USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this delightful spin on Shakespeare’s classic, The Taming of the Shrew.This time, who’s taming whom… exasperated father, hoping a husband will rein her in, has ruled that her beloved sister can’t marry until Cassandra does.
Now, thanks to a certain wild-living nobleman, the last shreds of Cassandra’s reputation are about to disintegrate, taking her sister’s future and her family’s good name along with them.
The Duke of Ashmont’s looks make women swoon. His character flaws are beyond counting. He’s lost a perfectly good bride through his own carelessness. He nearly killed one of his two best friends. Still, troublemaker that he is, he knows that damaging a lady’s good name isn’t sporting.
The only way to right the wrong is to marry her…and hope she doesn’t smother him in his sleep on their wedding night.
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I LOVED this book! Smart, witty, and incredibly romantic, it hits every note. The only reason I didn’t devour it faster, I made myself stop reading at points to savor it longer.
I love Cassandra!!! You can’t tell but I’m totally singing that in my head. I love her I love her I love her! She is brilliant and forthright and take charge and delightfully, wonderfully true to herself in a society that doesn’t want or appreciate women like her. She is perfection. Ashmont is a wastrel, spoiled and used to getting whatever he wants and being able to pay his way out of any outrageous shenanigans that he and his loutish friends create. Watching these two learn about themselves and each other, seeing them stumble and crash their way into a semblance of a relationship….this was everything.
This was decent. Not going over the moon because of 2 very glaring timeline fauxpas from Ms.Chase –
1. The Riot Act was mentioned in the prologue twice – unfortunately it was passed 50 yrs after this books timeline.
2. Use of the word calisthenics- again ms. Chase ‘s characters are aware of it much before its inception.
For a seasoned author I would have expected better.
Now for the book itself- Lucius Ashmont is absolutely fabulous
This book rides on him entirely..He comes through for her and how! The other notable characters are Hyacinth, her sister and the heroine’s parents and Keele her groom. Their characterizations were wonderful. In the short time they appear we really get a feel of these guys.
On the other hand, Cassandra, our heroine is a spoilt brat. As it has been rightly mentioned in the book – she just tramples through , irrespective of how her actions effect others and how it embarrasses her parents. She’s 26 and not caring about her actions is something I cannot appreciate. Having one child who’s constantly getting in trouble at school I can empathise with her parents. Sbe believes she’s better than oter women because she doesn’t fall in line. Standing up for a cause shouldn’t be mocked and used for bad behaviour . It feels like an excuse for everything she does- else her opinions are nowhere. So, when Ashmont actually picks up.Mary Woolenencraft’ book we see the change in him a subtle shift towards appreciating what he has and a maturity in comprehending womens plight. This I don’t see in Cassandra-every incident is OTP and feels so much an act for her. It doesn’t make her likable at all. I couldn’t like her and I tried,! Furthermore, she has the gall to look down on our hero though he too went about life with a single notion of enjoying only oneself. Her bratty ness is for the worldly good , so she’s oh!so better than him! And all because its unrequited crush! Petty!
The storyline is basically many incidents strewn together and follows tbe line Ashmont says to her – “You are outrageous, Im outrageous, let’s get married” . So the various incidents play up to being ” outrageous ” It actually picks up towards the end whereas actual story takes shape.
I was bored and it really didn’t hold my attention much- I generally gobble up Regency Romances by the hour and this one took me days.
Recommended: meh . No harm done if you don’t pick it up
Enjoyable, energetic style of writing.
Loretta Chase is always good value, and this book continues the story of the Duke of Ashmont whose bride ran away from their wedding in the preceding book. The heroine’s love for her family and her family’s love for her are a welcome change from the many dysfunctional families in romance literature.
Ten Things I Hate About the Duke — Loretta Chase — I won an advanced copy of this one thinking it would be great because I have loved everything I’ve ever read by Loretta Chase. I was a bit disappointed by this series so far. This one had a slow start, but it got better! I think it’s because I didn’t like the leading man again. These three dukes bring out the sour-faced society matron in me because they all need reforming in the worst way. Still well written and a nice little story! Happy Reading!
A new take on The Taming of the Shrew that’s remarkably satisfying. The feminist heroine is honored and the rakish hero grows up. The usual terrific characters and slightly twisty plot leads to a great conclusion.
Independent social misfit Cassandra has had a crush on the duke of Ashmont since she was a child. He has not noticed her. When she gives up on him, she catches his attention. He loves that she is strong and unconventional. She feels he is a wastrel rake who could have lived up to more potential by using his power to improve the lives of others. Ashmont wants her for his wife, but is he willing to change enough to deserve her?
The Duke of Ashmont has been living a dissipated life of pleasure, and it’s starting to catch up with him. His fiancée jilted him, his best friend nearly killed him in a duel, and now he’s facing the ire of Cassandra, Prophet of Doom.
Cassandra remembers Ashmont as the boy who watched the stars with her when she was ten. But he’s grown into a notorious rakehell, and she has no patience for his drunken antics. After he causes a carriage accident that nearly kills her tiger, she insists he help her with some of the tiger’s duties.
Feeling guilty and unrooted, Ashmont complies. Gradually, they reach a fragile peace—until scandal threatens to destroy their happiness.
I love Taming of the Shrew stories, and this is among the best I’ve read. It’s smart, funny, outrageous, emotional, and a little steamy. Don’t miss it!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first page to last. The story flows nicely and the characters are well-developed. But, more importantly, the dialogue is to die for – the conversations between Cassandra and Ashmont remind me of Tracy and Hepburn at their best – witty, entertaining, farcical and sometimes hilarious.
Not a book to miss.
I really enjoyed this book. Loretta Chase is one of my favorite historical romance authors.
Duke Ashmont is a side character in A Duke in Shining Armor and I have wanted his HEA ever since. He was such a funny character. I honestly loved everything about him. Cassandra has no interest in getting married.. unfortunately Cassandra and Ashmont were caught in a compromising situation and now have to get married or at least pretend to be getting married.
I love a good fake relationship story and this one was so much fun. Ashmont and Cassandra were perfect for each other. They each complimented each other personalities so well.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy!
First of all, I want to marry, Lucius, the Duke of Ashmount. He is a wonderful man. He is smart and funny and kind and thoughtful and when he chooses, he is quite charming. But, he has not always been this way.
He has been living his life as though the rules never apply to him. He spends a good portion of his days and nights drunk. In fact, at his own wedding he was very drunk and his bride ran away from him. In fact, she ran away with one of his best friends and now they are married to one another.
So, of course there was a duel. And during the duel, the Duke of Ashmount was drunk.
Afterwards, still drunk, he shoots one of the dueling pistols into the air.
The shot causes a young woman, Miss Cassandra Pomfret, to have a terrible accident. Her carriage is ruined, her maid is injured. The man who is her bodyguard is thrown from the carriage and terribly hurt. He is a former star jockey and from his days as a jockey he already has injuries. Things have just become much worse for him.
Cassandra has known Lucius since she was a little girl. But, he does not remember her in his inebriated state. Cassandra has a reputation as a gorgon, a Medusa and a woman who can make grown men cry.
Two people who are exceptional and not always in a good way….they are perfect for one another.
Ms Chase is one of the best romance authors I have ever read.
Her plots are exceptional and precise. Around every corner there is a new event which makes the reader drawn even further into the action.
Ms Chase creates characters who are absolutely wonderful people. They are human, imperfect, and absolutely fascinating.
This story is filled with everything a reader wants in a book.
Cassandra and “Duke” do not appear to be going in the same direction in life. She has become almost a joke in society. He is refused access to most genteel homes.
But, they are both intelligent, generous, kind hearted and very funny. She makes him feel that there are possibilities in his life. He makes her feel that she is beautiful and interesting.
But, because of his reputation, Cassandra will neither trust him nor believe in him. Lucius must work very hard to prove who he can be as a man. Cassandra must work very hard to come to a place where she can trust a man to be heroic and honest and true.
This is a story of growth and reformation. It is a story of two people who eventually find that there can be a common ground. It is a story about the love within families. Most of all, it is a story which is about human beings who find happiness.
I loved this book.
Cassandra isn’t interested in marriage. She’s strong willed, opinionated and isn’t in the marriage market. Cassandra’s father though has issued an ultimatum – if Cassandra doesn’t marry soon then neither of her sister can’t either.
When Cassandra and Duke Ashmont find themselves in a compromised position, the only honorable thing would be for the Duke to marry Cassandra. Unless…Cassandra and Ashmont enter into a fake relationship and then plan to break things off therefore freeing each other to move on.
After recently reading A Duke in Shining Armor (book 1 in the Difficult Dukes series) I knew I had to read the story about Duke Ashmont. Ashmont was hilarious in the previous book and that didn’t change much in Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. I loved his hilarious interactions with Cassanadra. These two had such great chemistry and I was immediately rooting for them to end up together in this fake relationship/marriage of convenience historical romance!
Audiobook:
Story: 4
Narration: 5
Overall: 4
I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. The audiobook was narrated by Kate Reading. This is not my first audiobook narrated by Kate Reading and I think she is spectacular. I love the way she is able to convey different emotions for every character that she is playing. I had no difficulty telling when she was trying to portray Ashmont vs Cassandra. You definitely will not be disappointed if you pick up the audiobook for Ten Things I hate About the Duke. I found myself laughing, grinning and swooning while listening to the audiobook.
I received a complimentary advance audiobook and e-book of this title from the publisher.
I loved this book and how both the hero and the heroine stayed true to form throughout.
Cassandra’s father won’t let her younger sister participate in the season until Cassandra has married. At twenty-six, Cassandra has no desire to marry. However, when The Duke of Ashmont causes her carriage to crash, their lives are irrevocably changed.
Cassandra fell in love with Ashmont when they were children, but she abhors him as an adult. He drinks too much, plays foolish pranks, and lacks the maturity that one would expect of a man his age. When Cassandra ends up in a socially compromising position, however, the pair agrees to a fake courtship with no intention of letting it progress. They expect it to be easy, with no feelings attached. Neither expects the growing feelings they have for each other. Will this unlikely pair give in to their feelings and realize that they are meant to be together?
I loved Cassandra! Smart and outspoken, she is not afraid to share her strong opinions, much to her father’s dismay. Cassandra doesn’t care for the social constraints of women, fights for the rights of the lower class, and makes her opinions known. She has an independent, progressive spirit, which is what I think draws Ashmont to her.
When we first meet Ashmont, he isn’t the most appealing character. Drunk, self-absorbed, and thoughtless, he is drowning in self-pity. His careless actions almost hurt people, and his foolish behavior reeks of irresponsibility. He is the opposite of Cassandra, and her influence makes him want to straighten out and be a better man. He quickly falls for Cassandra and values her intellect, outspokenness, and stubbornness. Ashmont showed so much growth throughout the story and became one of my favorite characters.
I enjoyed Ten Things I Hate About the Duke and would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy historical romance with dynamic characters, Shakespearean undertones, and fantastic dialogue. Plus, the romance!! Though this is the second book in the Difficult Dukes series, it can totally be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Avon for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Ten Things I Hate About the Duke is the second book in the Difficult Dukes series but was terrific as a stand-alone. It caught my attention in the beginning and keep it until I got to the end. The book was full of witty dialogue, a hero needing redemption, and a feisty, opinionated heroine!
Cassandra Pomfret, the eldest daughter of Lord de Griffith, fell in love with Lucius one childhood summer when he rescued her. Her childhood worship of him ended as she grew older and became aware of his outrageous pranks and troublemaking. When Cassandra had her come out, she quickly became known as Medusa, de Griffiths Gorgon, and Cassandra Prophet of Doom with her direct speech and opinions. Now her family was in London so her younger sister Hyacinth could have her come-out, but their father refused to let her participate in the Season while Cassandra remained unmarried. Cassandra had managed to scare all her potential suitors away until Lucius turns her world upside down. An engagement with marriage to follow is the only way Cassandra’s reputation will be saved and will allow her sister to make a good match. Cassandra quickly agrees to a fake engagement with Lucius.
Lucius was known as one of the three Dis-Graces who were known for their libertine ways and troublemaking. Lucius’s fiancé had run off before their wedding started and married his best friend, the Duke of Ripley. After the duel, Lucius tried to get rid of the memories by drinking them away. Instead, he only creates more chaos when he stumbles out of the Green Man Inn and fires his pistol to have some peace. Causing Cassandra’s carriage to crash and her groom to be injured sobered him up quickly. Quietly leaving the village and returning to London Lucius tries to save her reputation, but he was intrigued by her and while he tried to give her time to get over her anger, he couldn’t get her off his mind. So, when he gets a chance to see her again, he can’t resist. When an engagement between them is needed to save her reputation, he didn’t want a fake one and he was determined to make her his.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.
I confess that I took this book because of the inspiration in Shakespeare’s comedy and I didn’t regret it.
Cassandra after frighten any man who had the intention of marrying her with her stubborn, defiant and fearless way ends up being forced by her father to choose a suitor, otherwise her younger sister will not be able to continue her Season or find a fiance.
Chaos seems to be the lady’s companion and wherever she goes she make a fuss, but this time her path will cross with another even greater confusion driver, the Duke of Ashmont, one of the fearsome Dis-Graces. He is devastated after losing his bride to his best friend, facing him in a duel and after drinking a lot ends up worsening a fight that appears in the bar where he is drowning his sorrows.
Behold, on his way Cassandra appears, he knows that he knows her from somewhere but does not remember where, but little by little he remembers the situations he lived with this crazy woman. Deciding to have a family, he ends up choosing Cassandra who is not at all willing to be the duke’s second option. Ah but our anti hero does not give up easily and will do anything to win the heart of this sweet Vixen.
At first, the acid dialogues and the situations in which they both got involved yielded a lot of laughs, but with the progress of the story and with the participation of other characters, the plot followed a more romantic rather than funny path. I really enjoyed seeing the changes taking place in Lucius’ behavior and seeing both him and Cassandra having their hearts soften.
Lots of fun in this intelligent, witty romance!
As one can guess from the title, this book freely borrows from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew with a good bit of Austen’s Bennet family as well. I adore Cassandra, a woman born too soon, who knows her own mind and isn’t the least bit shy about demonstrating that fact.
A few days after losing his fiancée to his best friend (Book 1), Lucius is deep in his cups when he unwittingly causes an accident with serious consequences for Cassandra and her staff. In a moment of clarity and responsibility, he offers to marry her to fix most of the damage he has caused. It’s more complicated than I can convey without spoilers, but suffice it to say that a marriage to the duke would also solve Cassandra’s problem with her father. Ah, but nothing worthwhile is ever going to be that easy.
Lucius and Cassandra have everything going for them and everything stacked against them all at the same time. They find their way to a truce of sorts, but when hearts start getting involved it all becomes increasingly complicated. I loved every deliciously witty interaction between these two, especially the way they challenged each other and — eventually — brought out the best in each other.
Their HEA was very sweet and satisfying, and the scene with her mother and the woman she’s known for forty years was brilliantly satisfying in its own way. I highly recommend this romance to anyone who enjoys historical rom-coms. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I very much enjoyed Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase. The writing was excellent, the story line was unique and enjoyable, and the characters were well written. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Cassandra Pomfret had just arrived from France. She and her father got into an argument and her sister suggested she go see their former governess. She drove her phaeton toward Putney Heath accompanied by her maid Gosney and Keeffe, her tiger, Keeffe was a famous Champion Jockey and everyone knew of him and his awful accident. He almost died.
Lucius Wilmot Beckingham, Sixth Duke of Ashmont, he that very morning, had been in a duel with his best friend. He was one of three dukes who caused chaos where ever they went. I think they acted like little boys. They wanted what they wanted and could get it because of their rank and money.
Boy, these three dukes were something else, they played pranks and all kinds of mischief. Cassandra had been in love with Ashmont since she was ten. I loved the story and it was thought out. It was easy to read and very funny in places. The characters were great, they showed all kinds of emotion, so much was going on. They fell into one mess after another. She had gone to her ladies’ meeting and the duke helped with a demonstration with an umbrella. It was a very entertaining book and I could read it again. I do recommend this funny but sad tale of some very interesting characters.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and was very happy to review it.