Release Day Review of The Duke (Devil's Duke, #3) by Katharine Ashe

Title: The Duke: A Devil's Duke Novel
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Devil's Duke (Book 3)
Format: Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Avon (September 26, 2017)
ISBN-10: 0062641727
ISBN-13: 978-0062641724
Author's Website: http://katharineashe.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I am also an Avon Addict which means I love the books that Avon publishes enough to volunteer to read as many ARCs and books as they can send my way. So you'll be seeing a lot of books reviewed by me from this publisher. Please note, however, that if I don't like a book, it will be truthfully reflected by a low rating.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Once upon a time there was a young girl who dreamt up her perfect man, and when she grew up she found him only to discover he was a frog in disguise. Luckily, a man she thought to be a frog turned out to be a prince, er, duke, among men. This is their story.

This is the third book in the Devil's Duke series. It can be read as a standalone and you won't feel you missed anything. It is a rather unconventional romance because when Gabriel first meets Lady Amarantha Vale she's engaged to marry someone else. It will be another five years before they get their shot at a happily-ever-after.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Gabriel and Amarantha, but it took quite some time for these two to finally get together. Amarantha's first marriage was not a happy one and it left her not wishing to remarry. Gabriel still harbors bad feelings for Amarantha because she didn't wait for him. Then there was the little matter of Gabriel's cousin, Jonah, and what he did. If someone had done something like that to me I'd be furious with them. Yet Gabriel and Amarantha just sort of let bygones be bygones. I was rather surprised by this.

When we're first introduced to Amarantha she's young and optimistic about life. She wants to save the world and isn't afraid of hard work or about getting her hands dirty. Meeting Gabriel throws her for a loop. She, in turn, throws Gabriel for one too.

Gabriel has done things he isn't proud of. Amaratha makes him want to be a better man. I like how at the end we see just how profound an effect she's had on his life since their first meeting. After all she's gone through, Amarantha needs for Gabriel to prove himself to her. He does so with flying colors, but Amarantha's trust doesn't come easily. Too much has happened and she's a bit stubborn.

Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. There was a whole lot of chemistry going on between Gabriel and Amarantha and I loved watching these two interact. While I felt there were was one too many hurdles in this couple's path, I enjoyed the story. The ending had a huge twist that kind of snuck up on me. There was so much going on that I hadn't foreseen, and I may need to go back and reread parts to find all the bread crumbs. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the Devil's Duke series: