Always enjoy a Christ Caldwell book! This was an intriguing pairing, young innocent Lady Penelope, who is determined to be all that is proper, and Ryker Black, bastard so of Duke, who runs a gambling hell. Accidentally compromised, she determines to make the best of it and marries him. Determined to make things work, she sets out to get to know and love her new husband. He is set on maintaining his usual routine and not allowing anyone close to him. Slowly she becomes more than he ever anticipated. When she is endangered, he realizes what she means to him. Well written, with great passion. The books Christ writes aren't for anything but fun. And they are always entertaining and heart touching.

I used to read a lot of historical novels abut I very occassionally read them now. Christi Caldwell is an author I enjoyed back then and so when I read this books description I was excited to check it out.

The book opens where Penelope's mother is telling her about all the scandals her sisters have had and wants her to promise no scandals while she goes out in society and finds a husband and attend a ball. It also opens up where Ryker's sister, Helena, who is now a duchess asks him to show support for her husband and attend the ball.

My impressions from those first scenes was confusion. Many character names and scandals are mentioned and I did not know any of them. Even Helena''s scandal is mentioned and it left me very confused. Now if you are a fan, I imagine they are characters from other books and so its probably fun to see them mentioned but for me I was very confused.

Then the story opens at the ball and Penelope is hating it. She is the topic of discussion and she is pretty humiliated. She escape to the garden and thats where she runs into Ryker. They are compromised when he stumbles upon her and she rips her gown and then he makes sure she has no weapons on her. Thats when everyone discovers them, and they are compromised.

I will be honest, I really LOVED Penelope. She has a mind of her own and is very headstrong and adventurous. But Ryker, I did not like him.For one he acts and sounds like what he is, not nobilility. He grew up on the streets and while being the bastard son of a Duke, he acts and sounds like what he is, a man of no nobility. He is very hard and uncompromising at times and has no real honor, at least in the beginning of the story. He, along with his brothers own this gaming hell and well its where he belongs.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in a new series from Christi Caldwell. In this addition to the series we get the story of Ryker a man that has been shaped by the streets and is forced to marry to save his club and the reputation of a young miss. The story was well done and I am definitely looking forward to more in the series.

I have read several of Ms. Caldwell's novels and enjoyed them. She did not disappoint me in this novel. Her writing was delightful and I really liked the story line.
Penelope Tidemore and her siblings have all caused scandals in society and Penelope is no exception even though she tries to avoid scandal. But like moths to a flame, some things just cannot be denied. Ryker Black is a bastard son of a duke who received the title of viscount when he saved his "sister's" husband. Ryker grew up on the streets of St Giles and when he earned enough money, opened up a gaming hell which became very successful. His childhood is a rather sad one, but it shows why he became the person he is. Penelope and Ryker marry to save her younger sister Polly's chances of getting a good match and Ryker's gaming hell. Penelope is extremely stubborn and I enjoy her character very much. We get to see the real Penelope by reading tidbits from her diary. She points out things to Ryker that he has avoided all his life, including letting people be close to him. Ryker tries to shut Penelope out, but he cannot stop his attraction and respect for her. He fears for her safety and innocence and he tries to protect her from it. He gets easily frustrated and angry with her, but it does not deter Penelope. She makes Ryker become a better man and opens his eyes to things he did not see before. I enjoyed Ryker's character and his determination. Penelope realized she loves Ryker but he does not want her love. As Penelope and Ryker work out their relationship issues, someone from Ryker's past wants to destroy him and those he cares for. When Penelope gets caught in the crossfire, he realizes how much he loves her. A wonderful read!!