Love & Notoriety • Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean
Series: Love by Numbers #3
Previous Book: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake + Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: April 26, 2001
Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

I honestly cannot express in words how much I have come to love Sarah MacLean's novels ever since I discovered them. She knows exactly how to weave an intricate plot line with a lovely romance bit -- without fail, I have swooned, cried and smiled like a fool in love over her stories. Plus, all of her male protagonists are always the hot, brooding, bad boy with a good heart figure we all know, want and love.

I adored the first two books in the Love by Numbers series, so I was obviously quite excited to finally get around to reading Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart. I can now honestly and safely say that this book is probably my favorite of the three! I think it mostly has to do with three things - our heroine, our hero and the plot itself.

I love Juliana Fiori, the St. John sister. I've always admired her character from the very beginning because she's got this amazing, dynamic and simply fiery personality. She's not one to blend in with the rest of London society and I absolutely adore her for it. I like how she tries to stay true to who she is, despite the incredible pressure to do otherwise from the rest of society. And I love how she tries to take fate into her own hands by daring to attempt to bring her hero, Simon, Duke of Leighton, to his knees.

Simon - oh where do I begin talking about him? Though I definitely loved Gabriel St. John and I also have a soft spot for Nicholas, I have got to tell you, Simon is an impeccable hero. He's the typical cold, unfeeling English lord, who abides by tradition and does what is necessary of him -- and who obviously is just screaming to be released into a life of passion and freedom. I liked watching him struggle (although at some parts, I honestly wanted to smack him with a reticule) and witnessing his gradual transformation.

MacLean certainly knows how to draw her readers in with an interesting story that was hilarious and fast-paced. It was fun watching Juliana and Simon go from one messy situation to the next, and even though I could guess at the ending, getting there was still a whole lot of fun. I'm definitely a fan of Sarah MacLean and I'd recommend the Love by Numbers series for fans of romance novels.