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The Dressmakers #4
Dukes Prefer Blondes
Just this time, can the beast tame the beauty?
Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can't see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax's nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.
Though he's unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford's never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn't part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her.
It's an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton's most adored heiress and London's most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?
Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can't see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax's nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.
Though he's unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford's never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn't part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her.
It's an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton's most adored heiress and London's most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
759 people are currently reading
4666 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Chase
52 books3,662 followersLoretta Lynda Chekani was born in 1949, of Albanian ancestry. For her, the trouble started when she learned to write in first grade. Before then, she had been making up her own stories but now she knew how to write them down to share. In her teenage years, she continue to write letters, keep a journal, write poetry and even attempt the Great American Novel (still unfinished). She attended New England public schools, before she went off to college and earned an English degree from Clark University.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 884 reviews
July 2, 2020
i think i have a new fav historical romance author!
while i adore the popular historical romance authors of the moment (tessa dare etc), i really have to say how much i appreciate some of the older authors. they really take the time to set up place, plot, and characters in a way that makes me fall even more deeply in love with character relationships.
i really don't think loretta chase has an equal in writing banter between heroine & hero. i always find myself grinning like a big idiot at the jabs and insults the characters throw at each other. and i always swoon at the end when everything is tied up in a pretty bow.
the only real complaint i have and i anticipate other readers will have as well is how long this book is. i think it's necessary in creating convincing relationships but if you're used to a quick fall in love plot and then "the end" this might not be for you. chase usually has the characters married at the 60-70% mark with more plot after that.
overall, 4/5 bodice ripping stars
while i adore the popular historical romance authors of the moment (tessa dare etc), i really have to say how much i appreciate some of the older authors. they really take the time to set up place, plot, and characters in a way that makes me fall even more deeply in love with character relationships.
i really don't think loretta chase has an equal in writing banter between heroine & hero. i always find myself grinning like a big idiot at the jabs and insults the characters throw at each other. and i always swoon at the end when everything is tied up in a pretty bow.
the only real complaint i have and i anticipate other readers will have as well is how long this book is. i think it's necessary in creating convincing relationships but if you're used to a quick fall in love plot and then "the end" this might not be for you. chase usually has the characters married at the 60-70% mark with more plot after that.
overall, 4/5 bodice ripping stars
August 31, 2019
4.5 stars. Recommended if you like kind of steamy historic romance novels, though it's mild compared to some of Loretta Chase's other novels. It's also a better read than the title might lead you to think. :)
Set in England in the mid-1830s, the romance is between Oliver Radford, a successful and alarmingly intelligent barrister *fistpump for a lawyer hero*, and Lady Clara Fairfax, a lovely and equally intelligent young woman who's tired of being valued only for her looks, and of not having the opportunity to really use her brains.
I loved the witty banter between these two - Loretta Chase is always good at that - and the criminal subplot kept my interest. Though this novel is the fourth in a series and some characters from prior novels appear (Clara, in fact, was a minor character in a couple of the earlier novels in this series), it works fine as a stand-alone read.
Content note: There are some sex scenes, somewhat explicit, but they're after marriage (which personally I really appreciate in my historic romances).
Set in England in the mid-1830s, the romance is between Oliver Radford, a successful and alarmingly intelligent barrister *fistpump for a lawyer hero*, and Lady Clara Fairfax, a lovely and equally intelligent young woman who's tired of being valued only for her looks, and of not having the opportunity to really use her brains.
Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn’t see above, beyond, or through it. They certainly couldn’t think past it. This was because men only looked at women. They didn’t listen to women, especially beautiful women.When the brother of a young friend of Clara's disappears into London's underworld and the gang life, Clara turns to Radford to get his help in trying to extricate him. Soon Radford is having trouble extricating himself from Clara's life, even though he knows their social circles are worlds apart.
I loved the witty banter between these two - Loretta Chase is always good at that - and the criminal subplot kept my interest. Though this novel is the fourth in a series and some characters from prior novels appear (Clara, in fact, was a minor character in a couple of the earlier novels in this series), it works fine as a stand-alone read.
Content note: There are some sex scenes, somewhat explicit, but they're after marriage (which personally I really appreciate in my historic romances).
October 18, 2021
Thank you, Loretta Chase, for listening to your fans and giving Lady Clara Fairfax her own happily ever after. We first met Lady Clara, daughter of the Marquess of Warford, in Silk Is for Seduction, when she was unofficially betrothed to her childhood friend, the Duke of Clevedon. She was perfectly beautiful and beautifully perfect – except for one thing. Clara's wardrobe was dreadful, and the French-English Noirot sisters were determined to get her as a client for their dressmaker shop. They did obtain her patronage, but in the end Lady Clara refused to marry a man who wasn't in love with her, and the duke married Marceline Noirot. Lady Clara was disappointed in love in Scandal Wears Satin, but pleased when her brother married Sophie Noirot. And in Vixen in Velvet Lady Clara plays a secondary role as her dowdy cousin Gladys falls under the Noirot sisters' spell.
With impeccable politeness, Lady Clara simply demanded her own story, and Loretta Chase listened. In Dukes Prefer Blondes (unfortunate title, that), we learn that Lady Clara is much more than just another wealthy, beautiful young lady. She is intelligent and witty and she silently chafes under the oppressive rules of conduct to which ladies of that day were expected to adhere. She dreads becoming the wife of a man who wants her only for her beauty and her fortune. As she becomes resigned to this fate, however, she decided to perform one selfless service before coming under the dominion of some gentleman.
Lady Clara is a patroness of a charity run by the Noirot sisters which trains impoverished women for respectable work. One young woman is concerned about her younger brother, who has stopped attending school and disappeared; she fears he may have been forced into a criminal gang. Lady Clara vows to help her but has not the first idea how to go about it. Fenwick, the Noirot sisters' pickpocket-turned-footboy suggests that she enlist the help of the eminent barrister Oliver Radford, known to all at the Old Bailey by his schoolboy nickname, “Raven.”
Raven Radford is the last man anyone would choose for Lady Clara Fairfax. Although he is the great-grandson of a duke, he is a commoner who earns his living as a barrister, a barely respectable occupation given that he defends the dregs of society. He eschews meaningless social events and polite conversation. He knows that he is the smartest man in the room and has no use for fools. In fact, he is known for saying exactly what he thinks to any one at any time. He is passionate about his profession and not much else.
When a beautiful blonde lady strides into his office, he sees through the her frumpy disguise and remembers a dauntless eight-year-old girl who once defended him against his bullying cousin at a Vauxhall family outing. Raven was a schoolmate of Lady Clara's older brother and of the odious cousin Bernard. To this day, Lady Clara has a chipped tooth where her mouth met Bernard's elbow. For his part, “Beastly Bernard,” now the Duke of Malvern, has grown into a self-indulgent, utterly irresponsible drunk whom Raven detests.
Before Raven can dismiss Lady Clara for the useless lady he believes her to be, she takes charge of the situation, and by the end of the interview, where she matches him blow for verbal blow, Raven has a burgeoning respect for her. Against his better judgment, Raven finds himself helping her on her quest to find the missing boy.
And so, the first half of this wonderful book features Lady Clara and Raven meeting surreptitiously and doing all sorts of things that would give her mother the vapors. Clara, who wants passion but has never known it, begins to wonder if perhaps that is what she feels for Raven. And Raven, who has always avoided titled young ladies, discovers that he not only desires this lovely woman, he also admires her intellect, her determination, and her fearlessness in the face of his initial disdain.
Naturally, they fall in love but fear to admit it. Raven knows that they come from two different worlds and that neither would fit into the other's world. Nor would Lady Clara's father ever consent to marriage to a man could not begin to support the style of life she always has known.
In the end, Lady Clara has to force Raven to the point. Reminding him that she was raised to be a duchess, she declares
As expected, Lord Warford does refuse Raven's request to marry Lady Clara, but when Raven asks for a “fair trial” of the “charges” against him, her parents agree to listen. There they learn that not for nothing is he known as the leading barrister of the day. In a lovely scene, he delivers not only a strong defense of himself but also a stirring oration on behalf of letting Lady Clara be the woman she wants and needs to be. Finally, as Lady Warford reaches for the smelling salts, Lord Warford consents. “'Mr. Radford is unsuitable on a wide array of counts,” the marquess said. “Papa!” “Except the most important one,” Lord Warford went on. “He suits you, and you seem to suit him.'”
Loretta Chase is known for her witty banter between leading characters, and she puts her talent to excellent use here. Really, their conversations, while funny, are much more than banter. They actually listen to one another, and although each wants to get their own way, they demonstrate mutual respect and a desire to please the other. But, it isn't just all talk; the chemistry between them jumps off the page, and the wedding night scene is a classic.
In the second part of the book, while the couple adjusts to married life together, they are also put in danger by a band of criminals seeking revenge against Radford, and unexpected events in Radford's family upend their lives. Some of the sexiness dissipates a bit, but it's fun to watch them devise a true partnership where each is able to put their talents to the best use on behalf of the other.
As with the other Dressmaker books, clothes are important, and the outrageous fashions of the 1830s are described in loving detail. The Noirot sisters make a cameo appearance because of course Lady Clara must have the most fabulous wedding dress ever created. But really, this is Radford's and Clara's story, which means it works well even if you haven't read the earlier books.
It is no surprise that the immensely talented Loretta Chase has produced another winner. Radford and Lady Clara are a perfect couple on many levels and reading their story was a joy. Highly recommended!
7 November 2015
Happy happy! Joy joy! I just got an ARC of this book!
Thank you Avon and Edelweiss.
22 May 2015
Be still my heart. From Loretta Chase's blog:
With impeccable politeness, Lady Clara simply demanded her own story, and Loretta Chase listened. In Dukes Prefer Blondes (unfortunate title, that), we learn that Lady Clara is much more than just another wealthy, beautiful young lady. She is intelligent and witty and she silently chafes under the oppressive rules of conduct to which ladies of that day were expected to adhere. She dreads becoming the wife of a man who wants her only for her beauty and her fortune. As she becomes resigned to this fate, however, she decided to perform one selfless service before coming under the dominion of some gentleman.
Lady Clara is a patroness of a charity run by the Noirot sisters which trains impoverished women for respectable work. One young woman is concerned about her younger brother, who has stopped attending school and disappeared; she fears he may have been forced into a criminal gang. Lady Clara vows to help her but has not the first idea how to go about it. Fenwick, the Noirot sisters' pickpocket-turned-footboy suggests that she enlist the help of the eminent barrister Oliver Radford, known to all at the Old Bailey by his schoolboy nickname, “Raven.”
Raven Radford is the last man anyone would choose for Lady Clara Fairfax. Although he is the great-grandson of a duke, he is a commoner who earns his living as a barrister, a barely respectable occupation given that he defends the dregs of society. He eschews meaningless social events and polite conversation. He knows that he is the smartest man in the room and has no use for fools. In fact, he is known for saying exactly what he thinks to any one at any time. He is passionate about his profession and not much else.
When a beautiful blonde lady strides into his office, he sees through the her frumpy disguise and remembers a dauntless eight-year-old girl who once defended him against his bullying cousin at a Vauxhall family outing. Raven was a schoolmate of Lady Clara's older brother and of the odious cousin Bernard. To this day, Lady Clara has a chipped tooth where her mouth met Bernard's elbow. For his part, “Beastly Bernard,” now the Duke of Malvern, has grown into a self-indulgent, utterly irresponsible drunk whom Raven detests.
Before Raven can dismiss Lady Clara for the useless lady he believes her to be, she takes charge of the situation, and by the end of the interview, where she matches him blow for verbal blow, Raven has a burgeoning respect for her. Against his better judgment, Raven finds himself helping her on her quest to find the missing boy.
And so, the first half of this wonderful book features Lady Clara and Raven meeting surreptitiously and doing all sorts of things that would give her mother the vapors. Clara, who wants passion but has never known it, begins to wonder if perhaps that is what she feels for Raven. And Raven, who has always avoided titled young ladies, discovers that he not only desires this lovely woman, he also admires her intellect, her determination, and her fearlessness in the face of his initial disdain.
Naturally, they fall in love but fear to admit it. Raven knows that they come from two different worlds and that neither would fit into the other's world. Nor would Lady Clara's father ever consent to marriage to a man could not begin to support the style of life she always has known.
In the end, Lady Clara has to force Raven to the point. Reminding him that she was raised to be a duchess, she declares
“Perhaps I ought to marry Beastly Bernard,” she said before he could step far enough away from himself to fashion a rational sentence. “He sounds as though he needs someone like me desperately. Being despotic, I should not have much difficulty making something of him. In my experience, men like Bernard are not at all difficult to manage.”
Radford stared at her. It took a moment for his brain to connect to his tongue.
“Bernard,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s the duke in the family, is he not?”
As expected, Lord Warford does refuse Raven's request to marry Lady Clara, but when Raven asks for a “fair trial” of the “charges” against him, her parents agree to listen. There they learn that not for nothing is he known as the leading barrister of the day. In a lovely scene, he delivers not only a strong defense of himself but also a stirring oration on behalf of letting Lady Clara be the woman she wants and needs to be. Finally, as Lady Warford reaches for the smelling salts, Lord Warford consents. “'Mr. Radford is unsuitable on a wide array of counts,” the marquess said. “Papa!” “Except the most important one,” Lord Warford went on. “He suits you, and you seem to suit him.'”
Loretta Chase is known for her witty banter between leading characters, and she puts her talent to excellent use here. Really, their conversations, while funny, are much more than banter. They actually listen to one another, and although each wants to get their own way, they demonstrate mutual respect and a desire to please the other. But, it isn't just all talk; the chemistry between them jumps off the page, and the wedding night scene is a classic.
In the second part of the book, while the couple adjusts to married life together, they are also put in danger by a band of criminals seeking revenge against Radford, and unexpected events in Radford's family upend their lives. Some of the sexiness dissipates a bit, but it's fun to watch them devise a true partnership where each is able to put their talents to the best use on behalf of the other.
As with the other Dressmaker books, clothes are important, and the outrageous fashions of the 1830s are described in loving detail. The Noirot sisters make a cameo appearance because of course Lady Clara must have the most fabulous wedding dress ever created. But really, this is Radford's and Clara's story, which means it works well even if you haven't read the earlier books.
It is no surprise that the immensely talented Loretta Chase has produced another winner. Radford and Lady Clara are a perfect couple on many levels and reading their story was a joy. Highly recommended!
7 November 2015
Happy happy! Joy joy! I just got an ARC of this book!
Thank you Avon and Edelweiss.
22 May 2015
Be still my heart. From Loretta Chase's blog:
Because so many readers ask, I'm guessing the news isn't easy to find on the website, so a blog post seems in order.
Yes, indeed, I have written Lady Clara's story. It's titled Dukes Prefer Blondes, and scheduled for publication in 2016. I'd heard January 2016, but that might have changed, since I was late delivering the manuscript. But I've completed the revisions, and it's now in the hands of the copy editor. Which means it will return to me in a couple of weeks for another going-over.
The image, from the Magazine of the Beau Monde, is one of the ensembles Lady Clara wears in an early chapter.
December 22, 2015
3.5 stars
****Full Review****
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lady Clara comes from a loving, titled, and rich family, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful. Even with all these advantages, Clara is still denied the one thing she truly craves, freedom. The early 1800s are not a forgiving time for women and the naturally intelligent and commanding Clara has been forced into a silent pretty doll box that is slowly strangling her. When Oliver "Raven" Radford makes another appearance into her life, it is once again infuriatingly amazing. Raven's intelligence works wonders in the courtroom but makes him less than desired company as social interaction is not his strong suit. His immediate reaction is to dismiss Clara when she comes to him for help but as they get to know one another, he begins to see that her beauty masks something even more radiant and irresistible, her mind. Through obstacles of stubbornness, societal demands, and criminal elements, Clara and Raven battle it all so they can spar alone, in the bedroom.
"Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn't see above, beyond, or through it."
Living such a charmed life, Clara might at first seem like an unlikeable or hard to relate to character but the author does a brilliant job of showcasing how isolated, misunderstood, and confined she feels. The frustration and hurt Clara feels and displays when people refuse or are unable to see her for who she truly is, humanizes her in a way that the reader can't help feeling empathy and cheering her on. Her witty thoughts and biting statements ("Even if she got murdered, she ought to do it discreetly") are really clever commentary on sexism and classism; the author was smartly on point with these and one of my favorite aspects of the story.
"Her trouble was, she wanted to be somebody she wasn't."
Separate, Clara and Raven had their strengths; Clara with her inner strength and Raven with his iron resolve. However, it is when they are together that they really shine and keep the reader wanting more. Their chemistry can't be denied, instead of numerous heavy bedroom scenes (there are a couple of these too, just not the center piece) aggressively trying to show us how in love our couple is, we get amusing and quick-witted conversations that stimulates Clara and Raven's minds and bodies. Through this verbal fencing they learn one another as they reveal their true selves. The first half of the story is Clara showing Raven she deserves his respect through her efforts to rescue a boy from a gang and Raven giving it to her, something others have blindly denied her. Neither crosses the anachronistic line with their views on women's rights but rather we see the beginning of understanding what societal restrictions honestly do to women.
As I mentioned, the first half was all about Clara and Raven circling each other and coming together. The very beginning with its quick different pov changes created a bit of a schizophrenic beat that took some getting used to but the story's energy couldn't be denied. Around the halfway point our couple come together (Raven's speech at his "trial" to win the right to marry Clara, will win him the hearts of many readers) and the second half becomes about Clara and Raven's little blips to adjusting to married life, the sudden change in Raven's life trajectory, and the criminal element with its "I've been wronged, revenge!" comes to the forefront. The transition wasn't completely smooth with the inheriting the title of duke into the family feeling tagged on and the criminals looking for revenge feeling not quite coherent and dragged on. I felt the story lost some of its drive as it seemed lost as to where to go after Clara and Raven were married.
With Raven's "I don't suffer fools" attitude and Clara's blinding beauty, they weren't set-up to be the most sympathetic couple but through the author's writing, we get a look into their heartfelt souls. Past characters make very brief appearances but I didn't read the previous books in the series and had no problem following along and the author's writing has me wanting to go back and read the series from the beginning. If nimble back and forth between your leads is your aphrodisiac, this book has it in spades.
****Full Review****
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lady Clara comes from a loving, titled, and rich family, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful. Even with all these advantages, Clara is still denied the one thing she truly craves, freedom. The early 1800s are not a forgiving time for women and the naturally intelligent and commanding Clara has been forced into a silent pretty doll box that is slowly strangling her. When Oliver "Raven" Radford makes another appearance into her life, it is once again infuriatingly amazing. Raven's intelligence works wonders in the courtroom but makes him less than desired company as social interaction is not his strong suit. His immediate reaction is to dismiss Clara when she comes to him for help but as they get to know one another, he begins to see that her beauty masks something even more radiant and irresistible, her mind. Through obstacles of stubbornness, societal demands, and criminal elements, Clara and Raven battle it all so they can spar alone, in the bedroom.
"Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn't see above, beyond, or through it."
Living such a charmed life, Clara might at first seem like an unlikeable or hard to relate to character but the author does a brilliant job of showcasing how isolated, misunderstood, and confined she feels. The frustration and hurt Clara feels and displays when people refuse or are unable to see her for who she truly is, humanizes her in a way that the reader can't help feeling empathy and cheering her on. Her witty thoughts and biting statements ("Even if she got murdered, she ought to do it discreetly") are really clever commentary on sexism and classism; the author was smartly on point with these and one of my favorite aspects of the story.
"Her trouble was, she wanted to be somebody she wasn't."
Separate, Clara and Raven had their strengths; Clara with her inner strength and Raven with his iron resolve. However, it is when they are together that they really shine and keep the reader wanting more. Their chemistry can't be denied, instead of numerous heavy bedroom scenes (there are a couple of these too, just not the center piece) aggressively trying to show us how in love our couple is, we get amusing and quick-witted conversations that stimulates Clara and Raven's minds and bodies. Through this verbal fencing they learn one another as they reveal their true selves. The first half of the story is Clara showing Raven she deserves his respect through her efforts to rescue a boy from a gang and Raven giving it to her, something others have blindly denied her. Neither crosses the anachronistic line with their views on women's rights but rather we see the beginning of understanding what societal restrictions honestly do to women.
As I mentioned, the first half was all about Clara and Raven circling each other and coming together. The very beginning with its quick different pov changes created a bit of a schizophrenic beat that took some getting used to but the story's energy couldn't be denied. Around the halfway point our couple come together (Raven's speech at his "trial" to win the right to marry Clara, will win him the hearts of many readers) and the second half becomes about Clara and Raven's little blips to adjusting to married life, the sudden change in Raven's life trajectory, and the criminal element with its "I've been wronged, revenge!" comes to the forefront. The transition wasn't completely smooth with the inheriting the title of duke into the family feeling tagged on and the criminals looking for revenge feeling not quite coherent and dragged on. I felt the story lost some of its drive as it seemed lost as to where to go after Clara and Raven were married.
With Raven's "I don't suffer fools" attitude and Clara's blinding beauty, they weren't set-up to be the most sympathetic couple but through the author's writing, we get a look into their heartfelt souls. Past characters make very brief appearances but I didn't read the previous books in the series and had no problem following along and the author's writing has me wanting to go back and read the series from the beginning. If nimble back and forth between your leads is your aphrodisiac, this book has it in spades.
April 3, 2024
"I thought it was my life that stifled me," she said. "But I see it makes no difference what world I live in. The difference is the man at my side."
He cleared his throat. "It seems you needed a particularly difficult one," he said.
"Much more entertaining," she said.
New comfort read just dropped! This book was EVERYTHING that I love about historical romances. Raven and Lady Clara were so adorable and chaotic. No one writes banter like Loretta Chase. Let the gushing commence!
Let's start with our hero: Barrister Oliver "Raven" Radford. Raven is smarter than everyone and he reminds people of this often. The public both respect him, and low key want to kill him. If someone were to kill him, it would be considered justifiable. The criminals that he's put away outright want to kill him. As I said before, in the hands of a lesser author, Raven would've been a horrible hero, but Chase is a magician. Raven might be a bit obnoxious (and he knows this, we love a self-aware king) but he's also hilarious and lovable. It's going to take a special kind of woman to put up with his shenanigans which brings us to....
Our heroine: Lady Clara Fairfax. I'm not saying this lightly.....Clara might be my favorite Chase heroine. Everyone underestimates her because of her looks and her clothing, plus she's been groomed to marry a duke and be the perfect duchess. But there is so much more to Clara than meets the eye, she's intelligent, funny and she feels suffocated by her shallow existence. She's also sick of men proposing to her. She longs for her life to have a purpose and that purpose comes in the form of Bridget and Toby. Bridget's brother Toby has been taken in by a horrible gang and Clara is determined to get him out. Now she has to ask a certain obnoxious barrister for help. As expected, Raven does not make it easy for her. Most of the time, she wants to hit him with her umbrella. Along the way they fall in love, but sometimes she still wants to hit him with her umbrella 🌂
The dynamic between Clara and Raven was just UGH (in a good way 😂). Like everyone else, Raven initially underestimates Clara because of her looks but once he realizes how smart and funny she is, homeboy is DOWN BAD (against his will 😭) Their relationship begins to blossom once he treats her like an equal. Initially, Clara thinks that Raven is an obnoxious know-it-all, which he is, but he's also determined, loyal and funny. She starts to find his shenanigans amusing. When Raven goes off on one of his tangents, she just goes with it. I know I've already mentioned how great their banter is, but it's just *chef's kiss* Their verbal sparring is delicious because they've finally met their match.
Other things I loved about this book:
1. I love it when a hero is like "I have to be rational AT ALL COSTS" and then they fall in love and all of that goes to hell.
2. The beautiful scene when Raven nurses Clara back to health. The hilarious part when she punches him in the face when she's delirious.
3. The way Clara was like "admit your feelings for me you absolute donut, or I will literally marry your awful cousin." There’s no love triangle btw. His awful cousin isn’t courting her, it’s just a threat that pops into her head 😂 But it works, so let's celebrate that.
4. Find you a man who's willing to sue you for breach of contract when your parents try to block your engagement.
5. Additionally, find you a man who's willing to carry out a mock trial to win your parents over so they consent to your engagement.
6.I loved the COMMUNICATION. They have a fight (with slammed doors and her throwing things) but he comes back and is like "perhaps, I overreacted" and they talk it out, like adults. there is no 3rd act breakup!
7. I also loved that Clara and Raven initially met as children and she got a chipped tooth (which she still has, that's how he recognizes her as an adult) trying to defend him against his awful cousin.
8. I am desperate for a prequel novella about Oliver's parents. They were delightful.
"There. That was it, in a nutshell. Infatuation or whatever it was, he knew he'd move heaven and earth to bring that light to her face, to awaken that smile and the glint of laughter in her blue yes. He didn't see how he could ever get used it, let alone take it for granted."
I officially forgive Loretta Chase for The Lion's Daughter, I don't know what the hell that was, this is the Loretta Chase that I know and love and recommend to all romance novices.
UPDATE 3/31/24: *gasp* I forgot to give my beloveds a couple's song(s)!
Clara and Raven's song(s):
Beneath Your Beautiful-Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande
True Love-Pink
He cleared his throat. "It seems you needed a particularly difficult one," he said.
"Much more entertaining," she said.
New comfort read just dropped! This book was EVERYTHING that I love about historical romances. Raven and Lady Clara were so adorable and chaotic. No one writes banter like Loretta Chase. Let the gushing commence!
Let's start with our hero: Barrister Oliver "Raven" Radford. Raven is smarter than everyone and he reminds people of this often. The public both respect him, and low key want to kill him. If someone were to kill him, it would be considered justifiable. The criminals that he's put away outright want to kill him. As I said before, in the hands of a lesser author, Raven would've been a horrible hero, but Chase is a magician. Raven might be a bit obnoxious (and he knows this, we love a self-aware king) but he's also hilarious and lovable. It's going to take a special kind of woman to put up with his shenanigans which brings us to....
Our heroine: Lady Clara Fairfax. I'm not saying this lightly.....Clara might be my favorite Chase heroine. Everyone underestimates her because of her looks and her clothing, plus she's been groomed to marry a duke and be the perfect duchess. But there is so much more to Clara than meets the eye, she's intelligent, funny and she feels suffocated by her shallow existence. She's also sick of men proposing to her. She longs for her life to have a purpose and that purpose comes in the form of Bridget and Toby. Bridget's brother Toby has been taken in by a horrible gang and Clara is determined to get him out. Now she has to ask a certain obnoxious barrister for help. As expected, Raven does not make it easy for her. Most of the time, she wants to hit him with her umbrella. Along the way they fall in love, but sometimes she still wants to hit him with her umbrella 🌂
The dynamic between Clara and Raven was just UGH (in a good way 😂). Like everyone else, Raven initially underestimates Clara because of her looks but once he realizes how smart and funny she is, homeboy is DOWN BAD (against his will 😭) Their relationship begins to blossom once he treats her like an equal. Initially, Clara thinks that Raven is an obnoxious know-it-all, which he is, but he's also determined, loyal and funny. She starts to find his shenanigans amusing. When Raven goes off on one of his tangents, she just goes with it. I know I've already mentioned how great their banter is, but it's just *chef's kiss* Their verbal sparring is delicious because they've finally met their match.
Other things I loved about this book:
1. I love it when a hero is like "I have to be rational AT ALL COSTS" and then they fall in love and all of that goes to hell.
2. The beautiful scene when Raven nurses Clara back to health. The hilarious part when she punches him in the face when she's delirious.
3. The way Clara was like "admit your feelings for me you absolute donut, or I will literally marry your awful cousin." There’s no love triangle btw. His awful cousin isn’t courting her, it’s just a threat that pops into her head 😂 But it works, so let's celebrate that.
4. Find you a man who's willing to sue you for breach of contract when your parents try to block your engagement.
5. Additionally, find you a man who's willing to carry out a mock trial to win your parents over so they consent to your engagement.
6.I loved the COMMUNICATION. They have a fight (with slammed doors and her throwing things) but he comes back and is like "perhaps, I overreacted" and they talk it out, like adults. there is no 3rd act breakup!
7. I also loved that Clara and Raven initially met as children and she got a chipped tooth (which she still has, that's how he recognizes her as an adult) trying to defend him against his awful cousin.
8. I am desperate for a prequel novella about Oliver's parents. They were delightful.
"There. That was it, in a nutshell. Infatuation or whatever it was, he knew he'd move heaven and earth to bring that light to her face, to awaken that smile and the glint of laughter in her blue yes. He didn't see how he could ever get used it, let alone take it for granted."
I officially forgive Loretta Chase for The Lion's Daughter, I don't know what the hell that was, this is the Loretta Chase that I know and love and recommend to all romance novices.
UPDATE 3/31/24: *gasp* I forgot to give my beloveds a couple's song(s)!
Clara and Raven's song(s):
Beneath Your Beautiful-Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande
True Love-Pink
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2016
Review written October 14, 2016
4.8 Stars - Terrific!! Perfectly sweet romantic, subtle ironic funny with a delightfully teasing tone, and so very well narrated, etc etc.
Ahhh!! This was great. Happydancing great.
Dukes Prefers Blondes is the young very beautiful Lady Clara Fairfax and the clever barrister Oliver Radford's lovely enjoying love-journey.
Dukes Prefers Blondes had it all I want in a audiobook HR...
We gets a good enough storyline and plot. There is a fantastic narration by one of the best (highly recommended Kate Reading when listening to HR). Here are two lovely characters to follow and a story filled with fun and witty dialogue, banters and jokes. — Simply great audiobook time.
Once again a great historical by the author Loretta Chase in the combo with audiobook narrator Kate Reading. These ladies usually works great for me. So also this time. In all ways worth five happy-sparkling stars.
I listened to the 12:11 hours audiobook edition of Dukes Prefers Blondes. — Highly recommended!!
I LIKE - witty good historicals
4.8 Stars - Terrific!! Perfectly sweet romantic, subtle ironic funny with a delightfully teasing tone, and so very well narrated, etc etc.
Ahhh!! This was great. Happydancing great.
Dukes Prefers Blondes is the young very beautiful Lady Clara Fairfax and the clever barrister Oliver Radford's lovely enjoying love-journey.
Dukes Prefers Blondes had it all I want in a audiobook HR...
We gets a good enough storyline and plot. There is a fantastic narration by one of the best (highly recommended Kate Reading when listening to HR). Here are two lovely characters to follow and a story filled with fun and witty dialogue, banters and jokes. — Simply great audiobook time.
‘Everybody knew gentlemen could be obtuse, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Everybody knew, as well, that gentlemen needed to believe they were in charge. Therefore, ladies had to learn ways of communicating the obvious without being obvious about it.’
‘He was a man, an attractive man if one overlooked the obnoxiousness. But women had to overlook men’s personality flaws, else nobody would ever wed and/or reproduce and the human race would come to an end. Naturally.’
Once again a great historical by the author Loretta Chase in the combo with audiobook narrator Kate Reading. These ladies usually works great for me. So also this time. In all ways worth five happy-sparkling stars.
I listened to the 12:11 hours audiobook edition of Dukes Prefers Blondes. — Highly recommended!!
I LIKE - witty good historicals
August 24, 2016
See, it's books like this that made me fall in love with Loretta Chase's stories years ago when I read Lord of Scoundrels and was swept off my feet. She knows how to write characters so wonderfully that they become living, breathing people who I want to know better. And the story plots are intriguing, compelling, and always leave me wanting more. She is, without a doubt, one of the very best historical romance authors out there.
Clara is a force to be reckoned with which is one of the things I love most about this book. She's strong, intelligent, clever, and witty, and kept me on my toes because I never know what she might do next!
Raven... what a great man. I really fell hard for him and enjoyed watching him come to terms with his feelings for Clara - and what those feelings would mean for his future. He, too, is strong, intelligent, clever, and witty, but he's also sexy, and passionate.
The bottom line: Even though it did start a bit slow, I really enjoyed this story, so much so I'm going to go back and read the first books in the series because I'm not ready to leave The Dressmakers world.
An ARC was provided by AvonBooks via Edelweiss. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.
Blurb:
Just this time, can the beast tame the beauty?
Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can't see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax's nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.
Though he's unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford's never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn't part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her.
It's an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton's most adored heiress and London's most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?
Clara is a force to be reckoned with which is one of the things I love most about this book. She's strong, intelligent, clever, and witty, and kept me on my toes because I never know what she might do next!
Raven... what a great man. I really fell hard for him and enjoyed watching him come to terms with his feelings for Clara - and what those feelings would mean for his future. He, too, is strong, intelligent, clever, and witty, but he's also sexy, and passionate.
The bottom line: Even though it did start a bit slow, I really enjoyed this story, so much so I'm going to go back and read the first books in the series because I'm not ready to leave The Dressmakers world.
An ARC was provided by AvonBooks via Edelweiss. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.
Blurb:
Just this time, can the beast tame the beauty?
Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can't see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax's nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.
Though he's unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford's never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn't part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her.
It's an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton's most adored heiress and London's most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?
March 2, 2016
A couple of things.
Firstly, I really struggled to finish this book. I was so bored that I finished 6 loads of laundry while reading. This means that I chose laundry over reading - 6 loads of hauling, washing, drying, folding - over reading. (Maybe you are one of those people that are always on top of laundry and it never morphs into a man-eating mountain, well, I'm happy for you. In my house, laundry is done when we are down to the mismatched socks with holes in the toes).
The problem is that there wasn't any great emotion, and the story never really peaked. I guess there was some drama, , but the only really interesting stuff happened early on.
I think the hang up here was Raven's enormous brain and his desire to separate his irrational (emotional) side with his rational thinking and doing. I think that this type of hero is intriguing, whether they are of above average intelligence or have some type of hang up from their beaten past. However, Raven's story isn't about self introspection and finding a happy balance between the 'rational' and 'irrational' parts of his being -- it's about the fact that he's surrounded by gaggles of idiots (read, mostly women and some men) UNTIL he runs into someone with a glimpse of a brain. Enter Lady Clara.
So, secondly, I had a hard time enjoying this because Raven's assertion that women are witless is repeated a little too often. I actually believed HE believed this rather than it just being said in jest or teasing affection a time or two.
At a couple of points in the book Lady Clara makes a good historical point that her generation of women were supposed to value ignorance in some things, have no opinions and stick to their specific role, when just a generation or two back, women had more freedom - certainly of expression at least. And Raven agrees with this. So why his big, rational brain can't come to the conclusion that women are only seen as simpletons because of the constrictions of society is anyone's best guess. I certainly didn't get it. Maybe I'm just proving his point. I'm too small-brained to understand his prejudice.
I wasn't really offended so I didn't hate it, I just never really connected with either Clara or Raven and didn't really fall into their love story.
This series has been up and down for me, with the opener and closer being stinkers but I really like those middling books - Scandal Wears Satin being a favorite. Loretta Chase, keeping me on my toes.
Firstly, I really struggled to finish this book. I was so bored that I finished 6 loads of laundry while reading. This means that I chose laundry over reading - 6 loads of hauling, washing, drying, folding - over reading. (Maybe you are one of those people that are always on top of laundry and it never morphs into a man-eating mountain, well, I'm happy for you. In my house, laundry is done when we are down to the mismatched socks with holes in the toes).
The problem is that there wasn't any great emotion, and the story never really peaked. I guess there was some drama, , but the only really interesting stuff happened early on.
I think the hang up here was Raven's enormous brain and his desire to separate his irrational (emotional) side with his rational thinking and doing. I think that this type of hero is intriguing, whether they are of above average intelligence or have some type of hang up from their beaten past. However, Raven's story isn't about self introspection and finding a happy balance between the 'rational' and 'irrational' parts of his being -- it's about the fact that he's surrounded by gaggles of idiots (read, mostly women and some men) UNTIL he runs into someone with a glimpse of a brain. Enter Lady Clara.
So, secondly, I had a hard time enjoying this because Raven's assertion that women are witless is repeated a little too often. I actually believed HE believed this rather than it just being said in jest or teasing affection a time or two.
At a couple of points in the book Lady Clara makes a good historical point that her generation of women were supposed to value ignorance in some things, have no opinions and stick to their specific role, when just a generation or two back, women had more freedom - certainly of expression at least. And Raven agrees with this. So why his big, rational brain can't come to the conclusion that women are only seen as simpletons because of the constrictions of society is anyone's best guess. I certainly didn't get it. Maybe I'm just proving his point. I'm too small-brained to understand his prejudice.
I wasn't really offended so I didn't hate it, I just never really connected with either Clara or Raven and didn't really fall into their love story.
This series has been up and down for me, with the opener and closer being stinkers but I really like those middling books - Scandal Wears Satin being a favorite. Loretta Chase, keeping me on my toes.
June 20, 2016
“Your obnoxiousness knows no bounds.”
“You knew I was obnoxious when you married me. All the world knows it. My picture is in the dictionary next to the word.”
“You’re not even trying,” she said.
“I don’t actually have to try to be obnoxious,” he said. “It comes quite naturally.”
Lady Clara Fairfax is considered one of the most beautiful ladies of society. She is used to receiving marriage proposals from men who are only interested in her looks and cares nothing for her as person. Because she would rather be noticed for her mind and her heart, than just being a pretty ornament, she has dedicated herself to her favorite charity the Milliners’ Society for the Education of Indigent Females. And when the brother of one of the girl’s from her charity gets into trouble, she seeks out the very intelligent but very annoying barrister Oliver Radford. And even though he is rude, she can’t help but enjoy their banter, and the fact that for once a man listens to what she has to say.
Oliver Radford is known for his extreme intelligence, logical reasoning and obnoxious arrogance. He loves solving mysteries, and winning his cases. When Lady Clara Fairfax asks him for assistance in rescuing a young boy from a very nasty gang, he is surprised to recognise her as the little girl who helped him fight off his bully of a cousin when he was young. And he’s surprised at Clara’s intelligence, and the feelings she arouses in him. For someone who prefers to focus on his intellect and his logic, denying any kind of feelings, the way Clara makes him lose his head baffles and irritates him.
And after an unexpected illness, death, and marriage proposal, London’s most beautiful heiress and most difficult bachelor must decide whether they will give into their uncontrollable chemistry and put their heads together to defeat an enemy intent on destroying Oliver’s happiness.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. And to think I was hesitant to read it, because I thought I wouldn’t be able to like Clara, the beautiful heroine, who I was afraid would be shallow. But how wrong I was. Clara might be beautiful, but that has not made her life easier. In fact it has made it that much harder for her to make people see the real her underneath the beautiful veneer. Everyone expects her to be a pretty ornament, to be the prefect lady, with no opinions on anything. But because she wants to mean something, to help people, she gives her time and money to the Milliners’ Society, trying to make better lives for the destitute girls of the lower society. I loved how she fought for the girls, even against dangerous gangs. And how she stood up against Oliver was just amazing.
Now I probably should have hated Oliver’s arrogance and his belief that women and most men was not as smart as him, but because he reminded me so much of Sherlock Holmes, I couldn’t help but love him. Yes, he was obnoxious and rude and blunt, but he had a good heart, and feelings just confused him so he preferred to supress them. I just loved how he lost his perfect composure around Clara. It was hilarious.
“Going so soon?” he said. “And we—”
“You condescending thickhead!” She hit his arm with the hat. “You obnoxious—” She hit his chest.
“You’d better stop,” he said. “I’m trying to be the sane one in the room, but you’re making that exceedingly difficult.”
She made it impossible. She was a goddess in a passion. The blaze of her blue eyes and the pale fire of her hair and the crimson glow of her cheeks.
She flung down the hat and grabbed the lapels of his coat. “I wish I were a man,” she said. “I would knock you down. I would plant you a facer. I’d break your nose. I—”
“No, really, I mean it,” he said. “You’re murdering my brain.” And he took hold of her shoulders and bent his head and kissed her.
The banter between Clara and Oliver was fantastic, and I loved seeing these two trying to get the upper-hand in a conversation. Their chemistry was scorching and they were just perfect for each other. Oliver saw more in Clara than just her beauty, he saw her intellect and her desires and her needs, and I loved the speech he made in order to win her hand – it was probably my most favorite scene of the book. And I loved that Clara saw beyond the rude façade he shows to society, she was able to see the heart of him.
I loved everything about this book, it was fabulous. This was my first book by this author, and it definitely won’t be my last. A must read for all HR fans.
December 10, 2023
I want to reread this while crying on the floor
October 17, 2021
Kate Reading does her usual first-class job in the audio version of this book. See my five-star review here.
24 March 2021
Listening to this for the third (or more time), I realized that I have a book-boyfriend crush on Raven Radford. He's obnoxious but loveable, and unlike many of Loretta Chase's heroes, he is not the least bit of a slow-top.
24 March 2021
Listening to this for the third (or more time), I realized that I have a book-boyfriend crush on Raven Radford. He's obnoxious but loveable, and unlike many of Loretta Chase's heroes, he is not the least bit of a slow-top.
August 24, 2016
This, the final book in Loretta Chase’s The Dressmakers series, is Lady Clara Fairfax’s story. Lady Clara has been a popular secondary character throughout the series and I am delighted that she finally gets her well-deserved Happy Ever After. Although this book can easily be read as a standalone, I would urge you not to miss out on the other delightful books in the series.
Being considered the most beautiful and sought after girl in London might seem every girl’s ultimate wish, but for Lady Clara it is nothing but a burden. She is weary of the constant marriage proposals from men who never take the trouble to get to know the real person behind the beautiful face.
Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn’t see above, beyond, or through it. They certainly couldn’t think past it.
Intelligent, witty and strong-willed, Clara is stifled by the constraints imposed on her by society. She wants more from life than just being a beautiful adornment on a duke’s arm. She longs for a husband who appreciates her intelligence, challenges her and stimulates her mind.
As patroness of The Milliners Society for the Education of Indigent Females, she is very aware of the poverty that exists and the injustices inflicted on those less fortunate than herself. It is her charitable work that leads her to Oliver Radford’s door, when she enlists his help to rescue an orphan boy from the clutches of an unsavoury London street gang.
Oliver “Raven” Radford is the grandson of a duke but, when his father married a divorcée, his became the less desirable arm of the family. At Eton, he was continually bullied by his odious cousin Bernard, but survived by becoming detached and locking his emotions away.
He pretended that what was happening to him happened to somebody quite separate, that what he felt was felt by another self, who he observed with detachment.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a barrister and has earned a reputation for being super-intelligent, sharp-witted, provoking and tactless. His willingness to prosecute the villains of London’s underworld, who prey on helpless victims, has earned him dangerous enemies.
When the beautiful Lady Clara enters his world, he finds all logical and sensible thoughts flying out of the window.
The chemistry between these two is absolutely delicious and they are so well-matched. Both are intelligent which makes Clara more than a match for the caustic Radford. I love their sarcastic repartee and Radford’s funny internal monologues between his logical self and his emotional, irrational self.
Remarkably fine figure, he was aware of his irrational self thinking. It proceeded to imagine said figure in its natural state. Such meditations were not conducive to clear thinking.
He wrestled the other self into a dark corner in the back of his mind …
The scene where Radford nurses Clara after she falls sick reveals how much he truly cares for her and I love the unique concept of the “trial” scene, showing his determination to fight for Clara.
As in the previous books, Ms Chase’s descriptions of the outrageous hats and the wondrous confections of gowns are a visual treat and I like how her social commentary on women’s role in society and the poverty and injustice existing at the time is woven into the fabric of the story.
…a lady must not find herself in any situation involving lawyers. If she was so misguided as to need one, she must put the matter in the hands of her husband, father, guardian, brother or son.
The danger lurking in the form of a London underworld gang leader intent on killing Radford, his complicated relationship with his cousin Bernard and the need to adapt to his unwelcome change in circumstances, all add extra layers to the story.
MY VERDICT: A fabulous finale to this series and one I can definitely recommend.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5
The Dressmakers series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review is also posted on my Rakes ans Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
Being considered the most beautiful and sought after girl in London might seem every girl’s ultimate wish, but for Lady Clara it is nothing but a burden. She is weary of the constant marriage proposals from men who never take the trouble to get to know the real person behind the beautiful face.
Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn’t see above, beyond, or through it. They certainly couldn’t think past it.
Intelligent, witty and strong-willed, Clara is stifled by the constraints imposed on her by society. She wants more from life than just being a beautiful adornment on a duke’s arm. She longs for a husband who appreciates her intelligence, challenges her and stimulates her mind.
As patroness of The Milliners Society for the Education of Indigent Females, she is very aware of the poverty that exists and the injustices inflicted on those less fortunate than herself. It is her charitable work that leads her to Oliver Radford’s door, when she enlists his help to rescue an orphan boy from the clutches of an unsavoury London street gang.
Oliver “Raven” Radford is the grandson of a duke but, when his father married a divorcée, his became the less desirable arm of the family. At Eton, he was continually bullied by his odious cousin Bernard, but survived by becoming detached and locking his emotions away.
He pretended that what was happening to him happened to somebody quite separate, that what he felt was felt by another self, who he observed with detachment.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he became a barrister and has earned a reputation for being super-intelligent, sharp-witted, provoking and tactless. His willingness to prosecute the villains of London’s underworld, who prey on helpless victims, has earned him dangerous enemies.
When the beautiful Lady Clara enters his world, he finds all logical and sensible thoughts flying out of the window.
The chemistry between these two is absolutely delicious and they are so well-matched. Both are intelligent which makes Clara more than a match for the caustic Radford. I love their sarcastic repartee and Radford’s funny internal monologues between his logical self and his emotional, irrational self.
Remarkably fine figure, he was aware of his irrational self thinking. It proceeded to imagine said figure in its natural state. Such meditations were not conducive to clear thinking.
He wrestled the other self into a dark corner in the back of his mind …
The scene where Radford nurses Clara after she falls sick reveals how much he truly cares for her and I love the unique concept of the “trial” scene, showing his determination to fight for Clara.
As in the previous books, Ms Chase’s descriptions of the outrageous hats and the wondrous confections of gowns are a visual treat and I like how her social commentary on women’s role in society and the poverty and injustice existing at the time is woven into the fabric of the story.
…a lady must not find herself in any situation involving lawyers. If she was so misguided as to need one, she must put the matter in the hands of her husband, father, guardian, brother or son.
The danger lurking in the form of a London underworld gang leader intent on killing Radford, his complicated relationship with his cousin Bernard and the need to adapt to his unwelcome change in circumstances, all add extra layers to the story.
MY VERDICT: A fabulous finale to this series and one I can definitely recommend.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5
The Dressmakers series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review is also posted on my Rakes ans Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
September 17, 2016
I've given this an A- at AAR, so 4.5 stars rounded up. (I thought the first half deserved 5, the second 4, so I averaged it out!)
This fourth book in Loretta Chase’s Dressmaker series takes up the story of Lady Clara Fairfax, who has been a recurring secondary character since the first book, Silk Is for Seduction. Clara is the most sought-after young lady in London – possibly in the whole of England. She’s beautiful, of excellent lineage and well-dowered, but is suffocating in her life of seeming perfection. As readers of the previous books will already know, Clara is much more than a pretty face; she’s intelligent, witty and wants more from life than to be married to someone who wants her merely as a decorative accessory and a convenient source of money. Yet it seems that is what she is to be consigned to; brought up to be a fitting helpmeet to a duke, she inwardly seething with frustration, rejecting marriage proposals on a weekly basis from many hopeful gentlemen who can’t and don’t want to see the true woman beneath the gorgeous exterior.
Clara is determined, however, to do at least one useful thing in her life before she is forever consigned to the life of boredom enjoyed by society wives. Through her association with the Noirot sisters (heroines of the previous three books), Clara has become a patron of a charity which trains and finds work for young women who might otherwise have ended up on the streets. One of the girls is concerned for her younger brother, who has stopped attending school; she believes that he may have been enticed or forced back into working for a criminal gang. Clara is determined to find the boy and restore him to his sister – but knows she will not be able to do that without help.
Oliver “Raven” Radford is one of the foremost barristers in the country, and, if gossip is to be believed, one of its sharpest-tongued, most offensive men. He doesn’t suffer fools at all, let alone gladly, his brain is always several steps of everyone else’s and he says what he thinks when he thinks it and doesn’t give a damn for others’ opinions of him. His current work is a prosecution of a pauper farm (a place where poorhouses sent their ‘excess’ children) – and it’s to him – as a friend of her brothers’ – that Clara turns to for assistance.
At first, Radford is inclined to dismiss Clara and her idea of rescuing the boy, believing her to be just another society lady whose beauty far outstrips her brains. But Clara very quickly corrects his assumptions when she shows herself perfectly able to keep pace with the speed at which his mind works as well as to trade him barb for barb and quip for quip. He’s the first man not to have fallen at her feet, and much as Clara finds him infuriating and is quite able to sympathise with the number of people who probably want to throttle him, she also likes that he isn’t – or doesn’t seem – affected by her looks. The first part of the story is a sheer delight as the reader watches these two strong, clever people dance around each other, sizing each other up. It’s full of amazingly witty banter and bitingly sarcastic exchanges that are really several chapters’ worth of foreplay – and nobody does that better than Loretta Chase. She also brilliantly conveys the depth of Clara’s frustration with her life and the way everyone else sees her, culminating in an impassioned outburst to Radford: “You don’t know what it’s like to be scolded for reading too much and knowing too much – to be taught to hide your intelligence, because otherwise you’ll frighten the gentlemen away – to stifle your opinions, because ladies aren’t to have any opinions of their own, but must always defer to men.”
Her frequent witty asides and thoughts are also a wonderful commentary on the class system and on the position of women in society:
He was a man, an attractive man if one overlooked the obnoxiousness. But women had to overlook men’s personality flaws else nobody would ever wed and/or reproduce and the human race would come to an end.
Clara and Radford are clearly made for each other, matching each other in intelligence and determination, and the chemistry between them is searing. Clara has finally found her perfect mate – and now all that has to be done is to convince her parents of that fact, a challenge to which Radford, as the foremost barrister of his age, rises with aplomb. The second part of the book changes gear somewhat, with the couple having to work through the numerous adjustments that are necessary to adapt to married life. On top of that, a sudden death in the family means that Radford has to face the prospect of a major and unwanted life change while he’s also having to deal with certain members of the criminal class who are determined to do away with him.
Both protagonists are attractive, engaging characters – even Radford who, as is frequently pointed out, has a talent for being offensive and obnoxious. Those he may be, but he’s also drop-dead sexy, fiercely intelligent, funny and, when it comes to Clara, protective without being stifling. This is the 1830s, so he doesn’t suddenly become a raging feminist, but there is the definite acknowledgement on his part that his wife has a mind of her own that she is capable of putting to good use; and Clara, while pleased that her husband recognises this, remains sensible and doesn’t suddenly rush off and do stupidly out of character things.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dukes Prefer Blondes (even though the title has little to do with the story, as Radford isn’t a duke, and while he doesn’t deny that Clara is beautiful, I suspect that the colour of her hair didn’t bother him in the slightest!), but I can’t deny that I had a few issues with the pacing of the story which has knocked my final grade down a bit. The first part is undoubtedly the stronger, positively fizzing with energy as the sparks fly between Clara and Radford like there’s no tomorrow. Once the couple is married, that energy dissipates a little (although not completely) although I appreciated the way in which the author explores the early days of a marriage between two such strong-minded people, especially in the light of Radford’s changing family circumstances. They continue to bicker, but there’s a new understanding to their exchanges, and a sense that both of them are strongly invested in their marriage and prepared to make it work.
In spite of that criticism, Dukes Prefer Blondes is a treat for fans of Ms Chase’s writing and fans of historical romance in general. It’s wonderfully entertaining, with some of the finest banter I’ve ever read, and yet there’s more to it than that in the author’s razor-sharp observations of what it’s like to be a woman of the upper class, and her keen observation of the dress and social customs of the time. It’s a great read, and one I’m recommending highly.
This fourth book in Loretta Chase’s Dressmaker series takes up the story of Lady Clara Fairfax, who has been a recurring secondary character since the first book, Silk Is for Seduction. Clara is the most sought-after young lady in London – possibly in the whole of England. She’s beautiful, of excellent lineage and well-dowered, but is suffocating in her life of seeming perfection. As readers of the previous books will already know, Clara is much more than a pretty face; she’s intelligent, witty and wants more from life than to be married to someone who wants her merely as a decorative accessory and a convenient source of money. Yet it seems that is what she is to be consigned to; brought up to be a fitting helpmeet to a duke, she inwardly seething with frustration, rejecting marriage proposals on a weekly basis from many hopeful gentlemen who can’t and don’t want to see the true woman beneath the gorgeous exterior.
Clara is determined, however, to do at least one useful thing in her life before she is forever consigned to the life of boredom enjoyed by society wives. Through her association with the Noirot sisters (heroines of the previous three books), Clara has become a patron of a charity which trains and finds work for young women who might otherwise have ended up on the streets. One of the girls is concerned for her younger brother, who has stopped attending school; she believes that he may have been enticed or forced back into working for a criminal gang. Clara is determined to find the boy and restore him to his sister – but knows she will not be able to do that without help.
Oliver “Raven” Radford is one of the foremost barristers in the country, and, if gossip is to be believed, one of its sharpest-tongued, most offensive men. He doesn’t suffer fools at all, let alone gladly, his brain is always several steps of everyone else’s and he says what he thinks when he thinks it and doesn’t give a damn for others’ opinions of him. His current work is a prosecution of a pauper farm (a place where poorhouses sent their ‘excess’ children) – and it’s to him – as a friend of her brothers’ – that Clara turns to for assistance.
At first, Radford is inclined to dismiss Clara and her idea of rescuing the boy, believing her to be just another society lady whose beauty far outstrips her brains. But Clara very quickly corrects his assumptions when she shows herself perfectly able to keep pace with the speed at which his mind works as well as to trade him barb for barb and quip for quip. He’s the first man not to have fallen at her feet, and much as Clara finds him infuriating and is quite able to sympathise with the number of people who probably want to throttle him, she also likes that he isn’t – or doesn’t seem – affected by her looks. The first part of the story is a sheer delight as the reader watches these two strong, clever people dance around each other, sizing each other up. It’s full of amazingly witty banter and bitingly sarcastic exchanges that are really several chapters’ worth of foreplay – and nobody does that better than Loretta Chase. She also brilliantly conveys the depth of Clara’s frustration with her life and the way everyone else sees her, culminating in an impassioned outburst to Radford: “You don’t know what it’s like to be scolded for reading too much and knowing too much – to be taught to hide your intelligence, because otherwise you’ll frighten the gentlemen away – to stifle your opinions, because ladies aren’t to have any opinions of their own, but must always defer to men.”
Her frequent witty asides and thoughts are also a wonderful commentary on the class system and on the position of women in society:
He was a man, an attractive man if one overlooked the obnoxiousness. But women had to overlook men’s personality flaws else nobody would ever wed and/or reproduce and the human race would come to an end.
Clara and Radford are clearly made for each other, matching each other in intelligence and determination, and the chemistry between them is searing. Clara has finally found her perfect mate – and now all that has to be done is to convince her parents of that fact, a challenge to which Radford, as the foremost barrister of his age, rises with aplomb. The second part of the book changes gear somewhat, with the couple having to work through the numerous adjustments that are necessary to adapt to married life. On top of that, a sudden death in the family means that Radford has to face the prospect of a major and unwanted life change while he’s also having to deal with certain members of the criminal class who are determined to do away with him.
Both protagonists are attractive, engaging characters – even Radford who, as is frequently pointed out, has a talent for being offensive and obnoxious. Those he may be, but he’s also drop-dead sexy, fiercely intelligent, funny and, when it comes to Clara, protective without being stifling. This is the 1830s, so he doesn’t suddenly become a raging feminist, but there is the definite acknowledgement on his part that his wife has a mind of her own that she is capable of putting to good use; and Clara, while pleased that her husband recognises this, remains sensible and doesn’t suddenly rush off and do stupidly out of character things.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dukes Prefer Blondes (even though the title has little to do with the story, as Radford isn’t a duke, and while he doesn’t deny that Clara is beautiful, I suspect that the colour of her hair didn’t bother him in the slightest!), but I can’t deny that I had a few issues with the pacing of the story which has knocked my final grade down a bit. The first part is undoubtedly the stronger, positively fizzing with energy as the sparks fly between Clara and Radford like there’s no tomorrow. Once the couple is married, that energy dissipates a little (although not completely) although I appreciated the way in which the author explores the early days of a marriage between two such strong-minded people, especially in the light of Radford’s changing family circumstances. They continue to bicker, but there’s a new understanding to their exchanges, and a sense that both of them are strongly invested in their marriage and prepared to make it work.
In spite of that criticism, Dukes Prefer Blondes is a treat for fans of Ms Chase’s writing and fans of historical romance in general. It’s wonderfully entertaining, with some of the finest banter I’ve ever read, and yet there’s more to it than that in the author’s razor-sharp observations of what it’s like to be a woman of the upper class, and her keen observation of the dress and social customs of the time. It’s a great read, and one I’m recommending highly.
August 28, 2023
Behold the most intelligent couple to ever grace the Historical Romance genre. A lawyer and a social justice lover?
Plot
Clara and “Raven” Radford met when they were children, fighting a bully together. Years later. Raven is a high esteemed lawyer and Clara is lady with interest in social justice. After reunited, they immediately recognized one another and Clara asked Raven a favor… and since Clara is Clara, how could he say no? While working together, she noticed his respect for her intellect and how he encouraged her to be herself.
My thoughts.
This books has done the impossible, that is, to make a smart heroine and not making her insufferable. Clara, to me, is the epitome of perfection.
Let’s be honest here, how many times in historical romance has a heroine, —a spoiled educated one— say she’s above the society… that she abhor the thought of love and being a lady? Many many times. Perhaps even one girl in every HR series. Clara is not like that. She REDIFINED what intelligent women in HR should be like.
Clara is THAT girl. She is smart, but that doesn’t take away from her other aspects of life. She hoped women have more voice, but she doesn’t go around cursing the world, and despising people. She still knows etiquette and reputation. She behaves accordingly, knowing that she not only represents herself but also her family.
Raven is a very interesting hero, and I get why Clara loves him. He is a lawyer at heart, a debater who listens to every side, even hers. Someone who, even if he says he’s won’t do something, would still do it if it was the right thing to do. He was pure logic all around. And I LOVE how he loves Clara. Leaving his work to nurse her back to health????? YES PLS<3
Our couple is very much in love with one another and you could feel, the admiration.They’re very forward. They’re very open to one another and the drama was kept to what was necessary.
The writing is a bit different than my usual HR, even though I can’t pinpoint why. It needs getting used to at first but once you’re familiar, it will be worth it.
The conflict is less about love life and more about the external problems. Aka villains. I don’t mind reading about social justice problems, but… here comes the only thing I dislike: Some subchapters are very unnecessary. I mean, come on? Two pages of the villains POV even though we don’t need it. Yeah, bye. Those are very uninteresting and boring. I think LC should’ve cut that from the book. Respectfully.
Overall fun read during my busy life.
Plot
Clara and “Raven” Radford met when they were children, fighting a bully together. Years later. Raven is a high esteemed lawyer and Clara is lady with interest in social justice. After reunited, they immediately recognized one another and Clara asked Raven a favor… and since Clara is Clara, how could he say no? While working together, she noticed his respect for her intellect and how he encouraged her to be herself.
My thoughts.
This books has done the impossible, that is, to make a smart heroine and not making her insufferable. Clara, to me, is the epitome of perfection.
Let’s be honest here, how many times in historical romance has a heroine, —a spoiled educated one— say she’s above the society… that she abhor the thought of love and being a lady? Many many times. Perhaps even one girl in every HR series. Clara is not like that. She REDIFINED what intelligent women in HR should be like.
Clara is THAT girl. She is smart, but that doesn’t take away from her other aspects of life. She hoped women have more voice, but she doesn’t go around cursing the world, and despising people. She still knows etiquette and reputation. She behaves accordingly, knowing that she not only represents herself but also her family.
Raven is a very interesting hero, and I get why Clara loves him. He is a lawyer at heart, a debater who listens to every side, even hers. Someone who, even if he says he’s won’t do something, would still do it if it was the right thing to do. He was pure logic all around. And I LOVE how he loves Clara. Leaving his work to nurse her back to health????? YES PLS<3
Our couple is very much in love with one another and you could feel, the admiration.They’re very forward. They’re very open to one another and the drama was kept to what was necessary.
The writing is a bit different than my usual HR, even though I can’t pinpoint why. It needs getting used to at first but once you’re familiar, it will be worth it.
The conflict is less about love life and more about the external problems. Aka villains. I don’t mind reading about social justice problems, but… here comes the only thing I dislike: Some subchapters are very unnecessary. I mean, come on? Two pages of the villains POV even though we don’t need it. Yeah, bye. Those are very uninteresting and boring. I think LC should’ve cut that from the book. Respectfully.
Overall fun read during my busy life.
February 13, 2018
Podría puntuarlo con 4 1/2 estrellas si Goodreads me dejase ;)
"Dukes prefer blondes" es una novela de personajes, no de trama. Es decir, no estamos ante una historia llena de acción, sino ante una historia que se basa en la evolución de dos personajes muy originales, únicos incluso, y de cómo conocerse les hace cambiar y vivir una historia de amor preciosa e increíblemente distinta.
Clara Fairfax es hija de un noble, recibirá una dote amplísima, es guapa y esta harta de vivir sin hacer nada de provecho y de que su única actividad consista en ir a bailes y rechazar propuestas de matrimonio. Clara es muy lista, lee filosofía y quiere hacer algo con su vida, el problema es que es una mujer. Pero un día se harta y decide empezar a luchar por obtener lo que quiere y su primer objetivo es ayudar a una niña a encontrar a su hermano desparecido (este punto es más complejo, obviamente) y para ello acude al despacho de un abogado, Oliver "Raven" Radford.
Raven es hijo de un matrimonio feliz, su padre es el tercer hijo de un duque y al no heredar el título pudo casarse por amor y ejercer una profesión que le ha hecho muy feliz y que su hijo también adora. Raven es también aficionado a la filosofía, increíblemente sarcástico y mordaz y no tiene la más mínima intención de fijarse/casarse con alguien de la nobleza porque ni loco quiere entrar en ese mundo (vivió en él cuando estudiaba y no guarda buenos recuerdos). Pero entonces aparece Clara, que es demasiado lista para que él pueda resistirla y sus tíos empiezan a morir -los de Raven-, y él "corre el peligro" de convertirse en duque.
Lo mejor de esta novela son sin duda alguna los diálogos. Raven y Clara discuten sobre todo, diría que es como leer las conversaciones de la serie "Luz de Luna" pero ambientadas en la Regencia, no sé si me explico, y a mí me ha gustado muchísimo. La trama no es compleja, Raven y Clara no tienen que enfrentarse a ningún impedimento real para estar juntos excepto su propia cabezonería, aunque os aseguro que eso no le resta ninguna emoción a la historia. La tensión que sabe crear la señora Chase en cada diálogo es increíble y que tanto él como ella sean personajes tan inteligentes hace que leer su historia de amor valgo mucho la pena.
"Dukes prefer blondes" pertenece a una serie, pero puede leerse perfectamente sin haber leído los anteriores (yo o no lo he hecho o no los recuerdo) y de momento no está traducida al castellano.
No llego a las cinco porque el final, comparado con el conjunto de la historia, es muy precipitado.
"Dukes prefer blondes" es una novela de personajes, no de trama. Es decir, no estamos ante una historia llena de acción, sino ante una historia que se basa en la evolución de dos personajes muy originales, únicos incluso, y de cómo conocerse les hace cambiar y vivir una historia de amor preciosa e increíblemente distinta.
Clara Fairfax es hija de un noble, recibirá una dote amplísima, es guapa y esta harta de vivir sin hacer nada de provecho y de que su única actividad consista en ir a bailes y rechazar propuestas de matrimonio. Clara es muy lista, lee filosofía y quiere hacer algo con su vida, el problema es que es una mujer. Pero un día se harta y decide empezar a luchar por obtener lo que quiere y su primer objetivo es ayudar a una niña a encontrar a su hermano desparecido (este punto es más complejo, obviamente) y para ello acude al despacho de un abogado, Oliver "Raven" Radford.
Raven es hijo de un matrimonio feliz, su padre es el tercer hijo de un duque y al no heredar el título pudo casarse por amor y ejercer una profesión que le ha hecho muy feliz y que su hijo también adora. Raven es también aficionado a la filosofía, increíblemente sarcástico y mordaz y no tiene la más mínima intención de fijarse/casarse con alguien de la nobleza porque ni loco quiere entrar en ese mundo (vivió en él cuando estudiaba y no guarda buenos recuerdos). Pero entonces aparece Clara, que es demasiado lista para que él pueda resistirla y sus tíos empiezan a morir -los de Raven-, y él "corre el peligro" de convertirse en duque.
Lo mejor de esta novela son sin duda alguna los diálogos. Raven y Clara discuten sobre todo, diría que es como leer las conversaciones de la serie "Luz de Luna" pero ambientadas en la Regencia, no sé si me explico, y a mí me ha gustado muchísimo. La trama no es compleja, Raven y Clara no tienen que enfrentarse a ningún impedimento real para estar juntos excepto su propia cabezonería, aunque os aseguro que eso no le resta ninguna emoción a la historia. La tensión que sabe crear la señora Chase en cada diálogo es increíble y que tanto él como ella sean personajes tan inteligentes hace que leer su historia de amor valgo mucho la pena.
"Dukes prefer blondes" pertenece a una serie, pero puede leerse perfectamente sin haber leído los anteriores (yo o no lo he hecho o no los recuerdo) y de momento no está traducida al castellano.
No llego a las cinco porque el final, comparado con el conjunto de la historia, es muy precipitado.
January 3, 2016
It's rare for me to rate a book one star. If it is dislikable enough to rate 1 star then I usually end up DNFing it. For some unknown reason, I had read this one to the very end but there is a large part of me that wonders why.
This series is hit or miss for me as a whole and I found this one to be a huge miss. It was extremely hard to maintain any interest. Uneven pacing, choppy writing, and a unlikable hero whose insults are framed as foreplay left me feeling rather antagonistic towards the romance. By the second half, the book becomes predictable and boring as we already know what is going to happen. While I enjoy Ms. Chase's writing on the whole, this one just wasn't a good fit for me.
This series is hit or miss for me as a whole and I found this one to be a huge miss. It was extremely hard to maintain any interest. Uneven pacing, choppy writing, and a unlikable hero whose insults are framed as foreplay left me feeling rather antagonistic towards the romance. By the second half, the book becomes predictable and boring as we already know what is going to happen. While I enjoy Ms. Chase's writing on the whole, this one just wasn't a good fit for me.
February 3, 2018
What a terrific HR this is.
Our heroine, Clara, is a familiar character from Chase's Dressmakers series, where she quickly became their favourite client (she was very beautiful and well-connected, as well as being a thoroughly lovely person).
But she is an intelligent woman who, because of her beauty and the fact that she is an aristocratic lady, is never taken seriously. Potential suitors only see her looks, her title and her money. Her father, a politician, is not very involved with her and her mother is an ambitious lady given to histrionics. So Clara lives a life of quiet desperation, feeling the gilded bars closing in as she gets older, frustrated, lonely and increasingly bitter that she will never be able to do anything that really makes a difference to anybody.
Then she meets the tall, dark and brilliant Raven (Oliver Radford), barrister and acerbic wit. He IS trying to make a difference and is famous in London for the often hopeless cases he takes up on behalf of the more powerless segment of the populace. The two go at it hammer and tongs verbally, which they enjoy immensely. He struggles to deal with his emotions but, unlike many other HR heroes who spend the whole book denying them, he is intelligent enough to realise he loves Clara and wants to be with her, even if initially it might be considered a mesalliance on her part.
The dialogue is just brilliant, some of the wittiest and cleverest I have come across in HR, (although this might also have something to do with the legal argument-style of the conversation, familiar to me from my own law studies.) She has to prove herself to him, and when she does, he totally accepts her intellect as well as her beauty. Most importantly, he actually understands how she feels about her life and sympathises. A rare male, indeed!
Radford also has a wonderful relationship with his parents, particularly his father. He is just perfect :)
It is just the sweetest love story. I really felt that they were going to be a partnership. It is so difficult to balance the alpha male with the truly respectful life-partner. HR authors rarely manage it, IMO. I think Chase managed it here beautifully, here. I think my ideal must be the gorgeous, passionate and intellectual male. I have found him in this book!
Ok- gratuitous. But hey- hero is tall, dark and attractive. Henry fits the bill.
Our heroine, Clara, is a familiar character from Chase's Dressmakers series, where she quickly became their favourite client (she was very beautiful and well-connected, as well as being a thoroughly lovely person).
But she is an intelligent woman who, because of her beauty and the fact that she is an aristocratic lady, is never taken seriously. Potential suitors only see her looks, her title and her money. Her father, a politician, is not very involved with her and her mother is an ambitious lady given to histrionics. So Clara lives a life of quiet desperation, feeling the gilded bars closing in as she gets older, frustrated, lonely and increasingly bitter that she will never be able to do anything that really makes a difference to anybody.
Then she meets the tall, dark and brilliant Raven (Oliver Radford), barrister and acerbic wit. He IS trying to make a difference and is famous in London for the often hopeless cases he takes up on behalf of the more powerless segment of the populace. The two go at it hammer and tongs verbally, which they enjoy immensely. He struggles to deal with his emotions but, unlike many other HR heroes who spend the whole book denying them, he is intelligent enough to realise he loves Clara and wants to be with her, even if initially it might be considered a mesalliance on her part.
The dialogue is just brilliant, some of the wittiest and cleverest I have come across in HR, (although this might also have something to do with the legal argument-style of the conversation, familiar to me from my own law studies.) She has to prove herself to him, and when she does, he totally accepts her intellect as well as her beauty. Most importantly, he actually understands how she feels about her life and sympathises. A rare male, indeed!
Radford also has a wonderful relationship with his parents, particularly his father. He is just perfect :)
It is just the sweetest love story. I really felt that they were going to be a partnership. It is so difficult to balance the alpha male with the truly respectful life-partner. HR authors rarely manage it, IMO. I think Chase managed it here beautifully, here. I think my ideal must be the gorgeous, passionate and intellectual male. I have found him in this book!
Ok- gratuitous. But hey- hero is tall, dark and attractive. Henry fits the bill.
February 7, 2016
5 stars for narration, 4.5 for content
I'm not reviewing this elsewhere and I've already reviewed the book HERE, so this is just an add-on about the audiobook version.
As usual, Kate Reading's performance is superb; she has an amazing affinity for Loretta Chase's deadpan humour and, in the wonderfully snarky exchanges between Clara and Radford is simply brilliant. She always does a great job with the heroes, but I have to make special mention of her interpretation of Radford in this, because she gives him these low, husky tones which are ridiculously attractive ;)
Another terrific addition to the Chase/Reading catalogue.
I'm not reviewing this elsewhere and I've already reviewed the book HERE, so this is just an add-on about the audiobook version.
As usual, Kate Reading's performance is superb; she has an amazing affinity for Loretta Chase's deadpan humour and, in the wonderfully snarky exchanges between Clara and Radford is simply brilliant. She always does a great job with the heroes, but I have to make special mention of her interpretation of Radford in this, because she gives him these low, husky tones which are ridiculously attractive ;)
Another terrific addition to the Chase/Reading catalogue.
December 22, 2015
All I can say after finishing Dukes Prefer Blondes is: well, that wasn’t what I was expecting. And I mean that in the best possible way. I will admit that I judged this book on it’s cover and title, assuming that it would be delightfully frivolous. However, I was blown away by the writing, detailed historical facts, and by the author’s examination of what it means to be a woman of the upper class. This, my friends, is exactly what I love about the romance genre. For all that it gets a bad rap for giving folks unrealistic expectations or being viewed of lowbrow reading, there’s so much more behind the fluffy packaging and Dukes Prefer Blondes is a perfect example of this.
Lady Clara Fairfax has a problem; she needs to rescue a friend’s younger brother, Toby Coppy, from the clutches of a criminal gang, but being a lady there’s absolutely nothing in her power that she can do to help. That is, unless she recruits someone to do the job for her (with her help, of course). After bumping into Mr. Oliver “Raven” Radford, a barrister of no small reputation, Lady Clara decides he’s just the man to help her discover Toby. Radford, is less inclined to assist Lady Clara, but for some inexplicable reason he just can’t seem to resist…
What I loved about Dukes Prefer Blondes is the utterly hilarious sarcastic arguments that Clara and Radford have. If you're not reading closely these two can sound rather mean, but when you factor in sarcasm, their arguments become so much more. Clara might be a lady, but she has no problem sharpening her tongue on Radford, who definitely deserves it. Radford for his part soon discovers that Clara is not like the usual woman that he’s used to dealing with. What’s more is that with Radford, Clara is free to express how claustrophobic her own life is, even if she lives in the lap of luxury.
The way in which Clara expresses her feeling of being trapped by her class and gender is heartbreaking. There are numerous occasions in the book when Clara has to stifle her voice or change her behaviour to fit a specific expectation. Only when she’s with Radford does Clara express her true opinions, eventually only using her ability to mask her true thoughts in teasing Radford. The relationship between these two was beautifully rendered, filled with sharp words, conflicting opinion and a deep respect for the each other. So if you’re looking for a romance that’s witty and biting, Dukes Prefer Blondes is the romance to read.
Despite my love for the romance between Radford and Lady Clara, I did have some minor quibbles about the book, mainly the title. The title is a huge misrepresentation of the book. Radford is not a duke for the majority of the book and his devotion to Clara has nothing to do with her blonde hair. While the title doesn’t really have much bearing on the content of the book, it is an aspect that really nags at me. Don’t let the title fool you, this book is not about dukes nor is it about a duke who’s looking for love with only a blonde woman. Instead it’s about a barrister that might one day be a duke but would rather continue to practice law and the young lady who happens to have blonde hair and would happily move outside her class to marry someone of lower rank. Putting that into a catchy title, might be a tad difficult.
So, if you’re looking for a historical romance that embraces historical details (like dressmaking, lawyering etc.) and involves a verbal sparring contest between its leads, look no further than Dukes Prefer Blondes. I'd also recommend shoving this one into the hands of any romance naysayers you know - this is a perfect example of why the romance genre is more than just sex.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
Lady Clara Fairfax has a problem; she needs to rescue a friend’s younger brother, Toby Coppy, from the clutches of a criminal gang, but being a lady there’s absolutely nothing in her power that she can do to help. That is, unless she recruits someone to do the job for her (with her help, of course). After bumping into Mr. Oliver “Raven” Radford, a barrister of no small reputation, Lady Clara decides he’s just the man to help her discover Toby. Radford, is less inclined to assist Lady Clara, but for some inexplicable reason he just can’t seem to resist…
What I loved about Dukes Prefer Blondes is the utterly hilarious sarcastic arguments that Clara and Radford have. If you're not reading closely these two can sound rather mean, but when you factor in sarcasm, their arguments become so much more. Clara might be a lady, but she has no problem sharpening her tongue on Radford, who definitely deserves it. Radford for his part soon discovers that Clara is not like the usual woman that he’s used to dealing with. What’s more is that with Radford, Clara is free to express how claustrophobic her own life is, even if she lives in the lap of luxury.
“You’ve no notion how I live in the world you call a fantasy,” she went on in the same taut tone. “You’ve no idea what it’s like to spend your life wrapped in cotton wool, with all about you protecting you, mainly from yourself, because you don’t behave as they think a girl ought to do, and they believe something’s wrong with you. You don’t know what it’s like to watch your brothers go away to school and make new friends and have adventures you’ll never have, even vicariously, in books. You don’t know what it’s like to be scolded for reading too much and knowing too much – to be taught to hide your intelligence, because otherwise you’ll frighten the gentlemen away – to stifle your opinions, because ladies aren’t to have any opinions of their own, but must always defer to men.” She stamped her foot. “You know nothing about me. Nothing! Nothing!” (p. 71)
The way in which Clara expresses her feeling of being trapped by her class and gender is heartbreaking. There are numerous occasions in the book when Clara has to stifle her voice or change her behaviour to fit a specific expectation. Only when she’s with Radford does Clara express her true opinions, eventually only using her ability to mask her true thoughts in teasing Radford. The relationship between these two was beautifully rendered, filled with sharp words, conflicting opinion and a deep respect for the each other. So if you’re looking for a romance that’s witty and biting, Dukes Prefer Blondes is the romance to read.
Despite my love for the romance between Radford and Lady Clara, I did have some minor quibbles about the book, mainly the title. The title is a huge misrepresentation of the book. Radford is not a duke for the majority of the book and his devotion to Clara has nothing to do with her blonde hair. While the title doesn’t really have much bearing on the content of the book, it is an aspect that really nags at me. Don’t let the title fool you, this book is not about dukes nor is it about a duke who’s looking for love with only a blonde woman. Instead it’s about a barrister that might one day be a duke but would rather continue to practice law and the young lady who happens to have blonde hair and would happily move outside her class to marry someone of lower rank. Putting that into a catchy title, might be a tad difficult.
So, if you’re looking for a historical romance that embraces historical details (like dressmaking, lawyering etc.) and involves a verbal sparring contest between its leads, look no further than Dukes Prefer Blondes. I'd also recommend shoving this one into the hands of any romance naysayers you know - this is a perfect example of why the romance genre is more than just sex.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
March 21, 2025
She burst into tears--and not mere weeping, but great, racking sobs, as of a long pent-up grief.
He started to reach for her and caught himself in time. "Stop it," he said, clenching his hands. "Stop it."
"No! You're such an idiot!"
"You're hysterical," he said calmly, while his heart pounded. "Don't make me pour a bucket of water on your head."
She stamped her foot again. "I'm already w-wet, you m-moron!"
"Oh good. What I always wanted. An irrational female bawling and stamping her foot, because she can't have her own way." --Clara & Raven, one of their many golden interactions
5++ stars!!
This book was utter perfection. I cannot begin to describe and express how much I loved this story, these characters, their blooming romance, their banter and hilarious interactions, and really just everything about this novel. I highlighted and bookmarked SO MANY passages and quotes that I feel like broadcasting some of these is the best way to show my love and devotion to this novel. Enjoy! :)
Lady Clara is pretty much your typical daughter of the ton. She is beautiful, well-mannered, and has been meticulously groomed by her mother to someday marry a duke and become the duchess of a well-respected family of Society. However, she longs to be free of the expectations of polite Society and to be able to express her emotions and thoughts as a sentient being instead of being viewed as simply a pretty face.
Her beauty surrounded her like a great stone wall. Men couldn't see above, beyond, or through it. They certainly couldn't see past it.
This was because men only looked at women. They didn't listen to women, especially beautiful women.
Oliver "Raven" Radford is a brilliant barrister--he is clever, perceptive, straightforward to a fault and cares little for the niceties required to be successful in polite Society. He is renowned for his decisiveness and success in the courtroom, and is able to achieve such victories by being able to detach himself from his emotions and think solely with reason and logic.
He said, "I realize your ladyship is very bored, being loved to death, but you ought not to let ennui dull your reason. My world is not like the fantasy one you live in. Mine demands I work within the bounds of the law, with the cooperation of the police. We didn't learn Toby's whereabouts until the small hours of morning. I've suggested a plan, and the police are prepared to carry it out. Nobody needs you."
As a result of this ability to disconnect, he often comes across as obnoxious (as everyone is so apt to point out and remind him of) and callous.
"Lady Clara," he said. "You're punctual to the minute." He didn't take out his pocket watch. He had an accurate idea of time, especially when it was wasted. Of the last five and twenty minutes, all but four, by his measure, fell into that category.
His scientific and straightforward nature is usually more than enough to deter members of the ton from interacting with him, but Clara sees him as so different from the usual simpering men who offer for her hand and so utterly unaffected by her beauty that she can't help but continue to seek him out. And as a result, Raven is forced to abandon his preconceptions and realize that she is more than a beautiful face constantly being courted by members of polite Society. That she is intelligent and possesses a sound mind (though he loves to tease her about it as they continue to grow closer), and that he has come to value her thoughts and input and her presence in general.
"You're so charming."
"Everybody says that," he said.
"No, they don't. Never. No one has ever said that about you in all your life, I'll wager anything."
"Perhaps they did not exactly say charming," he said. "Perhaps... Yes, now I recollect, the phrase was 'tolerable in very small doses.'"
"And yet I missed you," she said. "Fancy that."
"I missed you, too," he said gruffly.
Their banter was pure freaking gold. I loved watching them interact and tease and flirt with one another, while still managing to deny their growing affection for each other. They had inside jokes and loved teasing each other, but ultimately learned to support and trust one another and I just loved them together. Raven still remained a pompous ass, but he learned to acknowledge Clara's thoughts as well, while Clara continued to adore Raven's intellect and still be the strong duchess he needed. She was not afraid to stand up to him and refused to be intimidated by him or his wit, which he found as endearing as he did aggravating.
"You have a point," he said. "An excellent point, by the way. Do you know, I was cleverer than I thought, when I decided to marry you."
"You decided!"
"Yes, after you left me no choice." --Raven and Clara on who is cleverer
Overall, I ADORED this novel. I would not change a single thing about any of the romance, [slight] angst, mystery, adventure, danger, possessiveness, murder plot, obnoxiousness (on Raven's part), or frustration (on Clara's part) contained in its pages. Everything came together and meshed so beautifully and perfectly, and I savored every single written word. I cannot recommend this one enough, and I will definitely be checking out more of Chase's other novels!
Tropes: opposites attract, forbidden love, scholarly and eccentric hero, diamond-of-the-first-water heroine, grumpy/sunshine, class difference, hurt/comfort, witty banter, mystery-to-solve, STEAMY🔥
My Oliver "Raven" Radford, serious and obnoxiously endearing Barrister and Marquess of Bredon :D
May 28, 2024
Rational man slowly DISSOLVES into the MADNESS OF LOVE when he meets a sassy blue-eyed bombshell 🦋🩵
It all starts when they meet in a fight. They are both getting beaten up by the same guy 👀 they don’t bond immediately and only meet a decade later Raven Radcliffe as an lawyer/fancy-pants-barrister and Clara Fairfax a High Lady trying to help a friend ✨🩵 grumpy x sunshine relationship with a sprinkle of sarcastic mmc & a fmc that refuses to back down!
Raven Radcliffe is a man obsessed
⚖️ literally won’t deny her anything if she says ‘please’
⚖️ nicknames her “queen of all realms of my life”
⚖️ gets mad at her for touching a dirty railing b/c obviously she can get a splinter in her beautiful hands
⚖️ holds a mock trial with her parents to gain her hand (CALLS HER AS A WITNESS!)
⚖️ loves her mind so much but then melts into a puddle because she’s so pretty too!
THE BANTER. THE SARCASM. THE ADORATION. They fight all the time! But playful fighting until they want to make out 🌶️ both are incredibly smart so the sarcastic banter had no ends!! When she would scream at him the most he would call her the following nicknames AND I’M LIVING FOR THIS…
LOVED THE FMC!! I’m talking sass, quick wit & incredible problem solving skills. Lady Clara is the most beautiful & sought after girlie of the season 💎 but painfully aware of a woman’s place in the society AND WANTS TO FIGHT IT WITH A PASSION!! She is brilliantly courageous and very quick witted. Perfect wife for a barrister dare I say!!!
grumpy x sunshine ☀️
intelligent mmc
strong & sassy fmc
virgin fmc
sick bed 🛏️
side plot (London’s children thugs)
great relationship with in-laws (THIS HEALED ME!)
HEA
It all starts when they meet in a fight. They are both getting beaten up by the same guy 👀 they don’t bond immediately and only meet a decade later Raven Radcliffe as an lawyer/fancy-pants-barrister and Clara Fairfax a High Lady trying to help a friend ✨🩵 grumpy x sunshine relationship with a sprinkle of sarcastic mmc & a fmc that refuses to back down!
Raven Radcliffe is a man obsessed
⚖️ literally won’t deny her anything if she says ‘please’
⚖️ nicknames her “queen of all realms of my life”
⚖️ gets mad at her for touching a dirty railing b/c obviously she can get a splinter in her beautiful hands
⚖️ holds a mock trial with her parents to gain her hand (CALLS HER AS A WITNESS!)
⚖️ loves her mind so much but then melts into a puddle because she’s so pretty too!
THE BANTER. THE SARCASM. THE ADORATION. They fight all the time! But playful fighting until they want to make out 🌶️ both are incredibly smart so the sarcastic banter had no ends!! When she would scream at him the most he would call her the following nicknames AND I’M LIVING FOR THIS…
”the jewel in the crown of my happiness”
“sun on my horizon”
“queen of all realms of my life”
LOVED THE FMC!! I’m talking sass, quick wit & incredible problem solving skills. Lady Clara is the most beautiful & sought after girlie of the season 💎 but painfully aware of a woman’s place in the society AND WANTS TO FIGHT IT WITH A PASSION!! She is brilliantly courageous and very quick witted. Perfect wife for a barrister dare I say!!!
grumpy x sunshine ☀️
intelligent mmc
strong & sassy fmc
virgin fmc
sick bed 🛏️
side plot (London’s children thugs)
great relationship with in-laws (THIS HEALED ME!)
HEA
September 9, 2024
This title, uh, right? What historical romance trended to, in order to sell books, or what editors thought buyers wanted to read. The title is, by the way, a spoiler, kind of. But I am kind of dodging a very good non fiction history book which is making me feel sad and stop listening to it after 30 minutes, so I finally got to this, despite the title.
This is a very unusual book, it wraps up a series of 3 sisters, being the story of one of their clients and friends (and sister in law of one, and ex of the husband of another), and it feels a bit like it was unplanned, or, to be fair, authorial fanfiction - good one, great one maybe, but still, it is long and rambling, the social injustices plot is a bit long and tedious, Clara´s personality is now a bit different in feeling than it was on book 2 (which I had read previously). It´s a bit Clara gets her HEA in tone and yeah, make him a duke somehow. And Loretta Chase writes fantastically funnily, and is clearly a history geek and the book just sparkles in many ways. So whatever she wants to write I will probably read, sooner or later. But as a romance it's an odd book, unbalanced somehow, almost stock characters (Loretta Chase stock though, so superior and entertaining).
There were priceless bits though, the lady's maid and her relationship with Clara, the parental figures, the gentle satyre of ladies' fashion, the historical details all round. As usual I am not sure how to rate this. Loretta Chase at her most satirical, full of fun historical details, but the romance is a bit off and the plot-pace odd, if you are going to read it as a romance. (Also the title, come on..)
This is a very unusual book, it wraps up a series of 3 sisters, being the story of one of their clients and friends (and sister in law of one, and ex of the husband of another), and it feels a bit like it was unplanned, or, to be fair, authorial fanfiction - good one, great one maybe, but still, it is long and rambling, the social injustices plot is a bit long and tedious, Clara´s personality is now a bit different in feeling than it was on book 2 (which I had read previously). It´s a bit Clara gets her HEA in tone and yeah, make him a duke somehow. And Loretta Chase writes fantastically funnily, and is clearly a history geek and the book just sparkles in many ways. So whatever she wants to write I will probably read, sooner or later. But as a romance it's an odd book, unbalanced somehow, almost stock characters (Loretta Chase stock though, so superior and entertaining).
There were priceless bits though, the lady's maid and her relationship with Clara, the parental figures, the gentle satyre of ladies' fashion, the historical details all round. As usual I am not sure how to rate this. Loretta Chase at her most satirical, full of fun historical details, but the romance is a bit off and the plot-pace odd, if you are going to read it as a romance. (Also the title, come on..)
October 1, 2020
Loved Lady Clara, and her man Radford, aka Ravine!
Lady Clara is courted by multiple men, but she has turned them all down with the hopes of becoming a spinster.
When Ravine steals her heart, her parents are completely against the match. He isn't fashionable or social, but he is the grandson of a Duke.
Radford was very skillful in fighting to win Clara...in court! And I loved it!
Lady Clara is courted by multiple men, but she has turned them all down with the hopes of becoming a spinster.
When Ravine steals her heart, her parents are completely against the match. He isn't fashionable or social, but he is the grandson of a Duke.
Radford was very skillful in fighting to win Clara...in court! And I loved it!
January 13, 2016
4.5 Stars!! This was a smart and fun read. While some of LC's earlier works are very hard to compete with, I really liked Oliver "Raven" and Clara as a couple. They were both smart and I loved their verbal sparring with one another throughout the story. By the time it was over, I wanted to move next door to the five story Malvern House and have barbeques with them. Fun story for sure.
May 25, 2020
Finally we get Lady Lara's story!
It was fun and really endearing to see which man Clara has chosen! Hahaha!
I liked Oliver and how his mind worked! I also liked how he treated Clara and how he made his proposal to her parents! LOL
A sweet and nice story!
It was fun and really endearing to see which man Clara has chosen! Hahaha!
I liked Oliver and how his mind worked! I also liked how he treated Clara and how he made his proposal to her parents! LOL
A sweet and nice story!
January 7, 2016
4 1/2 stars
April 11, 2024
Something didn't work for me in this book. I guess there were a few things that did not really work for me and made it impossible for me to fully enjoy it.
I wasn't able to fully sense the feelings between the main characters. They were supposed to fit together so perfectly. And, at first glance, it seems true. Radford lets Clara be who she wants to be. But for some reason, I didn't feel like they really fit together. In fact, I even had a hard time finding the desire between them that they mention from time to time. There is no real tension between them. When Radford proposed to Clara, I was really surprised because at this point, I didn't see such deep feelings between them.
And there was even something strange about the sex scenes. I can't quite say what. But there was no passion in them. And at the same time, they were a bit too modern. Except, of course, for overly displaying Clara's virginity. Emphasizing her “innocence” was really strange and awkward. In general, I found the sex scenes often a bit awkward.
Part of the problem was that I couldn't really get attached to the main characters. We mainly follow Radford, so his feelings are better known to us. The problem is that I found his character rather confusing. He is such an interesting character with such potential. And yet he sometimes seems to be a caricature of himself. His love for his parents is his only human quality, besides being an obnoxious lawyer.
But since we mainly follow Radford, I think we know too little about Clara. And she too could be such an interesting character. We know that she is suffocated by the rigid norms of society that prevent her from doing what men do and from deciding her own fate. But we know it mainly because she talks about it. There are only a few very small scenes where we can actually see it. Again, as in the case of Radford, Clara can also be described with practically one word - independent. These characters lacked dimension.
I also think this book was just too long. There were too many different threads. And the dialogues were often pointless and forced.
Loretta Chase is a very popular author. I have read her books before, although I have a hard time remembering which ones. But I'm starting to think her stories just aren't for me.
I wasn't able to fully sense the feelings between the main characters. They were supposed to fit together so perfectly. And, at first glance, it seems true. Radford lets Clara be who she wants to be. But for some reason, I didn't feel like they really fit together. In fact, I even had a hard time finding the desire between them that they mention from time to time. There is no real tension between them. When Radford proposed to Clara, I was really surprised because at this point, I didn't see such deep feelings between them.
And there was even something strange about the sex scenes. I can't quite say what. But there was no passion in them. And at the same time, they were a bit too modern. Except, of course, for overly displaying Clara's virginity. Emphasizing her “innocence” was really strange and awkward. In general, I found the sex scenes often a bit awkward.
Part of the problem was that I couldn't really get attached to the main characters. We mainly follow Radford, so his feelings are better known to us. The problem is that I found his character rather confusing. He is such an interesting character with such potential. And yet he sometimes seems to be a caricature of himself. His love for his parents is his only human quality, besides being an obnoxious lawyer.
But since we mainly follow Radford, I think we know too little about Clara. And she too could be such an interesting character. We know that she is suffocated by the rigid norms of society that prevent her from doing what men do and from deciding her own fate. But we know it mainly because she talks about it. There are only a few very small scenes where we can actually see it. Again, as in the case of Radford, Clara can also be described with practically one word - independent. These characters lacked dimension.
I also think this book was just too long. There were too many different threads. And the dialogues were often pointless and forced.
Loretta Chase is a very popular author. I have read her books before, although I have a hard time remembering which ones. But I'm starting to think her stories just aren't for me.
February 23, 2017
Oh, how I loved this book. It is like a lemon tart. Biting, sweet, unusual and so delicious.
The banter is to die for. The hero and heroine book have such sexy, sexy brains.
I had not read any of the other books in the series and that didn't dampen my enjoyment one bit.
They are a complex couple. Chase does such a wonderful job with the mixed emotions and falling in love.
The romance is in perfect balance with the action of the story. I can't wait to reread my favorite parts. This is a book I will return again and again.
Go get it!
The banter is to die for. The hero and heroine book have such sexy, sexy brains.
I had not read any of the other books in the series and that didn't dampen my enjoyment one bit.
They are a complex couple. Chase does such a wonderful job with the mixed emotions and falling in love.
The romance is in perfect balance with the action of the story. I can't wait to reread my favorite parts. This is a book I will return again and again.
Go get it!
December 7, 2020
DNF. Got to about the 7th chapter and said, “To hell with this.” I just can’t get into either character. Or the plot. Or the writing. Bleh. Next book.
June 20, 2020
An unshakeable case of bronchitis is making me quite cranky so I am going to settle in at three stars.
I read the first two books in the "Dressmaker" series plus Loretta Chase wrote Lord of Scoundrels, yum, so this deserves a read on those merits alone. I didn't love it; don't know why, and don't have the cough, cough, cough energy to figure out why.
I will say, I was more than a little disappointed not to see more of the characters in the first two books. I really enjoyed the sassiness and conniving-ness, if that's a word, of the two designing sisters and their ability to make the most of their opportunities. (Haven't read the third one.) So having this be a part of the series with minimal contact with the designing duo was disappointing. Turns out Clara, this h, is the rejected bride in the first. Ho hum, and the wedding gown sounded tacky as well.
Clara and Raven are two solid characters though with plenty of witty banter. Major sexiness ensues even though he is a boring solicitor soon to be Duke heir-to-be. There is a subplot dealing with London underground that interfered with blowing my nose and popping generic Sucrets, but that's what skimming is for.
I read the first two books in the "Dressmaker" series plus Loretta Chase wrote Lord of Scoundrels, yum, so this deserves a read on those merits alone. I didn't love it; don't know why, and don't have the cough, cough, cough energy to figure out why.
I will say, I was more than a little disappointed not to see more of the characters in the first two books. I really enjoyed the sassiness and conniving-ness, if that's a word, of the two designing sisters and their ability to make the most of their opportunities. (Haven't read the third one.) So having this be a part of the series with minimal contact with the designing duo was disappointing. Turns out Clara, this h, is the rejected bride in the first. Ho hum, and the wedding gown sounded tacky as well.
Clara and Raven are two solid characters though with plenty of witty banter. Major sexiness ensues even though he is a boring solicitor soon to be Duke heir-to-be. There is a subplot dealing with London underground that interfered with blowing my nose and popping generic Sucrets, but that's what skimming is for.
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