The Major's Faux Fiancee

The Dukes of War #4

by Erica Ridley

When Major Bartholomew Blackpool learns the girl-next-door from his childhood will be forced into an unwanted marriage, he returns home to play her pretend beau. He figures now that he's missing a leg, a faux fiancée is the best an ex-soldier can get. He admires her pluck, but the lady deserves a whole man—and he'll ensure she gets one.

Miss Daphne Vaughan hates that crying off will destroy Major Blackpool's chances of finding a real bride. She plots to make him jilt her first. Who cares if it ruins her? She never wanted a husband anyway. But the major is equally determined that she break the engagement. With both of them on their worst behavior, neither expects their fake betrothal to lead to love...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance, Adult

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Get freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?

In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Reviews

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars

Ok, so I liked parts of this book and others...not so much. I liked the main characters to a point but I think at times they were both a little too melodramatic. Daphne felt sorry for herself because everyone she ever cared about left her, so she didn't try to have any meaningful relationships. These people passed away, they didn't leave because they didn't care about her, so I thought her feelings were just a little on the selfish side. The hero lost his leg in the war, which I really liked about him because it made him not the typical perfect man that you often find in romance novels, but he also talked about not being a "whole" man way too much. I did like when the two got together and actually talked, some moments between them were really cute. Although, I felt there weren't enough of those moments and too many with them feeling sorry for themselves. I also really liked the secondary characters of her friend Katherine and the pirate, Captain Steele. I would love to read a novel with them as the main focus. This was my first Erica Ridley book and I enjoyed it enough that I would read her again.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Kindle freebie 12/15/17

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐💫
1½ stars.




➕ What I liked :


Somewhat interesting beginning to the story.

Disability rep. (the hero)








➖ What I disliked:

Repetitive.

Too much inner monologue.

Not enough focus on the couple and their romance.
(Too little actual interaction and conversation between the main characters.)

OTT and annoying heroine.
(It is really good that the heroine really wants to help the poor etc.
But she is written and portrayed like a mix between a Mary Sue character and Mother Teresa.
She can do lots of good for the poor and sick…. But still have a good and fulfilling life…. one does not exclude the other.)





Both main characters are rather annoying and whiny.
The hero has understandable reasons to be sad and depressed… but it is written in a weird and OTT way.
And the heroine…. The heroine is only 21…. but she acts like a teenager very often… and she is also very stubborn...but she is also a snob.


No real chemistry or tension between the main characters.

Underwhelming.

The romantic build up/romance was very unconvincing/lacking.

Plot-holes.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The magic in reading is how the author puts the words together, fitting them in like a puzzle until that final piece on the last page. Erica Ridley’s The Major’s Faux Fiancee fits together creating a familiar scene, but more vivid and brighter. For Regency or historical romance lovers, once again, Ms. Ridley transports us back in time when women were more like precious property, and if they could not fit the mold of clueless elbow dressing, well, they were probably ahead of their time and not prime wife material. Daphne was outspoken, committed to a cause she believed in and willing to give up her own expectations in life to pursue righting great wrongs, even if she had to correspond as a man.

Bartholomew came home from war, a battered and bruised man, not only did he lose part of a leg, he lost his twin brother and spends his time interchanging the self-loathing for having failed to save his brother to the self-loathing for not being a “whole” man. Gentleman that he is, when Daphne is threatened with an insane asylum or having a husband chosen for her, and she begs him to pretend to be her fiancé, he rushes to her rescue. How long can they keep the charade up?

Seriously, you know where this is heading, two misfits, one almost a total recluse, one an advocate for a very liberal cause with the understanding that no man would want her for a wife. Sounds like the perfect recipe for weaving a web and getting entangled in it yourself! What a journey Ms. Ridley takes us on, light-hearted stroll, steeped in archaic customs and the amusement of watching two people destined to be together each try to let the other down easy and give them an out from a precarious situation. Ahh, the Ton, the games people play and the delightful style that Erica Ridley creates each scene, this is reading entertainment, just for the fun of it, in a time when men were men and women did teas and garden parties. Another wonderful read from a talented author!

I received an ARC edition from Intrepid Reads in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Dukes of War - Book 4
Publication Date: June 1, 2015
Publisher: Intrepid Reads
ISBN: 9781939713322
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 231 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Joan]

This contains MAJOR spoilers so read on at your peril.

This started very promisingly - a war hero coming to terms with the loss of his leg and I was hoping for a gutsy story as Daphne initially came across as someone with her head screwed on the right way, but then I read Chapter 2 and it seemed to lose its way somewhat. (its a very short chapter and lacked any real depth)

I read on, (loving the 'Laughy Daffy' nickname) and it was all going swimmingly until I got to the part where her guardian is an honest to god 'pirate' called 'Blackheart' - somehow that all seemed way too far-fetched for me. I know there was piracy then, but this just seemed a clunky excuse for the guardian to want t get rid of his charge (unless of course the piracy aspect crops up later in the story)

So. Chapter 4 and Bartholomew ( I can't help but pause every time I read his surname - Blackpool) There is a LOT of angst - his lost leg, his lost brother, his distraught parents who seem to have abandoned him....etc etc...

However, there are some lovely moments - Bart's unease that the guardian has taken over Daphne's father's study for his own use, Bart's glorious comment about his twin brother: 'We're easy to tell apart now. I'm the one with the wooden leg. He's the one who's dead.' Bart is lovely here - ashamed, angry, bitter, resentful, distraught, grieving.

Blackheart somehow comes across as a caricature - all bluster and threats and I half expected him to come out with 'Arrrgh, me hearties.

Chapter 5 was one of those chapters where you get to the end and wonder... what was all that about? Yes, Daphne is a 'crusader' - spending all her spare time doing...... and I wasn't really sure WHAT she was doing. There was mention of letters and apothecaries and fighting for thousands of faceless individuals, but how?? There was no one 'cause' she seemed to be committed to.

I read on - it was an easy read, not much effort involved, which is perfect for a holiday book, but I had the feeling this was going to be rather shallow in the end. :(

Oh - and 'Blackpool' ? All I can see when I read that word is cheap arcades and tacky gift shops selling sticks of rock, and hen parties wandering drunkenly down the Golden Mile. ;)

Then, after a few more chapters, I realised that I wasn't actually 'reading' it - I had totally lost interest and for the life of me I couldn't say what was happening in the story. There were a lot of incidental characters who seemed to have come from their own stories - the curse of the 'series of books' strikes again!

I read through to the end, but it was an effort. Bart's 'whining' about being less of a man because he had lost part of one leg became intensely irritating and Daphne was just too vague. The charity thing was all well and good but there was no focus to it - or reason, and then, at the end, when it turned out that the evil Blackheart pirate had set the whole thing up to get Bart and Daphne together I nearly threw my Kindle at the wall. What a crap ending.

The inclusion of Bart's parents as ineffectual, distraught idiots was not good either. It had a particularly 'mocking' feel to it that made me feel rather uncomfortable.

Sigh. Well, it was free. That's all I can say about it.

[Mojca · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley***

What happened? Where was the comedy? Where were great characters? Where was the great plot and narrative flow I've come to expect in this series?

I'm sorry to say, this was the worst story so far. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what it could (and should) have been. Both the hero and heroine were annoying. I know Bartholomew's been dealt a shitty hand, but he went a little too far in feeling sorry for himself. He came through as selfish, only thinking of himself, believing he's the only one with rotten luck. Daphne was his perfect match in feeling sorry for herself, but for entirely different, yet also selfish reasons. No one cared about her, no one wanted her, everybody left. People die, so they leave, it's the circle of life, but if you want someone to care, you have to give them a reason to. She never bothered. And then, it turned out, she was doing all her goody-goody work for selfish reasons as well, because she wanted people to know she was doing it, she wanted people to care about her and not about her projects. Sheesh. And she kept pushing people away when they wanted to help (Bartholomew, Katherine...), because she wanted to do it all one her own. For herself, not for the others.

I just couldn't empathize with the two of them, I couldn't relate to them, since I didn't really care about them. They were two selfish, self-centered, egotistical individuals that sort of happened to like each other, be attracted to one another, and ended up being in love. Meh.

I much preferred the secondary characters in this one, and the glimpse into the beginning of the next story. I loved Daphne's friend, Katherine, and I hope she'll find her match in the last book in the series, whose title suggests it's bout a duke. ;) And I'm looking forward to the next story in the series that starts with the wedding of the Duke of Ravenwood who's pretty much given up on marrying for love in order to give Sarah Fairfax the respectability after her fiancé, Bartholomew's brother, knocked her up and went to die in war. I truly hope the dead guy is a step up from his brother.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Daphne Vaughan has been orphaned and her cousin, a notorious pirate, is now her guardian. When he threatens to marry her off or send her to a lunatic asylum she writes to Major Bartholomew Blackpool, one of the the boys who lived next door to her when she was growing up, to ask for his help. He is one of the Dukes of War. He went off to fight Napoleon with two friends and his twin brother but only three of them returned. His twin was killed on the battlefield, he lost a leg and one of the friends lost his mind. He’s avoided all social events and won’t even let his valet help bathe him - no one is allowed to see his injuries. On receiving Daphne’s note he rushes to help her. He agrees to pretend to be betrothed to her for the few weeks until she comes of age and into her own money, at which time one of them can break their engagement.. . . He’s determined to find someone who is whole to marry Daphne. She’s determined never to marry. Will love find a way for these two?

This is the fourth book in the series but all the books can be read as standalone. Having said that, they do have characters and events in common so build upon each other - and they’re all enjoyable, too, so it makes sense to read them all if you have the chance! The impact of their war experiences on the characters and how love helps them to heal and move on is a common theme in the stories. The characters are well developed, their emotional turmoil and dilemmas are portrayed in an easy to relate to manner that has you hoping things will work out for them in the end. This Regency era drama is another great book to escape into and I have no hesitation in highly recommending it.

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too,
for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Gaufre · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 15%

Sadly, chapter 1 was the best. Chapter 2 was a little crazy, with a pirate and the heroine calls herself a crusader (for the poor).

I read 5 chapters and find the whole thing very boring, despite the pirate. The characters' thoughts are not really original; the heroine is such a do-gooder; and the story is just stalling. There is nothing very offensive but nothing to keep my attention either. I am afraid I don't have into me to read more.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the relationship between the central two characters, but there were plot holes big enough to sail a schooner through. The timeline is all over the place. It's just a mess.

[Gilgamesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 2 stars are for the end of the book and the most heart warming proposal I ever have read....the rest of the book was boring...I couldn't stay awake even when my blood was saturated with caffeine.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/3/2019)! 🎁

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voto - 3.5
.
Bartholomew sospirò. “A mandarmi quell’invito è stata la sorella di uno dei miei migliori amici.”
“Voi avete ricevuto molti inviti, signore,” disse la voce annoiata di Crabtree. “Semplicemente, è difficile rispondere una volta che essi sono diventati cenere. Siete sicuro di volere che anche questi seguano la stessa sorte?”
“Sicurissimo.” Bartholomew sorrise a denti stretti. “Sarebbe imbarazzante per tutti se mi presentassi a casa di qualcuno e zoppicassi sul suo candido pavimento mentre quello cerca disperatamente di pensare a qualcosa da dire che non riguardi la mia gamba scomparsa o mio fratello scomparso. È già abbastanza difficile, per me, avere a che fare col mio dolore. Di sicuro non voglio sprecare tempo scambiando piacevolezze con persone che spero di non rivedere mai più. E che mi venga un colpo se lascerò che il mio nome compaia sui giornali scandalistici perché sono inciampato nella mia protesi e sono cascato col culo per terra di fronte a mezzo mondo.” Gesticolò verso il caminetto. “Avanti. Butta tutto.”
.
Bartholomew è fra i giovani che il ton ha soprannominato i Duchi di Guerra, quello che ha perso di più; il conflitto, infatti, gli ha portato via parte di una gamba, lo ha lasciato pieno di cicatrici, ma soprattutto, lo ha privato dell’amato gemello, l’altra parte di se stesso. Tornato in patria ha anche dovuto convivere con la convinzione che i genitori, che sono sempre stati amorevolmente presenti nella vita sua e del fratello, ora evitino persino di guardarlo, troppo addolorati dalla sua condizione e ritenendolo responsabile per la morte del fratello, per questo vive come un recluso nella sua proprietà.

È intenzionato a rimanere lontano dagli sguardi di commiserazione dei suoi pari, ma una lettera scuote il suo mondo. Daphne, una delle sue più care amiche, è rimasta orfana, e il suo nuovo ed originale tutore pretende che si sposi in brevissimo tempo, oppure la costringerà a sposare un uomo scelto da lui. Ma Daphne ha da tempo deciso che il matrimonio non fa per lei, ed intende aspettare la sua maggiore età, che giungerà di lì a pochi mesi, e la sua eredità per proseguire il lavoro che sta svolgendo sotto falso nome, facendosi passare per diversi gentiluomini, abbracciando le cause più diverse, dalle miserabili condizioni dei minatori a quelle dei tessitori fino ai bassifondi di Londra. Per questo implora l’amico di fingersi suo fidanzato e mettere così un freno al suo tutore nell’attesa della sua maggiore età.

Bartholomew non può ignorare questo accorato appello, e si ritrova così a dover ancora una volta frequentare le persone da cui era fuggito, in compagnia di una donna diversa da ogni altra, e giorno dopo giorno entrambi scopriranno che le loro convinzioni possono essere cambiate, e che anche per loro può esserci la felicità.

Bartholomew è convinto che la sua vita come la ricordava sia finita nel momento in cui ha perso la gamba, il modo di vedere se stesso come un uomo da compatire lo ha fatto diventare simile ad un eremita, e ci vorrà molto tempo ed una donna in grado di vedere la forza e la determinazione dietro una protesi di legno, per capire che non è cambiato. La sua incapacità di fare ancora determinate cose non ha intaccato il suo spirito e il suo valore, così come è rimasta intatta la sua capacità di affascinare la gente attratta dalla sua sicurezza, così, piano piano, si renderà anche conto di poter aspirare ad avere una famiglia, e che i suoi genitori avevano solo bisogno di tempo per superare il grande dolore. Daphne si butta nelle cause più assurde non solo per carità cristiana, ma anche e soprattutto per essere notata, per fare in modo che la gente si ricordi di lei e del suo lavoro; e se all’inizio appare estremamente generosa, ci si accorge, proseguendo la lettura, che c’è anche un fondo di grande egoismo.

Troppo spesso infatti rifiuta l’aiuto di persone che potrebbero fare la differenza convinta di poter far meglio da sola, e di essere l’unica in grado di capire i grandi problemi.

Sono entrambi personaggi che avevano grandi potenzialità che non hanno sfruttato fino in fondo, anzi, il più delle volte hanno atteggiamenti detestabili e una grande capacità di piangersi addosso; non posso dire che mi siano piaciuti più di tanto e che la loro storia d’amore mi abbia convinto.

In definitiva, è il capitolo che mi è piaciuto di meno e in cui mi sono, a volte, anche un po’ annoiata; come coppia non sono riusciti ad entrarmi nel cuore, ma salvo i personaggi secondari, compreso l’inaspettato tutore che si rivela una vecchia conoscenza. Invece ho amato il finale così inaspettato. Un colpo di scena che mi fa ben sperare per il prossimo capitolo che ci farà finalmente conoscere un personaggio di cui abbiamo solo sentito parlare, la cui presenza, però, ha sempre aleggiato sull’intera storia.
.
Lucia63 - per RFS

[Sissy Lu {Book Savvy Reviews} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I wish it was more fleshed out in some areas and the characters had more depth as to their life outside of one another but I did like it. The epilogue was probably my favorite.

3.5 savvy crowns

[Shauni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy

War destroys. Sure we romanticize it, we make it about honor or duty or even a cause but in the end, no matter who wins, everyone looses. Erica Ridley is writing a wonderful story about the consequences of war in her Dukes of War Series. She tells about life long friends who have all suffered the consequences. One was forced to stay behind and manage his affairs but watched as his friends left boys and came back men with troubles and struggles they have to overcome. One went away a dashing heir and returned and impoverished Earl (The Earl's Defiant Wallflower), One left all daring and dashing and came home lost in his mind with a severe case of PTSD not that anyone knew it by that name at the time (The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress). Two left darlings of the ton, twins, halves of one whole but only one came home. And he came home after not just loosing his twin but part of his leg.. And that's where our story begins.

Actually, The Major's Faux Fiancee begins at the wedding of Jane and Grace and Oliver from The Earl's Defiant Wallflower. It runs parallel The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress and we don't see a lot of either couple. Just enough to prove that these men are first and foremost friends.

Miss Daphne Vaughan, was pretty much the little girl ignored. Always trying to get her father's love or at least attention she has created an entire network of individuals devoted to her causes. Of course she never really says she's Ms. Daphne Vaughan.. she might be a Mr. Smith or Jones or Pembroke.. the names don't matter, the gender does. But Daphne works to make a difference not a name. But the death of her father puts her in a bind.. her new guardian wants her married off and out of his hair. Promising her a life in Bedlam if she doesn't marry immediately. Desperate Daphne, contacts the one person who has always been her hero, Major Bartholomew Blackpool. Only he's not the same boy she adored as a child, he's not even the same man who left for war. This man is cold, brittle and broken. But he is still her hero.

Major Bartholomew Blackpool's greatest crime, he lived. Suffering from severe survivor's guilt Tolly, lives with loss. Total and complete loss. Not just of his leg, but his brother. Wallowing in self pity and pride (an interesting combination) he refuses to go about the ton to see them laugh at him, but he pushes himself so that he might function without aide. Even going so far as to get a new type of prosthetic.. no peg leg for him, his ankle actually bends. Refusing to leave the house at any cost, until the receives a desperate plea from Daphne.. She needs a hero and he's the only one she knows. A lifetime of concern and care can not be abolished and Tolly answers Daphne's plea. He thinks he's going to save her instead she becomes his salvation.

Once again Ms. Ridley addresses another fact of war. Men don't come home heroes from way, they come home broken.. Not all wounds can be seen but they are there. Tolly came home with both types of wounds. An obvious one and a deeper, darker one and Ms. Ridley did not make light of it. He was a wounded warrior as there have been wounded warriors throughout history. Only Tolly gets a chance to rebuild his life and eventually he grabs it.

Daphne on the other hand, she fights a different battle. A battle the neglected child has fought for eternity.. the fight to be seen, to be acknowledged. To make a difference. To not be invisible. And while fighting her battle she has her own demons to slay.

This could have been a sweet, simple book. On the outset it is as is the entire series but in reality it's about surviving war and accepting that yes war destroys but you get to choose if you rebuild and flourish.

Tolly and Daphne were wonderful as they learn to lean on the other. As they discover that their burdens are lightened when shared and as they discover that love, real love accepts..

Just a fabulous book.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of The Major's Faux Fiancee, provided by netgalley.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley***

Complete and utter brain candy. I like the marriage-of-convenience trope. This was surprisingly entertaining, despite being a fairly shallow romance novel with a predictable plot and certain ending. The trip towards that ending was fun, although the main characters were at times a little too self-absorbed and willfully blind to their surroundings. I laughed out loud several times. The story flowed along nicely and was well written.

The female main character was silly, as befits the era the story was set in and everybody was fairly "featherbrained". The hero was tall, damaged (but not beyond repair), brooding and stunning. Sense and Sensibility with a little Jane Eyre thrown in. Several good side characters, most of whom have already been turned into the main subject of the other books of this series.

I kept wondering what exactly the heroine was doing for her charity projects, besides writing letters and defacing wallpaper. And I will need to check if Blackbeard has any cunning adventures in this series as well, he sounded promising. So, yes, shallow, predictable, but nicely relaxing and good fun. I might pick up another one of these books.

[Trish R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeez! These two! Bartholomew was whiny because he lost half his leg in the war, so he thought he wasn’t a “whole man.” And that was mentioned over and over again. And Daphne was a crusader who thought she could help “hundreds, even thousands” of wheat farmers, weavers, miners, workhouses, orphans and apothecaries. AND she thought she could do it alone. Really? I don’t know which character was the craziest thinker.

It never got even close to decent in about 90%. However, I really have to read the next book, The Brigadier's Runaway Bride. Erica Ridley is a hit-n-miss for me. Unfortunately, this was a miss.

There was explicit sex but no swearing.

As to the narration: The reason I read this series is because Stevie Zimmerman is narrating. She is awesome!

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of The Major's Faux Fiancee from Intrepid Reads via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*

The Major's Faux Fiancee was filled with humor and longing. Daphne was a very resourceful woman, but she had some inner monologues that became slightly annoying because she kept on thinking no one would ever love her for herself.

This book counts towards the #COYER scavenger hunt item 16 - Read a novel set in the Regency era.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Ines82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In questo quarto volume si ha a che fare con un finto fidanzamento tra Daphne e Bartholomew conoscono fin dall'infanzia.
Ero molto curiosa di conoscere Bartholomew che negli scorsi volumi viene spesso citato. Di solito sono molto attratta nei romanzi dai personaggi con sfregi o disabilità fisiche oltre che bad boy. Hanno sempre quel qualcosa in più, ma questo capitolo mi ha lasciato un po l'amaro in bocca però. Secondo me l'autrice in alcuni punti risulta troppo prolissa e ridondante mentre dove secondo me poteva spiegare meglio delle situazioni è andata troppo di fretta.
I due protagonisti sono un Po troppo remissivi e piagnucoloni per il mio gusto personale ed è per questo che non mi hanno trasportato dentro la storia e non mi hanno fatta emozionare.
Consiglio: Ni. Se fosse singolo direi di no ma essendo parte di una serie bisogna leggerlo

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Major's Faux Fiancé is the fourth in the Dukes of war series and though not as thoroughly enjoyable as the first three and was a great read, I just loved the first three more!

Major Bart Blackpool receives a letter form his former neighbor Daphe Vaughan begging him to come back to his old home and rescue her from being forced into an unwanted marriage . Bart decides to honor her request, agpfter all it is no as if he is useful I any other way. He returned from the napoleonic wars missing a leg in addition to missing his twin brother , the very brother he pledged to keep safe. To say Bart is facing self esteem issues is minor, so the least he can do is save an old freind from a fate she does not desire. Since he has no plans to be seen in society nevermind marry playing a false fiancé fro Daphne; then having her beg of will nit disrupt any plans for him and sltill leav her reputation in tact!

Daphne feels unloved and unworthy of love, she has no plans to marry , everyone she cared abut or cared for her has left her, at least that is how she sees it , yes they did. But not because they wanted to , but because death came their way!
Daphne is thrilled when Bart shows up to save her but she wants him to beg off when the time comes, this becomes a bone of contention with them and creates some intresting conversations , for this plan to work they are going to have to act like are in love!
However , playing fiancé' means spending intimate time together and the more time spent together begns to lead to feelings for one another. These two spend time fighting over who is to beg off and as with the previous books the story had some funny high points , but their what seemed like whining to me took away from my rating and dropped this to four stars! Are they perfect for each other? Yes!
Worth the read? Absolutely! Don't miss out!
Arc provided via netgalley for an honest review.

[Rosie Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel, I have read all the 'Dukes of War' books and each one has something special. I particularly enjoy the way all of the stories weave into one another, but can just as easily be read as a stand alone book. Erica Ridley's characters are beautifully drawn and I like that her heroines are not simpering females, but rather are intelligent and usually feisty women, who don't suffer fools gladly. Daphne, the heroine, is on a mission to help the poor and determined not to marry, while her childhood friend Bartholomew, the hero - now all grown up and a soldier - has returned from a war where he lost his twin and his leg and feels that he has nothing to offer society. That is until Daphne begs for his help - to pretend to be engaged to her until she reaches her majority. Bartholomew agrees, but it is not all plain sailing. They bang heads, he cannot understand her obsession with helping the needy and she doesn't like him telling her that she should not be bothering with such things. As always, they eventually begin to see each other's perspective and as their feelings for each other undergo a subtle shift, the 'fake' part of their engagement is tested. If you enjoy a good romance, give it a go!

[Rosemarie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: I really tried with this one, got about half way through, but it was so boring. I am not one to need a fast paced plot, in fact I can forgive next to no plot, if the characters are interesting, but the inner thoughts of the hero and heroine were so tedious. The man keeps thinking he is not a man because he lost his leg, though this might be forgiven because he suffered trauma, but when he sees that others still appreciate and like him, he can't accept it. The heroine had her own issues, but also some weird ideas, I find it commendable that she want to dedicate herself to charitable works, but it was like she felt she couldn't allow herself to have any life, happiness, fun, she could only focus on suffering. Her ideas about love and marriage were also strange, when her friend points out that she could still work with charities even if she married she says that if she fell in love she want to spend every moment with her husband, and when he wasn't there she would just think and worry about him. Like what? This girl needs to meet more married couples to see that they have lives. Also, the hero and heroine had no chemistry, when they finally kiss about half way thought the book I should have cheering, instead I was just like blah.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fabulous little story. Not only is it a wonderfully pleasant story, I loved that the hero and heroine have such simple, blatant flaws, and manage to retain them too! Too often either the hero, the heroine or both find all their character flaws completely chipped off or magically transformed by discovering lurve. I can never buy it. That's not how real relationships work. So it's an absolute joy to read a story where that doesn't happen.

BTW. Can't wait to read how Captain Steele meets his match..

I really liked it. 4 stars.

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Major and Ms Vaughan are a cute combination. What starts out as a favor quickly turns into attraction and then more. The plot was cute and funny. I particularly enjoyed a scene with a tree and what happened afterwards of course! :) It's a fun light read. Definitely a great addition to the author's previous titles. Looking forward to the next.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kobo+. Mad About Series 2024 HRBC. Tropes: Fake Fiance, Forced into Marriage, Disabled Main Character, Regency Romance.
MC's Bartholemew Blackpool (Major) twin (lost Edmund in the war and his leg) & Daphne Vaughan, orphaned and forced to marry by her Blackheart Pirate cousin her guardian until her 21 birthday.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If I can’t be wanted, then I will be needed.”
Major Bartholomew Blackpool is just a shadow of the man he once was. On that fateful day, June 18, 1815, on the Dutch fields outside of the hamlet of Waterloo, Major Bartholomew left his leg, his twin brother, Edmund, and his lust for life. Unable to deal with so much loss, he leads a lonely and reclusive existence in London. Unable to face the ton and the world in general, as half a man, he refuses all social invitations and queries. Attended to by only a few dedicated servants, he wallows in self-pity. In a desperate attempt to pull him out of this downward spin, his valet and butler conspire to force him out of his self-imposed shell and back into the world of the living. A short and desperate missive from an old neighbor and childhood friend, Miss Daphne Vaughan, inspires him into action.
Daphne, since the sudden and unexpected death of her father, has been put under the guardianship of her uncle. Captain Gregory Steele aka “Blackheart”, once of his Majesty's Royal Navy, now is an infamous privateer pirate with no time or interest in playing guardian to a headstrong and willful woman. His only desire is to marry her off and return to more adventuress and profitable endeavors. Daphne is a born crusader for the poor, oppressed and vulnerable English masses.
This is a Regency romance with a few twists. The hero of the story is flawed, making him both vulnerable and real. Much is written about the staggering loss of life during the Napoleonic Wars, but little time is spent in contemplation of the multitude of survivors that return wounded, invalided, broken, abandoned, and forgotten. Georgian England wasn’t a social state, leaving the causalities of war to their own devices.
Bart Blackpool, though far from desolate, is in dire need of help. Daphne Vaughan is also in a quandary but possesses the inner strength and conviction to save them both. Individually they are vulnerable but together they could be invincible.
The author has succeeded in creating a moving story, filled with lust, love, and passion. Passionately wrapped up in the social problems of the day, the reader must patiently wait on the hedonistic pleasures that are sure to follow. Patience is a virtue and it also adds spice to any meal; literary or otherwise.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to the wars on the continent Major Bartholomew Blackpool was the toast of the ton: Handsome to a fault, charismatic, popular, skilled at horsemanship, boxing, dancing, and a notorious rogue with the ladies. He returns home a shattered shell of a man with one of his legs shot off and thinking he will never be able to do any of his former activities, especially being the consummate lover of ladies. Childhood friend Miss Daphne Vaughn is being forced into a marriage by her heavy-handed guardian, to the point of threatening her with Bedlam or Debtor's prison. The major comes to her rescue to enter into a fake betrothal until she can reach her majority age and gather up her meager inheritance. Neither adamantly wants marriage and they begin a risky dance to see who will "cry off" first. If Miss Vaughn breaks the engagement she will be deemed ruined by society and if the major cries off he will probably never again find a bride. Can Daphne draw out what was once the darling of the ton and can the major see beyond Daphne's crusades to help the poor and downtrodden? This is the reviewer's 4th installment in the author's Dukes of War collection and her writing style has utterly captivated this reader's attention. It is inevitable that this reader/reviewer will read ALL of the rest in this series. Can a person with a disability find love and self-acceptance once again? Read this captivating regency romance and get drawn into the lives of those living it out!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: death of a parent (in the past), death of a sibling (in the past), war (in the past), threats of incarceration in a psychiatric facility, grief, amputation (in the past).

I had very low expectations of this because I got it for like a dollar last year and I've read a couple of Erica Ridley's other books and they've been fine but nothing special. But this one? This one was DELIGHTFUL.

- Bluestocking heroine who just wants to save the world
- Returned soldier hero, broken by the war
- Fake dating
- Childhood best friends
- She insists she's never going to marry
- He uses humour to mask his pain

Obviously they fall in love. I enjoyed this from start to finish and I'm definitely going to have to pick up the next one in the series purely because of the excerpt at the end of this.

[Irène Wadowski uliasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le prix du meilleur " appitoiement sur soi-même " est décerné à .....M.Bartholomew. Le prix du meilleur " Grace à moi et à moi seule, la vie de tous ces pauvres gens va changer" revient à Meĺle Daphné . je n'ai jamais lu un livre où les deux personnages principaux s'accordent à ce point : Deux personnes enfermées dans leur douleurs physiques et psychologiques et tellement égocentriques. cela donne une ambiance trop mélodramatique. Ils se prennent trop au sérieux. Un peu plus de moments joyeux ou d'humour aurait été bienvenus.

[Mischa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure if these books are suffering, because I'm not feeling really well (but I'm still feeling the pressure of the challenge lol), or because the quality really went a bit down, but this is the second book in this series in a row that really didn't capture my attention very much.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book to read