Tall, Duke, and Dangerous

Tall, Duke, and Dangerous
by Megan Frampton

Ignatius Nash, Duke of Malvern, was a man with a reputation of hitting first and asking questions later. His father had died and his relatives were showing up, just as his grandmother just had done. He really couldn’t remember her or at least very well. His father had broken all ties to respectable members of his family and Nash saw no reason to pick the ties back up. If they wanted to know him they would have to take him as he was. He was so tall he had to have furniture made to fit his body. The Dowager Duchess comes to the point, that she did not like his father. Her son.
Lady Ana Maria had been forced by her stepmother to join the servants in the house. She was not paid but worked as hard if not harder than the servants. Till about six months ago when she and Ana Marie’s father were killed in a carriage accident. Ana Marie gained status and was sent upstairs to be treated like the lady she was. She was the daughter of a duke and the cousin to another and she had a large dowry.
I really enjoyed this story. Nash and Ana Marie really cared for each other but could not tell the other. She wanted to be told she was loved and she would accept nothing less. Poor Nash had been beaten both mentally and physically by his father, he was even afraid to speak. The characters were engaging and seemed so realistic. The support they get from each of their families is amazing and deserved. For me, this is a reread.
I highly recommend this tale of two gentle people that hope for the best and go with the flow and are desperate for love.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Another so-so effort. The two main characters keep repeating the same lines to themselves over and over and over. There is no real movement. The emotions (what passes for them) are told to us, but I get no real feeling. I found myself skimming most of the last half of the book, just so I could finish it! Feels like the author just wrote words, and not a story.

Tall, Duke and Dangerous by Megan Frampton is the 2nd book in the A Hazards of Duke series, and it has one of the most taciturn heroes in my romance novel reading history, Nash, the Duke of Malvern.

Nash definitely suffers from the rampant Romancelandia condition of Dramatic Duke Syndrome. His father was awful, an abusive man who made Nash into a reclusive and ill-tempered person who would rather fight than talk.

As a result, Nash isn’t in a hurry to marry. However, when his grandmother arrives on his doorstep to make sure that Nash understands that if he doesn’t marry and sire an heir, the dukedom will pass to a man as bad as his father.

So Nash decides to marry, just not to anyone that makes him feel too much. This means he refuses to consider marrying Ana Maria, the sister of his best friend. He’s known Ana Maria for most of his life, but doesn’t want to burden her.

Of course, he is deeply attracted to Ana Maria, and she is the one person who can understand all of his different grunts and growls – which are his preferred method of communication.

Ana Maria has deep feelings for Nash, but is for the first time in her life free of her stepmother’s clutches. The stepmother kept Ana Maria hidden away as a servant. FYI, the background of this is told in book 1, Never Kiss a Duke.
Ana Maria is blossoming on her own, in London, finding her passion for decorating. She is making friends and taking her place in society. However, she is used to traveling on her own and finds that things have changed.

Because he worries about Ana Maria, Nash offers to teach her self defense techniques that she can use to protect herself. Those sessions become so much more than self defense though, especially since Ana Maria is interested in exploring Nash.

Nash has a great deal to figure out in order to overcome his past and win Ana Maria’s hand. He can’t grunt his way to a HEA. And this leads to my favorite part of Tall, Duke and Dangerous (which I won’t go into detail about).

Nash’s taciturn ways cause problems between Nash and Ana Maria, and Nash realizes that Ana Maria needs more from him. And Nash rises to the occasion. He goes out of his way to practice skills that he needs to win Ana Maria.

I love a growly and grunty hero; I can’t resist them at all – and Nash is one of the best. I could not put Tall, Duke and Dangerous down while I was reading it. I highly recommend Megan Frampton’s Tall, Duke and Dangerous.

This is the story of Ana Maria and Nash. They both were abused by a parent in their past. Nash looks past his fears of losing control and learns to trust Ana Maria. I am really enjoying this Hazards of Dukes series! I received an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my honest review.

Nash, the “dangerous” Duke of Malvern is hot tempered and fearful of becoming like his brutish late father, he lives a life of too much responsibility and too little joy. And although he’s vowed to never marry, a duke has a duty—and there’s only one way to get himself an heir and a spare. So Nash reluctantly takes a look around at society’s available young ladies to see who might be willing to put up with his one-word answers and frequent glowers.
After the death of her father and wicked stepmother, Ana Maria goes from virtual servant to lady-in-training, and while society life has its benefits its restrictive rules stifle her sprit. And when her independent actions put her in danger, her half-brother insists Nash teach her some self-defence. While most of London’s ladies find Nash intimidating, she only sees a man who needs introducing to all the joys life has to offer.
This is the second book in the series & we did meet Ana Maria in the first. I must admit I’m sitting on the fence with this book, the blurb drew me in & I thought I was in for a riveting read but I found the actual book a struggle, in fact it took me a week to finish it as I kept putting it down wondering if I would finish it but curiosity got the better of me & I soldiered on until it was finished. Then I was left feeling robbed as it didn’t feel finished & I certainly didn’t feel satisfied that there was a HEA. There was chemistry between Nash & Ava & I did love how their relationship progressed but the ending felt rushed & I would have loved an epilogue to round things up
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Nash, [I don’t think we ever get a surname], the Duke of Malvern, has always worked to keep his hot temper in check, determined not to become like his abusive late father. He sees to his duties as duke with extreme devotion but allows himself few pleasures and is determined never to marry or even allow himself to feel anything too deeply. But when his grandmother tells him that his heir, a distant cousin, is just as despicable as the previous duke, Nash knows he must marry and provide an heir who will see to the care of all who rely on the dukedom. He reluctantly beings attending social events and meeting debutantes, all the while knowing he can never be with the one lady he has true feelings for, as he fears his passion will lead to violence and he refuses to take that chance.

Lady Ana Maria Dutton spent most of her life as a servant in her own home thanks to the hatred of her stepmother. With her parents’ deaths, Ana Maria finds herself thrust into high society and balking at the restrictions now placed on her. She’s used to being independent, but her new status means that independence is putting her in dangerous situations, so she agrees to allow her brother’s friend Nash to instruct her in self-defense. Nash’s signature glower and tendency toward grunting rather than actual speech sends most ladies scurrying away, but not Ana Maria. She sees Nash for who he really is and as they spend more time together, their long-standing friendship soon begins to evolve into an altogether different and more complicated sort of relationship.

This book wasn’t quite up to my hopes for it given how charmed I wound up being by the first book in this series. The brother’s best friend/friend from childhood trope had so much potential that wasn’t realized here. Nash’s past abuse also deserved more attention, from Ana Maria, but also from Thad and Sebastian and even his mother. In fact, though the last arrival of Nash’s estranged mother on the scene did catalyze some action, it also brought up even more questions for me. For instance, why did Nash’s mother and grandmother both wait so long after his father’s death to check on him? Sure, they were worried he’d be like his father, but they both were ultimately selfish in their actions toward him. It’s no wonder Nash was so emotionally stunted. That said, Nash did at least show quite a bit of growth as he set about becoming his own man, outside his father’s shadow. For her part, Ana Maria struck me as very immature and naïve, especially given both her age and experiences in the time she’d spent among the servants. The more I read, the less substance she seemed to have. Nonetheless, I liked her for the first half of the book, even if she did act like a sheltered kid newly arrived at college and despite her ridiculous overuse of the word oxymoron. I get where we were going with that, but it was overdone and just emphasized the inconstancy that I didn’t care for in Ana Maria’s character. By the latter half of the book, Ana Maria was making poor decisions just for the sake of being able to do whatever she wanted, which was incredibly short-sighted. She was excluded from her noble family, but not sheltered, so while I understood her wanting to find her place, I didn’t get how she was still so naïve and never really seemed to learn. She and Nash were so sweet together at first, but then veered way off course, largely because she wouldn’t try to let him into her feelings, despite expecting him to do just that for her. All that aside, Ana Maria and Nash had excellent chemistry and I was happy to see them together. I just would’ve liked to see more support for Nash, especially from Ana Maria’s family, who were also supposed to be his closest friends, to make him feel and see his own worthiness sooner. This ending was too abrupt for me given the angst in this relationship and I would’ve loved an epilogue to bring it all together. Overall, however, this was enjoyable despite its issues and I look forward to Thad’s story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the book blurb and was really looking forward to the read although this author seems to be hit-or-miss for me. However, I’ve just ended up frustrated with it instead. Maybe if I had read the first book in the series, it would have answered some of my questions – but it certainly wouldn’t have fixed the ending. That ending left me feeling – unfinished – unsatisfied – just ‘un’. Instead of emitting a sigh of satisfaction and warmth at the end – I emitted a growl. Perhaps Nash and I have something in common since he likes to growl.

Both Nash and Ana Maria played roles in the first book of the series, Never Kiss a Duke. Maybe Ana Maria’s background was more fully explained in that book, but what I read in this one just left me with more questions than answers. Nash and Ana Maria share similar backgrounds in that they were both abused from childhood forward. Both felt they didn’t belong in the worlds in which they lived and both were trying to make the best of the situations in which they found themselves. They had been friends during childhood because Nash was friends with Ana Maria’s brother Sebastian. Nash knows most of Ana Maria’s background, but he’s kept his own deeply hidden.

Nash (I’m not sure we learned his last name), Duke of Malvern, spent his childhood being both physically and mentally abused by his cruel, bully of a father. Nash spent his entire life hearing his father tell him, “You take after me. In every way.” Naturally, having heard that since childhood, Nash believed it wholeheartedly. Especially when he was usually at a loss for words and chose to use his fists to make his point. In reality, Nash is nothing like his father. When he uses his fists, it is to right a wrong. He has a giving heart and has surrounded himself with his father’s by-blows. He offered to send them money or a position working in his household – whichever they wanted. Most of them chose to work for him. Nash is determined never to marry because he is terrified that he’ll be the kind of husband and father his own father was. Well, he planned never to marry until his grandmother showed up – uninvited – and told him he had to marry because if he didn’t his cousin who is as abusive as his father would inherit.

Lady Ana Maria Dutton spent most of her life as a drudge in her father’s house. Her stepmother couldn’t stand the sight of her – didn’t want her – and immediately relegated her to servant status. She slept in the highest room in the attic – one so bad that even the servants weren’t made to sleep there. She did the most menial tasks around the house and bore the brunt of her stepmother’s wrath if she was dissatisfied. With her father and stepmother gone from this world, Ana Maria is lost. Her brother, then her cousin (story from the first book) immediately moved her back into her proper status as a Lady – but Ana Maria wasn’t comfortable there. She never felt as if she belonged – and she doesn’t feel as if she can belong with the servants any more either. She feels as if she’s walking a tightrope trying to find her place in the world. Her brother and cousin want marriage and home for her – but is that what she wants? They don’t really ask; they just assume she wants marriage. She does, but she wants it with someone who wants and accepts her for who she is – she wants love. She doesn’t want someone who only wants her dowry. She’s always admired her brother’s best friend Nash, but he’s said he’ll never marry.

Ana Maria was steady throughout the book – she admired Nash – she wanted Nash. Nash was pretty steady as well, although you wouldn’t think so. He wanted Ana Maria as well, but he couldn’t marry her – because he could love her – and love meant emotions – and emotions meant anger and violence. Needless to say, they had a tough-row-to-hoe before they could get to their HEA.

You might want to stop reading here because I’m going to talk about some of my frustrations and it might spoil some things for you. One of my big frustrations is when an author presents situations that just don’t make sense, but they don’t explain them. For instance – in this book Ana Maria was treated as a servant by her stepmother – from the age of maybe 5-8 years forward until her stepmother died a year or so ago. Where were her loving father, brother, and cousin during those 20 or so years? Did her father not care? Did he never see her? You’d think he’d notice that he never saw his daughter – or – when he did see her, she was dressed worse than the servants. Why wouldn’t she say anything to him? Why wouldn’t her brother present her case to her father? The woman is somewhere around twenty-eight in this book and her father and stepmother only died a year or so before, so, as an adult, why wouldn’t she take steps to do something for herself? Then, there is Nash. His father died three years ago, yet neither his mother nor his grandmother has approached him. Their excuse is that they didn’t know whether he was like his father or not. Well, that should be a quick enough inquiry – why would it take three years. How did his mother remarry when she’d run off and left his father? It doesn’t say anything about divorce. Then there is the ending of the book. It was just abrupt – BOOP! and it was there. I almost feel as if there wasn’t really an HEA. I don’t know – it just didn’t feel finished. Another chapter or an epilogue could have gone a long way toward helping the end of the book. BTW – if you like the word ‘Oxymoron’, you’ll love this book because I think it appears on every other page. I understand what the author was doing, but it was just too much.

I’m not sorry I read the book and I’m happy that I met Nash and Ana Maria. However, I would not read the book again. Maybe the next book in the series will complete the HEA for this book, but I think I’ll probably never know because I doubt I’ll read it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.