Born to a life of privilege, Lady Ravenna Huntley rues the day that she must marry. She’s refused dozens of suitors and cried off multiple betrothals, but running away – even if brash and foolhardy – is the only option left to secure her independence. 

Lord Courtland Chase, grandson of the duke of Ashvale, was driven from England at the behest of his cruel stepmother. Scorned and shunned, he swore never to return to the land of his birth. But when a twist of bad luck throws a rebellious heiress into his arms at the very moment he finds out he’s the new duke, marriage is the only alternative to massive scandal. 

Both are quick to deny it, but a wedding might be the only way out for each of them. And the attraction that burns between them makes Ravenna and Courtland wonder if it’ll truly only be a marriage of convenience after all.

Rules for Heiresses by Amalie Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amalie Howard is the queen of matching strong heroines with equally strong heroes. The dynamic romances she creates through environment, situations, and hot chemistry is what has me jumping on any and everything she writes. As you all know this book gives us the HEA for Lady Ravenna Huntly, who we met and fell in love with as Rystan’s rebellious younger sister and one of Sarani’s fiercest champions, in The Princess Stakes. We get to pick up her story just after where it left off in book 1 and from there we are taken on a wild adventure full of the sass, determination, and steamy romance we have come to crave from this author.
This is another book that gives a candid and raw look into the personal experience and effects being a “mixed- race” or bi-person of color can have on people. This time we see that it can affect men much the same as it does their more emotional female counter parts. As I said when I reviewed The Princess Stakes, I am going to say it again now….. BRAVO AMILIE!!! Thank you again, for being brave enough to shine a light on this subject. Your words continue to make me think, reevaluate, and evolve in the way I see things, and I deeply hope it does the same for EVERYONE else who reads these books. I profoundly feel that people need this kind of “safe” exposure for society to grow into a better future. Stories like this are vital in that effort.
Now on to the FUN part!
This heroine has a personality that is as fiery as her red hair and a streak of determination that runs so deep it could become one of her greatest faults. Guess it’s a good thing our hero is her long-lost childhood friend (who secretly has been in love with her like forever) and is the one who accused her of cheating in his club in Antigua. I can’t imagine how she would have been able to get out of the messy situation we find her in had it been anyone else. Caught in a scandalous position she trades one form of imprisonment for another when she is forced to “pretend” to be enamored with the man to whom she was once betrothed, to save herself from ruination. All she wanted was to live her life the way she chose and to experience freedom away from the strict rules of society.
Our hero has made an incredible life for himself despite being chased away from England by his stepfamily. The last thing he wants is to have to go back to England, become a Duke, or get involved with the one girl he has ever loved. It seems his entire past finally caught up to him the night we met him at the card table in his Antigua club. In a matter of hours, he went from threatening imprisonment to the man he suspects of cheating, to being found in a scandalous position with a woman he never thought he would see again, to finding out he is the new Duke of Ashvale. Will he turn his back on the past he has worked so hard to overcome or will he start a journey of healing and discovery by taking the first step and opening up to the one woman strong enough to stand by his side and break down his walls?

As I do with all books by this author I loved every second of this book and hope all of you do as well.

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