Review - - The Fairest of Them All

The Fairest of Them All
Marrying the Duke - Book Two
By Cathy Maxwell
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: May 31, 2016

Lady Charlene "Char" Blanchard may have bloodlines that are the envy of every marriageable English miss, but she lacks the money to go with them. Raised by her aunt, her mother's half-sister who is an actress and aspiring playwright, after the deaths of her parents, Char would do anything to repay the woman who took her in, even if that "anything" includes secretly picking pockets to avoid being evicted from their home or attending a ball in the hopes of catching the eye of the very eligible Duke of Baynton. 

Jack Whitridge, younger twin brother to Gavin, the Duke of Baynton has not been seen nor heard from since he went missing from school at the age of 15...until the night he crashes the duke's ball just as Charlene has captured Baynton's attention. Of course, Charlene recognizes Jack immediately. He's the brash American who caught her picking the pocket of his associate, chasing her through the streets of London...and haunting her dreams since. But he's not the man she needs to focus on. She owes it to her aunt, a woman who has given her everything, to capture the heart of the Duke, not his twin.

Jack and Gavin have always had a tenuous relationship, fostered by their late father. Gavin was the dutiful heir while Jack was the "less than" spare who strained to assert his independence. Living in America these past 15+ years has given him the distance and time to develop into his own man: a lawyer and American patriot. He's been sent to England in an attempt to avoid war between the two countries and needs Gavin's help to smooth the way with a British war office that views him as a traitor to the land of his birth. In addition to that, he hopes to reconcile with the family he loves and has missed. In order to do that, he must step aside and leave the path to Charlene clear for his brother. But Gavin, quite socially inept when it comes to women, keeps pulling Jack back into his courtship and into Charlene's sphere. Of course, the more time Jack and Char spend together, the closer they grow, until their initial attraction threatens to burst into a roaring flame. And the more Jack comes to know Char, the stronger he believes she's the right woman for him and not his brother yet his honor compels him to not pursue her...until Gavin does something close to unforgivable that changes the course for all three of them...and one more surprising character as well.

I think the Marrying the Duke series is one of Cathy Maxwell's best and I have thoroughly enjoyed the first two books as well as the prequel novella. Jack and Char are a wonderful match, kindred spirits, and I pulled for their happy ending throughout the ups and downs of their entire fast-paced, sometimes dangerous, journey. Though Gavin is smitten with Char and eager to propose marriage, it's clear to me that what he loves is the "idea" of Charlene, not the real woman. He sees only the carefully constructed facade that her aunt and godmother hope will capture his heart, not who she really is. And, while Gavin has now lost two potential wives to his brothers I can't feel bad for him because he has yet to know real love and he deserves to find that, hopefully in Maxwell's next book, A Date at the Altar, due out October 25th. Considering who his heroine is, I think this next book has the potential to be a rollicking good time!

 ~PJ

Today's Special - - Cathy Maxwell

I'm always happy when Cathy Maxwell visits us here at the Romance Dish. Not only does it mean we can look forward to an enjoyable day with one of the nicest and funniest people on the planet but it usually means she has a new book out as well. This time, the book in question is The Fairest of Them All, second in Maxwell's Marrying the Duke trilogy and it's terrific. In fact, I think it's one of the best she's ever written and, based on the early reviews, I'm not the only one of that opinion. 

You can learn more about Cathy and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome, Cathy!

More Than Looks

              What makes a character heroic? What sets him or her apart from all others?  What makes me, as a reader, fall a little in love as I travel through the story?

              Good questions.  Here are just a few of my must haves:

-  Courage.  I’ve found it takes great courage to live my life on my terms.  I make mistakes but I am determined to carry on and I expect that in my Romance heroes and heroines as well.  I guess some folks would call it “spunk” or “guts” or “perseverance.”   Whatever the name, characters who refuse to give up, even when everything is going absolutely wrong, make the story for me.

-  Flaws.  Who wants to be perfect?  Not me.   I’d bore myself.  Plus, I don’t think flaws stop a character from being heroic.  The most interesting stories are the ones where a person rises over her flaws to succeed, especially if she learns something along the way.

-  Kindness.  Let me also throw in the word “generous” as well.  This one is close to my heart. My late husband was one of the kindest people I have met.  It made him easy to live with. Not only do I look for the quality in every guy I date, but since I expect my Romance novels to be that forever kind of love, well, kindness needs to be present. 

- Humor.  I could not live without laughing.  Life would be so drab.  Plus, I think the best sort of love is where we can laugh at ourselves.  Whether the humor is smart aleck or genteel or slapstick, I must have it in my characters. Otherwise, they are not believable to me.  By the way, some of the best scenes I’ve read are the ones where the characters are being completely caught up in the moment but I laugh because I recognize myself. You know, where they are done in by their own shenanigans (I love that word.)

- Health.  When the heroine has glossy hair and the hero has white straight teeth--or vice versa—what we are really talking about is health.  Healthy people can enjoy life.  I don’t want to read about a character with rotting teeth.  Awck!  Can you imagine the kiss?  (No, please don’t. I apologize for putting the idea in your head. However, I do know a great zombish joke along those lines. So, someone could make it work, right?)

Those are just some of the characteristics I’ve enjoyed being celebrated in Romance literature.  There are many more and because you are a fan of The Romance Dish and a discerning reader, I bet you have a few fave characteristics, too.  So what makes a meaningful hero or heroine for you?  What hooks you into a character?  Care to share? 

And I should tell you, that I used many of these characteristics in my latest THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL.  This is the second book of the “Marrying the Duke” series.  I’m having a great time writing this trilogy.  A DATE AT THE ALTAR will be out the end of October.  Oh, and the first book is THE MATCH OF THE CENTURY. 

Now, let’s yak about what makes characters special.

Thanks, Cathy! I love the characteristics you've mentioned. They are all must haves for me as well. Readers, as I mentioned in my intro above, Cathy's upcoming book, The Fairest of Them All will be released into the wild next Tuesday, May 31st. It's one of my favorite books of the year and one of my all-time favorites by Cathy Maxwell. Because I enjoyed it so much, I'm giving away a Kindle copy of The Fairest of Them All to one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on today's post. Deadline for comments to be entered is 11:00 PM, Friday, May 27, 2016. 

The Fairest of Them All 

by Cathy Maxwell 

Publisher: Avon 

Release Date: May 31, 2016

The penniless orphan of a disreputable earl, Lady Charlene Blanchard thrives on the adventure of picking the pockets of unsavory gentlemen to survive. But due to her extraordinary beauty and prized bloodlines, she is hand-chosen as a potential bride for the Duke of Baynton, who is on the hunt for a suitable wife to provide heirs. All Char has to do is act the part she was born to play and charm a duke she’s never laid eyes on into proposing. Except the duke turns out to be the tall, dark and sexy stranger who just caught her red-handed as a thief! 

Or is he? Jack Whitridge is the duke’s twin who had “gone missing” over ten years ago. Now back in England, he knows that the supposed Lady who has his brother’s love is hardly duchess material—except he needs her to save his adopted country from war. He is willing to bargain with her heart, until he finds himself falling for Char . . .