The Duke Who Ravished Me: Rebellious Brides

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook via NetGalley. This is a fun, sassy read with lots of witty banter, nicely juxtaposed with emotional, poignant moments of true growth and transformation. The tarnished and battered hearts of our hero and heroine find a second chance in unlikely places, but it will take courage and fortitude to seize it. While this is my first Diana Quincy book, it won't be my last!

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

Satisfying historical romance of two damaged people, Adam and Isabel. Both forceful, proud and witty, brought together under less than ideal situations. Then there are the vivacious twin imps, Patience and Prudie, delightful! Stimulating, fun writing and read! Voluntarily read ARC for honest review