Book Review – Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean

A bookish heroine

Book Blurb:

Bookish Arabella Bromley never gave a fig for society’s rules—until her sister ran off with a man below her station. Now, Arabella is desperate to restore her family’s ruined reputation to favor amongst the ton. She’ll have to marry quickly and well. But to carry off her plan, Arabella needs a duke… and she has just the rakish fellow in mind.

The Duke of Whittsley has an ungentlemanly tendency to disregard the rules. Unfortunately, a sense of mischief doesn’t excuse a high-ranking noble from family duty—especially where it concerns producing a son. And that’s where he can’t quite resist Arabella’s distinctly outrageous plan: if he saves her family, she’ll give him an heir.

Now the deal’s been struck. They have one year to achieve their goals and ten iron-clad rules to keep them on track. Like long, scorching kisses and ensuring they’re both exquisitely satisfied. And the only thing that could ruin their plan is the one thing they never planned on: love.

Book Review

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean is a standalone historical romance novel and my first read of this author. I knew I was in for a good time when I found myself laughing out loud during the first chapter. The characters were fresh and funny, making this story a refreshing take on the genre.

The female lead, Arabella, while naive in her own way, was not like the virgin heroines of yore. She had more spunk and wit, something expected from books written today. The book included some of my favorite tropes: the marriage of convenience and the reformed rake.

The reformed rake is a Duke named Silas who has a complicated relationship with his grandfather. It puts a strain on his personal choices. However, the scheme that Arabella proposes gives him a win-win scenario where he can get what he wants and still get his grandfather off his back. She gets to provide her family with an escape from the brush with scandal.

I appreciated the balance of an alpha male with a modern appreciation for a headstrong female character. I laughed, I cried, and I was very invested in the overall evolution of the relationship between Arabella and Silas.

The whole book was super cute and I couldn’t put it down. As soon as I finished it, I started it all over again. Then I picked it up and read it again a few weeks later. Highly recommend. 5 stars.

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke is now available on Amazon and other retailers.