Redheaded Reviews: Say No to the Duke by Eloise James

This is the fourth book that takes place in 1790s England at the Duke's house who has umpteen children by three wives. This book focuses on Lady Boadicea, who goes by Betsy. Her mother was the Duke's second wife who ran off with a Prussian Count leaving the Duke with two children, one of whom isn't his. But Betsy is most definitely his. She looks so much like her father. Betsy is determined once she goes to Boarding School and discovers the gossip surrounding her and her mother--that people expect her to have loose morals--that she'll prove them wrong. So she plans to get marriage proposals from every high ranking eligible bachelor out there and do so by being the opposite of herself and acting so sweet and innocent.

Her plan has worked perfectly and she is receiving a proposal from a Duke whom she turns down but he won't take no for an answer. Also in the room at the time is Lord Jeremy Roden who is staying there recovering from the Revolutionary War and a great loss he had of men on the battlefield. He was the only survivor of a bloody battle. Betsy keeps trying to get him to play billiards with her because she knows he is good and wants the challenge. So that night they make a wager: one night with him no strings attached or if she wins he will take her dressed in boy's breeches to an auction so she can bid on something which is something that women aren't allowed to do. He agrees if Lady Knowe, her aunt comes with them. She wins the game and wins the wager.

So Jeremey takes Lady Knowe and her friend the Dutchess whose son proposed to Betsy who also wants to wear men's breeches. The Duchess's son comes along with them but he disapproves of this plan. Jeremy, on the other hand, thinks this is an interesting idea. While staying at the inn in town where the auction is to take place, he runs into his father who is looking for him. It's been a year since the two talked because Jeremy feels that he let his father down.

The more the Duke pursues Betsy the more that Jeremy wants her for himself. But Betsy is worried about being too much like her mother and Jeremy is not sure he's fit for anyone considering he spent time in Bedlam after a fireworks incident left him unable to remember what happened. Parth, a friend of the family gets him out.

The sex scene doesn't take place until the end of the book, which is disappointing. I would have liked to see her lose the wager and have to sleep with him no proposals asked and seen her deal with her feelings that she's like her mother for being wanton with him and then have him deal with his feelings of PTSD and not wanting to marry because of it. But that's not the book I got. It was still good as James's books are always good. I give this book four stars out of five stars.

Quotes

But there was something wrong about men with yellow hair. It took away from their…their manhood.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke p 62)

The sad fact was that wicked men were interesting and good ones were boring.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke p 63)

Don’t ever believe the word ‘no’ unless you say it yourself, dear. It makes life much more agreeable.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke 173)

There is no right in war. There is only what happened.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke p 188)

A true leader feels he has failed every man he loses.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke p 190)

Married people say all sorts of things to each other. It’s the nature of the beast. Your spouse is the one person who can be honest with you and still be loved.

-Eloisa James (Say No to the Duke p 232)