2.5

This is my first time reading Amalie Howard and I'm conflicted. This story had a lot of potential, but there were a few things that just didn't work for me:

1) First off, the setting of this book is very unique. Not a lot of HRs explore the Caribbean and that alone was worth the read. My only gripe here is that we don't actually get to explore Antigua. We only ever see it from the eyes of the main characters and the hotel they stay at.

2) I wanted a lot from the two main characters. There's a lot of history in their relationship and I wish we got to see more anecdotes of them growing up together. I really wanted to love Ravenna, but she genuinely felt one-dimensional to me. She's feminist and quite rebellious. But that's all there is to her. She doesn't seem like a well-rounded person at all. Cordy on the other hand, still felt distant to me at the end. I just never got to really know these characters. I also found that the character development was very rushed and it felt ingenious.

All this being said, I'd be very interested in reading more of Howard's work because this was still different from other HRs.

<em><strong>I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</strong></em>

1864

Lady Ravenna Huntley, sister to the Duke of Embry, dressed as a man and sailed aboard a ship looking for adventure. She is in Antigua, West Indies when she encounters a man with whom she is gambling. He accuses her of cheating and then unmasks her. He is Courtland (Court) Chase and the Duke of Ashdale. They had grown up together.

Court’s mother was from Antigua and married the then Duke of Ashdale. She gave birth to Court and she later passed away. Court’s father took him and returned to England. There he met and married another woman who gave birth to a son. She hates Court and after his father died, managed to send Court away. As Court is of mixed blood, she wants him out of the way so her son will be the duke.

Now, Ravenna tells Court how important it is for him to take up his place as the true duke. They enter into a marriage of abstinence and return to England. Court does not want to pass his mixed blood on. Court’s stepmother is vile to them but they put her in her place. Ravenna is trying hard to get Court to be proud of his heritage and take on the reins of the dukedom.

Oh, dear. I so wanted to really like this book but it kept reverting back to extreme sexual encounters that went on and on. Ravenna and Court seemed to be so good for one another but the immature “chase me” trope made my eyes roll. Had this book stayed with the historical romance theme where it began, it would have been a real winner for me. Unfortunately, it did not and I lost interest very quickly.

Copy provided by the NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

For me it was a 3.5 stars but rounding up to four.
I really liked this book. I hadn't read anything else by Amalie Howard and also hadn't read the previous standalone related to this book but I will definitely read her again.
I am a real sucker for historical romance and the tropes (enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, forced proximity and childhood friends to lovers) are really favorites of mine so I'm not surprised I liked it.
The story was good, you could really feel the the tension between the heroes and the anxiety they both felt.
Both characters are great, smart, funny, troubled, with their contemporary problems, Ravenna being a liberated female and Courtland of mixed race in England's nobility during the late 1800s.
What was puzzling was perhaps the language used sometimes as I am not sure that e.g. "fuck" was commonly used back then but its a nuisance I guess.
What I didn't like:
I sometimes lost track of the transitions in the book. All of a sudden , while talking about getting married, we jump 4 weeks into the future and their wedding. At times it was really confusing to keep track with the story at some places.
Also I would like the espionage plot to be less of a side story.
Courtland just kept “walking away for her own good” a few too many times. I mean, get a grip of yourself...

Thank you to the publisher (Sourcebooks Casablanca) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review.

Lady Ravenna would rather run away than be married. She values her independence above all else. So when she finds herself in the presence of an old friend, Lord Courtland, who has suddenly been thrust into a Dukedom, a marriage of convenience might just solve all of their problems… if the sexual tension doesn’t get in the way.

I felt like I had just opened the book and then suddenly it was over and although I wanted more, it was a satisfying ending. The plot is as delicious as it is entertaining from beginning to end. It had the right amount of sexual tension and smart banter mixed with a straightforward plot and layered characters. I do love historical fiction novels with modern notions because I highly doubt the success of a high-born woman slinking off to the tropics by herself and going undetected.

I was hoping more of the book would take place in Antigua just because historical romance among the tropics is not something I come across very often but it is something I’d like to read more of.

Amalie has a real knack for endearing characters to me while simultaneously making me hate others. In this case, the brother-in-law was such an arse I wanted to punch him right along with Sommers.

I’ve just started to dabble in the type of romance that is mass-market paperbacks with dashing half-clothed figures on the front. However, Amalie Howard has quickly become a favourite of mine. The book features characters from the Princess Stakes and having never read it myself, I found it was not necessary to understand the story in Rules for Heiresses, however I do plan on reading it so that I can dive back into the world the author has created.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #SourcebooksCasablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rules for Heiresses by Amalie Howard is a follow up to The Princess Stakes, but there is no series title that I could find, and think it stands well on its own.

Born to a life of privilege, Lady Ravenna Huntley rues the day that she must marry. She's refused dozens of suitors and cried off multiple betrothals, but running away—even if brash and foolhardy—is the only option left to secure her independence.Lord Courtland Chase, grandson of the Duke of Ashton, was driven from England at the behest of his cruel stepmother. Scorned and shunned, he swore never to return to the land of his birth. But when a twist of bad luck throws a rebellious heiress into his arms, at the very moment he finds out he's the new Duke, marriage is the only alternative to massive scandal. Both are quick to deny it, but a wedding might be the only way out for both of them. And the attraction that burns between them makes Ravenna and Courtland wonder if it'll truly only be a marriage of convenience after all.

Rules for Heiresses is a romance with a great deal going on. I liked Ravenna, and thought she faced a great deal of growth in recognizing her own privilege and wanting to understand and grow. Courtland did not grow quite as much, but the couple was fun to watch as they tried to figure out what they each wanted, and how to achieve it. I liked the mystery and danger aspects of the story. I did feel like there were moments that moved way too fast, skipping weeks here and there to get right back to the action. I am not sure what I would have like to see done differently but since the couple knew each other already there way a great deal of the normal get to know each other stuff that was just kind of skipped and that might be part of what I was hoping to see. I think race and prejudice was handled fairly well, and I liked that Ravenna making the effort to grow and learn was part of the journey. I rather wanted to see more of some of the secondary characters. I thought Rawley was a great start to a fascinating character- I would have loved to have seen more interaction with him and Courtland as well as Ravenna. If he is such a trusted person, and has such an important role in just about everything then he should have had more of a chance to have his say. I feel like he could have straightened everything out much quicker and more efficiently. That being said, I did enjoy the read, but had a few moments that I would have liked to see go a bit differently and follow a slightly different path after an extremely strong start.

Rules for Heiresses is a solid historical romance.

I adored this book. It grabbed me from the first scene and held my attention to the very end. Howard has created a fast-paced story with an intriguing plot, layered characters, dastardly villains, and a hard-earned happy ending. It's filled with snappy banter, steamy chemistry, complex family dynamics, deep emotion that travels from fraught to sweet, and two childhood friends who, as adults, really seem destined for one another...even if it takes them a while to realize it.

I love a heroine who colors outside the lines and Ravenna certainly does that and more. When we first meet her she's disguised as a man, playing cards at a gaming establishment in Antigua after running from an unwanted suitor in London and stowing away aboard one of her brother's ships. She's smart, savvy, capable, and adventurous enough to defy the restrictions placed upon women of her time but has tender and vulnerable layers within her as well, especially as pertains to her evolving relationship with Courtland.

Talk about layers. Our hero has layers upon layers and has kept them tightly locked for the past decade or so. It's only when Ravenna comes crashing back into his life at the same time he's declared the new duke that fissures begin to appear, allowing some of those deeply-held emotions and vulnerabilities to surface even though he fights it every step of the way. He's a ruthless, highly successful businessman with a suppressed sweetness at his core. I really loved his evolution.

As with her previous book, The Princess Stakes (Ravenna's brother Rhystan and Princess Sarani Rao), Rules for Heiresses features a biracial lead character (Courtland) and the impact of his parentage both within his family and society at large. Howard draws on a lot of her own personal experiences in creating this character and it shows in the authenticity of both Courtland's own feelings and how he's perceived, and treated, by others. One of the facets of Ravenna's character that I most enjoyed was how she sees him as a whole person, judging him on his actions rather than his appearance, and embracing all parts of him. The ballroom scene where she confronts someone who is not his ally is one of my favorites in the book.

Rules for Heiresses can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone novel. However, characters from The Princess Stakes have key roles in this new book and reading the previous one (either before or after) will only enhance one's enjoyment and understanding of all the characters. I enthusiastically recommend them both.

I don't know what Howard has planned next but I'm fervently hoping she has plans to return to this world. Courtland's half-sister is begging for a story of her own. And I'm begging on her behalf.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Amalie Howard is the queen of matching strong heroines with equally strong heroes. The dynamic romances she creates through environment, situations, and hot chemistry is what has me jumping on any and everything she writes. As you all know this book gives us the HEA for Lady Ravenna Huntly, who we met and fell in love with as Rystan’s rebellious younger sister and one of Sarani’s fiercest champions, in The Princess Stakes. We get to pick up her story just after where it left off in book 1 and from there we are taken on a wild adventure full of the sass, determination, and steamy romance we have come to crave from this author.
This is another book that gives a candid and raw look into the personal experience and effects being a “mixed- race” or bi-person of color can have on people. This time we see that it can affect men much the same as it does their more emotional female counter parts. As I said when I reviewed The Princess Stakes, I am going to say it again now….. BRAVO AMILIE!!! Thank you again, for being brave enough to shine a light on this subject. Your words continue to make me think, reevaluate, and evolve in the way I see things, and I deeply hope it does the same for EVERYONE else who reads these books. I profoundly feel that people need this kind of “safe” exposure for society to grow into a better future. Stories like this are vital in that effort.
Now on to the FUN part!
This heroine has a personality that is as fiery as her red hair and a streak of determination that runs so deep it could become one of her greatest faults. Guess it’s a good thing our hero is her long-lost childhood friend (who secretly has been in love with her like forever) and is the one who accused her of cheating in his club in Antigua. I can’t imagine how she would have been able to get out of the messy situation we find her in had it been anyone else. Caught in a scandalous position she trades one form of imprisonment for another when she is forced to “pretend” to be enamored with the man to whom she was once betrothed, to save herself from ruination. All she wanted was to live her life the way she chose and to experience freedom away from the strict rules of society.
Our hero has made an incredible life for himself despite being chased away from England by his stepfamily. The last thing he wants is to have to go back to England, become a Duke, or get involved with the one girl he has ever loved. It seems his entire past finally caught up to him the night we met him at the card table in his Antigua club. In a matter of hours, he went from threatening imprisonment to the man he suspects of cheating, to being found in a scandalous position with a woman he never thought he would see again, to finding out he is the new Duke of Ashvale. Will he turn his back on the past he has worked so hard to overcome or will he start a journey of healing and discovery by taking the first step and opening up to the one woman strong enough to stand by his side and break down his walls?

As I do with all books by this author I loved every second of this book and hope all of you do as well.

Scorned and chased out of England Lord Courtland Chase vowing to never return to England, but fate has other plans. Now he’s forced to return to England when he discovered he’s the new Duke after his grandfather has died. Lady Ravenna Huntley has turned down several marriage proposals. A twist of fate throws her into Courtland’s arms, and compromising her, but both of them knowing marriage is the only alternative to scandal. A captivating story of a marriage of convenience that quickly turns into much more than either wanted with attraction and desire take over their marriage. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the great book.

I really enjoy this story. This is the second book I read from this author and is not going to be the last one.
Born to a life of privilege, Lady Ravenna Huntley rues the day that she must marry. She's refused dozens of suitors and cried off multiple betrothals, but running away—even if brash and foolhardy—is the only option left to secure her independence.
Lord Courtland Chase, grandson of the Duke of Ashton, was driven from England at the behest of his cruel stepmother. Scorned and shunned, he swore never to return to the land of his birth. But when a twist of bad luck throws a rebellious heiress into his arms, at the very moment he finds out he's the new Duke, marriage is the only alternative to massive scandal.
Both are quick to deny it, but a wedding might be the only way out for both of them. And the attraction that burns between them makes Ravenna and Courtland wonder if it'll truly only be a marriage of convenience after all...
I absolutely loved Ravenna. This author writes about amazing, strong women who fight for their right to choose, especially how to live their own, independent lives. Cordy is sexy as hell and the chemistry between them is amazing. His behavior put me off a bit sometimes. Maybe it was a bit too much?
This book is really, really good. It´s passionate, entertaining, deep, emotional. I highly recommend it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Yeah, this book and me just didn't mesh. I thought this book was so boring. I didn't feel any chemistry between our two main characters. Unless you call getting horny as fuck as soon as you see the other person great chemistry, then yes they had a lot of chemistry. Seriously though, the two of them couldn't have a conversation without at least one of them thinking about how badly they wanted to fuck the other. That just got so tired so quickly for me. I also feel like these two never properly talked to each other until the very end. Most of the time they're talking it just ends with them arguing because neither of them puts in the effort to understand where the other person is coming from. Honestly, nothing about their romance worked for me. But luckily this book isn't just romance. The side plot was kind of interesting to me. However, that also kind of fell flat in the end. I just think it got like very preachy and it just got a few eye rolls from me. So yeah, me and this book aren't really friends.

Ravenna Huntley does not want to marry. She is determined to live life to her fullest, however in England at this time, women were supposed to be decorative and clueless. In order to have an adventure, Ravenna turns herself into Mr Hunt and works her way across the ocean to the Caribbean Islands. Her adventure took a turn for the worst when her true identity was revealed in front of numbers of busybodies.

Courtland was perfectly happy living in the islands pretending he is not a duke’s heir. His mother was of mixed heritage, so he was picked on, and denied so much when he was young. He eventually was sent away by his step mother and found the islands as his refuge. Until Mr Hunt drops into his life and is revealed as Ravenna, his childhood friend and now ruined by him!

Courtland and Ravenna are not happy, but do the deed and then face the wrath of the Ton. So many past rumors and horrors come out, but can they find their way to each other. Rules for Heiresses by Amalie Howard is a good read.

The set-up of this historical romance is A++. Dressed as a man, Ravenna is counting cards to fund her runaway existence in Antigua. Courtland is suspicious that she is cheating in his hotel, but their card game comes to a stop rather explosively when 1) a solicitor shows up and announces Courtland has inherited a dukedom 2) Ravenna recognizes him as her childhood friend/betrothed believed to be dead for over a decade and 3) Ravenna's identity is revealed and the two are caught in a compromising position. Cue the marriage of convenience.

Pros: The sexual tension in this book is set at 100°F, and it was much appreciated. The book also takes shots at racism left and right. This is mostly surrounding Courtland's heritage through his Antiguan mother. Whether it was a spy operation versus a creepy US plantation owner or the verbal takedown of our hero's racist family members, it was most excellent.

Cons: Alpha males are a major issue for me no matter the backstory. You don't get to forbid a woman something just because she married you and you're suffering from ~feelings~. He demands Ravenna stay home not because she can't take care of herself but because it would be so distracting for him to worry over. His hot-and-cold energy was out of control. As a separate concern, I found the ending a bit abrupt with long-standing and deserved enmity swept under the rug.

Lord Courtland, grandson of the Duke, was driven from England by his cruel stepmother, he vows never to return. Ravenna is a privileged heiress who vows she will never marry. Her only option to avoid it is to run away, and so she does disguising herself as a man. Fate and some bad (good) luck throw the two together and dye to a compromising situation they must marry.

But Courtland holds parts of himself back, never fully giving Ravenna his heart, vowing to divorce her as soon as possible. Ravenna on the other hand wants to try and make the marriage work. The two former childhood friends grapple with the strong emotions they feel ranging from all consuming lust to the beginnings of love.

This was an enjoyable read. I loved the characters, the unique intro (one of my favorite meet cutes) and the steam was exceptional. I also really loved Ravenna who never lost the fire she held for loving the life she hoped to have.

Where this fell a bit short was sadly, the hero. His continuous pushing the heroine away grew tiresome, and I really don't love the plot device of pushing the heroine away for her own good, she deserves better. It's frustrating and would have loved to see a different spin on that other than his own self loathing.

Courtland and Ravenna were friends from childhood, even engaged for a while, before he was forced from England by lies spread by his stepmother and stepbrother. Courtland traveled and ended up in Antigua, his mother’s home. He has become quite wealthy and very well respected. Ravenna stowed away on her brother’s ship to escape an unwanted marriage. Disguised as a man, she finds herself at a gaming house owned by Courtland. An unfortunate incident not only reveals her true identity, but put them in a compromising position. The solution is, of course, marriage. At the same time, he learns that he has become the Duke of Ashvale. He returns to England not only as the Duke, but with a Duchess. This story held my attention from start to epilogue. I liked Courtland and Ravenna. They struggled to make things between them work. In addition to the family drama, there is smuggler to catch. The story is filled with action, lots of soul searching, and romance. I enjoyed it. A good read. I recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Amalie Howard is back with another solid historical romance. I can be super picky about second chance romances, but this one actually worked because there was a lot of angst and build up. Plus, we have a marriage-of-convenience, which is my FAVE historical romance trope. It feels like Amalie gets better and better with each book.

I couldn't put it down! Five stars all the way!

I have to say I was completely hooked at the meet cute, it was a fun spin on life at the time. I love how strong of a heroine Ravenna is, and how that never wavers throughout the story. There are times that she doubts herself, but that is what makes her character more relatable because we all do that at some point or another. Courtland has a lot of baggage that he is bringing with him to England, but he has become a strong independent business man, who still wants a connection no matter how much he fights it.

I guess this would fall under second chance romance but it doesn't really have that feeling, which I loved about it. Definitely a wonderful read, non stop world building and character growth throughout. I really hope that next book is about the sister!!!

Oh this book was a TREAT from start to finish! I absolutely loved Ravenna (amazing name for a female lead!) and Cordy and all of the trials & tribulations of their marriage.

Strong heroine --- check.
Adventurous plot --- check.
Challenging outdated norms and prejudices of the ton --- check.

I truly could not put this one down --- one of my favorite historical romances of the year!

The premise of this book is interesting, however, I find the main characters to be really annoying in their own ways. The heroine feels off to me and she has this thing where she's lowkey saying in her monologues how righteous she is and how she's above others. I know that the writing style may have been attributed to that, but no matter what, I felt that either way throughout the entire reading experience with this book. In the end, I felt lukewarm about the book, especially the characters, since they're off-putting to me.

Um, this book was perfect? I loved every single page from start to finish and holy moly I did not want it to end. Ravenna was a damn joy and she had me cackling more than once, and Courtland was the type of hero who was SO GOOD when he wanted to be and the other times you wanted to slap him for being foolish or snuggle him up in blankets and protect his sad battered little heart.

I loved these characters way too much and honestly I just don't care how loud I am about it. I adored them.

I also really enjoyed this story. Intrigue, mystery, suspense, steam, humor, Rules for Heiresses had everything I love in a historical romance and then some. The inclusion of the West Indies and the Civil War in the colonies made for an interesting backdrop and twist in the plot, and I loved that the author was able to research more of both, as well as her own background making this story a dash more personal for her. The entire thing was well written, well paced, and just damn enjoyable.

I loved it. Did I say that enough yet? I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my review copy of Rules for Heiresses. I cannot wait to see what we get next from Amalie Howard.

4 stars

Rules for Heiresses is my first Amalie Howard novel and it will absolutely not be my last. Fast-paced and compellingly written, I thoroughly enjoyed my first foray into her body of work.

A sequel to The Princess Stakes (released earlier this year), Rules for Heiresses certainly manages to stand on its own. I was delighted to find that the novel started in a setting that I have never really experienced in Victorian HR and I think Howard did a wonderful job of exploring the perspective of the biracial hero, Courtland. It offered an incredibly fresh perspective on the genre and it gave both Courtland and his heroine Ravenna something incredibly tangible to struggle against. Watching these two stubborn and willful people break down their walls to let each other in was steamy, heartbreaking, and immensely enjoyable.

This could have easily been a five star read if not for the fact that I found some of Courtland's attempts to hold Ravenna at arms' length to be a bit too cruel. There were just a few scenes where the things that he said to her really crossed the line for me. Howard does a decent job of redeeming him by the end, but it did still bother me a little bit.

All in all, Rules for Heiresses is an incredibly unique HR that I think will appeal to both romance veterans and readers who are dipping their toes into the genre for the first time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!