ARC REVIEW The Duke's Accidental Wife by Erica Ridley

Ravenwood finally gets his book! The Dukes of War book seven; really seven already, Damn. I loved this series, every book is unique in it's characters and situations and with Ravenwood and his cold outer-shell and the vivacious Katherine you have a delightful story of give and take and finding out that what you need is what you least expect. Erica Ridley has a delightful and easy writing style, I love her attention to detail and she is an excellent storyteller.

Ravenwood gets uncomfortable in social situations his sister has always acted as the go between so he doesn't have to deal with it, but now she is married and he is alone in the house for the exception of the servants. Ravenwood has always done what is best for the Dukedom, his country, his King, and his family name; and as a member of Parliament he does his best to prove he is just a good a Duke as his father before him. When his sister Lady Amelia and his friends talks him into attending an auction be begrudgingly agrees more so because the patroness of the auction is the talked about and vivacious Lady Katherine Ross.

Lady Katherine Ross has vowed never to get married and most of all never have children. She is scared of the child birth, she was raised by her Aunt who attended the midwife and vividly remembers all the times her aunt came home crying because of the loss of the mother or the child and more than often both; it scared Kate. Now as she has grown older and made a place for herself in society she doesn't want to be a mans property she has worked hard to make her own money and her work with artist has made a name for herself. If she can get the elusive Duke of Ravenwood to attend her auction then she can guarantee it's success and the success of her artists. Unfortunately an ill placed bucket of water and the bad timing of one senile aunt, Ravenwood and Kate end up in the middle of a scandal and have to marry.

A wedding was the last thing Kate wanted, she convinced herself that everything she now owned was Ravenwood's, and technically she's right but Ravenwood doesn't want her stuff. The chemistry is there but once Ravenwood discovers she doesn't want to have children puts another wedge between them. Slowly they learn about each other, Kate learns what a romantic her husband is and Ravenwood discovers how hard a worker she is and how much she wants to be a good wife for him. He takes an interest in her work with the artist and supports her. Kate realizes she loves Ravenwood when she realizes she is willing to face her fear and give him the child he wants.

Overall, I love how they work to better their relationship, they worked at trying to make the marriage they were forced into work and it was easy for it to become a love match and not just a convenience.