I very much enjoyed this, even if it was not the angsty read I was hoping for; going on the abused shelf because she loses her virginity against her will, but it’s because she took laudanum for a headache and a dude stumbled into the wrong room, though she isn’t really traumatized by it. Great characters and dialog and I’m hoping side characters get their own books (3.5 stars) ( )

outstanding, a sweet romance with a hint of danger.

Great character development.

( )

3.75 stars

Deep, deeply moving.
Heartbreaking, heart lifting.
Long.
Overly done.
Emotionally weakening, emotionally strengthening.
Sadly vulnerable, Hopeful loving.

A very adult read were the leads use their words in a very overtly hidden emotional way. ( )

Grace Burrowes does it again!
Every time I pick up one of her books, i just know that she’ll give me hours of enjoyment with her warm, complex, sensitive and utterly mesmerizing array of characters.

She never fails to draw me in and have me immersed within these stories she weaves!
In ‘ The Duke’s Disaster’ she gives me a hero among heroes. Noah, Duke of Anselm is a man who knows who he is and what he wants, but also, he was a practical man. A man who loved his family and took his responsibility for them seriously.

Thea Collins is smart, likeable, loyal and self admitted spinster. She also knows and accepts who she is. She has no grand ambitions and is happy to offer her companion services to the ton’s elite. She also is loves her family and would sacrifice a lot for them.

When Noah’s plans to marry her charge go awry, he approaches Thea with a marriage proposal and that’s actually where this wonderful story opens up. I just loved the way he tries to sell himself to her!

If you love marriage of convenience stories, you’ll love this one. I enjoyed the way these two interacted with each other and how they slowly fall in love with each other.
Another keeper shelf worthy book from Grace Burrowes!

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher ( )

Good book. Noah is ready to marry and in his usual cool headed way chooses the woman he thinks would best fit his needs. But when that woman chooses someone else, Noah simply sets his sights on on her companion instead. With her charge getting married, Thea will be out of a job. When Noah proposes, he also offers to support her younger sister and guide her brother. It's too good a deal to pass up, but there are things he doesn't know that could make a big difference.

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like Noah. By his own admission he is not a nice man. He certainly doesn't have the smooth moves of so many romance heroes. And when Thea's secret comes out, he doesn't react well. He's pretty harsh with her and I figured it was going to take the whole book for him to redeem himself. But instead, I found that he was determined to make the marriage work, and the way he went about it was pretty sweet.

I did like Thea. She has been through a lot but is a survivor in the best sense of the word. After the deaths of her parents she went to work as a companion in order to take care of her younger sister. Her younger brother, who inherited their father's title, is lazy and ignores his responsibilities. The life of a companion is not an easy one, and after what happens at a house party, Thea deals with the memories and consequences as best she can. However, her ability to trust is shaken, and confiding the truth to Noah immediately is impossible for her to do, leading to trouble on their wedding night.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. For all that he claims he is not a nice man, Noah is actually very considerate of Thea. I loved the way that they used the time to get to know each other. In doing so, they realized that they actually like each other, which makes them both hopeful for the future of their marriage. There are some very sweet, and occasionally very funny, scenes as they both adjust to being married. I loved their morning routine, as Noah deals with a non-morning loving Thea, by fixing her tea and stealing bits of her breakfast while they plan their day. Thea also makes sure that Noah understands his responsibilities as a husband, when she points out some of his actions that need changing. Through it all, they learn more about the person they married, and about themselves as well. Though neither had expected or wanted love in their arrangement, love is what they got. I especially liked seeing the changes that Noah experienced.

The biggest issue they have to deal with is the matter of trust. Noah's reaction to her secret was understandable for a man of his time, but it still hurt Thea to see the way he jumped to conclusions about it. She had made a couple of attempts to tell him before their marriage, but he wasn't listening. As the time passed after the wedding, and Noah got to know Thea, he began to suspect that there was more to the story than he had believed. His mistrust of her in turn caused him to keep a secret of his own. Thea's past experiences make her wary of trusting Noah, which is why she had so much trouble confiding in him to start with. She believes that wariness is justified when she discovers what he had been hiding. But just as Noah doesn't know the whole story of her past, Thea doesn't know the entire truth of Noah's secret. I got a bit frustrated with them both, as so much angst could have been avoided if they had just talked to each other. But the gaining of that trust did make for a good story.

Part way through the book we discover that what happened to Thea has far-reaching consequences. Someone isn't at all happy about Thea's rise in status and is determined to make her pay for it. That person isn't a surprise, and the lengths he goes to are quite disturbing. The confrontation at the end is very intense. I loved seeing Noah's rescue of Thea. We also get the full and horrifying story of what actually happened to Thea from one of the people involved. That was truly unexpected and helped Thea close the door on that memory.

I really enjoyed the various secondary characters. Noah's sisters and their husbands were a lot of fun. They all had terrific marriages and I liked the effect they had on Noah. The way that Noah reacted to the various bits of marital advice her received was pretty funny, especially as he came to realize how accurate it was. I also loved the way the sisters took to Thea right away, in spite of her fears about her reputation. Their example also gave Thea more motivation to make her marriage work. I loved the two little girls. Their obvious adoration of Noah was a good indication of what a good man he really was. They also provided some truly lighthearted moments when things might have gotten too intense. ( )