Ruby in the Rough
Tamara Gill
Historical Romance
A cold-hearted duke. A spirited heiress. One scandalous surrender.
Lady Cordelia Ravensmere wanted a love match. Instead, she wed the enigmatic Duke of Walpole, a man who warned her he would never give his heart. But Christian North is nothing like she expected—aloof yet magnetic, cold yet burning with a passion he cannot hide.
Every stolen glance, every brush of his hand, draws her deeper into a dangerous longing neither dares name. Yet whispers of scandal stir, and when shadows of his past threaten their fragile bond, Cordelia must decide if she can trust the man who swore he could never love her.
In the glittering ballrooms of the ton, desire can be ruinous and love a risk few dare to take. But Christian and Cordelia are already lost to temptation… and surrender may be their only salvation.
Uncaged Review: This is the fourth book in the Heiress series, and it’s about Cordelia and her search for love. When she meets her best friend Jane’s brother, Christian North, the Duke of Walpole. Cordelia is instantly attracted to him, but Christian tells her that he has no interest in her. Christian even has a mistress which he flaunts in her face, yet still Cordelia will do anything she can to find favor with Christian. As Christian does get to know her, his better judgment to avoid Cordelia gets thrown out the window when Cordelia’s sister catches them together. Christian has no choice but to marry Cordelia in order to save her reputation. Cordelia knows that this isn’t a true marriage, but if she can seduce Christian, just maybe he truly cares or will his past end up hurting them both?
Okay, can I just say that I really enjoy the Heiress series and look forward to every one of these stories! As soon as I finish one, I eagerly look forward to the next one! It is now Cordelia’s turn to find her true love. The road to it, though, isn’t exactly easy and Christian North, the Duke of Walpole, is not an easy person to like, especially when he acts all gruff and scolds Cordelia like a child. Which she is not, but he still does it anyhow. Eventually, Cordelia breaks him down, but I still had a hard time liking Christian too. Even when Christian helps his mistress but doesn’t explain to Cordelia what is going on. Usually, the miscommunication in romance gets old pretty fast, but in some cases it does work. I didn’t really care for it in this book, but at least only part of the story did have a few miscommunications, so I can look past it. Will I read the next and last book? Well, since I’ve been reading all of these in order, I definitely will! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst
4 Stars
