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Rebellious Brides #4
The Duke Who Ravished Me
An impulsive kiss between a libertine duke and a mysterious governess sparks a blaze of desire—and intrigue—in this breathtaking Regency romance from the award-winning author of Spy Fall.
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, happily enjoys a different woman (or two) every night—or he did, until his wards landed on his doorstep. Ever since Sunny took in the seven-year-old twin girls and their prim and proper governess, Isabel Finch, his love life has been a shambles. But, as time goes by, Sunny catches himself getting lost in Isabel’s haughty blue eyes, or following the curves beneath her unbecoming dress. An unexpected kiss ignites a passion that shocks him into realizing how thin the line between love and hate can be.
If Isabel’s hidden past were revealed, she could lose everything. Oddly enough, only when “Sinful Sunny” is near does she feel safe—or safe enough to speak up in defense of the girls. The duke’s decadent lifestyle is a disgrace, and clearly he considers Isabel a nuisance. Still, she can’t help admiring his sculpted cheekbones, strong-cut jaw, and tousled chestnut hair. When their lips meet, it’s almost as if he could kiss the secrets right out of her. Worse, she’s tempted to let him. . . .
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, happily enjoys a different woman (or two) every night—or he did, until his wards landed on his doorstep. Ever since Sunny took in the seven-year-old twin girls and their prim and proper governess, Isabel Finch, his love life has been a shambles. But, as time goes by, Sunny catches himself getting lost in Isabel’s haughty blue eyes, or following the curves beneath her unbecoming dress. An unexpected kiss ignites a passion that shocks him into realizing how thin the line between love and hate can be.
If Isabel’s hidden past were revealed, she could lose everything. Oddly enough, only when “Sinful Sunny” is near does she feel safe—or safe enough to speak up in defense of the girls. The duke’s decadent lifestyle is a disgrace, and clearly he considers Isabel a nuisance. Still, she can’t help admiring his sculpted cheekbones, strong-cut jaw, and tousled chestnut hair. When their lips meet, it’s almost as if he could kiss the secrets right out of her. Worse, she’s tempted to let him. . . .
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2018
About the author
Diana Quincy
13 books683 followersBestselling author Diana Quincy is an award-winning television journalist who decided to make up her own stories where a happy ending is always guaranteed.
Her books have been included on "Best of" lists in Library Journal and The Washington Post.
As a U.S. Foreign Service brat, Diana grew up all over the world, but is now happily settled in Virginia with her husband and two boys. When not bent over her laptop, Diana spends time with her family, reads, practices yoga, and plots her next travel adventure.
Diana loves to hear from readers. You can follow her on Twitter @Diana_Quincy, Facebook, Instagram (diana_quincy_author) or visit her website at dianaquincy.com
Her books have been included on "Best of" lists in Library Journal and The Washington Post.
As a U.S. Foreign Service brat, Diana grew up all over the world, but is now happily settled in Virginia with her husband and two boys. When not bent over her laptop, Diana spends time with her family, reads, practices yoga, and plots her next travel adventure.
Diana loves to hear from readers. You can follow her on Twitter @Diana_Quincy, Facebook, Instagram (diana_quincy_author) or visit her website at dianaquincy.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
April 21, 2018
I first met Sunny in From London With Love, which I don’t remember much of, but I do recall Sunny with a different woman or women in his lap at any given time. Seriously, Sunny is such a prolific manwhore, I’m surprised he’s survived as long as he has without catching syphilis. Needless to say, I expected to struggle liking him... and I did.
The book opens with Sunny entertaining two women in his playroom when his butler informs him that two children have just arrived with their governess (the heroine) and they are now his new wards. Terribly put out and eager to return to his exploits, Sunny tries to send them away that instant despite the fact they just traveled six days straight. Luckily, one of the girls gets sick and the governess, Isabel, convinces the doctor to tell Sunny that the girl needs at least a week’s rest before she can travel again.
Upset that he had to send his two “doxies” away due to the unexpected intrusion, Sunny sets out to do everything in his power to push the governess and the girls away. First point of business? Host an orgy in his famous playroom the next evening, making sure plain, unbeautiful, long in the tooth Isabel gets a jarring eyeful of him and his guests in flagrante. After that, he temporarily suspends his parties and resorts to going out every evening, staying out all night with random women, and returning late the following day hungover to high hell.
So, once beautiful but now soft in the center Sunny isn’t the least bit attracted to Isabel and annoyingly, harps on it endlessly.
With her lackluster wheat-colored hair and ordinary features she was more plain than pretty. At least half the women in the metropolis were better looking than Finch [Isabel] and most definitely had a better countenance.
But don’t worry about Isabel getting the wrong idea however, because he has no qualms about sharing his feelings.
*The night before, he saw Isabel in her nightclothes and found her surprisingly attractive in her near-naked state, so he kissed her and grabbed her breast. This is his apology:
“I realize what occurred last evening must have been a shock for someone like you.”
A crease appeared between her well-defined eyebrows. “Someone like me?”
“An unmarried woman of limited means and”-he waved in her general direction with his hand-“limited… erm… assets, if you take my meaning.”
Her eyes narrowed[…]. “Limited assets.”
“I just mean to say, I understand that a woman such as yourself, given your age and general situation, has likely not had to suffer the attentions of men.”
Ah, but this quickly changes when he realizes his friend and doctor, Tom, has shown an interest in Isabel and clearly plans on courting her. No worries, though, because Sunny nips that right in the bud and demands Tom stay away.
Soon after, Sunny hosts a ball and demands Isabel attend purely for the satisfaction of seeing her uncomfortable, but that bites him in the ass when most men in attendance, Tom included, seem to take an extreme liking to Isabel. Ahhh, now he sees her in an entirely new light and he ends up seducing her that evening. The next day, Isabel returns with the girls to their previous guardian’s residence due to her regret and fear of having to live in Sunny’s home and watch him continue with his playroom romps.
Over a month passes and in that time Sunny has remained celibate- not for lack of trying, he simply can’t get it up with other women anymore- and his friend points out that he’s becoming domesticated. Well now Sunny can’t stand for that, so he hosts another orgy in his playroom that evening. Conveniently, the same evening Isabel and the girls make their surprise return. Not expecting them to be home, Sunny doesn’t bother to shut the door, so Isabel has the privilege of seeing a partially nude woman riding a clothed Sunny as he fondles her breasts and kisses her. Isabel, feeling sickened, retreats before she witnesses Sunny sending the woman away because he again couldn’t get aroused.
Soon after that evening, Sunny sets an appointment with a widow with plans of making her his mistress. But again, as he’s undressing her, he realizes he still isn’t aroused. But he just can’t figure out why.
After that, Sunny and Isabel settle on being friends, but things again progress into more and I resume crossing my fingers that he doesn’t pass a deadly STD onto poor Isabel. Sunny develops a warm relationship with the girls and actually starts acting like a decent man, even though at the 86% mark he was still doubting his ability to ever be satisfied with only having sex with Isabel.
“However, as enchanted by Isabel as he was at the moment, he couldn’t envision never again bedding another woman.”
Gosh, Sunny. Don’t start getting all romantic on me or anything.
The climax of the story occurs when Sunny mistakenly believes Isabel has betrayed him by attempting to get his guardianship removed, and that’s when any softening I’d had toward him stopped. He tosses her out, but not before threatening to ruin her reputation by spreading stories about how she, a lowly servant governess, chased and seduced the licentious Duke of Sunterford. Honestly, it was one of the cruelest threats a hero has ever uttered.
Surprisingly, there’s a pretty significant twist at the end that was actually pretty impressive. That, and the fact that I mostly liked Isabel and that the writing was decent, are the reasons I didn’t DNF the story. I can only take so many characters excusing his behavior all because he had cold and distant parents and a philandering father. It wasn’t enough.
I’ll leave you with two parting quotes that were so untrue and absurd, I have no idea why the author included them:
“Promise me you’ll never leave me again.”
Sunny, Sunny. You fired and then tossed her out with nowhere to go and then threatened to destroy her reputation. Get it right.
“I haven’t even looked at another woman since you and the girls came into my life.”
Did he keep his eyes closed every time he slept with one of his countless bed partners? Because if not, this is a blatant lie and the fact that the heroine didn’t call him on it practically ruined the already rushed and unsatisfying ending.
Safety:
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book opens with Sunny entertaining two women in his playroom when his butler informs him that two children have just arrived with their governess (the heroine) and they are now his new wards. Terribly put out and eager to return to his exploits, Sunny tries to send them away that instant despite the fact they just traveled six days straight. Luckily, one of the girls gets sick and the governess, Isabel, convinces the doctor to tell Sunny that the girl needs at least a week’s rest before she can travel again.
Upset that he had to send his two “doxies” away due to the unexpected intrusion, Sunny sets out to do everything in his power to push the governess and the girls away. First point of business? Host an orgy in his famous playroom the next evening, making sure plain, unbeautiful, long in the tooth Isabel gets a jarring eyeful of him and his guests in flagrante. After that, he temporarily suspends his parties and resorts to going out every evening, staying out all night with random women, and returning late the following day hungover to high hell.
So, once beautiful but now soft in the center Sunny isn’t the least bit attracted to Isabel and annoyingly, harps on it endlessly.
With her lackluster wheat-colored hair and ordinary features she was more plain than pretty. At least half the women in the metropolis were better looking than Finch [Isabel] and most definitely had a better countenance.
But don’t worry about Isabel getting the wrong idea however, because he has no qualms about sharing his feelings.
*The night before, he saw Isabel in her nightclothes and found her surprisingly attractive in her near-naked state, so he kissed her and grabbed her breast. This is his apology:
“I realize what occurred last evening must have been a shock for someone like you.”
A crease appeared between her well-defined eyebrows. “Someone like me?”
“An unmarried woman of limited means and”-he waved in her general direction with his hand-“limited… erm… assets, if you take my meaning.”
Her eyes narrowed[…]. “Limited assets.”
“I just mean to say, I understand that a woman such as yourself, given your age and general situation, has likely not had to suffer the attentions of men.”
Ah, but this quickly changes when he realizes his friend and doctor, Tom, has shown an interest in Isabel and clearly plans on courting her. No worries, though, because Sunny nips that right in the bud and demands Tom stay away.
Soon after, Sunny hosts a ball and demands Isabel attend purely for the satisfaction of seeing her uncomfortable, but that bites him in the ass when most men in attendance, Tom included, seem to take an extreme liking to Isabel. Ahhh, now he sees her in an entirely new light and he ends up seducing her that evening. The next day, Isabel returns with the girls to their previous guardian’s residence due to her regret and fear of having to live in Sunny’s home and watch him continue with his playroom romps.
Over a month passes and in that time Sunny has remained celibate- not for lack of trying, he simply can’t get it up with other women anymore- and his friend points out that he’s becoming domesticated. Well now Sunny can’t stand for that, so he hosts another orgy in his playroom that evening. Conveniently, the same evening Isabel and the girls make their surprise return. Not expecting them to be home, Sunny doesn’t bother to shut the door, so Isabel has the privilege of seeing a partially nude woman riding a clothed Sunny as he fondles her breasts and kisses her. Isabel, feeling sickened, retreats before she witnesses Sunny sending the woman away because he again couldn’t get aroused.
Soon after that evening, Sunny sets an appointment with a widow with plans of making her his mistress. But again, as he’s undressing her, he realizes he still isn’t aroused. But he just can’t figure out why.
After that, Sunny and Isabel settle on being friends, but things again progress into more and I resume crossing my fingers that he doesn’t pass a deadly STD onto poor Isabel. Sunny develops a warm relationship with the girls and actually starts acting like a decent man, even though at the 86% mark he was still doubting his ability to ever be satisfied with only having sex with Isabel.
“However, as enchanted by Isabel as he was at the moment, he couldn’t envision never again bedding another woman.”
Gosh, Sunny. Don’t start getting all romantic on me or anything.
The climax of the story occurs when Sunny mistakenly believes Isabel has betrayed him by attempting to get his guardianship removed, and that’s when any softening I’d had toward him stopped. He tosses her out, but not before threatening to ruin her reputation by spreading stories about how she, a lowly servant governess, chased and seduced the licentious Duke of Sunterford. Honestly, it was one of the cruelest threats a hero has ever uttered.
Surprisingly, there’s a pretty significant twist at the end that was actually pretty impressive. That, and the fact that I mostly liked Isabel and that the writing was decent, are the reasons I didn’t DNF the story. I can only take so many characters excusing his behavior all because he had cold and distant parents and a philandering father. It wasn’t enough.
I’ll leave you with two parting quotes that were so untrue and absurd, I have no idea why the author included them:
“Promise me you’ll never leave me again.”
Sunny, Sunny. You fired and then tossed her out with nowhere to go and then threatened to destroy her reputation. Get it right.
“I haven’t even looked at another woman since you and the girls came into my life.”
Did he keep his eyes closed every time he slept with one of his countless bed partners? Because if not, this is a blatant lie and the fact that the heroine didn’t call him on it practically ruined the already rushed and unsatisfying ending.
Safety:
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2018
By all accounts I should have really liked/loved this cause I love a bad boy, but I didn't.
The hero is a complete and total reprobate, holding orgies, and living a pathetic self-indulgent life. The heroine comes in with two pretty cute little charges that he does not want. The h stands up to him, the moppets actually have some personality, and the cockles of the H's heart start to grow like Grinch.
The heroine is appalled at how the Duke lives, and he is pretty disgusting because when I say orgies, I mean orgies. Which really doesn't explain why I disliked the heroine so much. She is so concerned about the twins she thinks she may need to send a letter to have his guardianship revoked for moral issues.
On top of everything else, the characters didn't have any chemistry either together or singly if you know what I mean. The hero just missed the mark on being a charming bad boy, but he was still better than the heroine and her stupid friend.
Plus, what happened to cute Pan, the little dog, who just disappears in the last third when all the dwama happens?
The hero is a complete and total reprobate, holding orgies, and living a pathetic self-indulgent life. The heroine comes in with two pretty cute little charges that he does not want. The h stands up to him, the moppets actually have some personality, and the cockles of the H's heart start to grow like Grinch.
The heroine is appalled at how the Duke lives, and he is pretty disgusting because when I say orgies, I mean orgies. Which really doesn't explain why I disliked the heroine so much. She is so concerned about the twins she thinks she may need to send a letter to have his guardianship revoked for moral issues.
On top of everything else, the characters didn't have any chemistry either together or singly if you know what I mean. The hero just missed the mark on being a charming bad boy, but he was still better than the heroine and her stupid friend.
Plus, what happened to cute Pan, the little dog, who just disappears in the last third when all the dwama happens?
March 4, 2018
I read an early copy of this and I LOVED IT. Saucy, sassy, governess who is not all she seems and the rake who can't resist her. This book is so much fun and one of my favorite bad historical dukes of all time.
June 24, 2018
Fuck this book. It was on sale and Smart Bitches Trashy Books rec'd it for character driven romance. By the halfway point I was hate-reading it and it only got worse. It is some BULLSHIT and a stunning example of why I avoid mainstream m/f romance.
The writing is engaging, which is why I pushed through my initial hesitations. The duke is presented as a bad person, because he has sex parties. Come on. There's nothing wrong with a consensual sex party. (There's a ton wrong with disrespecting women because they had sex with you, which he and everyone else spend the entire book doing, plus loads of sexism and classism. Historical values can bite me, many authors are capable of writing historicals about people who aren't shitty.) Then he spent the next chunk of the book insulting the heroine and telling her to mind her place and threatening to keep her away from the children she's raised every time she disagrees with him--and he never, ever gets his comeuppance. The only thing he apologizes for in the entire book is not recognizing her fuckability the minute he saw her. She spends a couple chapters wondering why she's attracted to him, which like, I DO NOT KNOW, he's a complete tool who never redeems himself. Like, he's nice to some kids and does some push ups and that's supposed to make up for being shitty to her for literally the entire book? He forbids this nice doctor (who later ACTUALLY DIAGNOSES HIM with a broken heart like this is the worst Star War?!) who's respectfully interested in her from pursuing a relationship with her, and that's supposed to be a plus? Oh, and then he tells her about how, AS AN ADULT, he saw his dad rape a servant and did nothing to stop him, and she's all, "You poor baby." Fuck that!
The children are obnoxious. I actually like children and these ones were insufferable. Abigail's betrayal is completely nonsensical and out of the blue. Which then is blamed on Isabel, he viciously turns on her, and that's also supposed to be ok because then he wants her back? Again, no apologies for calling her a traitorous bitch, throwing her onto the street, and keeping her from the kids! In fact, he says, "Promise me you'll never leave me again." HOLY SHIT DUDE. I lost track of the number of times the duke thought about all the threesomes he's had with women--oh yeah, women can get with each other, but only so men can watch/bang them. Once they start sleeping together, he mentions that he's "taking precautions" not to knock her up, which he has explicitly not done in every sex scene.
Then holy shit at the end the heroine and a sympathetic male side character are revealed to have been plantation owners in the Caribbean. Nbd, just perpetrators of one of the worst acts of violence in the history of humanity! WHAT A GREAT ROMANCE HEROINE AM I RIGHT
Fuck this book.
The writing is engaging, which is why I pushed through my initial hesitations. The duke is presented as a bad person, because he has sex parties. Come on. There's nothing wrong with a consensual sex party. (There's a ton wrong with disrespecting women because they had sex with you, which he and everyone else spend the entire book doing, plus loads of sexism and classism. Historical values can bite me, many authors are capable of writing historicals about people who aren't shitty.) Then he spent the next chunk of the book insulting the heroine and telling her to mind her place and threatening to keep her away from the children she's raised every time she disagrees with him--and he never, ever gets his comeuppance. The only thing he apologizes for in the entire book is not recognizing her fuckability the minute he saw her. She spends a couple chapters wondering why she's attracted to him, which like, I DO NOT KNOW, he's a complete tool who never redeems himself. Like, he's nice to some kids and does some push ups and that's supposed to make up for being shitty to her for literally the entire book? He forbids this nice doctor (who later ACTUALLY DIAGNOSES HIM with a broken heart like this is the worst Star War?!) who's respectfully interested in her from pursuing a relationship with her, and that's supposed to be a plus? Oh, and then he tells her about how, AS AN ADULT, he saw his dad rape a servant and did nothing to stop him, and she's all, "You poor baby." Fuck that!
The children are obnoxious. I actually like children and these ones were insufferable. Abigail's betrayal is completely nonsensical and out of the blue. Which then is blamed on Isabel, he viciously turns on her, and that's also supposed to be ok because then he wants her back? Again, no apologies for calling her a traitorous bitch, throwing her onto the street, and keeping her from the kids! In fact, he says, "Promise me you'll never leave me again." HOLY SHIT DUDE. I lost track of the number of times the duke thought about all the threesomes he's had with women--oh yeah, women can get with each other, but only so men can watch/bang them. Once they start sleeping together, he mentions that he's "taking precautions" not to knock her up, which he has explicitly not done in every sex scene.
Then holy shit at the end the heroine and a sympathetic male side character are revealed to have been plantation owners in the Caribbean. Nbd, just perpetrators of one of the worst acts of violence in the history of humanity! WHAT A GREAT ROMANCE HEROINE AM I RIGHT
Fuck this book.
November 24, 2019
Fun but a little too complicated for me to looooove it.
April 16, 2018
If you've read the previous books in this series, you're familiar with Adam Fairfax, Duke of Sunderford, or Sinful Sunny, as he is known in the society columns. An unapologetic libertine who revels in hosting orgies in his palatial town house, he can't understand what's come over the friends who used to join him in his unbridled, indulgent lifestyle. It's bad enough they had to go and get married, but the shocker is that they are actually faithful to their wives! Adam doesn't realize it, but his sinful style is about to come crashing to a halt as well.
His buzzkill arrives in the form of adorable seven-year-old twin girls. Children of a deceased cousin, they were staying with Adam's uncle until his uncle's deteriorating health forced him to name Adam their new guardian. And as if they didn't cramp his style enough, they come complete with a prim and proper nanny determined to keep his lifestyle from their impressionable eyes and ears. Easier said than done at first.
The girls are Isabel Finch's sole purpose in life. A widowed orphan, she has no other family, and scoring the post as the girls' governess has been a godsend for her. Even at an isolated country estate, Sinful Sunny's reputation preceded him. Appalled at his behavior and disappointed in his desire to find a new guardian for the girls, she is also extremely dismayed to find herself attracted to the rake. But the more she comes to learn of his loveless upbringing and the walls he has encased around his heart, the more she understands what drives his choices. And the more the girls worm their way into his affections, and Adam curtails his nighttime romps, the more she finds herself wishing they were a real family.
Once the girls have settled in and Adam has resigned himself to his fate as their guardian, he finds it surprisingly easy to forego his amorous pursuits. Meaningless encounters no longer hold much appeal for him, but suddenly baiting the uptight Ms. Finch into losing her temper or letting her hair down does. When one kiss ignites a desire in him he can't ignore, he makes it his mission to show Isabel how much fun they can have together. But Isabel will not settle for being a notch on his bedpost, and Adam is convinced he can never give her the fidelity she needs. After a series of misunderstandings comes between them, Sinful Sunny's well-publicized past rears its ugly head and threatens to tear apart their family for good, and Isabel will have to disclose her own painful secrets to save them.
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I am normally wary of children in romance, finding them to often be annoying, I actually liked them here. They add genuine humor and really keep Adam on his toes. And I actually really liked Adam. I just wanted to weep for the little boy who was denied the affection he so desperately craved. And despite his reputation and seemingly careless attitude, he proves the nobleness of his true character in deeds. However, for the first half of the book, he said some awfully disparaging things about Isabel's appearance that were really harsh and had me wondering if my faith in him doing the right thing was misplaced. So I found myself being torn at times on what I thought of him. I had no such issues with Isabel, but her road to happily ever after included one of my pet peeves when it comes to romances featuring widows or widowers. It's not necessary to discount the love one had for one's deceased spouse. Especially by saying, "I never felt this way about my first husband. Even though I truly mourned him, because I never felt this way with him, I must not have loved him as much as I thought I did." I find that off-putting. While it may be more difficult to craft a romance after the death of a beloved spouse, it is certainly plausible and I think makes the second chance at love much sweeter and more realistic.
After loving Spy Fall, the first book in this series, I have eagerly devoured the others, but none of them have lived up to the first book, in my opinion, for various reasons. What I have noticed is that Ms. Quincy excels at creating compelling characters and writing sparkling dialogue and witty banter. But her endings are so rushed. That lessens their satisfaction, and the ending of this book is no different. And I really would have liked an epilogue. Adam was such a libertine, so convinced that he could never be faithful to one woman, that I would have liked to see with my own eyes that he was in fact capable of it after the first blush of love wore off. However, despite my quibbles, I still found it an enjoyable read with some laugh-out-loud moments and steamy sexual tension and a rather nicely done evolution of the hero's character.
His buzzkill arrives in the form of adorable seven-year-old twin girls. Children of a deceased cousin, they were staying with Adam's uncle until his uncle's deteriorating health forced him to name Adam their new guardian. And as if they didn't cramp his style enough, they come complete with a prim and proper nanny determined to keep his lifestyle from their impressionable eyes and ears. Easier said than done at first.
The girls are Isabel Finch's sole purpose in life. A widowed orphan, she has no other family, and scoring the post as the girls' governess has been a godsend for her. Even at an isolated country estate, Sinful Sunny's reputation preceded him. Appalled at his behavior and disappointed in his desire to find a new guardian for the girls, she is also extremely dismayed to find herself attracted to the rake. But the more she comes to learn of his loveless upbringing and the walls he has encased around his heart, the more she understands what drives his choices. And the more the girls worm their way into his affections, and Adam curtails his nighttime romps, the more she finds herself wishing they were a real family.
Once the girls have settled in and Adam has resigned himself to his fate as their guardian, he finds it surprisingly easy to forego his amorous pursuits. Meaningless encounters no longer hold much appeal for him, but suddenly baiting the uptight Ms. Finch into losing her temper or letting her hair down does. When one kiss ignites a desire in him he can't ignore, he makes it his mission to show Isabel how much fun they can have together. But Isabel will not settle for being a notch on his bedpost, and Adam is convinced he can never give her the fidelity she needs. After a series of misunderstandings comes between them, Sinful Sunny's well-publicized past rears its ugly head and threatens to tear apart their family for good, and Isabel will have to disclose her own painful secrets to save them.
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I am normally wary of children in romance, finding them to often be annoying, I actually liked them here. They add genuine humor and really keep Adam on his toes. And I actually really liked Adam. I just wanted to weep for the little boy who was denied the affection he so desperately craved. And despite his reputation and seemingly careless attitude, he proves the nobleness of his true character in deeds. However, for the first half of the book, he said some awfully disparaging things about Isabel's appearance that were really harsh and had me wondering if my faith in him doing the right thing was misplaced. So I found myself being torn at times on what I thought of him. I had no such issues with Isabel, but her road to happily ever after included one of my pet peeves when it comes to romances featuring widows or widowers. It's not necessary to discount the love one had for one's deceased spouse. Especially by saying, "I never felt this way about my first husband. Even though I truly mourned him, because I never felt this way with him, I must not have loved him as much as I thought I did." I find that off-putting. While it may be more difficult to craft a romance after the death of a beloved spouse, it is certainly plausible and I think makes the second chance at love much sweeter and more realistic.
After loving Spy Fall, the first book in this series, I have eagerly devoured the others, but none of them have lived up to the first book, in my opinion, for various reasons. What I have noticed is that Ms. Quincy excels at creating compelling characters and writing sparkling dialogue and witty banter. But her endings are so rushed. That lessens their satisfaction, and the ending of this book is no different. And I really would have liked an epilogue. Adam was such a libertine, so convinced that he could never be faithful to one woman, that I would have liked to see with my own eyes that he was in fact capable of it after the first blush of love wore off. However, despite my quibbles, I still found it an enjoyable read with some laugh-out-loud moments and steamy sexual tension and a rather nicely done evolution of the hero's character.
April 17, 2018
Requested and received an ARC from NetGalley
2.5-3
This is my first Diana Quincy book but I am a sucker for a good historical romance so I took a chance when I read the description. I probably should have set it aside when I read the first couple of pages knowing right then I would have a problem. I have three major pet peeves when it comes to romance....1.love triangles, 2. cheating and 3. the hero or heroine having sexual contact on page with someone who they are not going to end up with. It started out rough but the more internal monologues the Duke had, or his continued bad behavior and all I could think was this guy has "the pox". I was so skeeved out thinking he was going to infect poor Isabel with the pox I never did enjoy any of their sexy times. Throughout most of the book I kept hoping she'd see the light and run off with the doctor. By the time the Duke started to reform his rakish ways I was already done with him. Prudie and Patience were cute and helped with some comic relief but I never could keep straight which one was which.
Although the book left me wanting and kinda feeling like I should take another shower, I will give kudos for the ending. I did not see that coming (which is why I gave it a star range).
2.5-3
This is my first Diana Quincy book but I am a sucker for a good historical romance so I took a chance when I read the description. I probably should have set it aside when I read the first couple of pages knowing right then I would have a problem. I have three major pet peeves when it comes to romance....1.love triangles, 2. cheating and 3. the hero or heroine having sexual contact on page with someone who they are not going to end up with. It started out rough but the more internal monologues the Duke had, or his continued bad behavior and all I could think was this guy has "the pox". I was so skeeved out thinking he was going to infect poor Isabel with the pox I never did enjoy any of their sexy times. Throughout most of the book I kept hoping she'd see the light and run off with the doctor. By the time the Duke started to reform his rakish ways I was already done with him. Prudie and Patience were cute and helped with some comic relief but I never could keep straight which one was which.
Although the book left me wanting and kinda feeling like I should take another shower, I will give kudos for the ending. I did not see that coming (which is why I gave it a star range).
April 9, 2018
Series: Rebellious Brides #4
Publication Date: 4/17/18
Such a delightfully different story! It is well written, the characters make you care for them and the story is different and interesting. It isn’t an exciting, full of action kind of story, but one that develops carefully over time. While this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, was raised in a cold and uncaring home. His father preached duty to country and title and honor above all – too bad he didn’t live that way. Adam was always a dutiful son until, at age eighteen, he witnessed something unbearable. Sinful Sunny was born shortly after that. Debauchery was his middle name. If you think you’ve read about some debauched characters in other books, you’ll find those were just child’s play compared to Sunny. He was determined he would never be anything like his father. He also had no feelings for any other human being on earth – he was incapable of love and softer feelings. So, imagine his absolute shock when, during one of his debauched parties in his playroom, his butler interrupts to say he has visitors. It turns out, he now has two young wards and a governess to contend with and he has no intention of keeping them around.
Isabel Finch, the governess to the two young Fairfax girls, loves them deeply. She’ll fight like a tigress to keep them safe and in a secure home – and Sinful Sunny’s home is neither safe nor secure. She dislikes him from the moment she meets him, but there is nothing she can do because she is the employee and he is the guardian. However, she doesn’t let that keep her quiet about his lifestyle and its possible exposure to his young wards.
It was fun to read the verbal battles between these two spirited people and to see them, over time, begin to care for each other. I was so glad that it didn’t happen immediately – but developed steadily. The lust was there, but the genuine caring took longer. It wasn’t surprising that she recognized it first because she had loved before. For him, it was a total shock. After all, he wasn’t capable of that emotion.
The twins, Patience and Prudence are delightful, joyful, inquisitive and loving. They are also insecure because as Prudence says – “no one ever keeps us”.
While this book isn’t filled with excitement or angst, I certainly didn’t miss them. I enjoyed the story and I hope you will as well.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 4/17/18
Such a delightfully different story! It is well written, the characters make you care for them and the story is different and interesting. It isn’t an exciting, full of action kind of story, but one that develops carefully over time. While this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, was raised in a cold and uncaring home. His father preached duty to country and title and honor above all – too bad he didn’t live that way. Adam was always a dutiful son until, at age eighteen, he witnessed something unbearable. Sinful Sunny was born shortly after that. Debauchery was his middle name. If you think you’ve read about some debauched characters in other books, you’ll find those were just child’s play compared to Sunny. He was determined he would never be anything like his father. He also had no feelings for any other human being on earth – he was incapable of love and softer feelings. So, imagine his absolute shock when, during one of his debauched parties in his playroom, his butler interrupts to say he has visitors. It turns out, he now has two young wards and a governess to contend with and he has no intention of keeping them around.
Isabel Finch, the governess to the two young Fairfax girls, loves them deeply. She’ll fight like a tigress to keep them safe and in a secure home – and Sinful Sunny’s home is neither safe nor secure. She dislikes him from the moment she meets him, but there is nothing she can do because she is the employee and he is the guardian. However, she doesn’t let that keep her quiet about his lifestyle and its possible exposure to his young wards.
It was fun to read the verbal battles between these two spirited people and to see them, over time, begin to care for each other. I was so glad that it didn’t happen immediately – but developed steadily. The lust was there, but the genuine caring took longer. It wasn’t surprising that she recognized it first because she had loved before. For him, it was a total shock. After all, he wasn’t capable of that emotion.
The twins, Patience and Prudence are delightful, joyful, inquisitive and loving. They are also insecure because as Prudence says – “no one ever keeps us”.
While this book isn’t filled with excitement or angst, I certainly didn’t miss them. I enjoyed the story and I hope you will as well.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
August 17, 2019
Sunny ruined this book for me. He’s a selfish entitled duke who is entirely focused on his own pleasure. He has a playroom in his house that is just for sex parties. Fine, fine, fine. He’s as sexist as I would expect for that time but as the book progressed and as Isabel illuminated for him just how unfair things are for women, he continued to persist in his sexism, on top of his double standards. Isabel, to him, is Not Like The Other Girls, whereas the women who show up for his parties are soiled doves. I felt he could still be redeemed despite these annoyances but overall, I was not here for it.
His major gripes are that love isn’t real and that monogamy isn’t possible and he resents his friends who tell him otherwise. His parents were distant and uninvolved but he just thought that was how things are and was fine with toeing the family’s moral line until he was 18 and realized his dad was a big hypocrite who preyed upon the servants. (To the point where, he So now he’s determined to do whatever he wants but he won’t mess around with servants, which poses a problem as Isabel is the governess. But even with her, he does whatever he wants—to the point of warning off the doctor who is interested in her, even while he’s focused on how plain and uninteresting she is.
He’s also determined not to keep his wards in the picture and so he continually refers to them as brats and tries to rid himself of the responsibility. Of course, the two girls wear him down eventually and believe the best of him. But then he did something truly vile and I could not forgive him. To add insult to injury, he never has to grovel. He never asks for forgiveness or really atone for his actions. She just takes him back, as if none of that had actually happened. I cannot imagine a woman who has been separated from children in her care doing the same. He hasn’t really changed, in my estimation, if he does not pay penance for his actions and therefore I don’t believe an HEA is possible for either of them.
CW:
His major gripes are that love isn’t real and that monogamy isn’t possible and he resents his friends who tell him otherwise. His parents were distant and uninvolved but he just thought that was how things are and was fine with toeing the family’s moral line until he was 18 and realized his dad was a big hypocrite who preyed upon the servants. (To the point where, he So now he’s determined to do whatever he wants but he won’t mess around with servants, which poses a problem as Isabel is the governess. But even with her, he does whatever he wants—to the point of warning off the doctor who is interested in her, even while he’s focused on how plain and uninteresting she is.
He’s also determined not to keep his wards in the picture and so he continually refers to them as brats and tries to rid himself of the responsibility. Of course, the two girls wear him down eventually and believe the best of him. But then he did something truly vile and I could not forgive him. To add insult to injury, he never has to grovel. He never asks for forgiveness or really atone for his actions. She just takes him back, as if none of that had actually happened. I cannot imagine a woman who has been separated from children in her care doing the same. He hasn’t really changed, in my estimation, if he does not pay penance for his actions and therefore I don’t believe an HEA is possible for either of them.
CW:
April 6, 2018
The Duke Who Ravished Me is the fourth book in the Rebellious Brides series by Diana Quincy.
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford was brought up with a mother and father who showed no affection to each other, let alone him. His father was very strict and brought Adam up with many rules, regulations and beatings. Since his father's death, Adam has made the most of his freedom and that includes holding orgies in his home, and pretty much being a manwhore! He is less than pleased when one evening while entertaining two women in his 'playroom' he is called away from them only to find a prim woman with two little girls in his home. The two little girls he is informed are his wards, and the woman is their governess. He didn't even know about the girl's existence, and when he finds that he is the one responsible for them he is fuming.
Isabelle Finch is the girl's governess and she can't believe that anybody in their right mind would want Adam to be guardian over two innocent young girls. His reputation precedes him and Isabelle is as horrified at their circumstances as Adam is. But horrified as they both are, they need to make the most of the situation, and Isabelle is determined that the girls will always be treated well.
I have to admit that I really did not like Adam when I started reading this story, he made it so obvious that he didn't want the girls around, and did everything he could to try to get somebody, anybody else to take them. All he wanted was to carry on his life of debauchery and not have his sex life messed up. I am happy to say that over the duration of the story, thanks in part to Isabelle, but mainly because of his wards, Adam sees that there is more to life than what he had been living. When he finds himself attracted to his plain jane of a governess he is just as shocked as she is. And she is equally as shocked to think that she could have any feelings towards a man like him! Could they have a future together, it doesn't seem likely with him being a Duke and her just being a lowly governess?
I really enjoyed this story and how believable Adam's transition was from a rake to a caring guardian. It didn't happen overnight, and it was novel to have the governess not being a goddess that he would give up his orgies for at first glance. Their relationship and his relationship with his wards was slow growing and because of that, it was lovely to read. As for the little girls, they were darling, I just wanted to reach into the book and give them a cuddle. I was a little surprised to realise that they were 7 years old, I felt as if they were much younger during most of the story. Still, no matter their age, they were lovely little girls that Adam couldn't help but adore (eventually). There was also a twist to the tale that I honestly didn't see coming which I loved. All in all, this was a most enjoyable read!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford was brought up with a mother and father who showed no affection to each other, let alone him. His father was very strict and brought Adam up with many rules, regulations and beatings. Since his father's death, Adam has made the most of his freedom and that includes holding orgies in his home, and pretty much being a manwhore! He is less than pleased when one evening while entertaining two women in his 'playroom' he is called away from them only to find a prim woman with two little girls in his home. The two little girls he is informed are his wards, and the woman is their governess. He didn't even know about the girl's existence, and when he finds that he is the one responsible for them he is fuming.
Isabelle Finch is the girl's governess and she can't believe that anybody in their right mind would want Adam to be guardian over two innocent young girls. His reputation precedes him and Isabelle is as horrified at their circumstances as Adam is. But horrified as they both are, they need to make the most of the situation, and Isabelle is determined that the girls will always be treated well.
I have to admit that I really did not like Adam when I started reading this story, he made it so obvious that he didn't want the girls around, and did everything he could to try to get somebody, anybody else to take them. All he wanted was to carry on his life of debauchery and not have his sex life messed up. I am happy to say that over the duration of the story, thanks in part to Isabelle, but mainly because of his wards, Adam sees that there is more to life than what he had been living. When he finds himself attracted to his plain jane of a governess he is just as shocked as she is. And she is equally as shocked to think that she could have any feelings towards a man like him! Could they have a future together, it doesn't seem likely with him being a Duke and her just being a lowly governess?
I really enjoyed this story and how believable Adam's transition was from a rake to a caring guardian. It didn't happen overnight, and it was novel to have the governess not being a goddess that he would give up his orgies for at first glance. Their relationship and his relationship with his wards was slow growing and because of that, it was lovely to read. As for the little girls, they were darling, I just wanted to reach into the book and give them a cuddle. I was a little surprised to realise that they were 7 years old, I felt as if they were much younger during most of the story. Still, no matter their age, they were lovely little girls that Adam couldn't help but adore (eventually). There was also a twist to the tale that I honestly didn't see coming which I loved. All in all, this was a most enjoyable read!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.
April 17, 2018
This was an awesome, well-written, heart-melting story from start to finish. With one of the best introductory scenes I might have ever read, this is one book I definitely recommend to anyone that loves fresh stories, unique twists, the right amount of drama, and characters full of emotions and wit.
So, that scene; we are introduced to the Duke of Sunderford, or Sinful Sunny, in the most decadent and naughty way, giving us glimpse of what was yet to come * yum *
I love dukes. I don’t care how many fictitious dukes there are, I’ve read lots of them and I’ll probably continue reading them for the rest of my life. However, Sunny is by far the most deliciously wicked, cynical, charming duke I have ever read. He was the epitome of the perfect all-rounded scoundrel there could possibly exist, and yet in spite of all the flaws the haughty man might have had, he never lied!
The plot itself was so much fun to read. One of the reasons my favorite trope is enemies to lovers is because of the verbal sparring, and this story satisfied my needs for it Every.Single.Time. The chemistry between Sunny and Isabel, the governess, simmered slowly until it burned a raging blaze at a perfect pace. Their love was believable and honest, just as the emotional attachment Sunny developed for his wards. Throughout the book we learn of Sunny and Isabel’s painful past, yet the story doesn’t dwell on it and instead it moves forward because of it. In truth, I think my only cavil is that as we neared the end I felt the scenes were being rushed. I’m not talking about the ending itself but the scenes that preluded the climax. Even so, the story delivered in every other way so I'm willing to overlook whatever faults I thought there were.
** I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.**
So, that scene; we are introduced to the Duke of Sunderford, or Sinful Sunny, in the most decadent and naughty way, giving us glimpse of what was yet to come * yum *
I love dukes. I don’t care how many fictitious dukes there are, I’ve read lots of them and I’ll probably continue reading them for the rest of my life. However, Sunny is by far the most deliciously wicked, cynical, charming duke I have ever read. He was the epitome of the perfect all-rounded scoundrel there could possibly exist, and yet in spite of all the flaws the haughty man might have had, he never lied!
The plot itself was so much fun to read. One of the reasons my favorite trope is enemies to lovers is because of the verbal sparring, and this story satisfied my needs for it Every.Single.Time. The chemistry between Sunny and Isabel, the governess, simmered slowly until it burned a raging blaze at a perfect pace. Their love was believable and honest, just as the emotional attachment Sunny developed for his wards. Throughout the book we learn of Sunny and Isabel’s painful past, yet the story doesn’t dwell on it and instead it moves forward because of it. In truth, I think my only cavil is that as we neared the end I felt the scenes were being rushed. I’m not talking about the ending itself but the scenes that preluded the climax. Even so, the story delivered in every other way so I'm willing to overlook whatever faults I thought there were.
** I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.**
April 17, 2018
The rake's rehabilitation!
At the heart of this story are the laws in the 1800's to do with guardianship and the care of children. But that's just the segue into this regency romp that had me laughing ... and gasping!
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford (Sinful Sunny to readers of the gossip sheets) is an outrageous, although oft times endearing, rake who has thrown his energies into the most dissipating activities one could imagine. All that comes to a rather screeching halt the night he is made aware of his guardianship of two seven year old girls, and by way of inclusion, their rather formidable governess right in the middle of a very risqué event at his home. The efforts of his butler to inform Sunny of his suddenly changed status from a 'Duke with no ties' to a 'guardian' is vastly amusing.
Of course the governess, Isobel Finch, is a prune of a woman, disapproving and constrained ... or is she?
As Sunny comes to know 'Finch' his misconceptions are dealt a blow, as is his heart.
Our hearts are struck a blow as we see how Sunny embarked upon the path he fully embraced.
This pilgrim's progress, of renowned libertine to man of heart and conscience, is rather delicious and I really enjoyed it.
A NetGalley ARC
At the heart of this story are the laws in the 1800's to do with guardianship and the care of children. But that's just the segue into this regency romp that had me laughing ... and gasping!
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford (Sinful Sunny to readers of the gossip sheets) is an outrageous, although oft times endearing, rake who has thrown his energies into the most dissipating activities one could imagine. All that comes to a rather screeching halt the night he is made aware of his guardianship of two seven year old girls, and by way of inclusion, their rather formidable governess right in the middle of a very risqué event at his home. The efforts of his butler to inform Sunny of his suddenly changed status from a 'Duke with no ties' to a 'guardian' is vastly amusing.
Of course the governess, Isobel Finch, is a prune of a woman, disapproving and constrained ... or is she?
As Sunny comes to know 'Finch' his misconceptions are dealt a blow, as is his heart.
Our hearts are struck a blow as we see how Sunny embarked upon the path he fully embraced.
This pilgrim's progress, of renowned libertine to man of heart and conscience, is rather delicious and I really enjoyed it.
A NetGalley ARC
April 19, 2018
The Duke Who Ravished Me by Diana Quincy is book Four in the Rebellious Brides Series. This is the story of Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford aka Sinful Sunny and Isabel Finch.
I have read the previous books (and loved them!) but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Adam made a life changing decision when he was around 18 years which turned him into the Sinful Sunny that he is today. Making the decision to never care about anyone and not form attachments due to his abusive upbringing. During one of his adult entertainment parties his butler interrupts him to inform him his has visitor who turn out to be Isabel and with her two little girls Patience and Prudence. Adam learns that he is their new guardian...trying to stick with not wanting to form attachments he tries to be a touch guy but it doesn't take to long before the three have him growing feelings. Sparks fly between Adam and Isabel along with strong words...they were fun to read.
Really enjoyed their story!!
I have read the previous books (and loved them!) but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Adam made a life changing decision when he was around 18 years which turned him into the Sinful Sunny that he is today. Making the decision to never care about anyone and not form attachments due to his abusive upbringing. During one of his adult entertainment parties his butler interrupts him to inform him his has visitor who turn out to be Isabel and with her two little girls Patience and Prudence. Adam learns that he is their new guardian...trying to stick with not wanting to form attachments he tries to be a touch guy but it doesn't take to long before the three have him growing feelings. Sparks fly between Adam and Isabel along with strong words...they were fun to read.
Really enjoyed their story!!
Shelved as 'nope-not-for-me'
June 14, 2018This rather entertaining review explains it so well.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 21, 2021
Unmemorable. I liked the first few chapters and even chuckled a little when the twin girls find Sunny’s sex playroom but apart from that, this was very blah for me. Still finished it but it was one ear in, other ear out, had to re-read the synopsis to write this brief review.
March 3, 2018
This was my first book from Diana Quincy and it definitely won't be my last! I have to admit I had my doubts if I would enjoy this book because Sunny was so unlikeable at the beginning but hands down to Ms. Quincy for writing such an amazing character. It was actually really nice to see such a manwhore make a turnaround that came about gradually and wasn't instantaneous just because he fell for a pretty face. He really was such a jerk when his two wards show up and I swear he really needed a swift kick in the rear. Not to mention the comments he makes to Finch and even when he wasn't trying to be rude he still managed to stick his foot in his mouth. So believe me once he started to change and his two wards worked their way into his heart it really tugged at my heart strings. It was just so sweet to watch and I liked seeing how his relationship develops with his wards, Prudence and Patience, that is separate from his relationship with Finch.
Sunny's relationship with Finch evolved very nicely and I loved that it wasn't instalove and we get to see Sunny and Finch go from genuinely despising each other to understanding each other and eventually falling in love. The twist at the end was unexpected but entirely satisfying. This was such a wonderful romance that I highly suggest!
Sunny's relationship with Finch evolved very nicely and I loved that it wasn't instalove and we get to see Sunny and Finch go from genuinely despising each other to understanding each other and eventually falling in love. The twist at the end was unexpected but entirely satisfying. This was such a wonderful romance that I highly suggest!
April 17, 2018
If the title does not capture your interest, reading this marvelous tale will. Diana Quincy takes the story of a rake (yes I mean a major rake!) and a governess and delivers a delightful account, sure to keep you turning the pages!! Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderland is furious when he finds two little girls and their governess on his doorstep and learns he is their guardian! Isabelle Finch, the girl's governess is shocked that Adam (called Sinful Sonny), whose reputation precedes him, could possibly be responsible for the girls. What is difficult is that Adam has a lot of hurt from growing up without any love from his parents and Isabel has her own secrets. But as fate may have brought them to the door, the more they interact with each other their relationship slowly grows. The girls are just delightful and seeing the slow change to Adam is heartwarming. Very entertaining to see the characters develop and the changes that came about. This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. But I intent to go back and read them all!
February 17, 2018
While I hate books with sex scenes with OW, I found that if you skim the first few chapters and ignore the heros thoughts about what he has done with other women I liked this book. The heros exudes charm and you can’t help but like him especially after he begins to clean up his act. I liked the heroine a lot. I love it when the heroine isn’t a virgin. Anyway I would not call this a safe book to read (even after he sleeps with the heroine he attempts to sleep with two other women but does not go through with it either time) but it did end up being enjoyable. Also he should have groveld more at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2018
I haven't read any of the other books in this series but I didn't need to to understand the synopsis. Sunny's enjoyment of women is written into the first chapter, as is the mood killer that sets the tone and provoked questions from me I wasn't sure would get answered. Would he change? Would he accept them? Would he continue with his parade of women with the children in the house? Would he change?
For the first half of the book, I feared I would end up staying on the fence about Sunny, waffling between liking and hating him. A man like Sunny didn't seem capable of changing. But, as I understand it, his friends did so why not him?
Perhaps he just needed a reality check, a dose of responsibility, and a woman willing to challenge him to rise to the occasion (no pun intended) instead of shirking his duty in favor of the pursuit of fleshly pleasure.
It wasn't a matter of did he want this because it was obvious he didn't. He was neither pleased nor wholeheartedly welcoming of his wards and their governess when he first met them. His corner-of-the-mouth snide remarks of Isabel swung me more towards hating him. Aside from being different from the women he bedded, she'd done nothing to deserve what he said.
Both Sunny and Isabel's pasts are scattered throughout the story. The truth is harsher than words can accurately describe but I liked that they weren't heavily dwelt on either. Revealing their respective pasts served as a means of getting to know one another better, of understanding why they were the way they were. And they, the characters, made more sense because of this.
The twins are darlings. They were what Sunny needed, dashes of life and sunshine and goodness he himself hadn't experienced before. They were Isabel's rocks, her purpose, her life. They were the catalyst these two adults needed to come together and find a life beyond what they believed they deserved.
The biggest question I wanted answered was would he change? I can say it felt like he did. It was magnificent and amusingly satisfying to watch him fall from his sinful throne to his knees in front of the only woman his heart, soul, mind, and body wanted. And that ending? That twist was well-written and perfectly timed. I certainly didn't see it coming yet it fit right in.
I will wholeheartedly admit that this story may not be to everyone's liking. Sunny is not an easy man to like, and Isabel hides too much in the shadows of her past. But if you hang in there and push through, I believe you'll find the story worth reading. I did and I had major doubts at the beginning I wouldn't.
Received from publisher for an honest review
For the first half of the book, I feared I would end up staying on the fence about Sunny, waffling between liking and hating him. A man like Sunny didn't seem capable of changing. But, as I understand it, his friends did so why not him?
Perhaps he just needed a reality check, a dose of responsibility, and a woman willing to challenge him to rise to the occasion (no pun intended) instead of shirking his duty in favor of the pursuit of fleshly pleasure.
It wasn't a matter of did he want this because it was obvious he didn't. He was neither pleased nor wholeheartedly welcoming of his wards and their governess when he first met them. His corner-of-the-mouth snide remarks of Isabel swung me more towards hating him. Aside from being different from the women he bedded, she'd done nothing to deserve what he said.
Both Sunny and Isabel's pasts are scattered throughout the story. The truth is harsher than words can accurately describe but I liked that they weren't heavily dwelt on either. Revealing their respective pasts served as a means of getting to know one another better, of understanding why they were the way they were. And they, the characters, made more sense because of this.
The twins are darlings. They were what Sunny needed, dashes of life and sunshine and goodness he himself hadn't experienced before. They were Isabel's rocks, her purpose, her life. They were the catalyst these two adults needed to come together and find a life beyond what they believed they deserved.
The biggest question I wanted answered was would he change? I can say it felt like he did. It was magnificent and amusingly satisfying to watch him fall from his sinful throne to his knees in front of the only woman his heart, soul, mind, and body wanted. And that ending? That twist was well-written and perfectly timed. I certainly didn't see it coming yet it fit right in.
I will wholeheartedly admit that this story may not be to everyone's liking. Sunny is not an easy man to like, and Isabel hides too much in the shadows of her past. But if you hang in there and push through, I believe you'll find the story worth reading. I did and I had major doubts at the beginning I wouldn't.
Received from publisher for an honest review
June 26, 2018
This was my first book by this author and it was a standout in a year that has, in my opinion, been sadly lacking in good, quality historical romance. That being said it was far from a perfect read for me.
Sunny is the epitome of a man whore, he has a playroom (caught shades of FSoG there and almost dnf'd) where he conducts his debauched orgies on a regular basis. Seemingly out of the blue he gets saddled with two little girls who were left orphaned after their father, his cousin or uncle? I was never clear on the relationship, died and their mother ran off. These girls also come with a stern-faced, frumpy governess who clearly disapproves of the dukes licentious ways. The set up is for a delicious reformed rake with class differences and opposites attract romance or pretty much all of my romance catnip.
While I enjoyed the book overall, I felt that Isabel remained too much a mystery and there are very good reasons why but the reader isn't privy to them until the very end (unless other readers are more discerning than I). But while this made for a surprising ending for me, at least, it meant that I never felt a connection to her as a character. Little drips of information about her mysterious past were dropped here and there but they weren't enough to paint a whole picture. So when she inevitably gives in to her attraction for Sunny it felt like instant lust/instant love since I wasn't in her head for long and don't really know how she went from despising him and his lifestyle to wanting to get in his pants. She just felt underdeveloped.
I did love that the story takes place in Sunny's head for most of the book even as I wanted more from Isabel's perspective because I do so enjoy an emotionally illiterate hero especially when he's baffled and irritated by his newfound and unwanted emotions. Sunny's evolution from rake to monogamous devoted lover is the best part of this book and felt honest and organic, however, because Isabel was such a mystery the story lacked that big emotional punch I always look for when I read a good romance. In the end, I think this is a four-star read but this author is definitely on my radar now. Steam level: warm (love scenes are short and not very descriptive but still steamy)
Sunny is the epitome of a man whore, he has a playroom (caught shades of FSoG there and almost dnf'd) where he conducts his debauched orgies on a regular basis. Seemingly out of the blue he gets saddled with two little girls who were left orphaned after their father, his cousin or uncle? I was never clear on the relationship, died and their mother ran off. These girls also come with a stern-faced, frumpy governess who clearly disapproves of the dukes licentious ways. The set up is for a delicious reformed rake with class differences and opposites attract romance or pretty much all of my romance catnip.
While I enjoyed the book overall, I felt that Isabel remained too much a mystery and there are very good reasons why but the reader isn't privy to them until the very end (unless other readers are more discerning than I). But while this made for a surprising ending for me, at least, it meant that I never felt a connection to her as a character. Little drips of information about her mysterious past were dropped here and there but they weren't enough to paint a whole picture. So when she inevitably gives in to her attraction for Sunny it felt like instant lust/instant love since I wasn't in her head for long and don't really know how she went from despising him and his lifestyle to wanting to get in his pants. She just felt underdeveloped.
I did love that the story takes place in Sunny's head for most of the book even as I wanted more from Isabel's perspective because I do so enjoy an emotionally illiterate hero especially when he's baffled and irritated by his newfound and unwanted emotions. Sunny's evolution from rake to monogamous devoted lover is the best part of this book and felt honest and organic, however, because Isabel was such a mystery the story lacked that big emotional punch I always look for when I read a good romance. In the end, I think this is a four-star read but this author is definitely on my radar now. Steam level: warm (love scenes are short and not very descriptive but still steamy)
March 11, 2018
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. Thank you!!
This novel was a great read. Ms. Quincy added some plot twists that I did not see coming all!! I enjoyed how the relationship developed between the two characters. While both were attracted to other, they did not immediately like each other at all. Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, at the request of his uncle, becomes the guardian of twin girls. Adam enjoys the life of a bachelor, the woman, and everything that goes with it. When the twins and their governess "invade" his home, he wants to find a way to remove them immediately. Isabel Finch has a past that could ruin her. She cares for the twins and always does what is in their best interests. She avoids others by appearing ordinary. She does not want the girls under Adam's roof and desires to take them back to their uncle. However, things begin to change between Adam and Isabel. Adam begins to care for the girls, even missing them when they are gone and Isabel sees the man behind the facade. Both cannot hide their desire for one another, but Isabel does not want to be another of "Sinful Sunny's" doxies. Adam wants Isabel and believes things will return to normal after he has her. However, misunderstandings and the past affect their growing relationship. Will they both be able to see the truth before things cannot be undone?
This novel was a great read. Ms. Quincy added some plot twists that I did not see coming all!! I enjoyed how the relationship developed between the two characters. While both were attracted to other, they did not immediately like each other at all. Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, at the request of his uncle, becomes the guardian of twin girls. Adam enjoys the life of a bachelor, the woman, and everything that goes with it. When the twins and their governess "invade" his home, he wants to find a way to remove them immediately. Isabel Finch has a past that could ruin her. She cares for the twins and always does what is in their best interests. She avoids others by appearing ordinary. She does not want the girls under Adam's roof and desires to take them back to their uncle. However, things begin to change between Adam and Isabel. Adam begins to care for the girls, even missing them when they are gone and Isabel sees the man behind the facade. Both cannot hide their desire for one another, but Isabel does not want to be another of "Sinful Sunny's" doxies. Adam wants Isabel and believes things will return to normal after he has her. However, misunderstandings and the past affect their growing relationship. Will they both be able to see the truth before things cannot be undone?
April 15, 2018
Damn, what a fun book! When you start reading the story and the "Hero" is an unlikable, dissolute, dissipated duke who is in the midst of an orgy, you really don't know what you're getting into. When the "heroine", who is a humorless, judgemental and harpy of a governess with two precocious wards appears, you think this book can't possibly be entertaining. You would be wrong.
One thing I really liked about this book is that there wasn't insta-love. There wasn't even insta-like! It took time to build believable relationships. Also, Sunny showed signs of his disgraceful lifestyle. Usually our heroes are physically perfect, no matter how debauched. Not here. One of his wards even pointed out he was getting a paunch.
The more these characters spent together, the more their lives changed for the better. Sunny and Isabel got close...VERY close. (And it was hot!). When poop hit the fan and everything seemed to be falling apart, I was heartbroken. There was a big reveal I did NOT see coming! That usually doesn't happen. This truly ended up being a sweet, hot and very endearing story.
This book was kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One thing I really liked about this book is that there wasn't insta-love. There wasn't even insta-like! It took time to build believable relationships. Also, Sunny showed signs of his disgraceful lifestyle. Usually our heroes are physically perfect, no matter how debauched. Not here. One of his wards even pointed out he was getting a paunch.
The more these characters spent together, the more their lives changed for the better. Sunny and Isabel got close...VERY close. (And it was hot!). When poop hit the fan and everything seemed to be falling apart, I was heartbroken. There was a big reveal I did NOT see coming! That usually doesn't happen. This truly ended up being a sweet, hot and very endearing story.
This book was kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2018
Wonderful! What a compelling story! In 2018, we women continue to find our voice in the MeToo movement. Here we’re reminded that in the early 1800s women had no rights to their children, let alone their bodies. In the Duke Who Ravished Me we get this nugget of history while the author brilliantly paints a scandalously salacious duke who discovered what it is like to love and be loved in return. It's witty, engaging and all-around good.
I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 6, 2023
Sarah MacLean was right, this book is great. I loved seeing enemies to lovers in a historical context. The antagonism was always light and fun—the duke constantly referring to the heroine as “the dowd” or “the shrew” really tickled me (she certainly had her own equally unflattering descriptors for him). I also loved how the twists and turns constantly surprised me—I couldn’t predict which way the story would go. This is my favorite Diana Quincy book I’ve read so far.
April 14, 2023
A run of the mill histrom where a rake is reformed by the charms of an uptight governess and precocious children. Unfortunately I didn't feel like Sunny and Isabel had enough chemistry to make this book anything special but it was entertaining nonetheless and I read the whole thing in almost one sitting.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
March 23, 2018
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it. Isabel Finch has been governess to twin girls for most of their life. Their father is deceased, and their mother ran off. They have lived in Cornwall with the girls’ great-uncle Abel, who has sent them to live in London with their cousin Adam, Duke of Sunderford. Unfortunately, they arrive late in the evening and Adam is entertaining.
Adam was raised by a very strict father who beat and punished him often. Now that he is the Duke, he is doing whatever pleases him and that includes “entertaining” women in his home. The girls grow on him quickly as he tries to curtail his entertaining. He insists that Isabel attend his once a year ball and allows the girls to hide and watch. But the next day Isabel and the girls leave to visit Abel. Adam misses them terribly as he has become attached to them.
There are many secrets to be revealed, but not in this review! Prudence and Patience are adorable and steal many scenes. You must read the book! Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC.
Adam was raised by a very strict father who beat and punished him often. Now that he is the Duke, he is doing whatever pleases him and that includes “entertaining” women in his home. The girls grow on him quickly as he tries to curtail his entertaining. He insists that Isabel attend his once a year ball and allows the girls to hide and watch. But the next day Isabel and the girls leave to visit Abel. Adam misses them terribly as he has become attached to them.
There are many secrets to be revealed, but not in this review! Prudence and Patience are adorable and steal many scenes. You must read the book! Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC.
October 14, 2019
That is 2 hours of my life I am not getting back.
April 9, 2018
A complete standalone, The Duke who Ravished Me is book 4 of a series. I read it perfectly without having read the prior books.
The story of a Duke who unexpectedly gets saddled with twin girls and their governess, I absolutely loved it. Sucked into the plot from the very first page, Adam is almost an anti-hero. Someone you have trouble understanding, but easy to fall in love with anyway. Isabel is the governess who accompanies the girls to the Duke's estate. She's a fiery woman for her time, full of sass and smarts.
The Duke Who Ravished Me was a page turner. It was unexpected and refreshing to read. I was enthralled by it and found myself gasping at times. The author didn't hold back at all, and created a unique regency romance. I would recommend to the historical reader looking for something different.
The story of a Duke who unexpectedly gets saddled with twin girls and their governess, I absolutely loved it. Sucked into the plot from the very first page, Adam is almost an anti-hero. Someone you have trouble understanding, but easy to fall in love with anyway. Isabel is the governess who accompanies the girls to the Duke's estate. She's a fiery woman for her time, full of sass and smarts.
The Duke Who Ravished Me was a page turner. It was unexpected and refreshing to read. I was enthralled by it and found myself gasping at times. The author didn't hold back at all, and created a unique regency romance. I would recommend to the historical reader looking for something different.
May 17, 2018
Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, has earned his nickname "Sinful Sunny." Being a duke and enormously wealthy attracts every singer, actress, and widow in London. Adam is never one to turn down a lady's affections or two or three in his decadent "playroom." When Miss Isabel Finch shows up on his doorstep with seven-year-old twin girls and informs him that he is now their legal guardian, Adam is in shock. His lifestyle does lend it itself to him being a guardian of innocent little girls.
This book was very well-written and the twists and turns in the plot kept my interest throughout the story. It was also great to see a couple of the characters from previous books make an appearance in this one. I loved watching Adam's character change as he finally learned how to open his heart and it was especially lovely that it took seven-year-old girls to show him what love meant. The interactions between Adam and Isabel were fun to watch as they went from adversaries to so much more until a misunderstanding threatens to tear them apart. Fans of regency romances will definitely enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book was very well-written and the twists and turns in the plot kept my interest throughout the story. It was also great to see a couple of the characters from previous books make an appearance in this one. I loved watching Adam's character change as he finally learned how to open his heart and it was especially lovely that it took seven-year-old girls to show him what love meant. The interactions between Adam and Isabel were fun to watch as they went from adversaries to so much more until a misunderstanding threatens to tear them apart. Fans of regency romances will definitely enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 16, 2018
Diana Quincy is one of my favorite historical romance authors and The Duke Who Ravished Me is one of her best! Strong sassy heroine, rake in serious need of reform, adorable twin girls with Quincy's excellent prose makes for a delicious read. I always laugh out loud in her stories, and I tore through this one to a very satisfying ending!
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