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    Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
    Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
    Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
    Audiobook11 hours

    Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

    Written by Sarah MacLean

    Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    She lives for passion.

    Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

    He swears by reputation.

    Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMay 13, 2014
    ISBN9780062345424
    Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
    Author

    Sarah MacLean

    A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in New York City.

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    Reviews for Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

    4/5

    316 ratings28 reviews

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    • 5/5
      i luv this book........this was d book which practically introduced me to historical romance
    • 5/5
      This was a change from the first two in the series, as the characters felt somehow more real and their emotions were more real as well. I found that I really that aspect, it was easy to imagine this actually happening during that era when everything was so structured and there was very little latitude for love in a marriage. Especially enjoyed Juliana's character and all that she had endured.
    • 4/5
      Nice story. Tempted to rate it 3 cos I’m not sure I like the way she chased and wooed him. Feel like he did not do his part but all good.
    • 5/5
      Ever since I picked up McLean’s first historical romance Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake I was instantly drawn into her world of English society and passion. In the third book to her Love by Numbers series the focus is on Juliana, the younger sister of twin brothers Gabriel and Nicolas St. John, who finds her love in the most unlikely person. The prim and proper Simon Pearson, Duke of Leighton. Now Simon has a great aversion to gossip and scandal which Juliana was cloaked in ever since she stepped into England and Gabriel and Nicolas’s lives, so I was curious and excited to figure out how her and Simon relationship would go. McLean is known for bringing adventure and sizzling hot excitement to the historical London society and she defiantly brought it and more with this story. The romantic tension between Juliana and Simon was off the charts and I loved how Juliana’s strong personality slowly striped away at Simon’s cold proper shell, showing him to be the hot blooded male filled with passion that he kept tightly contained. From the start I was drawn into the story and was taken on a wild ride filled with scandals that I didn’t want to end. Though this is a romance with the predictable ending of happily ever after, Mclean made the journey sizzling hot and adventurous. With so much intrigue that ultimately me questioning all the way up until the end. Overall I really enjoyed everything about Eleven Scandals to Start To Win a Duke’s Heart and recommend this book to romance readers.
    • 4/5
      Half Italian Juliana Fiori knows she will never be accepted by Society so she decides to flaunt convention. Doing so leads her to hiding in the coach of Simon Pearson. Known as the Duke of Disdain he clings to propriety with a superior arrogance bred into him as one of superior birth. Simon, however, is guarding a secret scandal that will make his family social pariahs when it breaks. Before that happens Simon tries to negotiate a desirable marriage and the last thing he needs is unpredictable, unsuitable Juliana distracting him. Of course opposites end up attracting. At first it is hard to sympathize with two characters who seem to be blindly stuck in their ways. The author does reveal the reasons for her characters' flaws but the reader has to be willing to stick with the story until then before they realize that they do care about the characters. In the end a good read.
    • 3/5
      Juliana is a scandal waiting to happen. Born into questionable parentage and raised by her Italian merchant father, Juliana has recently moved in with her half brothers, one of whom is a marquess. Attempting to land a husband has proven difficult for Juliana and not just because of her family and background. Juliana is also free spirited and borderline reckless. Living a life full of passion is the complete opposite of what traditional English marriages in the ton are like.Enter Simon, also known as the Duke of Disdain. He too is a scandal waiting to happen, but Simon is on a mission to marry into an impeccable family in order to offset some of the damage that is surely to come his way. He can't afford to follow his passions and his uptight, arrogant upbringing has no room for someone as carefree as Juliana. But of course, their attraction is like a wrecking ball, leaving Simon to question everything he knows both about himself and love.The story had a lot of potential. I love the whole opposites attract concept and truly could feel the passion between Juliana and Simon. However, I thought both characters were far too stubborn, putting up unnecessary obstacles to their relationship. On top of that, Simon came off as being a bit too selfish with regard to his sister, making me dislike him somewhat. The fact that Juliana's entire family (literally every last one of them) also declared at some point that they hated Simon brought him down a couple of notches as well (after all, everyone can't be wrong about it him, right?)Overall, I would actually rate this book a 3.5/5 because both characters were too stubborn and I didn't like Simon as much as some of Maclean's other heroes.
    • 4/5
      It's all a bit unbelievable for the time period it's set in, but still an enjoyable story. I'm not sure I like Juliana, though.
      Rating: 7/10
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, I just found myself wishing it would end. First, I probably shouldn't have read it right after the first one. The plot was so similar to the first one, and yet the heroine was not as interesting. I loved Juliana in the first book. I truly expected her to continue to be a strong heroine like Callie was. Instead, she spent the majority of the story thinking that she either wasn't worth the Duke or that he needed to get his act together. The beginning of the story was interesting since they were actually having fun together to a certain degree. The last half of the book was just frustrating with almost nothing really happening. I just wanted them to either make up their minds to be together or move on. After he finally gets his act together, she decides to start acting goofy. He also acts completely out of character which seemed so completely unrealistic.
    • 3/5
      3.5
      Something that started as a challenge, a simple wager turned out to be much more serious that Juliana expected.
      I didn't expect a lot from this story. Well, not to be as good as the other two, but it is almost as good, only a bit different. And more sad. Juliana Fiori was so furious at the Duke of Leighton that she challenged him that she will prove him that he too needs a passion in his life. She was great when she first came to London, but she is better in her own story. The first time we see her in this book she hits a lord in the nose and elsewhere (as she explains to her brother) because he assumed he can touch her. That's how she ends up in the duke's carriage.
      Simon Pearson, the Duke of Leighton, is trying really hard to soften the blow his sister's secret will do to his reputation after it comes out. He is aware he shouldn't be anywhere near Juliana.

      She was also bold, brash, impulsive, a magnet for trouble, and precisely the kind of woman he wanted far away from him. And, yet, he can't stay away.

      I liked the duke more than I thought I would even when he acted like a jerk. That surprised me. I thought I was going to read about his infuriating attitude through the whole story, but the thing that made me like him more is that every now and then we got a glimpse of a very passionate man. He acts superior most of the time, but it is wonderful to read what Juliana does to his self-control, which is unbreakable with everyone except her. There are a few heartbreaking moments, but I loved Juliana's strength and pride. She surprised me more than once acting in a way I did not expect. Some of those moments were good, some great, but some I just couldn't explain, so I just accepted her quirks as part of her character and moved on.
      I am aware that the resolution of Simon and Juliana's problem is a bit naive. So what if it is? It is still a good love story.
    • 4/5
      This book was quite fun! Granted sometimes it was frustrating because of the characters thoughts and actions but overall I thought it was quite enchanting. Daring a frozen duke like Simon to two weeks of convincing that he can't live in this world without a little fire, Juliana more than won the wager - she lives it. Although I do have to admit it was slightly predictable it wasn't in a bad way. Bravo!
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars - this was my least favourite of the trilogy. I didn’t find Simon to be all that compelling. I found that character to be weak and the plot to be a bit repetitive.
    • 3/5
      This was the weakest of the three for me, I think I didn't care as much for either of the leads as I wanted to, but it was still worth reading.
    • 2/5
      I just couldn't get into this one. I am not a fan of the plot line in which the heroine chases the hero. While I like an insecure heroine, Juliana's lack of self-respect bothered me. It wasn't that she didn't think well of herself, it was that she chased and chased and chased Simon despite his lack of encouragement. It made me annoyed with her. (2.5 stars)
    • 3/5
      Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
      3 Stars

      Simon Pearson, Duke of Leighton, is in need of a wife to forestall the imminent scandal to his family name. Juliana Fiori, the high spirited and tempestuous half-sister to the Marquess of Ralston, is the last person Simon would consider suitable marriage material, but that does not stop the two from clashing at every turn.

      A disappointing conclusion to a series that begins so well.

      Neither Simon nor Juliana are particularly appealing either as individuals or as a couple. Juliana’s numerous TSTL moments grate on the nerves and her derision towards Penelope makes her quite unlikable. Simon’s excessive arrogance and disdain for those he considers beneath him are a complete turn off. Although this is mitigated at the end, it is not sufficient to overcome his initial bigoted characterization.

      The romance feels forced as the development of Simon and Juliana’s feelings is inconsistent with their personalities. It is difficult to believe that someone as preoccupied with social status, reputation and propriety as Simon would act in the way he does. Moreover, Juliana’s constant rejection of Simon’s proposals is incomprehensible considering her own status in society and desire to be accepted.

      That said, Sarah MacLean’s writing is very engaging and the updates in the lives of characters from the first two books is lovely. Even though this installment is weak, the first book in the series Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is absolutely fabulous and I cannot recommend it enough!

      On a final note, I’m looking forward to reading A Rogue by Any Other Name, the first book in the spin-off series, which focuses on Penelope.
    • 4/5
      I found this book an enjoyable read. I liked Juliana and Simon. I liked him in the other two books in the series - well I enjoyed the idea of his character finding love and the story it could be, as he is a hard man with rigid rules. So you know that they are going to need to be broken. That said, sometimes through, out this book, it bothered me when even while engaged, he would still entertain another. But that was not that big a deal. I look forward to her next series where some of these characters continue their stories.
    • 3/5
      Formulaic Regency romance with the usual irrepressible low-caste heroine and immovable high-caste hero. Too many will-they/won't-they tension builders, but the fiery accident-prone Anglo-Italian heroine is sufficiently different to keep the reader interested.

      Unsatisfactory happy ending. After devoting most of the novel to giving reasons why scandal-ridden aristrocrats can never live happily ever after in British high society, the afore-mentioned scandal-ridden pair throw all to the wind and... live happily ever after? A little explanation would have helped. Likewise more details of Juliana's family background.
    • 3/5
      Good, solid historical romance. It seemed to go on a bit longer than was necessary, but I liked the characters.

      The author has a phrase she overuses, though: something flashed (or something flared). I don't have the ebook version, but a search would confirm it's used excessively.
    • 5/5
      Oil and water. Day and night. Cats and dogs. How opposite can these two be? It's fun watching them struggle to their happy ending. This trilogy is best read in order.
    • 4/5
      I was somewhat disappointed with the 2nd book in this series, but this was much more on par with MacLean's first release. I really enjoyed it. The characters came across well and the storyline was lively and fun.

      I'm disappointed that MacLean didn't tie up all the loose ends. Since this is to be the end of the series I expected everything would be cleared up.

      Overall a fun, sexy read.
    • 3/5
      I liked this one better than NINE RULES TO BREAK, but still found it lacking some special something. An enjoyable read, good characters and a happy ending, but nothing memorable enough to bring me back for a second read.
    • 4/5
      I did not expect to like Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake but ended up loving it. I expected to love Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart but ended up only liking it.

      I liked Juliana and Simon individually, and I found their scenes together very intense and romantic. But the whole book really is about whether or not Simon can set aside his ducal snobbery for this rich, gorgeous Italian girl who's closely related to a handful of high-ranking aristocrats but maybe not totally 100% perfect. I like a book about a snooty duke as much as the next girl, really I do, but I don't want to be reading, "Duke duke duke duke" on every page.

      For example: Simon is known as the Duke of Disdain. That's his rep. But, somehow, he thinks it's fresh and charming when Juliana calls him on his arrogant attitude. That makes no sense. Clearly, if his nickname is the Duke of Disdain, EVERYONE has called him on his arrogant attitude. So why is Juliana special? This may sound like a minor issue, and in most books it WOULD be, because there would be more content to work with - but Simon's dukedom and social standing relating to said dukedom is the fundamental driver of conflict in this novel.

      Likewise...it's a big deal that Juliana sees him as a man, not just a title. And it's true that other characters in the novel clearly indicate that his personality is completely irrelevant, only his wealth and lineage count. So Juliana wins by comparison. But lots and lots of conversations between Juliana and Simon are about his dukedom. How can she see past the title if that's all they ever talk about?

      The mechanic that worked for me was seeing Juliana come around to the notion that passion is empty without love - and seeing Simon come around to the idea that enough love can make scandal irrelevant. That was powerful and touching and saved the novel for me.

      I'd say this is a 3.5 star book. I'm rounding up to four because I'd read another book by MacLean.
    • 5/5
      So ya..I started reading this book yesterday! *sighs* Review to follow!
    • 4/5
      Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart is the third book in Sarah MacLean's Murder by Numbers series...which covered the two Ralston brothers and now their sister Juliana Fiori. Juliana has been a great character from the beginning, so it's so fun to have her finally take center stage (as she often does whether intentionally or not).If you've followed my blog long, you know that I absolutely loved the first book in the trilogy, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. Unfortunately, the second book didn't do so much for me. So, I went into this book hoping it would get things back on track - and it definitely did! While I still have to peg Nine Rules as my favorite, this novel was a lot of fun and I definitely enjoyed reading about Juliana and her Duke of Disdain.When they first meet, Simon the Duke of Leighton is immediately attracted to her. They have a few short - yet flirtatious - encounters before he discovers that she isn't part of the aristocracy. Well, the horror. Simon was raised to be a nose-held-high-snob-of-the-first-water so he immediately shuts down contact with her, feeling like she deceived him. However, before long, he gets roped into trying to help keep an eye on her for her brothers. She has a bad tendency to cause trouble, and throughout the book Simon has his hands full trying to keep her respectable. From rescuing her from a lake to helping her stowaway in his carriage, she leads him from one mess to the other. Before long, he realizes he is enjoying being around her a little too much, despite all the trouble.I divided my time between laughing like a loon at Juliana, wanting to punch Leighton in the face and wanting to lock them in a room together (sans clothing). If you're a fan of historical romance, this is definitely a book (not to mention a series!) that you want to pick up. I can't wait to see what Sarah has in store for us next!
    • 3/5
      So I was definitely a little disappointed in this third and final installment of the beloved Love By Numbers historical romance trilogy. Namely because the two other books in this series--NINE RULES and TEN WAYS--were just so perfectly balanced in pacing, characterization, humor, and romance, that I felt like ELEVEN SCANDALS was lacking. Juliana and Simon's romance felt the most forced to me out of the whole series. The events in the book that would bring them together again and again felt orchestrated--not exactly the feeling you as a reader want to get while reading. I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two. It's been two weeks since I finished reading, and I simply don't remember much of what happened in this book. Ah well, back to rereading Nine Rules and Ten Ways!
    • 5/5
      ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE'S HEART by Sarah Maclean is an exciting historical romance set in Regency England. It is the third in the "Love By Numbers" series,but can be read as a stand alone. #1 "Nine Rules To Break When Romancing a Rake", #2 "Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord".What a delightful story of love,romance,sensuality,scandal and finding happiness.Julianna,an impulsive,bold,sexy,passionate,trouble maker,who refuses to play by society rules,but is wrapped with scandal from her mother. Simon,the Duke of Leghton,who wants no scandal,keeps his family's secrets,is named the Duke of Disdain,must marry before his sister's scandal is found out,and is fully attracted to Julianna.When Julianna meets Simon a deal he never believes he could be so passionate.While Julianna is a talking scandal and can find trouble anywhere,Simon is trying to stay away from any and all scandal.But Simon can not deny his attraction to Julianna.Their attraction grows and ignites Simon's passion and scandal awaits them.This is a fast paced story of love,romance,passion,finding happiness and taking it while you can regardless of scandal.True happiness is only a scandal away.This is a must read with engaging characters who will capture your heart exspecailly the lovely Julianna who is also half French and half English.This truly makes for an exciting story where eleven scandals will win a Duke's heart.This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher.Details can be found at Avon,an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers and My Book Addiction Reviews.
    • 5/5
      Respectable, well brought-up English ladies are not to call attention to themselves. They should be composed, presentable, restrained and modest at all times. There should never be a situation they can’t handle with a cool, calm head and above all, they should never display an abundance of emotion or feeling. They are expected to always be on their best behavior. Miss Juliana Fiori is NOT a well brought-up English lady- and you’ll please refrain from insulting her by calling her one, thank you very much! She would rather die than be considered amongst those stuck-up, cold, unfeeling, bores and she doesn’t need their approval. As the daughter of an Italian merchant and a wayward, fallen English ex-marchioness, Juliana’s parentage already has the ton’s collective noses turned up when Juliana’s brother, the Marquess of Ralston turns her loose on the unsuspecting English peerage. With a titled brother, a duchess for a sister-in-law and other assorted connections to members of the nobility, the ton can’t really afford to shut her out, but they don’t have to play fair. To her credit, neither does Juliana. Simon, Lord of Leighton, is an English gentleman. More over, he’s a Duke and expected to exemplify the ideal English aristocrat. With an ancestry and family name unblemished and well respected, he is always on his best behavior. He will behave properly, marry the proper girl, produce proper children and live a very proper, if somewhat boring, life. What he will NOT do, is take part in any of the ridiculous schemes that a certain feisty Italian seems hell bent on dragging him in to. They once, briefly, found themselves in a nearly compromising situation that left them on none to friendly terms. Now, with his future so cleanly laid out before him, the little devil has tried to convince him that his life lacks color, lacks passion and she’s somehow managed to trick him into agreeing to a little wager that could cost him not only his reputation, but his heart. It’s no secret that I am a crazy Sarah MacLean fan girl. I absolutely adore her novels. At first this inadvertently shocked the hell out of me because they are romance novels and I’ve always equated them with being silly fluff, but now I’d like to go back and smack the past Me that thought that. Her books are fantastic. The writing is phenomenal, her characters so well crafted, the dialogue hysterically funny in parts and the whole shebang so very, very romantic. Eleven Scandals… is the third book in her Love by Numbers series, and it’s rumored to be the last. I’ve loved loved loved all three of them and I just don’t want to imagine a world in which the series comes to an end. You still have some stories to tell Miz MacLean! A certain brother hasn’t found love yet and you OWE him! But anyway, the series features a remarkably loveable cast of characters that will each endear his/herself to you almost as soon as you meet. Juliana is another one of the series unconventional characters as each of her leading ladies tends to engage in activities that are not considered common place or really even sanctioned at the time. Callie from Nine Rules was determined to be admitted into the inner world of men that was denied to women at the time, Isabel from Ten Ways… runs a home for wayward women who find themselves in less than ideal situations and Juliana in this book flat out REFUSES to conform to the expected norms of society. Not the stereotypical, “wild, untameable” heroines you would generally think of in a romance novel, but gutsy, pig-headed rebels who just simply refuse to listen to reason. I’ve instantly rooted for each of them as they’ve squared off against their shared opponent- expectation. Simon is a considerable challenge. He is so uptight and arrogant that I wanted to smack him from the moment he came on page. He was particularly man-stupid when he thought that he had a right to try to govern Juliana’s behavior and I’m glad she had the guts to continuously remind him of it. Although that isn’t a stretch for Juliana because I couldn’t imagine anything that she wouldn’t have the guts to do. Of all the series' leading ladies, if I were going to do something scandalous and get in trouble, I’d want Juliana as my partner in crime- Callie to plan it and Isabel to turn to when I get in over my head. I’ve very much enjoyed my new found friendship with these three remarkable ladies and I’m going to hold out hope that a Twelve… will pop up one day in the future. If you haven’t started this series yet, even after the pages of posts I’ve devoted to singing Sarah MacLean’s praises, please do so now. You can email me a thank you card when you’re through.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable book; I think the conclusion to the trilogy? It was great learning more about Leighton and his fear of scandal; however, I feel a lot of his behavior was still unexplained. I loved that Juliana finally got her own book and to see what she experienced in the ton. However, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book; I'm not sure if they are going to be resolved in future books but didn't like how they were just left hanging out there....
    • 3/5
      My thoughts:I do confess to believing one thing when I read the blurb but the truth was something else. Juliana’s mother left her husband and twins and fled to Italy. Where she married a merchant and had Juliana, she later also left these two. Juliana is tainted by relation and she does not want to cause scandal or have people think of her like that. But what she does do is involuntarily cause scandals. May it be falling into a bush or something else. She does it by mistake. She also thinks the English are stuffy and that they only care about their stupid reputations. She is not afraid to speak he mind and one has to like her.The hero of the book is Simon, the Duke of Leighton. He is proper and does everything by the book. He is also looking for a perfect well-bred, gentle wife that will do what wives should do and nothing else. I did have my moments where I thought about him as Mr Darcy, because he was all pride and stood above everything else. This couple was totally different from each other, but there was this passion there, simmering beneath the surface. Juliana wants him, but she knows her reputation is too bad for him. Simon wants her also, but he knows that she is a common and too much of a scandal.There were moments where I wanted to shout his name and tell him too loose control. Who cares about the ton! He is a duke; he could win them over again. He made some mistakes, and yes I might have wanted to smack him over the head, but I also learnt the truth about some things. Not to mention that he wanted to do the right things. Perhaps it was Juliana I should have shouted at, but then I understand her too. Love is about trust, and mutual love. That is something to want.Conclusion:The book was humorous in ways and all thanks to Juliana, that woman has a habit of landing into trouble. Her family was great, and if this book hadn’t made me want to read the previous two books then her brothers would have made me. Going by this fun book, then the two books about her brothers finding love must be just as good. And at the end I was hoping that perhaps Simon’s sister will get a book of her own, now that would be fun.A fun book with a couple surrounded by scandals, romance to root for, and some great witty writing.Rating:Amusing