The Truth About Cads and Dukes (Rescued from Ruin Book 2)

I started this book eager for a witty, and charming historical romance full of steam, the feels, and a worthy hero. And my gosh I got what I was looking for. Harrison is a man who goes about life with a tight grasp of control over himself. He fears not doing his duty to his title while also fearing becoming his father. He comes across cold and cutting but he hides a soft and kind heart beneath his hard shell. And a kind soft hearted Jane is all it took to crack him wide open.

**update: I have reread this book twice since writing this review. At the time, I did not realize how good this writer was nor how this entire series and its characters are singular amongst other modern books in this genre. Harrison is still not my favorite hero. He made Jane miserable by acting in ways that magnified her self-loathing. I will say the book might deserve a 3-star rating considered against the other books in this series but NOT when compared to other HR books in general. So I am bumping to 4-stars.**I read the last book of this series (quite good) first and then started with the beginning. Book 1 was delightful, but Book 2 left me disappointed and confused and more than a little miffed at the treatment of the heroine.If I had started with Book 2, I would have stopped there. It was almost as if a “chubby” heroine was not worthy of the extra attentions in the marital bed that heroines with more traditional body types command. I guess the bookish fat girl should be glad that the handsome duke is willing to participate in the most boring form of love-making with her (except for where his own fantasy satisfactions are concerned, of course.)To make matters worse, I could not even imagine what the heroine truly looked like, what with descriptions of “round” and “dumpling” leaving me with a picture of a panda bear in a gown. I felt sorry for the heroine and never managed to completely like the “hero” or even buy into his being besotted with his plain wife. I kept hoping she would throw off her selfish prig of a husband for his wastrel brother, his best friend, or even the bloody French chef. But the author’s writing IS interesting and her supporting characters intriguing, so I would still recommend reading to understand all the characters that will intertwine throughout the series.

Have you ever been fat? Had a crush on an unattainable boy? Been totally ignored by boys and men when talking because they don't find you attractive? Condemned by the privileged male gaze? Or worse, had boys and men go out of their way (you know, shout from their car as you're walking down the street, or just step right into your face) and tell you you're ugly or fat because they have this infuriating "right" to do so? Like many of us have experienced, THAT is Jane's life. And so, she retreats into the romantic world of novels.The opening scene is breathtaking. I have never gotten teary-eyed in the first scene of a book. So simple. So true. Jane is this wonderfully loyal, strong and smart girl, brought down by a hideous wager. Because those men saw her as nothing. That I didn't completely despise Colin Lacey and Chatham is a testament to Braden's skill as an author.Enter the honorable, Ice King, the Duke of Blackmore, to rescue Jane from ruin by his awful (but redeemable) brother. The Duke intrigued me in the first book with his self-control and honorable yet, brusque manners. I couldn't have asked for a better story - except for it to be longer so I could stay in their world.I won't detail the plot - there are so many reviewers here that are great at it. But this wallflower and hunk trope really worked because the Duke wasn't the rake-type who reveled in beautiful women and then, gets struck by a Plain Jane. He had no expectations for a wife except her pedigree. And Kudos to the author for making Jane relatable and truly sexy and beautiful.There are plenty of communication issues and I'm a sucker for MCs holding back - because communication is a big issue in real life relationships. But Jane is amazing how she pulls the truth out of the Duke and how he handles it - with a mix of reticence and blatant honesty.I didn't need the last sex scene but Braden seems to always end with one. It's still five stars in my book.

I’m happy this author sas recommended to me. I loved her style and the telling of the story . A great read !

Die Geschichte von Harrison und Jane entspricht genau dem, was man von einer Ehe zwischen eher uninteressierten, sogar leicht abgeneigten Partnern, die erst in ihre Gefühle hineinwachsen müssen, erwartet. Eine Beziehung mit vielen herrlich emotionalen Ecken und Kanten, viel Raum für Missverständnisse die gerichtet werden müssen und leidenschaftliche Entladungen besagter heranwachsender Gefühle.Ich mochte die Konstelation zwischen diesem so ungeichen Paar sehr gerne, da beide Figuren nicht unbedingt dem stereotypen Muster entsprechen das man dieser Tage so oft liest in historial romance. Wenn man auch oft von dem Mauerblümchen hört, das den Fang der Saison gemacht hat, sind es doch für gewöhnlich charmante, freundliche unkonventionell offene Helden, die ihren Charm dazu verwenden, besagtes Mauerblümchen aus ihren Selbstzweifeln zu locken. Harrison sieht zwar umwerfend aus, setzt der schüchternen, zurückhaltenden Jane aber ein eher zugeknöpftes Wesen gegenüber, das es ihr nicht leichter macht Vertrauen in ihre Fähigkeiten für die Rolle an seiner Seite zu fassen, und den Leser auf eine wahre Achterbahn der Gefühle mitnimmt. Gespickt wird das ganze durch wundervoll humorvolle Momente, eine spannend erzählte Handlung und mögenswerte Charaktere, und natürlich einem wohlverdienten Happy End. Ich konnte das Buch einfach nicht as der Hand legen.

Plain Jane Huxley has landed herself into the biggest scandal in history. She fell prey to Lord Colin Lacey's pretend friendship and agrees to 'steal' his mother's necklace from his friend Lord Milton. What Jane doesn't know is that getting her to do it is a trap Colin has set in order to win a bet and earn some much needed money. After being trapped with Colin and his friends, Jane faces certain ruination. Enter Duke of Blackmore, Harrison, elder brother of Colin. He hushes up the scandal, throws his brother out into the world and marries Jane. Then begins there tumultuous relationship. Jane has to overcome her shyness and lack of self confidence because of her plain looks. Harrison has to learn to drop his icy façade and bend to the idea of love.I loved the characters, especially Lady Wallingham. The chemistry between the protagonists is sizzling and just the right amount of steamy.I am going to read more by this author. Pronto.Don't miss it!!

A novel that tells the story of a man ( the Duke ) who is way too uptight and proper ( I loved when he determined that wives were too fragile to have sex more than once a week ) - a shy, intelligent woman ( Jane ) that loves family time more than the silliness of the upper class ( people that are so rude you wonder why they are popular anyway ) - and how through a scandal created by some deplorable gentlemen, these two people find a great romance. Very well written and interesting - the characters are all so well developed - I love this series because the stories and characters are so entertaining, lots of drama and Intrigue.

I adored the characters of Jane and Harrison. The book was well written and it felt like I was back in 1817 England. The romance was slow burning, then steamy with lots of drama. It can be read as a stand alone, but it is number 2 of a series. The other H/h of the series pop in and out as secondary characters. (I am reading the books in order) I liked that Jane is unfashionably plump and short, shy and needs glasses. Not the typical heroine. Harrison was an excellent hero, not perfect by any means. Good character development all around.