A very charming and lighthearted Regency romance.
Marlena is a lovely character who is more concerned about her friends' happiness than her own situation. The Duke of Rathburne is very charming and I couldn't help like him as he was so kind to Marlena and patient with her very annoying cousin. I couldn't wait for this pair to have their happy ever after. A very nice read.

"It's All About the Duke" , was all about the Duke of Rathburne and his new ward Ms Marlena Fast, a ward whom he took on after drinking a bit too much and allowing his guilt for not being the gentleman his father wished him to be.
"Rath" , is one of a trio of three young dukes who years ago thought it would be funny to pick four each young women to send secret admirer letters to and see who would show up to a rendezvous as a wager between the three of them, never truly believing that any of these well bred women would. However some did and unfortunately it became known ending in these young women's season often being ruined. Though Rath and his fellow takes Griff and Hawk escaped with little consequence, all being dukes and young Rakes, " Rakes will be Rakes after all " .
Though time has passed , a scandal sheet writer has chosen for three years now to write almost daily about what the Rakes of St James did , that writer being Ms Honora Truth.
What Rath has no idea is that his very own new ward is Ms Honora truth, unfortunate for him since he is extremely attracted to her and unfortunate for Marlena because the mans she has spent the,last three years writing about he and his friends she finds herself attracted to ; a rake she warns her readers about, but even worse a secret she has to keep from a man who slowly is capturing her heart with every gracious and thoughtful thing he does.
Overall the storyline was engrossing the characters interesting , however a bit slow at times, still a solid read.
Arc Copy received from Netgalley.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆
I was highly anticipating this installment, after handing out a 5-star rating to To the Duke, with Love. While this is a continuation, and it will benefit the reader to start at the beginning of the series and read in order, there would be little to no confusion if read as a standalone.

I will admit, I struggled throughout the course of the novel with keeping my interests. I was able to read a chapter here or there until completion, and this may have affected my overall enjoyment. However, I did read the first 40% in one sitting.

The pacing was a big issue for me. It starts off molasses slow. While I enjoyed Marlena and Rath's narration, my pet peeves were popping out everywhere. Their initial meeting took almost 20% of the book, filled with conversation, inner musing/monologues breaking up dialogue, excessive description which also interrupted the flow of conversation, and eye-humping each other while thinking about how amazingly beautiful/handsome the other was.

Attraction is definitely what I expect from an initial meeting, but this was too close to self-admitting being in love. While this took a great portion of the novel, it was literal minutes of their lives.

Rath was a naughty boy in the past, he and the heroes of the previous installments. Wagering on ladies and treating them less than human. They've all learned the error of their ways, character growth. He is now picking up the duty of introducing his new ward to the ton for a season. Rath, the insulter of ladies, will be protecting one – I loved the juicy irony of that.

Marlena is an orphan, but also a grown woman. After witnessing how naughty men treated the fairer sex, she penned Miss Honoria Truth. In the previous installments, I loved the witty, feminist bent to the little ditties scattered throughout the series, and I just couldn't wait for the author to narrate a book of her own.

Marlena fell short of my expectations. I felt she was too focused on the vapid, outside package of Rath's, when I expected more from her. She was always mooning (inside her head) over how handsome he was, reminding the reader every few paragraphs, as if we could somehow forget Rath's impressive attributes. It felt shallow, as if Marlena was not the Miss Honoria Truth I'd come to love – entertainer and avenger of ladies everywhere.

In a nutshell, I'm a sucker for a guardian and his ward entanglement. Added to the fact he was a reformed reprobate and she was the one who took him to task in the media, sparks should have been flying everywhere. But it all felt forced, due to the pacing, repetition of inner monologue via both narrators, and description breaking up every conversation to be had and any and all action scenes.

I do believe it was a solid installment of the series. These are my pet peeves that made it difficult to enjoy the novel. If we don't share these same issue, no doubt you will highly enjoy it. I do recommend to fans of the author and the series.

The third book in The Rakes of St. James does not disappoint! It was full of wonderful banter, especially between the heroine, Marlena Fash, and her ward, the Duke of Rathburne. This story features one of my favorite tropes--a redeemed rake. I enjoyed the character interactions, the introduction of a hoarder who lives next door, and the annoying chaperone reliving her glory days from her past Season. All in all, this is a delightful read for those who enjoy the Regency period.

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.

This was a hard book for me to get into, but once I did, I really did enjoy it. I would certainly recommend the book.

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.