Fortunately, the heroine in Dukes Prefer Blondes knows just to how to put him in his place with her quick verbal sparring which always seems to position her with the upper hand and ultimately works to benefit them both with a match made in academic heaven!Lady Clara Fairfax has been raised to marry a man of the upper echelons of society, preferably a duke. You will not be at a loss for witty repartees, even if at times you may want to throttle the hero for some of his seemingly less than complimentary views of women. Dukes Prefer Blondes definitely delivers on this front. Read moreĤ 'Smart Love' Stars!Fans of Loretta Chase know that she loves to write romantic tales concerning highly intelligent couples that are attracted to one another, first and foremost, by their complementary intellect. Regardless of the fact that Lord of Scoundrels is an excellent book that made me want to read more of Chase's works, I think that she is one author whose writing simply does not appeal to me overall. While the plight of the children in this historical period is dreadful, Chase never manages to make me feel anything for this particular child and the result is a feeling of indifference as to his fate. The missing child storyline is also problematic as it fails to evoke any strong emotions. The cousin Bernard thread feels contrived simply to create a situation in which Raven is made a ducal heir, and therefore, a socially acceptable mate for Clara.

The suspense plot with Freame lacks foundation as the reader is more or less dumped into an ongoing conflict with no background. Neither Clara nor Raven lived up to their potential and the hints at a tangible chemistry between them as youngsters does not materialize in their adult characters. While the prologue really grabbed my attention and piqued my interest, the rest of the book failed to fulfill the promise. In fact, it is more of the same despite its initial potential. Unfortunately, Clara and Raven's book does not manage to redeem the Dressmakers series for me. But when Lady Clara requests his help, he finds it difficult to resist her beauty, charm and wit.

Despite his aristocratic origins, Oliver 'Raven' Radford has always been an outcast on the fringes of society. So when the opportunity arises to do something of consequence, Clara grasps on to it and seeks the aid of a man renowned for his quest for justice. Lady Clara Fairfax is fed up with the insipid suitors proposing to her at every opportunity.

Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase