Blame It on Bath
Series: The Truth About the Duke #2
Author: Caroline Linden
Published February 28th 2012 by Avon

Goodreads Synopsis
A marriage of convenience . . . or of destiny?

Gerard de Lacey is determined to find the man who is blackmailing his family, but with his inheritance and status at risk, a hasty marriage to a wealthy bride also seems in order—just in case things take a turn for the worse. Charismatic and capable, Gerard knows he can win the hand of any lady he chooses. Still, he's not expecting a rich widow to find him and propose the very thing he wants: a marriage of convenience.

Katherine Howe's first marriage was one of dreary duty. Now that she's being pressured to marry her late husband's heir, she's desperate for a better option. Gerard de Lacey, with his sinful good looks, charming manner, and looming scandal, fits her needs perfectly. The fact that she's nursed a secret affection for him only makes it better—and worse. Because Gerard will likely marry her for her fortune—but can he love her for herself, as she loves him?
Goodreads

Review
Blame It on Bath sees the youngest of the de Lacey brood try to overcome the scandal of his father's passing, and purported bigamist marriage while using his military past to aid him. He knows as the youngest son, he will definitely struggle if he loses his inheritance, and is proclaimed a bastard, so when a beautiful young widow, and heiress, organises a clandestine meeting, and proposes a marriage of convenience , he can't help but accept. Marrying Katherine Howe allows Gerard to still continue his search for the blackmailer, in Bath, and with a handsome wife to boot. Katherine needs Gerard as her husband to stave off the advances of her late husband's nephew and heir, who is badgering her to marry to deal with debts that she can call in at any point, and the handsome war hero, who she's had a shine on since childhood, is the perfect choice. Will Katherine be able to stop Lucian, and help Gerard find the evidence he and his brother's need to prove their legitimacy?

As the second book in the series, you would expect to have a lot of the backstory already fleshed out, but Blame It On Bath seemed to run alongside the events of One Night in London. Gerard is extremely focused on finding the blackmailer, and only pauses his journey to Bath shortly to meet with Kate and then marry her, and after that's done, seems to expect he'll be able to leave her to her own devices in the townhouse they've leased. Well, he's wrong about that. Kate may be shy, but she doesn't appreciated being abandoned, and I love the fact that she grew so much as a character once away from her vindictive mother and Lucian, and when she embraced her own worth. Becoming 'Kate' rather than 'Katherine', and showing Gerard she's someone who can help him in his efforts was fantastic, and this just added to their growing intimacy and flourishing relationship. The plot line of the late Duke's secret marriage continues in this story, and I liked seeing Gerard finding more of the evidence they needed to help their cause, which also helped Gerard and Kate become a better couple. Seeing Edward make an appearance towards the end of this book, and seeing him take some more responsibility as he steps into the mantle of Durham, makes me much more excited for his book, The Way to a Duke's Heart.

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