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Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke Heart Love By Numbers Sarah MacLean 9780061852077 Books

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Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke Heart Love By Numbers Sarah MacLean 9780061852077 Books

TITLE: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart
AUTHOR: Sarah MacLean
SERIES: Love by Numbers, Book 3
SETTING: Late Georgian (post-Regency), London, autumn Season
THEMES/TROPES: scandal, undeserved reputation, fiery heroine, proud hero, propriety obsession

OVERVIEW:
Miss Juliana Fiori never expected that she would need to follow the intricate rules of London Society—growing up in Italy, the daughter of a successful merchant, she had no idea that the cold mother who abandoned her as a child was the scandalous Marchioness of Ralston, who had abandoned another family years earlier. With her father gone, Juliana’s learning to be a part of a family with her newly-discovered half-brothers, and that means learning to fit into their world … if only she didn’t have to contend with the taint of their mother’s scandal and her own distaste for the vapid manners that constitute proper behavior.

And if only the most enticing man of the ton weren’t the unbearably proud and proper Duke of Leighton. Leighton has always held the pride of his lineage above all else, and when a family secret threatens their all-important reputation, he knows that a pristine marriage is the only hope for keeping his family above water in Society. If only he hadn’t met a mysterious Italian lady first. If only that lady had been anyone less scandalous than Juliana Fiori. If only the fiery young woman weren’t determined to bring him to his knees in the name of passion over priority.

PROS:
The main characters in this romance are spot-on: well-rounded, consistent, and perfectly matched to spark drama. Juliana is so spirited, never backing down, even when perhaps she should, but she also has a deep-seated insecurity because of her mother’s abandonment and, to a lesser extent, her inferior status in Society. Leighton, on the other hand, kind of sucks. He turns his back on anything that might mar his reputation, to an extent that makes him really dislikeable. These characteristics serve to make a him great a character though, for a few reasons. First, in a genre that often features characters who avoid conforming to the strictures of Society, it’s interesting to see the motivation behind a character who does follow those rules. Second, it allows for a really strong but believable character transformation when the conflicts of the story push Leighton away from what he always thought was important. And third, the tension between Leighton’s character and Juliana’s creates a delicious tension throughout the story.

The plot involves a lot of clashing, trying to avoid one another, and pursuing one another through the drama, which is a style I find very compelling. I love when characters have very emotionally charged interactions, and you want to keep reading to see when one or the other will make some sort of sacrifice or concession in order to make things right.

CONS:
There isn’t much I dislike in this book. The one thing I wish could have been done a little differently is the extent to which the resolution of the story is taken out of the main characters’ hands. Without getting into spoilers, the ending took away some of Leighton’s choice, and even though we as readers can tell that he would have made the right decision had it been in his hands, I didn’t like missing out on seeing him enact his own happy ending.

RATINGS:
Writing: 5/5 Particularly good dialogue.
Characters: 5/5 Well-rounded, consistent, well-matched.
Plot: 5/5 Plenty of drama and tension.
Setting: 4/5 Nice detail of the “autumn Season” during extended Parliament session.
Romance: 5/5 Great match of two strong-willed opposites.
Sexiness: 5/5 Less quantity, further in story, and good quality.
Humor: 4/5 Many amusing moments, but not much laugh-out-loud humor.
Average: 4.71 Great Characters and Romantic Tension

OTHER INFO:
This is the third and final book in the Love by Numbers series, the previous two books starring Juliana’s twin half-brothers. The previous books are very worth reading before this one because the first book shows the very beginning of Juliana’s relationship with her brothers and introduction to Society, while the second book gives you more of Leighton and the major drama that drives him in this book. Leighton’s sister, who plays a significant role in this book (and some in the previous book in the series), gets her own story in the fourth and final book of MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series, Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover.


Tags : Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart (Love By Numbers) [Sarah MacLean] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. She lives for passion. Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind,Sarah MacLean,Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart (Love By Numbers),Avon,0061852074,Romance - Historical - General,Romance - Historical - Regency,Aristocracy (Social class),England - Social life and customs - 19th century,Love stories,Love stories.,Regency fiction.,Regency novels.,Wagers,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,AMERICAN LIGHT ROMANTIC FICTION,FICTION Romance General,FICTION Romance Historical General,FICTION Romance Historical Regency,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction-Romance,General Adult,Historical romance,MASS MARKET,Regency fiction,Regency novels,RomanceRegency,Romance: Regency,United States

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke Heart Love By Numbers Sarah MacLean 9780061852077 Books Reviews

This is one of my favorite authors! I read a wide range of things, and appreciate someone with skill at the basic writing level. In this novel, the characters are well-developed, though some of that is because of their appearances in her two previous novels in this series. One does not have to read those to enjoy this one, but it does help with fleshing out the characters. One of the reasons I enjoy this author is that the female characters are always strong. They must live within the constraints of their time, but do not submit willingly, and find ways to be powerful and equal partners in their relationships. This is absolutely true of this novel. Julianna is not only female, but an immigrant of questionable parentage, and receives the scorn such a one could expect. Yet she refuses to be helpless, finding her own way in her actions and relationships. The romance in this book is also quite nice- these two make a good pair. My only quibble is in wondering why Julianna would be attracted to such a dour, proper man. It's true he shows other sides to his personality as time goes by, but maybe not enough for me? Whatever the case, the book was a wonderful read, and I have started the author's next series with great anticipation.
I enjoy this author very much. I read her series backwards, leaving her first last! And I think the best! Juliana is half sister to Gabriel (book 1) and Nick (book 2). Juliana's father was an Italian merchant and mother was the scandalous English wife of Marques of Ralston who deserted her husband and twin sons and then left Juliana also. She falls for Simon, Duke of Leighton. They both do not know who the other is. Scandal follows her and Simon. Thanks to his cold unfeeling mother he is obsessed with reputation. Until his 17 year old sister Georgiana is ruined and an unwed mother to be. Juliana tries to break through his facade of correctness in disaster after disaster. But it is not until Simon realizes his love for her and the emptiness of his life that happiness is found. This story is filled with adventures and the kindness of good heart which is wasted on early 19th century values. But my biggest surprise was Georgiana whose story continues in NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER. Her name and Penelope 's rang a bell to be discovered in another series. Ms McLean is an artist in adventures with twists and turns, laughter and tears, and love and joy. But it is noted it is NOT the love you have for another that changes that person, but his love for you!!
TITLE Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart
AUTHOR Sarah MacLean
SERIES Love by Numbers, Book 3
SETTING Late Georgian (post-Regency), London, autumn Season
THEMES/TROPES scandal, undeserved reputation, fiery heroine, proud hero, propriety obsession

OVERVIEW
Miss Juliana Fiori never expected that she would need to follow the intricate rules of London Society—growing up in Italy, the daughter of a successful merchant, she had no idea that the cold mother who abandoned her as a child was the scandalous Marchioness of Ralston, who had abandoned another family years earlier. With her father gone, Juliana’s learning to be a part of a family with her newly-discovered half-brothers, and that means learning to fit into their world … if only she didn’t have to contend with the taint of their mother’s scandal and her own distaste for the vapid manners that constitute proper behavior.

And if only the most enticing man of the ton weren’t the unbearably proud and proper Duke of Leighton. Leighton has always held the pride of his lineage above all else, and when a family secret threatens their all-important reputation, he knows that a pristine marriage is the only hope for keeping his family above water in Society. If only he hadn’t met a mysterious Italian lady first. If only that lady had been anyone less scandalous than Juliana Fiori. If only the fiery young woman weren’t determined to bring him to his knees in the name of passion over priority.

PROS
The main characters in this romance are spot-on well-rounded, consistent, and perfectly matched to spark drama. Juliana is so spirited, never backing down, even when perhaps she should, but she also has a deep-seated insecurity because of her mother’s abandonment and, to a lesser extent, her inferior status in Society. Leighton, on the other hand, kind of sucks. He turns his back on anything that might mar his reputation, to an extent that makes him really dislikeable. These characteristics serve to make a him great a character though, for a few reasons. First, in a genre that often features characters who avoid conforming to the strictures of Society, it’s interesting to see the motivation behind a character who does follow those rules. Second, it allows for a really strong but believable character transformation when the conflicts of the story push Leighton away from what he always thought was important. And third, the tension between Leighton’s character and Juliana’s creates a delicious tension throughout the story.

The plot involves a lot of clashing, trying to avoid one another, and pursuing one another through the drama, which is a style I find very compelling. I love when characters have very emotionally charged interactions, and you want to keep reading to see when one or the other will make some sort of sacrifice or concession in order to make things right.

CONS
There isn’t much I dislike in this book. The one thing I wish could have been done a little differently is the extent to which the resolution of the story is taken out of the main characters’ hands. Without getting into spoilers, the ending took away some of Leighton’s choice, and even though we as readers can tell that he would have made the right decision had it been in his hands, I didn’t like missing out on seeing him enact his own happy ending.

RATINGS
Writing 5/5 Particularly good dialogue.
Characters 5/5 Well-rounded, consistent, well-matched.
Plot 5/5 Plenty of drama and tension.
Setting 4/5 Nice detail of the “autumn Season” during extended Parliament session.
Romance 5/5 Great match of two strong-willed opposites.
Sexiness 5/5 Less quantity, further in story, and good quality.
Humor 4/5 Many amusing moments, but not much laugh-out-loud humor.
Average 4.71 Great Characters and Romantic Tension

OTHER INFO
This is the third and final book in the Love by Numbers series, the previous two books starring Juliana’s twin half-brothers. The previous books are very worth reading before this one because the first book shows the very beginning of Juliana’s relationship with her brothers and introduction to Society, while the second book gives you more of Leighton and the major drama that drives him in this book. Leighton’s sister, who plays a significant role in this book (and some in the previous book in the series), gets her own story in the fourth and final book of MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series, Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover.