across in more recent reads. Despite being a part of a series, I found that there was enough back story provided that someone could successfully read this story without becoming lost in the absence of knowledge from the preceding novel.

I suppose overall, I am a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong. I still very much enjoyed reading the book and getting to know the characters, but I felt that it was too similar to the first story. There wasn’t enough difference to really set book 1 apart from book 2. I am hoping such is not the case with the final book in the series as I plan to read that one next. This book is a great regency romance and those who enjoy HR are sure to find it enjoyable. However, they may also find it a bit redundant if they have read the series in order. Quite a pity given the high expectation I carried over from the first installment. So take it for what it’s worth. I don’t think anyone would be unhappy with this book, but disappointment could be inevitable given the parallel plot. I in no way am turned off from this author based on this revelation and plan to seek out other of her works to see what I think outside of this series as it is the only one I can currently speak to. I hope for better news with Rath’s story as I am looking forward to his HEA immensely.

Kindle ARC version provided by publisher/St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.