A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a wonderful historical romance. The setting was unique, and I loved learning more about the rise of the Industrial Age in rural England, and the impact it had on the class-based social system. Max is an unconventional hero, forced to live by his wits despite his noble lineage. Bianca wants nothing more than to run her family;s pottery business. Max needs a way to invest a gift of wealth and prove his worth for a possible inheritance. Marrying into the Tate family seems like the perfect solution. 

But the sister Max selected is not the one that walks down the aisle. It is Bianca. With her rapier wit, sparkling eyes, and defiance. Max is immediately determined to make their business arrangement a marriage in truth. Bianca thinks he is far too handsome and shallow - even though she is attracted to him, she knows it would be foolish to risk heartbreak. 

But Max's good looks hide an uncanny intelligence and an incomparable business sense. He has all kinds of ideas to make Tate Pottery even more successful. And he has the London connections to make sure that happens. A trip to London to find buyers and expand the market puts them in a proximity that they cannot ignore or shy away from. 

I can check all of the boxes for this one: Steamy intimacy. A swoon-worthy hero. A fiercely independent heroine. Sparkling dialogue, A robust, well-researched plot and setting. 

Secrets will be revealed. Choices will be made. And an HEA will be found. 

You don't want to miss this fantastic read!

I really enjoyed this story. It's been a while since I've read a Caroline Linden, and it was fun to step into a Georgian world with her. I am intrigued with this series and have some guesses where it might go in the future, and I'm interested to see if I will be right. I didn't think I would like the hero or the heroine at first, but they definitely grew on me. I was watching Kiss Me Kate right before I started reading this, and I was definitely getting Taming of the Shrew vibes at first, but it chilled out a little bit. I really like it when books take place in different types of environments from what I usually read, and it was interesting that this one mainly took place at a pottery factory. 

I did have to reread the beginning section twice though, (the prologue-y part) I was a little confused about the characters at first. But, once I did that, I just zoomed right on through it to the end.

He's calculating and self serving. 
She's a spitfire. 

The premise is that a dukedom is at stake and there's several potential heirs. 
Max is one of those potential heirs, but so far, he's lived a self serving, calculating life of saving his own behind. 
This time, he plans to wed a biddable girl and secure a comfortable living and home, That particular girl is Cathy, who runs off with another man and leaves behind her younger, fiery sister Bianca to wed Max. 

I really liked Bianca, who was fiery and worked in the family's pottery business and knew it inside out, except she had to wed Max since her father gave him a quarter of her business. Men. 
Obviously, she doesn't take to him right away, although Max finds her desirable. 
Equal parts Pride and Prejudice and the Taming of the Shew, it was an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read, though I found I really did not ever warm up to Max. He was very hard to connect with, as he was so self serving and arrogant.

An exciting story. Bianca is a feisty young lady who is determined to save her sister from what she believes will be a terrible marriage. Her character is fun filled with with wit and a wonderful fire. Max is a rogue and a dealer. He is a scrapper who is not afraid of hard work. Often underestimated, he likes to surprise people in the best of ways. These two start there marriage off on the wrong foot and have a long haul to get on on the right track. Max has to work at wooing Bianca which is downright hilarious at times. Family is an important theme throughout the story. Both characters are doing what they do to protect family members. In the end love finds them and all is well.

I almost forgot to review this book that I read a week ago. Anywho lets get to it. so the death of the Duke of Carlyle dies and he was the heir, now his family has no clue what to do they need to find the closest relative take care of the order unfortunately for them the members the that can possibly take over are not really ones you would want. One of them was Maximilian St. James and his reputation was of a rogue/rake. Max does have interest but he needs to remedy his reputation and get married and show that he can handle the estate. Max shows interest in Caroline and her father Mr. Tate is the owner of the best ceramic manufacturer, he feels Caroline would be the best because she is biddable but that is not going to be the case since he ends up marrying Bianca. I hated that for him she was not nice, I did not like her and felt like she needed to grow up and wanted to know why she hated Max. I wish he would have had someone better.

Series: Desperately Seeking Duke #1
Publication Date: 6/30/20
Number of Pages: 384

Yikes! The Carlyle dukedom is in danger and the duchess is desperately seeking out possible heirs. Her older son, the duke, is sickly and has a very limited mental capacity – he certainly cannot marry and father children. That wasn’t such a problem until both of her younger sons died – one in the Army and the has just died of an unfortunate accident before he could marry and have children. The dukedom’s solicitor, Mr. Edwards, has been diligently searching for the heirs – because the duchess wants them to learn the ways of the dukedom before they have to take over. Three possible heirs have been identified and none of them make the duchess happy. One of them is a Frenchman, one is in the army, and the last is a cardsharp. Our current story features the cardsharp, Maximilian St. James.

Max had no desire to be under the duchesses thumb, but he was grateful for the money she handed him and for the promise of the yearly payout he would receive from the dukedom. Well, except that yearly payout came with strings – he had to become respectable and be on his good behavior. The judgment about whether he was respectable, of course, was the duchesses. Max didn’t care for that at all. Max has always wanted to be independent, but life circumstances just never allowed that. He had to make his life the best way he could. Now, he has a bold plan and he is so excited about the possibility of making his own future.

Max was introduced to Mr. Samuel Tate, owner of Perusia, a fine pottery factory when he was in London. Mr.Tate was impressed with Max and his relationship to the ton and subsequently invited him to visit Perusia. Mr. Tate had no sons and when Max presented him with a partnership proposal – as well as a proposal of marriage for Mr. Tate’s oldest daughter, Cathy, Mr. Tate was thrilled. Cathy, the sweet, docile daughter wasn’t thrilled though and promptly eloped with the man she did love. OOPS!

There was nothing sweet nor docile about Bianca Tate – Cathy’s only sister. Bianca, who was every bit as stubborn and pig-headed as her father, was furious that he’d just sell out his daughter like that. So, when Bianca discovered Cathy packing to run away with the man she loved, Bianca decided to help her. What Bianca didn’t expect was to end up having to marry Max in Cathy’s place!

I absolutely adored both Max and Bianca. Max was determined to win his wife’s affections and Bianca was determined to despise Max no matter what he did. It was so much fun watching Max slowly, but steadily, destroying all of Bianca’s defenses.

One of the most refreshing things about this story was that it wasn’t set in London among the ton. Yes, there were several titles involved, but they weren’t the focus. The focus of the story was Max and Bianca and I felt as if I really got to know them. The romance felt real and I could genuinely feel that they were in love. Also included in my ebook was a short novella featuring Lawrence, who is Max’s valet. It was a really sweet story as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already looking forward to the second book in the series – A Scot To The Heart – which features the army officer – Captain Andrew St. James of his majesty’s Scotts Guards.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When their beloved father accepts a marriage offer for her sister, Cathy, Bianca Tate is appalled, especially given the fact that the groom, Maximillian St. James, is a notorious rake.  Cathy is in love with another and Bianca rebelliously helps her sister elope, only to find herself taking Cathy’s place and obliged to marry St. James.

Max has relied on his own shrewdness and charm to survive, never knowing much permanency.  When a wild chance of fate sees him second in line to a dukedom, Max finds himself the recipient of a healthy allowance.  But this stroke of luck comes with conditions imposed by the dragonish Duchess of Carlyle, the most pressing of them being the need for respectability.  Since the fastest way to being establishing that respectability is a perfectly respectable marriage, it doesn’t much matter to Max which of the Tate sisters he marries.  Either way, he gets a stake in their family’s successful business and positive changes in his lifestyle to report to the duchess.

Bianca is determined to protect her family’s successful ceramics business and her role in it, no matter what.  Despite Max’s apparent business acumen and the temptation he presents, Bianca is determined to keep him at bay.  When Max takes note of the lovely, brilliant woman beneath the bluster, he’s determined to show Bianca all the love and devotion he’s developed for her, even if she never returns his sentiments.

This book was such a pleasant surprise.  It took me awhile to get into it and to warm to the characters, especially Bianca, but it was well worth it.  She and Max wound up being so lovely together and, despite its inauspicious beginnings, they had such a pure relationship by the end that it was a great read.  This was a well-executed enemies to lovers trope with just a bit of intrigue to keep me turning pages and yet still light-hearted and perfect for my current mood.  This was a promising start to a new series that I’ll definitely be keeping up with now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Set in 1787. The unexpected death of the heir to the Duke of Carlyle spurs a search for a new heir. The current Duke had an accident in his youth leaving him childlike with no chance of a family of his own. There are three possibilities to be the heir. This is the story of Max, a distant cousin ignored by the wealthy branch of the family even when he and his mother were in desperate need. A gambler and rogue with hints of depraved behavior, Max sets out to show he can be a serious contender for the title by marrying Cathy, a girl he barely knows, and becoming part of her father’s pottery company. Enter Bianca, Cathy’s independent sister who works at the factory and expects to run it one day. She encourages Cathy to elope with the man she truly loves and takes her place as the bride even though she hates and distrusts the groom. The couple grows closer improving the factory and secrets are revealed. A man who was completely unlikeable is transformed. This was a little difficult to believe but overall an enjoyable story with a lead-in to the next in the series

This is a story about Bianca and Max. The story starts out with the father trying to arrange a marriage to Max with one of his 2 daughters, Cathy. Cathy at the last minute  takes off and eloped with the local curate.
The father is furious as the marriage contracts have been signed and included part of the business. As result Bianca steps into her sister's place,  even though she hates the man. He's too arrogant, too good looking,  just too much.
Max is okay with the substitution in brides. After all,  his main interest is the business. Bianca might be the better choice because she knows alot about the business. 
Two strangers married, beginning a new life together. May the adventures begin from here. 
This was a very slow mover. It wasn't til chapter 14 that Bianca thought she might be starting to actually like her husband.  But the benefit of that is you actually get to see the relationship between them develop. 
So have patience,  stick with it. It's a very good story with a little twist in the end.
4.5 stars

This was my first book by this author and I adored every word! I didn't really have any expectations going in and I was pleasantly surprised by the romantic, sexy, love affair that is Max and Bianca. I cant say enough good things about this book and I cant wait to read more! Its the first book in a series so dive in and prepare to get swept away.

The sparks will and do fly in this one.  Mainly coming from a very resentful Bianca.  For the most part Max keeps his calm in situations that would normally rile a whole lot of other people.  I did admire his patience even knowing he has so much on the line.  Although Max has secrets and one particular dangerous one that doesn't come out until later.  He has also learned many things in the School of Hard Knocks.  He never knew until later how much those things would help him in his current setting.  
Bianca was fiery, skilled and determined to continue her family's business success.  She had a whole lot to offer with her creative color mixtures.  She also has some great ideas but her father doesn't really see their value and often overrides her ideas.  That is something that Max sees and encourages.  It just made it harder for her to hate him as much as when they started out.  I did get a kick out of how for the longest time even after their marriage she thought of him as "That Man." 
There is really good world building when it came to the pottery business and the different ideas to improve it.  The descriptions were good.  
There were other good supporting people like Bianca's older sister Catherine, Aunt Frances Bentley, Lawrence (valet and more to Max) and Jennie (young ladies made to Bianca.
Although this story had some good moments, some tenderness, wooing and humor it was also kind of slow at times.
It does have some surprises and revelations towards the end that make things more interesting.


 "I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

About a Rogue
Series: First book in the Desperately Seeking Duke
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the author/publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review.  All opinions are my own.

I'll start off by saying that I am a huge fan of this author.  I truly enjoy her books and this one did not disappoint!!
I loved this story from start to finish.  Max St. James was such a great character.  He's lived a very troubled past but when he has the opportunity to become a better man he goes for it.  In his plans are those to marry the eldest daughter of the owner of a pottery factory.  He has many great plans and on top of his list it to marry.  Lucky for him he ends up marrying the younger daughter, Bianca.  Bianca is such a wonderful character.  She's strong, stubborn and a hard worker.  She's responsible for creating glazes for the pottery.  I liked how he gave her her space to explore her creativity and was very vocal about it.  He admired her creativity and her ideas.  This is one of the reasons that the wall she had built around her heart began to crumble day by day.
Their marriage starts off very bumpy, but you could easily see their hot chemistry.  Their bantering and when they tried to out do each other were fun to read.  Max had a lot of patience.  I liked how he gave her the time to get to know him and for her to let go of the prejudices she had against him.  One of the best scenes is when she says his name, Max, and he loves it.  I think he fell in love with her at  that moment.

Like any other romance story there was a little drama that needed to be overcome before they could find their HEA.  Their trust on each other is put to the test and it caused for her to hold back on her feelings for a while.  Luckily he is able to explain his past and the reasons for what he did that caused for her feelings to be hurt.  I loved the angst and how they loved each other!

I highly recommend it and I can't wait for the next one!!

I had a slow start to Bianca and Max’s story but I’m glad I stuck it out.

I love Biancas intelligence and how much this intrigued Max.  That while he set out to marry Cathy, Biancas sister, he wasn’t too upset when Cathy eloped and Bianca has to step in.  I admire  the time that Max put in to learn his new wife’s family business.  Looking into their current practice and what can be changed or added that would benefit them.

Bianca and Max’s story was a slow simmer, which allowed you to slowly get to know them and absorb their story.  It was a good read.

I liked this book.  It was a little slower than I usually like.  The romance didn’t really pick up until about half way in.  Max & Bianca were both characters that I liked.  Max is set to possibly inherit / be the duke of a castle, along with one other guy.  Bianca is a strong headed woman, that works in her family’s pottery business.  This is a forced marriage / business transaction situation.  I would recommend this if you like a slow burn & a little hate to love romance

I absolutely loved this book!! I could not put it down once it got started. The first few chapters were slow but I felt like they were necessary for the information to be given. Maximilian St. James is a gamester, rake, and his reputation is well deserved. He has not had a fair shake in life but has grown up knowing he was distantly related to the Duke of Carlyle. When her last son dies unexpectedly Sophia, the Duchess of Carlyle knows she must find the next relation to become the Duke. She brings in all 3 that are even remotely related and gives them a small stipend to set their selves up and prove to her they can handle being a Duke. Max is second in line, but is very intelligent and wants to better his life. He wants to be business partners with Samuel Tate, but the only way in is marriage. He is supposed to marry one and ends up married to the other, Bianca. She agrees to the marriage only because she cherishes the business and doesn't want any of it given to Max. This springs up some animosity between them. But through it all they discover just how much they have in common and work together. But can they find the love she desires?

This romance was very entertaining. The push and pull dynamic kept things interesting, though you knew there was casual interest at least from the start. That appearances can be deceiving, or anyone can change, or many other such lessons were offered in this book were obvious. #netgalley #aboutarogue

YES! There's the Caroline Linden whose books I fell in love with years ago! Also, the first historical romance I really enjoyed in a long time. I am so happy! 

This was really a nice surprise for me. A nice nod to The Taming of the Shrew with the sisters' roles reversed (Bianca is the shrewish one, while her sister Catherine is the good one)!

What you need to know: 
After the death of the Duke of Carlyle's last direct heir, the family is at a loss. His mother, the Duchess, is desperate to find whoever might have a claim to the title - however remote - and summons the distant relatives to the castle to make them an offer: if they change their ways, settle down, get married, and show an interest in the estate, they will receive an annuity and be allowed back into the family fold. One of them is Maximilian St. James, a disreputable rogue. He is intrigued by the offer, but has no intention of just knuckling under. Determined to make his own way, he uses his new connection to ingratiate himself to Mr. Tate, one of the best ceramics manufacturers. Luckily for him, he has a beautiful, seemingly biddable young daughter. Only things don't go according to plan, and he ends up marrying his intendent's shrewish sister. Sparks fly, and he soon discovers that this might actually be everything he always wanted. Now all he has to do in convince his wife that they are perfect for each other… 

What I liked:
Max. Sigh. He's the sweetest. And I mean it. Smart, funny, driven, hard-working, and kind. Ok, he marries for connections, but I liked his honesty. He never hid why he wanted to marry into the family, and soon makes himself invaluable, making the factory even more prosperous by sheer determination and hard work. I loved that about him. He's not afraid to work, and he actually knows what he's doing and has a plan. I also loved how he didn't make a move on Bianca while she still hated him. These two take their time getting to know each other, and watching them slowly work out their differences was really sweet! 
And the fact that this is very much a character-driven story with strong, interesting leads plus a slow-burn romance that is given time to develop. 

What I didn't like:
Bianca - in the beginning. She was really hard to warm up to, especially since she has no reason (that I can see) for hating Max and marriage as much as she does. Her parents were happy and kind to each other, and one single aunt still sulking because her parents wouldn't let her marry a penniless nobody does not really explain it well enough for me. She's the type of heroine with a temper, who sulks, yells, and throws things when she doesn't get her way. I just can't sympathize with that kind of heroine and find them annoying, sorry. BUT she did actually grow on me halfway through the book when the reasonableness everyone always praised her for finally shone through and she decided to listen to Max and actually talked to him. 
The drama. I hate fabricated drama, and when it comes with a heavy dose of the hero saying things like "she can never know my deepest darkest secret because then she will hate me!" (even though she actually is very reasonable when it matters), it never works for me, because it's never anything truly bad, and a lot of time is wasted with pointless angsting and agonizing over what would happen if she found out from someone else and all that. It's my least favorite trope. Also, the last minute drama when the big bad secret is finally revealed was also a bit too much for me. 

All in all, this was a really sweet and wonderful start to the new series, and I can't wait for the next one!

Gorgeous book. I am a huge Linden fan, and this one will certainly go down as among my favorites by her. The characters, the setting and the romance were wonderfully described, and I look forward to picking this up again to reread.

The story starts out with a dukedom in peril, leading to a search for distant heirs. Three possibilities emerge, including the hero of this story, Max St. James. He is not first in line, but the Duchess summons him to the estate to give him a chance. He is gifted a good sum and is promised more on good behavior. Max is not one to miss an opportunity, and he is also not keen on being at the mercy of someone else’s idea of good behavior, having earned the reputation of a scandalous rogue. He seeks a partnership with a successful pottery works owner, Sam Tate. The only way to make a partnership is to marry into it and luckily Tate has two single daughters.

Bianca ends up married to the rogue, though she is none too pleased. She chose the marriage when she learns her father has already signed over a portion of the pottery works. Bianca is actively invested in the business. She creates glazes for the pottery and argues with her father about business decisions, so she is not keen on a London rogue coming in and usurping her.

I really enjoyed the way these two ambitious leads challenged each other, which led to admiration and love. Max was a very compelling hero. He started out as an enigma and the slow revealing of his hidden depths was a delicious process. Bianca was a strong, determined heroine, but she was not afraid to relent when she realized she was wrong.

This was a really lovely read and satisfying romance. I think it is a good story to try out Linden and definitely recommend if you like a setting away from balls and house parties. 

<I>*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my honest opinion.

4.25/5⭐️

Enjoyed this first in the Desperately Seeking Duke series from one of my favorite historical romance authors. 

Max is a down-on-his-luck rogue who gets a second chance for redemption through a possible inheritance from a dukedom. Bianca is a headstrong young woman who works as a glazer at her father’s high-end pottery works. Max sees a business opportunity as well as a perfect wife in Bianca’s older sister Cathy. Bianca sees a gold-digging scoundrel and schemes to save her sister and their legacy. 

I loved both leads as headstrong, hard-working characters who discover that first impressions are often misleading. Max is compellingly sweet as he falls for and woos the intelligent, creative Bianca, and she is surprised to find a man she can trust and count on in Max. Also a few sexy, steamy scenes as well. Nicely done, and I’ll look forward to the second book, A Scot to the Heart. 

The e-book version also includes a short novella featuring a sweet HEA for his valet Kit and her lady’s maid Jennie. 

Thanks to #NetGalley , #HarperCollins and #Avon for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I was impressed by Max's character. He is very intelligent and a hard worker. The moment that Bianca figured it out I laughed. She surprised him in many ways also. About a Rogue, was a wonderful book.