An excellent sequel to the Rogues series. An unusual heroine and a fresh plot add a different slant to the traditional Regency. I kept this for a long time and then purchased the Kindle edition so definitely a favorite. ( )

Lucien and Beth are thrown together because his father wants it arranged.. I've read this before but always a great read. ( )

Dragged a little at the very end, but overall I liked it. Want to read more of Ms. Beverley now... ( )

Lucien de Vaux, Marquess of Arden and heir to a dukedom, is about to offer marriage to a young lady when his father stops him. His father orders him to marry an unknown schoolmistress, Beth Armitage, for reasons that are a surprise and a shock to him. When Beth is visited by the Duke of Belcraven and forced to agree to the marriage she believes that her life is almost at an end - a woman who agrees with Mary Wollstonecraft's views on the rights of women can hardly fit well into an aristocratic household. She is afraid of the Marquess, that he could be violent towards her as well as having power over her as her husband.

Lucien and Beth have several weeks together as an engaged couple before the wedding and these are detailed in the story - their conversations, arguments, misunderstandings and fears about the future. And yet as time goes on Beth learns to understand a little more about the responsibilities of the Marquess and to appreciate his intelligence, learning and wit. But even after the wedding all isn't necessarily well, particularly when Beth finds herself helping one of her old school pupils and throwing herself into danger in the meantime.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book, but one major thing I didn't. The whole mistress thing. I didn't like how friendly Lucien was with his mistress, Blanche, I didn't like how after meeting his future wife, Beth, he went and had one more night with his Blanche to say goodbye and I didn't think it was very realistic that Beth would want to be friends with his Blanche, KNOWING who she was. Especially after feeling so much jealousy towards her after seeing Lucien gazing at her with a smile on his face. That whole part of the story irritated me. And I thought it was weird that his best friend fell in love with Blanche and wanted to marry her, and there were things said about her becoming his mistress until he could get her to marry him. It was just weird, she was past around between friends.

Set at the time of the battle of Waterloo and with some really interesting historical insights (particularly with regard to the running of a ducal household and the family's interaction with their servants), the story of an arrangemed marriage turning into a love match is one that works in any era. I wasn't entirely sure when the love arrived between them - it wasn't entirely clear - and the Marquess wasn't always a sympathetic character (violence towards his wife, even in extenuating circumstances, isn't very heroic). However it was well paced and interesting and the characters grew and changed through the book, and some of the side characters (like the Duke and Duchess) also having some resolution. ( )

As I predicted, the book lost some of its shine, but it's still quite good. :) ( )