Series Name: Seven Dukes of Sin, # 1
But with that angelic face, that innocent smile, that look of genuine kindness, she held a kind of inner light– one that couldn’t have been any more different from the darkness that he carried within him.
With a terrifying awe he knew it.
Never in his thirty-two years had he seen anything as beautiful as Miss Patience Rose.
Duke of Rath is a sensual and addictive Regency romance romp and a fabulous start to a new series.
His bride.
Haunted by a dark secret, Dorian, the Duke of Rath, is consumed by wrath and guilt. The powerful lord will endure any torture to atone for his sins, even marry a perfect stranger—his victim’s little sister—to save her family from ruin.
He vows not to touch her and to protect the innocent girl from his depraved sensual pleasures. But she must stay for one year and follow his strict rules.
When botanist Miss Patience Rose walks down the aisle in her simple dress, with garden soil permanently embedded under her short nails, she lets a little sunlight into Rath’s blackened heart.
Young, innocent Patience drives her older husband mad with her cheery chatter and her irresistible curves
She’s breaking every one of his rules.
He punishes her…and she likes it.
Love is healing Rath’s soul and transforming his bleak, imposing mansion into a warm home.
There’s just one thing keeping them apart—the ghastly secret that could send him to the gallows. And Patience is putting her brilliant mind to work to uncover it.
I always love it when a new historical romance comes to my attention. Sinking into a new world and getting lost in its story and characters is a wonderful feeling. Duke of Rath is an enjoyable read. I will admit it took until the third chapter for me to get into this story, but I was hooked once Dorian and Patience met on the page. I liked Mariah’s twist or spin on this story and the series. She has taken the seven deadly sins and turned them into dukes. This book’s duke is wrath, and Dorian’s character experiences moments of uncontrollable wrath. Internally, there is this ‘beast’ that is constantly talking or influencing the duke’s actions and thoughts. He often comes across as this ‘beastly’ character, thinking in the sense of Beauty and the Beast in the movie. But of course, Patience is the one who will be able to soothe and heal the beast and make him whole again. But what I really loved was that she didn’t mind that he was ‘beastly,’ and she didn’t try to change him. She loves him and his prickly behaviour.
The story itself is really interesting. For romance reasons, Dorian chooses to marry Patience without meeting her beforehand. In his mind, marrying her is the only way to correct a past wrong. He doesn’t want anything to do with Patience, especially when he realizes that he is very attracted to her. He doesn’t think he is worthy of her attention, body, or love. He also gets befuddled when he is around Patience, who is like this ray of sunshine and is constantly talking. He immediately realizes that she is a good person and that he needs to protect her from the world’s harshness. Watching these two interact was perfection. Dorian is constantly misstepping when it comes to his actions towards Patience. When he realizes how miserable and lonely Patience is in her new home, he goes to great lengths to ensure that she is happy. He is constantly having to fix messes that he seems to create. It was great watching the toing and froing between these two. Dorian is hot and cold when it comes to his interactions with Patience.
This is a more spicy romance. I knew I was going to be in for a good time, the moment Dorian said that if Patience misbehaved, he was going to have to punish her. Any romance bookworm knows that punishment is going to be in the bedroom, and it’s going to be hot. And it was. The banging was hot but had some sweet, soft moments. Patience is a virgin and very naïve when it comes to sex, and Dorian takes time to explain to her what is happening and what is what. It was uncharacteristically sweet. I really enjoyed these two and their journey to their HEA. You will love this book if you are a fan of grumpy sunshine, the marriage of convenience, alpha male, forced proximity, and a kind of one-bed situation.
Duke of Rath is full of corsets and smouldering kisses, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Thank you, Mariah Stone, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
