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Elisa Braden

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The Devil Is a Marquess (Rescued from Ruin Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Elisa Braden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 2,730 ratings

Book 4 of 11: Rescued from Ruin

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When a rake beyond redemption
A walking scandal surviving on little more than wits, whisky, and wicked skills in the bedchamber, Benedict Chatham, the new Marquess of Rutherford, is at the end of his rope. Deeply in debt and down to his last farthing, he must marry nothing short of an absolute fortune, or risk utter ruin.

Must marry for money
Enter Miss Charlotte Lancaster, unfashionably tall heiress to just such a fortune and a clumsy, redheaded disaster in her five London seasons. While she dreams of leaving England for a life of trade in America, her father schemes to trade her dowry for a title—and Marchioness of Rutherford will do nicely. Charlotte wants her independence, not a husband, and certainly not a disreputable devil who renders her weak and wobbly with a single scorching glance. But she’s a practical sort, and a year with the devil might buy her freedom … provided she can resist his seductive charms. That shouldn’t prove a problem, for he could not possibly want someone like her, and the feeling is mutual. Really. It is.

Love grows in the most unexpected places
When her father demands a startling price for his daughter’s hand—one year of fidelity and sobriety—Chatham must change his libertine ways … at least temporarily. And when he does, Charlotte begins to see him in a new light—not as the scandalous charmer she married, but as the husband she just might adore.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Reading romance novels came easily to Elisa Braden. Shes been doing it since she was twelve. Writing them? That took a little longer. After graduating with degrees in creative writing and history, Elisa spent entirely too many years in real jobs, writing T-shirt copyand other peoples resumesand articles about giftware displays. But that was before she woke up and started dreaming about the very unreal job of being a romance novelist. Frankly, she figures better late than never. Elisa lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, where youre constitutionally required to like the colors green and gray. Good thing she does. Other items on the like list include cute dogs, strong coffee, and epic movies. Of course, her favorite thing of all is hearing from readers who love her characters as much as she does.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01EGYZNIY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Elisa Braden (April 29, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 29, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2997 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #53,363 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,263 in Regency Historical Romance
- #1,365 in Regency Romances
- #11,989 in Romance (Kindle Store)

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4.5 2,730 ratings

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Elisa Braden

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Reading romance novels came easily to Elisa Braden. Writing them? That took a little longer. After graduating with degrees in creative writing and history, Elisa spent too many years in “real” jobs writing T-shirt copy ... and other people’s resumes ... and articles about giftware displays. But that was before she woke up and started dreaming about the very unreal job of being a romance novelist. Better late than never.

Elisa lives in the Pacific Northwest, where you're constitutionally required to like the colors green and gray. Good thing she does. Other items on the "like" list include cute dogs, strong coffee, and epic movies. Of course, her favorite thing of all is hearing from readers who love her characters as much as she does.

If you're one of those, get in touch on Facebook (@authorelisabraden) and Twitter (@trueelisabraden), visit her website (www.elisabraden.com), and - most importantly - be the first to hear about new releases, price specials, and fun bonuses by signing up for her email newsletter (bit.ly/ElisaBradenNewsletter). It's easy, quick, and FREE.

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4.5 out of 5

2,730 global ratings

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Karen Talley

5+ very shiny stars!

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020

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Charlotte Lancaster is overly tall, red-haired, freckled, clumsy, and much too interested in business matters. After 5 unsuccessful seasons, she is sure that her American father will give up his dream of marrying her into the English peerage and let her move to America to start her own business. Then she finds that he has betrothed her to Benedict Chatham, the new Marquess of Rutherford. Chatham has made his living as a gambler and a gigolo to wealthy women. Inheriting his late father's debts he has sold everything unentailed and is left penniless. A bargain is struck that the two will stay wed for a year and a large sum of money will be paid out if they meet the stipulations in the contract. Charlotte Lancaster is one of my favorite heroines EVER. She doesn't just sit back and wail "oh, woe is me." She is an energetic, take charge person with a brain for bargaining and business. The development of the relationship between the two is wonderful and sparks fly as two strong personalities clash and then discover that they make a great team. The plot is great, the writing is fast-paced and clever, the dialogue is first-rate, and the humor is what really makes the book a standout. The secondary characters are also well developed. (Viola's embroidered handkerchief had me dying of laughter!) I loved this book and it will go on my reread list. I have also ordered the next book.

Language (f-bombs) and sexual situations (graphic) may offend some readers

2 people found this helpful

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Rocket

best yet

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024

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This is the story of Ben and Charlotte and how they ended up together.. I have to say this is my favorite book in the series. I always suspected there was more to Ben than being a drunk… his story was sad and beautiful at the same time, with charlottes being a bit the same…. All they needed was each other to bring the peace they were looking for. It was a wonderful story that made me both cry and laugh…. Worthy tale for Ben.

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Keroberus

Let's wallow in this pile of horse s*** together, shall we?

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2016

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An American heiress who is a perfect combination of English and Colonial, in the best ways -- who doesn't want a match to secure her future, teams up with a debauched rogue who is destroying himself with alcohol because his estate is in ruin-- thanks to his father-- and has no future.

Gangly, clumsy and an unfashionable red head with freckles, Miss Charlotte Lancaster is a social outcast and has been since her debut five years prior. She seems the butt of every whispered joke when she enters a room and has an unfortunate nickname following her everywhere. No matter how large her dowry no nobleman wants her for a wife because she's willful, blunt and trips over her own feet -- often. When her father coerces her into marriage with a business deal she can't refuse, her lonely heart comes face to face with its match in an extremely thin, about to keel over Marquess of Rutherford who needs the coin from this arrangement to survive.

The similarities between them are not immediately apparent but due to thoughtful character development and witty exchanges you learn they are both terribly lonely, they are very smart and clever, and they were both raised by idiots. What struck me was how genuine Charlotte is, in her thoughts and deeds, and her genuine compassion for a husband she was saddled with but wants to be partners with for their year-long marriage arrangement. Her smile and go-to attitude is infectious and even her husband can't resist her adorable freckles and lustrous red hair.

The Marquess, Benedict Chatham, is surprisingly kind. Though he did sordid things for whiskey and money, you realize he did it to survive. Just like Charlotte, he's bound by societal rules in that he cannot enter trade, he cannot marry well with his reputation, and he is just waiting, unhappily resigned to his fate. Sure he can be an arrogant punk, but he listens to reason and there is some semblance of honor and pride that is innate in his character that will not permit his wife to starve with him, wants to protect her, and wants to catch her every time she trips.

These characters are mature and they drive the story, which is what I loved best about it. There are some steamy scenes between them for those who are squeamish about that, but it's tasteful. Unlike with his former paramours and trysts you have the distinct feeling that the way he loves her is sincere and personal -- something entirely foreign to him. They're married so that's part of the deal, but it's never forced and it flows rather well because its through their mental, physical and verbal connection that she retrieves the devil from the depths of Hell, brushes off the ashes, and finds her prince.

The Marquess in the end was a bit moronic in how he finally had his epiphany before his HEA, but when you think about how far he's come, and from where he started, you realize he is a better man for it. Charlotte also takes the long way around not realizing until the end that she already had him at "Let's wallow in this pile of horse s*** together, shall we?"

[I had forgotten that the Marquess was involved in the unfortunate wager concerning Lady Jane in book 2, I may have liked him less if I had, but I believe these books can be read independently, and out of order]

9 people found this helpful

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Gigi

Keeper

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2018

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A lovely, well written story about the power of love and redemption. Readers of the series will remember Chatham as a drunken first rate scoundrel without any honor. He sees no reason to change until his father's death leaves him with a debt ridden estate and a crumbling manor. Enter the father of the hapless, klutzy perennial wallflower Charlottte Lancaster. Mr. Lancaster is determined to buy his daughter a title and since bestowing an enormous dowry on his daughter didn't do the job, he decides to make the desperate Chatham, now a marquess, an offer he cannot refuse; Chatham must stay sober and faithful for a year and he will receive an enormous sum. Practical Charlotte sees the opportunity to gain her freedom and realize her dreams of moving to America and go into business if she marries Chatham. But Charlotte didn't plan on a sober Chatham. If her husband was charming and attractive as a drunken rake, he's positively devastating sober. Soon the manor isn't the only thing reemerging from the wreckage and two lonely people find a beautiful friendship that soon turns into deep abiding love.
I loved, loved this book. The irredeemable rake trope is one of my favorites and too often leaves me disappointed when the rake isn't adequately redeemed. Ms. Braden has done a lovely job of showing Chatham's evolution from hopeless drunk to devoted husband and of two people thrown together against their will finding first friendship and then love. The dialogue was perfect; witty, funny, sexy and heartwrenching in some cases. The characters primary and secondary both
serve to further the plot while keeping the main characters and their story front and center. The love scenes were not numerous but were sexy and emotional. In short, this is a wonderful well written love story and I loved every moment of it. Ms. Braden is an autobuy and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Highly recommended. Heat Level: Warm. 5 solid stars.

2 people found this helpful

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Dagmar

Lush and Riveting

Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2021

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I just can't deal with the force of the compelling, amazing, heartsoaring awesomeness that is this book. Just YES.
What we're dealing with here, folks, is historical romance *PERFECTION*
Benedict and Charlotte: A marriage of convenience reformed rake masterpiece with...More.
More humour, more heart, more heat, more grit, more passion, more authenticity, more redemption, more LOVE.

Addiction, pain, an unquiet mind.
Dedication, boldness, tenderness...purpose.
Our H's path from apathy to meaning is glorious....our h's optimistic and determined spirit is an inspiration...together this story is soul enriching and completely un-put-downable.

What is IT about Elisa Braden's writing?

My HR book group friend said it best when she described it like "coming home"...I totally agree. Everything just fits and just feels right.

Onwards I go through the gem that is the Rescued From Ruin Series...Loving every minute.

C. Constable

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2021

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This book is a masterclass in character and H/h relationship development. The hero, Benedict Chatham was a recurring character in previous books and is a rake and wastrel of the first order. Although there were glimpses of hope and vulnerability in him in previous books, I still had doubts of how he would be redeemed in this book. Well, I need not have worried myself after this because Ms. Braden has surely redeemed him and more- she made us fall for him! He married the heroine, Charlotte, basically for money. He was a broken man, both by circumstances of his birth and by his own doing. I said a masterclass of character development because Benedict transformed into a much better man throughout the entire book deserving of a HEA. He had earned it with Charlotte so very well. I need not stress here how I love and enjoy reading about Charlotte. She is a prime example of a strong, no nonsense heroine, although it broke my heart how she thought of herself as undeserving of love and she fought loneliness since childhood.

It is a masterclass in the relationship development as well as Ben and Charlotte's relationship grew organically, from initial dislike, to friendship, to lust then to love. I love how they have grown to respect and liked each other first before falling into love. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This one will go in my keeper shelf.

One person found this helpful

maMadame

Schön mit zuverfolgende Liebesgeschichte

Reviewed in Germany on August 9, 2017

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Ein Marquess der völlig pleite ist, Alkoholiker und seine Liebesdienste für Geld verkauft und eine (für ihre Zeit) übergroße, amerikanische Händlerstochter die von ihrem Vater an eben diesen Marquess Titel verkauft wird.
Nun ist die Ehe für in Jahr auszuhalten, damit der Ehemann seine Schulden los wird und sie ihre Freiheit in Amerika ausleben kann. Da dies mal eine lange Geschichte ist, erhält man eine genauere Beschreibung, wie die beiden sich von völlig fremden Personen in einander verlieben und sich ihre eigentlichen Ziele völlig verändern. Es ist einfach glaubwürdig wie die beiden von Ablehnung zu Freunden und dann zu Liebenden werden. Dabei ist es ausgewogen aus beiden Perspektiven gezeichnet und einfach nachvollziehbar.
Es beginnt eher trostlos, wird dann amüsant und man kann nicht mehr aufhören zu erfahren, wie es sich weiterentwickelt.
Die Dialoge der beiden sind von Beginn an wirklich schön, er der völlig gleichgültige, sie, die Aufrichtige, nicht zurückhaltende und dabei dennoch herzliche, die aus allem versucht das Beste zu machen und ihn dabei unwissentlich zum umdenken, bzw. überhaupt zum nachdenken bringt.

Ich hatte schon ein Buch der Autorin gelesen, dass mir weniger gefiel, deshalb war ich hier sehr überrascht, wie gut die Autorin schreiben kann und vor allem ein Geschichte entwickelt.

One person found this helpful

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avid reader

Chàracter development and çhemistry

Reviewed in Australia on January 23, 2018

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There's a certain predictable theme in terms of plot underlining most good historicàl romance novels. What makes the great ones stand out is character development, convincing chemistry, good interweaving of historical detail and of course, wit! Elisa Braden develops characters who are interesting rather than stereotyped. She makes great use of the English language, providing the reader with an experience that is both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. She makes you care about her characters. As an added bonus, Elisa Braden knows how to write a great love scene. A very enjoyable read!

2 people found this helpful

MWeb

Good book but...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2023

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I personally struggle with what I find unnecessary angst that is caused by silly misunderstandings. Particularly when everyone acts totally out of character in order to fuel these misunderstandings. That summarises the last 1/3 of the book. I can understand and expect Benedict being so emotionally inept but not Charlotte. She might not be experienced but she was logical. But when it came to analysing the behaviour of her husband, even the obvious wasn't visible. But the worst was the lawyer. No lawyer would behave like that. No. Lawyer. He might spill secrets sure but openly like that to the daughter of a client? Silly really. Particularly as the plot didnt need his involvement to cause the intrigue. I was going to try Viola's story but it is clear that the next book will be even more full of needless misery before a swift happy ending. I understand that is a style, just not my cup of tea.

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The Devil Is a Marquess (Rescued from Ruin Book 4) Kindle Edition

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