Blog Tour: The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior by Megan Frampton (Review + Giveaway)

Love Saves the World welcomes Megan Frampton and her latest book, The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior, the first book in her Dukes Behaving Badly series.

To celebrate the release, Avon will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for $25 gift card, e-retailer of choice. (Enter via Rafflecopter below.) To visit Megan's other stops, click here.

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About the book:

Blurb:

All of London knows the Duke of Rutherford has position and wealth. They also whisper that he’s dissolute, devilish, and determinedly unwed. So why, everyone is asking, has he hired a governess?

When Miss Lily Russell crosses the threshold of the Duke of Rutherford’s stylish townhouse, she knows she has come face to face with sensual danger. For this is no doting papa. Rather, his behavior is scandalous, and his reputation rightly earned. And his pursuit of her is nearly irresistible -- but resist she must for the sake of her pupil.

As for the duke himself, it was bad enough when his unknown child landed on his doorstep. Now Lily, with her unassuming beauty, has aroused his most wicked fantasies -- and, shockingly, his desire to change his wanton ways. He’s determined to become worthy of her, and so he asks for her help in correcting his behavior.

But Lily has a secret, one that, if it becomes known, could change everything ...

Words: 384 pgs. |Heat Level: Sexy | Purchase: Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

More information about the book on Goodreads
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My Review:

As I read through this novel, I was reminded of Jack Nicholson's memorable line in As Good as It Gets: "You make me want to be a better man." -- I think the sentiment is the same for Marcus, the new Duke of Rutherford, who only has a vague idea of what it means to hold his title and has no future plans beyond choosing his new best friend. He longs for his former life, free of the encumbrances of a title and the only thing he focused on was his quiet walks alone in the countryside.

When his illegitimate daughter is delivered at his door, with news that her mother has died, Marcus hires a governess because that's what he thinks he's supposed to do -- Marcus struck me as a man operating at 75% efficiency: he knows what he is supposed to do and what is expected of him -- but he just isn't motivated ... yet. The duke's life unexpectedly changes when two females enter his life: Rose, his daughter, and Lily, his daughter's governess. He hadn't expected to be involved in his daughter's life and had definitely not expected to be involved in his daughter's governess -- but the two ladies in Marcus's life have lit a spark in Marcus and have given him his much-needed push.

Twenty-four hours earlier, his primary concern had been whether to anoint Collins or Smithfield his new best friend. He still hadn't decided, but he was leaning toward Smithfield, since Collins ate the last bit of roast beef and had the temerity to ask a question of a duke. Smithfield had just snored.
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Sometimes I think we don't take comedy and humour seriously, that we dismiss it as silly and nonsense and don't realise that there are truths all this funny stuff presents. Such is the case of Megan Frampton's The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior. It's a lot of wit and laughter, but there's also a lot to be quiet and reflect about: the notion of belonging, of being worthy, of having purpose, and of being part of something greater than one's self.

Lily didn't want to drift herself. She wanted a purpose and joy in her life.
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I discovered Megan Frampton's very unique sense of humour through her previous books and it's very well-highlighted in this novel. Lily Russell takes on the governess post without hesitation, thinking what a duke would do to boost her employment agency's reputation. It's only when she arrives at the duke's house that she realises that she has no idea how to proceed. Marcus is new to being a duke and a father. Lily is new to pretending to be a governess (complete with fake references). But there is just a large amount of sincerity and eagerness between these two that you can't fault them for trying. I honestly worried about our hero and heroine, who were so concerned with what was proper and correct, but could not help but act improperly with each other. It was clear from the beginning that Lily was attracted to Marcus's good looks, and Marcus was impressed that Lily wasn't afraid to stand up to him.

The romance was one of the novel's strong points, showing the tug between what one wants and what one ought to want: Marcus knows he must make a good marriage if he is to secure Rose's (and his own) position in society, but he cannot help how he feels for Lily. Lily knows she can not dare to aim so high as a duke, considering her "lowly" place in the world. The phrase "I want this" is repeated quite a bit in the conversations between Marcus and Lily -- and it's wonderful to hear a hero and heroine give voice to what is in their hears, but it's equally heartbreaking when you see how they could not act on it.

He was her employer. She was his employee. Nothing else could happen. But she couldn't stop herself from imagining all sorts of things that could happen if they were in different circumstances.
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It was also a bit saddening to see how illegitimate children were treated in those times, and part of the novel's obstacle was how Marcus and Lily carefully tried to bring Rose into society. Despite Marcus's "story" that Rose was his ward, the daughter of a cousin, the rumours about Rose's birth persisted -- and the situation was compounded when Lily's own past becomes an issue. While this is not a story where the fate of London or of England hung in the balance, it doesn't mean nothing great was at stake: the situation that Marcus and Lily find themselves required a great sacrifice on both their parts. It made me realise that there is just as much urgency in being able to live a full and authentic life, which was what Marcus and Lily needed.

Overall, this was a very good read. As this is the first book in the new series, I'm very excited to read the next instalment. (I'm especially curious about Lily's agency and the women they place. I hope to read more about them. ^_^)

Disclosure: I received this ARC through Edelweiss for this event. Thank you to Megan Frampton and Avon for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

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Megan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and son.

Megan’s Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads





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To celebrate the release, Avon will be hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for $25 gift card, e-retailer of choice. (Enter via Rafflecopter below.)  To visit Megan's other stops, click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway