This didn't work for me. The premise was fine, but I just ended up mildly disliking most of the characters, (from about the point where they returned to England on), and most of the book felt like a drag. There's a secondary couple, which is difficult to pull off without doing a disservice to one or both of the couples. The other couple is so young though and it's love at first sight, and I just didn't ever really buy into their story. All the characters do very foolish things, and the primary heroine kinda rubbed me the wrong way. She ends up marrying the man she's been in love with her entire life, but she's so worried that he won't love her in return, that she ends up becoming kind of a shrew, as if that's the best tactic to take when wanting someone to fall in love with you... I would have been way more impressed if she had shown even an ounce of courage by perhaps taking a single step first or something, instead of just kicking back being difficult until he miraculously falls for her on his own. Also her reaction to their misunderstanding on their wedding night seemed really over the top and childish. It was all just kind of disappointing. ( )

"What a Duke Dares" is Book Three in the sensational "Sons of Sin" series from author Anna Campbell. The duke is question is Camden Rothermere, Duke of Sedgemoor. In his youth, Cam was the Marquess of Pembridge, whose questionable paternity haunted the family name--his mother's affair with his "father's" brother made either man his likely sire. His mother was great friends with the mother of the Thorne clan, and Cam was especially close to Peter Thorne and his sister Penelope, known as "Pen". When Cam came of age, the only girl he was inclined to marry was Pen--not for love--he didn't believe in love--but for practical purposes and familial expectations. Pen, whose own family had its share of scandals, didn't share Cam's views on marriage, and to his utter disbelief, she turned down his proposal. Almost a decade later, their paths will cross again. On his deathbed, Pen's brother Peter makes Cam promise to retrieve Pen from Europe and return her to their home and family. Neither Pen nor Cam has ever married, and the relationship which grew from childhood friends to young adult acquaintances begins to show an added element of heated sparks. Is it possible that what began so long ago has now come full circle and will no longer be denied? Pen has always loved Cam--loved him so much that she couldn't marry him when she knew his own lack of love would be unbearable when combined with the societal disapproval carried by both families. Cam has seen Pen bloom and grow from a slender, long-legged girl tagging along with him and her brother to a pretty young woman who had the audacity to refuse his offer of marriage. How can he now convince this exquisite grown woman that their futures belong with each other? It won't be easy, but when a duke dares what he dares...anything is possible! A wonderfully involving romance, made all the more readable by appealing and compelling characterizations. A delight for lovers of historical romance from the awesome Anna Campbell.

Review Copy Gratis Grand Central Publishing ( )

On holiday I reread this series. This book held up over the years since I first read it. Cam is the typical entitled Duke who expects Penelope Thorne to accept his marriage proposal. However, Penelope is secretly in love with him and determined not to cave to his demands as long as he doesn't love her back. She leaves to travel Europe until ten years later Cam is forced to find her and bring her back to England because of a promise to her dying brother.
Penelope is a lovely heroine, a woman who doesn't succumb to pressure. Cam is not likable at first but evolves to a decent person (though Penelope better keep an eye on him). The story is different; I liked that she didn't just cave because he's a Duke and followed her instincts. ( )

Too much sex. At least most of it is between a married couple

A standard historical romance. ( )

I liked this book, but thought it was a bit drawn out. It seemed at times to be two novellas, what with every other chapter being about the other couple in the book. It was only in the last couple chapters that the two story come together. Of course, the two couples do share a family member, Harry and Pen are brother and sister. But the story between Cam and Pen could've been a novella and I would've been happy. They spent the entire book speaking but not saying anything. I don't know, maybe it was that I enjoyed the last book so much more and had really high hopes for Cam. I'm sure I'll read more of Ms. Campbell in the future as I really like her writing.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. ( )