When i requested this ARC, i promised to give a fair and honest review. I have read and enjoyed other books by Amelia Grey however, this one did not live up to those standards for me. I do not say this easily or lightly as I know the HUGE amount of heart and soul that every author puts into their work.

The Duke of Rathburne and his friends caused a scandal a few years ago and several young debutantes were ruined and they became known as the Rakes of St. James. Rath is ready to make amends for the wager that ruined these woman and at the request of Mr. Olingworth, his late father’s friend who is too ill to escort his ward into society has ask Rath who decides to take on his ward who needs a husband.
Miss Marlena Fast has been secretly writing for the scandal sheets as under the name Miss Honora Truth and her prime target is the rakes of St. James, so when the Duke of Rathburne shows up at her residence she fears she’s been discovered. Marlena has watched her friend and neighbor suffer from the scandal and she blames the Rakes of St. James for her situation and secretly begins writing for the scandal sheets. There is instant attraction between the two and for Marlena it’s hard to reconcile the attraction she feels for Rath, the womanizer and heartless she rake she’s come to expect. In the story we see Rath is trying to behave like a gentleman when all he wants to do is get Marlena into bed, and she has a secret that could destroy their new found friendship and romance. An enchanting story of redemption and we find a perspective of how our actions affect others, and in return ourselves in the end. I love redeemable rogues and the woman who love them!!!
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Nearing thirty, the Duke of Rathburne is finally ready to make amends for the wager that caused him and his best friends such scandal―but taking on a ward who needs a husband is a feat he’s not sure he can manage. The last he saw of Miss Marlena Fast, she was a spirited little ruffian, not the sort of bride most bachelors on the marriage mart sought. But one glance at the lovely lady she has become is enough to convince him otherwise…

Orphaned young and shuffled from family to family, Marlena counts on her fierce independence and quick wits to keep herself content. Being the responsibility of a notoriously wicked duke who upended so many lives is an unexpected challenge when she realizes he arouses her decidedly feminine desires. Marlena must be careful. She has her own scandalous secret to protect. If he finds out, will it shatter her chances of a happily-ever-after with the notorious rake?

Review:
This the final book in the Rakes of St. James Series. I have quite enjoyed this series and this final book.

The last of the Rakes is finally getting his happy ending and Marlena is his undoing. Rath becomes her ward and the chemistry is instantaneous. Of course, there are obstacles to overcome, the biggest one if the secret Marlena is hiding. It was fun reading about these two. They were a great couple, very entertaining. I enjoyed the characters and story, at times it was fun, sexy and emotional. If I could describe how I felt after reading this, it would be light, I had a light heart after reading this. A fitting finale for the series.

4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher*

This was my least favorite of the "Rakes" books. I just didn't really connect to the leads. There was some cuteness to the story and Ms. Grey does a nice job of tying up all the story lines, I just felt that little "extra something" was missing.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

The third in the series and the second I have read, It’s All About the Duke is a delightful historical romance that can be enjoyed as a standalone. After the second one, I was hesitant to read this one as I didn’t enjoy it’s predecessor that much. Overall, I don’t enjoy Amelia Grey’s style. It is rather long-winded and says in a page what can be said in one sentences.

That being said, I enjoyed this story more than the first. Writing style aside, the characters are likable with entertaining interactions and banter between each other. There was a vast array of other characters who were just as amusing though sometimes their stories detracted from the leads.

Overall, I am not sure I will be reading more of Mrs. Grey. While I don’t dislike her works, they feel more like the flowery long winded romances of yesteryear that my grandma would enjoy more. I am not saying there is anything wrong with that, just not to my taste.

Great series, and this was a perfect story. Exactly what I wanted and expected from Amelia Gray. Marlena's willpower and ingenuity were delightful.

It's All About the Duke (The Rakes of St. James, #3)
by Amelia Grey

Okay 3.5 stars. I actually loved this series, however, I feel like the author is sometimes distracted in her writings. She is a very talented author so I am a little disappointed in this. The series has been a very challenging one to read. This one I would of thought would have more action and less pathos and unrealistic scenarios. Having said all of that.... I did the following. I closed the book half way through then left it as I had a family emergency. I then again picked up the book while waiting at the hospital and found to my surprise I started enjoying the read. Therefore , I finished the book quickly ...
Now...
4 stars... all can argue but I like the characters and the plot. I enjoy the differences in each and only wish for a little more action and a little less thoughts. The writer is too gifted to put away .. SO therefore , buy and sit and relax.. take some time to really read it and find you will enjoy the read. Light read.. but still enjoyable! I was given a arc of this book via netgalley. All opinions here are freely given and only my own. Regards, Anna

Hard book to review. Though the characters were nice and worked well together, and the plot was pretty good, the flow of the book was not. Too much introspective thoughts in the middle of dialogue and repetitive thoughts bogged down this book. Overall an OK story. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

I really liked this regency read. The story is fast-paced with lots of drama and great characters. Very entertaining.

This is the third book in this series, I have not read the first two but this was not an issue.

This story revolves around Rath and Marlena after Rath is assigned as Marlena's guardian. Rath is trying to redeem himself after causing a big scandal years earlier and Marlena is trying to hide a big secret.

This first part of the story really dragged along for me, but I liked the characters. The supporting characters were quite entertaining as well. I do agree with other reviewers that there are parts that could do with some editing. Conversations and scenes that seemed to go on way too long. However, it was an enjoyable story and now I want to read the first 2 in the series.

I admired what a strong and confident Marlena Fast, the heroine Ms. Grey created in her lasted book. The love, care and independence provided for Marlena by her previous guardians helped shape the woman she became while living a somewhat carefree life. Having a well known Rake, the Duke of Rathburne, as her latest guardian was bound to affect her and restrict some of her independence as she readied for her debut season. The shenanigans created a few years prior by the Rakes with their secret admirer letters had lasting consequences that none of the three Rakes of St. James realized or knew about. Writing the scandal sheet under an alias name, Marlena’s secret could cost her the love of a good man. I felt badly how guilty she was feeling as she met many of the people she had written about over the years. I was quite glad that she realized how hurtful her words were and how they could have affected those people. In fact, the Rakes of St. James were also made aware of how much those recipients of their letters were affected. Yes, it is wise to think before we act as Marlena and Rath learned in this wonderful love at first sight story.

Ms. Grey wrote a wonderful story with relatable characters, humorous as well as a few uncomfortable situations. I really enjoy reading this book and had trouble putting it down, turning page after page, wanting more once I turn that last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This was a great Regency romance! I loved Amelia, she was fun, independent and was strong. She kept the Duke on his toes throughout the book. The chemistry between them was perfect. I kept turning the pages to see if her secrets would be discovered, I was hooked.

This is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone.

In the Rakes of Saint James series, all 3 are Dukes- All 3 have participated in ruining a whole seasonod debutantes, while their part in the scandal goes unpunished. Years later when 2 of the 3 dukes have sisters making their debut, their words come backto haunt them, as threats are made against the sisters in retaliation fir the files ruining of the debutantes . Holding them responsible by reporting allof thisis the column, "Miss Honora Truth's Scandal Sheet".
That brings us up to book 3, The duke of Rathburne. He has no sisters. So he accepts responsibility for a young ward from a friend of his father. He feels maybe he can help out a young lady in making her debut to help make up for what he did years ago..
Marlena Fast is not your ordinary debutante. She is intelligent, independent and stubborn. She challenges the Duke at every turn (which he admires and respects and attracts him greatly). She is, unknown to all but her best friend, an author. An author of a popular gossip column and book. This is the monkeywrench thrown into their relationship.
I liked this book. It had its moments. I just didn't love it. Although I laughed several times, I didn't connect with it emotionally. I liked the bantering back and forth between Rath and Marlena but I just didn't feel the chemistry between them. So I gave it 4 stars.

This last book in the series is centred around the last of The Rakes of St James.

Rath is the Duke of Rathburne and his reputation is still plagued by his insensitive wager. He is now trying compensate for the effects of the prank.

Marlena lost her parents at a young age and has been living with various families. Currently, she lives with her cousin Justine and preparing for her first season.

In a moment of drunkenness, Rath agrees to become Marlena's guardian. He had a brief encounter with her when she was an unruly twelve year old. She has grown up to become an independent and witty woman. Marlena being his ward, he is obliged to introduce her to the ton and marry her off. In spite of his good intentions, he finds that he wants her for himself. Not a good idea! She realises that he isn't the rake she has despised for most of her life and feels attracted to him, but her secret is a barrier.

I like the interactions between Rath and Marlena and the slow development of their romance. They both have admirable qualities in their own ways. Marlena's loyalty to her friends and what she is prepared to sacrifice is honourable. It's a good concept, but the pace is rather slow and doesn't pick up until the last third of the book. Some of the dialogues are too modern for the regency period and I found that to be a bit of a spoiler. The unravelling of the mystery gossip author brings some excitement to the story. Although I like the premise of the story, the pace and some of the content are offputting.

I received a complimentary eARC and the views are my own.

It’s All About The Duke is the third book in the Rakes of St. James series. All three rakes have their story of redemption and this is Rath’s story. On his path to being an honorable gentleman, Rath agrees to become the new guardian to Miss Marlena Fast. Almost the age of thirty, and became Duke of Rathburne five years ago, he promises Miss Fast gets finally gets a Season and ensuring she is properly married. He’s intrigued by Marlena’s feistiness and they can’t deny there is some attraction between them. But Marlena is keeping a secret about her identity from Rath. I did enjoy the secondary characters who brought different views to this story.

Though written well, the execution of the story fell flat for me. The premise of the storyline and characters were amusing, but the plot moved so slowly, I quickly lost interest in the story. I felt the book was padded with numerous items mentioned early on and inner monologues seemed stuck on repeat. First, Marlena’s courage from being raised along with five male cousins, and then, Rath’s seeking redemption for a scheme gone very wrong which ruined several young ladies’ reputation causing a scandal.

I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

Loved reading the third book in The Rakes of St. James series. Rath, I reviewed a book from NetGalley. The Duke of Rathburne, is making amends for his past and has agreed to be a ward for a beautiful, headstrong woman, Marlena. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of romance, mystery, and intrigue, and a must read love story.

The Duke of Rathburn knows better than to seek the affections of his ward, but she's not a girl anymore, and he is in need of a wife. But she has a secret and is desperately trying to keep him from finding out as she slowly cedes to temptation. two lost souls in need of love, but will the secret tear them apart or can he find forgiveness? I enjoyed this read and highly recommend!

**received a review copy from netgalley**

3.5 Stars

"Rath," the Duke of Rathburne, is one of a trio of dukes who took part in what was supposed to be a secret wager years ago. Unfortunately, the secret leaked out, embarrassing the twelve young debutantes who were the subject of the wager. Though the three dukes regretted their actions, they were relieved that there appeared to be no lasting harm or consequences to any of the young ladies. Then, years later, the wager was brought up again in a scandal sheet, written by a mysterious "Miss Honora Truth," who refuses to let the old scandal die.

The author of the posts written as Honora Truth is Marlena Fast, an orphan, who is under the guardianship of a close friend of Rath's deceased father. While living with her chaperone and cousin, Justine, Marlena became friends with her neighbors, one of whom was one of the debutantes targeted by the dukes' infamous wager. At the time, Veronica was so shaken by the scandal, that she hastily accepted a proposal and married a man who has not made her very happy. Now Veronica's life is poor, childless, and she battles depression. Marlena began writing her column as a way to achieve a measure of revenge for Veronica, as well as giving her any funds that the column earns.

A strange coincidence causes Rath and Marlena to meet, although he did meet her briefly when she was a tomboyish youngster. Marlena's guardian becomes very ill, and he calls on Rath, using his friendship with Rath's father as leverage, to implore him to take over the guardianship of Marlena, who is now almost twenty. In a weak, and admittedly, inebriated moment, Rath agrees. When he comes to call on Marlena, she is initially terrified that her alter ego has been found out and he has come to punish her.

While under Rath's guardianship, Marlena quickly discovers that he is kind, courteous, generous, and ever so patient with her horrible chaperone, Justine. Although known as a rake, Rath doesn't dally with innocent ladies, so he may flirt with Marlena, but he does not take any liberties. However, if Marlena were to kiss him first, that would be a whole different story....

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DUKE tells the charming story of Rath and Marlena falling slowly in love and acting on their passionate feelings. There is not a lot of conflict or problems until their affair becomes serious, and Marlena realizes she has to confess her secret. Both of these characters are likeable -- Marlena is mature for a young lady who's never been in society, and she's quick to see how she may have misjudged Rath. He, in turn, hardly seems rakish, but rather an honorable, generous, sexy man. Some comic relief is provided by Justine, who is truly awful, while living in the past, but determined to squeeze every penny out of the present. I'd recommend IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DUKE for historical romance fans looking for a more low key story without a lot of high drama. I found it easy reading, enjoyable, and delightful.

This book is part of a series, The Rakes of St. James. I have not read the previous books from this series so I felt a little lost at the beginning of this book. I would not recommend reading this as a standalone book. Within the first few pages, I disliked the Duke’s character and he seemed such a lecher, lusting after his ward even as he talked of his own previous scandal. He put me off the book so much that I just couldn’t continue reading it. I would not recommend this book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

"It's all about the Duke" by Amelia Grey

***a special thank you to Amelia Grey, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing a copy for this review.

SYNOPSIS
Nearing thirty, the Duke of Rathburne is finally ready to make amends for the wager that caused him and his best friends such scandal―but taking on a ward who needs a husband is a feat he’s not sure he can manage. The last he saw of Miss Marlena Fast, she was a spirited little ruffian, not the sort of bride most bachelors on the marriage mart sought. But one glance at the lovely lady she has become is enough to convince him otherwise…

Orphaned young and shuffled from family to family, Marlena counts on her fierce independence and quick wits to keep herself content. Being the responsibility of a notoriously wicked duke who upended so many lives is an unexpected challenge when she realizes he arouses her decidedly feminine desires. Marlena must be careful. She has her own scandalous secret to protect. If he finds out, will it shatter her chances of a happily-ever-after with the notorious rake?

★★★☆☆
Historical Romance | Romance

Note to self - read the other books! I went into this story loving everything about the main characters, they fit together and complimented each other in personality. I feel like reading the other previous stories would have made a lot of the topic interaction less confusing for me. I didn't understand what had previously happened aside from a few mentions from our leading lady and any thoughts that would pop into their head. They thought about the situation as a past time, and I think if I had expearienced the moment with them, I would understand the issue more delicately. Other than the story being a bit of an overall ... simplicity - the characters really brought the story together.
CHARACTERS
Marlena - these two characters were perfect! I loved that Marlena was unique enough to not balance in the world of etiquette, to which I also enjoyed that the story didn't shove down my throat that she was different. She was protective over her friends who had become like sisters to her, she was never bitter about her situation as an orphan, and her acceptance into Rath being her guardian didn't put her into a whinny stoop and 'my life it over' idea which I really enjoyed honestly. Overall she was a pure joy to read about, plus the charisma between these characters was perfect!
Rath - Maybe I don't understand the whole 'rake' aspect about the character, I thought he was always truly sweet and lovely with Marlena. I love that he had a 'give no shits' aura about himself, and despite his situation with the scandal and rumors, he has friends and he is always lovely with their wives. He was just as enjoyable on page as all the other characters, and I liked that got to see him falling in love with Marlena - that it wasn't a 'we can never be together' aspect but more of a 'lets change this situation so we can be together' I liked that the situation turned out this way.
THE STORY
the story was an uneventful, unfortunately. I liked the interaction between all the characters, the meetings in the garden, as well as the sassy remarks between our leading two love birds. However, there wasn't a lot - obviously you have the 'secret' and you have the unfortunate (i think?) issue of Rath being her guardian, but other than that it really was just scene by scene of conversations between characters. I get this is set back in the era, but usually there is so much more to the story than just building love. Marlena never really met with any other men to spark the 'jealousy' in Rath but I guess thats a refreshing difference for me. I felt like I needed to read the other books to know what was going on with him personally, he seemed like a rake but never had any solo scenes for me to believe so other than the writing building me to assume I had read other books to find out what happened. It was a good story, but the characters where the four star leader for this review. I liked her writing enough to read her other books, and I'm sure ill get to the other previous titles.