Review of When the Duchess Said Yes by Isabella Bradford

Title/Author: When the Duchess Said Yes (Wylder Sisters #2) by Isabella Bradford
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, September 25th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Notorious for her free-spirited antics, Lady Elizabeth Wylder revels in attention — but not the sort that leaves her humiliated when her future husband, the Duke of Hawkesworth, fails to appear for their much-anticipated first introduction.

So when a chance encounter leads to a sizzling kiss with a dangerously handsome stranger, she nearly succumbs. The shock of finally meeting her betrothed only to come face to face with her rakish would-be seducer inspires fury — and fans the flames of a fire that both Lizzie and the Duke acknowledge is a most agreeable way to start a marriage. In her husband’s arms, Lizzie knows she has found love. But is the passion that accompanies endless nights of erotic discovery enough to persuade a duke whose scandalous lineage and lifestyle prevent him from giving his heart completely?

So I read the first book in this series a while ago and while it was ok, I had a problem with the sexytimes not being sexy in When You Wish Upon A Duke. This time was different.

Elizabeth, or Lizzie, is a loving, somewhat free spirited girl. As in When You Wish Upon a Duke, she is a pretty young heroine as far as historical romances go, she's 18.
Hawk recently returned to England and doesn't really feel like marrying, other than that he wants to keep his estate and he will lose everything if he doesn't go through with the arranged marriage.
Of course it's love at first sight.

I had several issues with this novel. I did like that they had this instant attraction and thought it was pretty ironic that they're both mad at each other for kissing the other because they were engaged before realising it was TO EACH OTHER. I mean, yeah... it was kinda bad, but also funny.
I also liked that they had great chemistry and genuinely liked each other and while Lizzie experienced doubts because of her meddling family, I could see how that would happen because she's pretty young.

I was annoyed though by Hawk. He was seriously an ass a lot of the time. It's not accepted in polite society for women to wear their hair down and he pretty much throws a hissy fit when Lizzie doesn't wear it down. He kidnaps her to be alone with her and compromises her in front of the staff. He then thinks it ok to leave Lizzie when he's gotten an heir from her and go back to his beloved villa. And he doesn't see ANYTHING wrong with this.

I mean, SERIOUSLY???

And then he discusses this with other people at a party and gets all annoyed when Lizzie doesn't understand and is hurt by it. I mean, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? And really, I thought together they were pretty good, but I just didn't get how he thought this would be ok. I was also annoyed by Lizzie's family, they're really not helping this young couple by constantly critisizing Hawk to Lizzie and generally being unfair.

But they did have their sweet times together and there was the wonderful heartbreak and I definitely felt that. I just would have liked to fall in love with Hawk as well and while I was annoyed by all the criticism of Lizzie's and Hawk's family, I kinda thought he was being a real douche at times as well.
I'm hoping the final book in this series will be better!

My rating: 2,5 stars