crazyrandom_music's review against another edition
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alainaskalski's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Compelling couple and passionate! I enjoyed the duke’s imperiousness, which helped make his change of heart more exciting. Juliana is feisty!
elenasinh's review against another edition
5.0
Me ha encantado la trilogía, lo que he disfrutado con Juliana!!
adangerouscreature's review
4.0
I loved Juliana and Simon. They gave me the same energy as DiNozzo and Ziva from NCIS, just gender flipped. It was funny, sweet, and a little steamy.
geo_ix's review
4.0
4.5 stars only because I wanted a little something more from the ending.
I really enjoyed this book. I connected with the characters, I could feel their struggles and my favourite bit was definitely seeing Simon go from such a ‘perfect’ duke to not giving a fuck what people though about him. It was sad seeing how people can flip on you so quickly and it was really good to see how they treated her Vs him. Her scandal mainly came from her mother and by the time we see it all it’s died down a little and while people are still making shit up and gossiping it wasn’t the level of disdain people had for him (someone of higher rank) over his sisters scandal that then obviously became his.
I really want more on Georgiana and have since we met her so I’ll be starting the next series very soon. Fingers crossed I love it!
I really enjoyed this book. I connected with the characters, I could feel their struggles and my favourite bit was definitely seeing Simon go from such a ‘perfect’ duke to not giving a fuck what people though about him. It was sad seeing how people can flip on you so quickly and it was really good to see how they treated her Vs him. Her scandal mainly came from her mother and by the time we see it all it’s died down a little and while people are still making shit up and gossiping it wasn’t the level of disdain people had for him (someone of higher rank) over his sisters scandal that then obviously became his.
I really want more on Georgiana and have since we met her so I’ll be starting the next series very soon. Fingers crossed I love it!
govmarley's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable end to the trilogy. Sarah MacLean writes a good historical romance.
We continue our journey with the St. John family. With Gabriel and Nicholas happily married, we can focus on their beautiful, impulsive, Italian half-sister, Juliana. She's brash, she's not accepted by the London ton, and pretty much over the whole thing. She's wildly attracted to Simon, the Duke of Leighton, after their brief encounter in the previous book. However, the heavily starched Duke can't decide if he wants happiness or honor. Spoiler, we are driving towards that HEA we all expect.
Juliana was pretty dumb in this one. For someone so confident and fiery, she disappointed me with how she chased after Simon. I would have just walked away with my head held high. But not Juliana. No, she's chasing after bonnets, falling into lakes, racing her horse, and getting snippy with his mother. Bad decision quality aside, I enjoyed the end to the series. 3 stars.
We continue our journey with the St. John family. With Gabriel and Nicholas happily married, we can focus on their beautiful, impulsive, Italian half-sister, Juliana. She's brash, she's not accepted by the London ton, and pretty much over the whole thing. She's wildly attracted to Simon, the Duke of Leighton, after their brief encounter in the previous book. However, the heavily starched Duke can't decide if he wants happiness or honor. Spoiler, we are driving towards that HEA we all expect.
Juliana was pretty dumb in this one. For someone so confident and fiery, she disappointed me with how she chased after Simon. I would have just walked away with my head held high. But not Juliana. No, she's chasing after bonnets, falling into lakes, racing her horse, and getting snippy with his mother. Bad decision quality aside, I enjoyed the end to the series. 3 stars.
katrinaward's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
nina1117's review
5.0
She lives for passion.
Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.
He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.
Let me just start by saying that I have loved everything Sarah MacLean has written so far. I enjoyed The Season, thought Nine Rules to Break was genius and giggled mercilessly while reading Ten Ways to be Adored. So when I received an ARC of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart, I thoroughly expected to adore it. What I didn't expect was that I would read it like a madwoman, consuming it in mere hours.
Juliana's story was so sweet and funny. I really enjoyed her character in the previous Love by Numbers books about her twin brothers so I knew she would be hilarious. Though many romance novel heroines are bold, she is outright outrageous. It must be because she is Italian.
Oddly enough, I was really hoping she would warm the Simon, Duke of Leighton up in the other books despite his disdain for her, so I was excited to see he was the love interest. Their romance is hardly easy, but so entertaining, as watch them go from bantering back and forth to whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. And the intimate parts are just the perfect amount of steaminess to make this story a jolly fun ride.
My only regret is that we do not see poor Benedick (Calpurnia's brother from the first Love by Numbers book) get a happy ending? Is it too much to ask for a book for him, Ms. MacLean?
Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.
He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.
Let me just start by saying that I have loved everything Sarah MacLean has written so far. I enjoyed The Season, thought Nine Rules to Break was genius and giggled mercilessly while reading Ten Ways to be Adored. So when I received an ARC of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart, I thoroughly expected to adore it. What I didn't expect was that I would read it like a madwoman, consuming it in mere hours.
Juliana's story was so sweet and funny. I really enjoyed her character in the previous Love by Numbers books about her twin brothers so I knew she would be hilarious. Though many romance novel heroines are bold, she is outright outrageous. It must be because she is Italian.
Oddly enough, I was really hoping she would warm the Simon, Duke of Leighton up in the other books despite his disdain for her, so I was excited to see he was the love interest. Their romance is hardly easy, but so entertaining, as watch them go from bantering back and forth to whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. And the intimate parts are just the perfect amount of steaminess to make this story a jolly fun ride.
My only regret is that we do not see poor Benedick (Calpurnia's brother from the first Love by Numbers book) get a happy ending? Is it too much to ask for a book for him, Ms. MacLean?
saltycaroline's review against another edition
3.0
I'm so charmed by the running bit of Juliana constantly getting English phrases slightly but hilariously wrong, but I just couldn't get with the hero
CW: Abandonment, infidelity, pregnancy, sexual content, sexual assault
CW: Abandonment, infidelity, pregnancy, sexual content, sexual assault