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A Date at the Altar

(Marrying the Duke #3)

Cathy Maxwell (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 1,121 ratings · 143 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell’s glittering Marrying the Duke series continues—Twice he has been close to the altar and still no duchess.

Will the third time be the charm? A duke can’t marry just anyone. His wife must be of good family, be fertile, be young. Struggling playwright Sarah Pettijohn is absolutely the last woman Gavin Whitridge, Duke of Baynton, ...more

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ebook, 384 pages

Published October 25th 2016 by Avon

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· 1,121 ratings · 143 reviews

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Dec 11, 2016 Dawn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: will-read-again, historical-romance, heros-i-love, tormented-heroine, virgin-heros, stand-alone, highly-rated-by-friends, widow

Reread 2020

I stand by my original review and 5 star rating.

My only correction is that the heroine is NOT frustrating or unlikable at all.

The H & h are perfect together.
Great conflict and emotional impact.

Get out the tissues!
_____________________________________

Original 2016 read

Worth the money! 5 Stars!

Oh my heart! This was an emotional read.

I have nothing negative to say, which is rare.

The hero was awesome, the heroine strong and independent, there was good conflict, a believable antagonis ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Lover of Romance rated it really liked it

Shelves: character-actor-and-playwright, publisher-avon, genre-historical-romance, setting-england, theme-scandals-and-disgrace, trope-rags-to-riches, time-england-regency-1811-1820, character-spirited-heroine, pub-2016, character-dukes

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Summary
Gavin Whitridge, is the Duke of Baynton and expectations are high for him to marry and he can't just marry anyone especially the penniless playwright Sarah Pettijohn. She is the last woman that anyone would expect that Gavin would set his eyes on. Gavin knows that he can never marry Sarah, his mother and aunt already have a woman in mind. He knows he needs an heir however there is something different about S ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 ✨ Gramy ✨ rated it liked it

Shelves: three-star-reads-liked-it, c-romance-historical-england

..
A Date at the Alter is the third book in the 'Marrying the Duke' series by Cathy Maxwell. I listened to the audio version narrated by Mary Jane Wells, who did an excellent job!

Twice he has been close to the altar and still no duchess.

In this tale, Lady Charlene Blanchard, the beautiful, orphaned daughter of a late Earl, is an unlikely heroine. Especially since she is found living the life of a common thief, pick-pocketing hoping to pilfer enough coins for her Aunt and herself to scrape by on. ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiogals, audiobook, romance-regency, romance-1800-1850, 4-stars

I've given this an A- for narration and a B- for content at AudioGals; the narration pushes this up to 4 stars for the audio version.

It’s no secret that I’ve been rather disappointed with the previous books in Cathy Maxwell’s Marrying the Duke series; my reviews of The Match of the Century and The Fairest of Them Allhave praised the performances given by Mary Jane Wells, but the stories themselves have been lacklustre. Part of the problem was that, in both cases, the major secondary characte ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Laura rated it liked it

Review posted on Got Fiction?

***Some Spoilers***

This is the third book in Cathy Maxwell’s Marrying the Duke trilogy, and it can be read as a stand alone. You’ll see mentions of the previous 2 books, and from what I gathered, the previous 2 books were about this hero’s previous 2 fiancees. It seems that the Duke of Baynton can’t keep a fiancee. They keep running off with other men (one of whom is his twin brother)! So this is finally his moment.

When I first read the beginning, I found out he was ...more

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Feb 05, 2017 Hasnamezied rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-covers, books-made-me-cry, mr-darcy, historical-romance, favorites, owned

5 Big Dreamy Lovely Stars.

This is an amazing book and I enjoyed every word in it. I smiled, laughed and cried hard during my reading to this book. The best ending for the series. Thank you Cathy Maxwell.

Please meet
Sarah
description

Gavin

and their love was the true love to accept the other as he/ she really is.
description

...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Sammy Loves Books rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, lukewarm-love-scenes, library-book, historical-romance, virgins-like-sex-too, heroine-raped

3.5 "The Duke finally gets his Woman" Stars!!

After being jilted twice for his brothers, Duke Gavin finally finds love!! ...more

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Nov 01, 2019 Joan rated it did not like it

This plot was totally unrealistic, implausible and straight up stupid. I detest virgin hero tropes and Gavin was especially pathetic. Poor man lost out on two previous betrothals to his younger brothers and he is further punished for his values and stoicism: not only losing out to younger brothers who resented him, there is no sparkly HEA with a wonderful heroine and heir on the way. Gavin's reward for his abstinence to wait until marriage was a total bust inasmuch as he gets the booby prize in ...more

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Jun 10, 2020 Topastro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, 2020-reads

Like the crazy person I am I started this series at book 3 but I found I didn't need to read the other 2 to enjoy the story. Previous interaction has made Sarah aware of the handsome yet straitlaced Gavin and time proved she is not a fan of the Duke but that's ok because Gavin can barely tolerate the head strong, opinionated Sarah. They live in two different worlds but soon Sarah falls on hard times and need the assistance of the duke but he will need her in his bed in return.

Sarah was a strong ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, age-difference, women-who-get-shit-done, banter-gives-me-life, covergasm, clashes-of-class, regency-era, competence-porn, opposites-attract, working-class-leads

Although not the best, nor the most memorable of reads, A Date at the Altar did have these two standout aspects going for it:

1) The pairing of a clueless virgin duke hero and a world weary widowed playwright (GINGER!!!) heroine. Oh! And both of them were in their 30’s as well. When does that ever happen?

While their differences did drive each other mad in the beginning (which was often great fun for the reader to pay witness to), Sarah and Gavin eventually discover that they are actually quite si Although not the best, nor the most memorable of reads, A Date at the Altar did have these two standout aspects going for it:

1) The pairing of a clueless virgin duke hero and a world weary widowed playwright (GINGER!!!) heroine. Oh! And both of them were in their 30’s as well. When does that ever happen?

While their differences did drive each other mad in the beginning (which was often great fun for the reader to pay witness to), Sarah and Gavin eventually discover that they are actually quite similar in a lot ways. Their ability to find common ground and mutual understanding blended well with their already strong physical attraction. They weren’t my favorite pairing ever, and there were times when I wish there had been a much stronger tension between them, but overall the romance was nice, just not outstanding. But the way they changed each other for the better? Yeah, that was great.

2) An accurate depiction of what life is really like for many rich men’s mistresses and their illegitimate children.

“My father is Lord Twyndale, the late one. I was born on the wrong side of the blanket, Your Grace, but how does that make me less respectable than his daughters born to his lady wife?”
“I believe you know the answer to that.”
“You are right. I fought it for years. In fact, my sense of worth doesn’t come from who my father was. It comes from who I believe I am.”

The book’s emotional core centered on Sarah’s journey from distrustful, herself against the world way of thinking, to her truly wanting to let Gavin in. It was a struggle and I appreciated that. Sarah had so much baggage to deal with too, starting with her mother, an actress turned mistress who died alone and destitute. Her mother left behind a legacy of sorts, one in which Sarah refused to let be. It dictated that because Sarah was bastard-born from a lord’s mistress, she would inevitably end in the same position: am expendable mistress and nothing more. Sarah’s fight to keep the fears her mother instilled her at bay ultimately led her to make bad choices and putting her trust in the wrong people, ending with her closing her heart off completely for the sake of protection. And yet, the strength and fire (that matched her glorious hair) within her refused to die. Even when life was at its most bleak, Sarah kept on fighting and that was just incredible to read about. Without question, Sarah was the soul and driving force of this book and without her, it wouldn’t have worked.

Once Sarah did finally decide to open up to Gavin and reveal all she had been through, he did not find her wanting or less than as she’d always feared. No. He accepted and wanted her wholeheartedly, even more than before. Gavin also supported and encouraged her writing which of course made Sarah and I both adore him in return. Speaking of…

“Every path in his life had been leading him to her.”

Gavin, while darling, was not the most interesting of heroes, at least in contrast to Sarah. And his virgin status became a bit of an eye roll as the story went on. Most especially when during their first sexual encounter he’s able to bring Sarah to orgasm on the first try. RIIIIIIIIGHT. Still, he was adorable even at his most ignorant which surprised me since dense heroes are usually the bane of my existence. Maybe it was because he was super starchy or so in awe of the amazing heroine, but his willingness to learn from his misconceptions or shortcomings and to be a better person made him a step up from a lot of other dumb lords of his kind. Gavin also fought off convention (both society's and his own) to be with Sarah, (view spoiler). This, combined with the fact that he and Sarah were such a good fit helped ease whatever disparity there was between their individual characters, for the most part anyway.

What ultimately didn’t work so well for me was the lack of plot. Or, more specifically, the way ‘plots’ seemed to magically appear and then were just as miraculously solved with little to no tension or stakes. It didn't help that a lot of what happened, especially in the latter half of the book, was super unrealistic. I mean, a Duke taking the stage as an actor in order to save his mistress's play from disaster? COME ON NOW. In the end, the only conflict to fall back on was the emotional plot and class distinctions which were decent enough, but I still needed MORE.

The author’s prose was serviceable and even poignant at times. I actually ended up highlighting quite a few quotes of interest. And there was a breeziness to the writing that had me finishing the book in no time at all which is usually a good thing but ultimately, I came away not completely satisfied. I really wish I could better pinpoint exactly why this book didn’t hit me in all the feels because it had so many of my catnip tropes. Regardless, I would recommend this to those looking for a quick, light read with hints of depth and humor. ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Tash rated it it was amazing

Reviewed @ Confessions From Romaholics
Review copy kindly provided by author in exchange for a honest review

A Date at the Altar is the final book in the series and gives our poor suffering Duke a HEA. Well I wouldn’t deem poor suffering exactly since he wasn’t exactly , Painted as aloof doesn’t even begin to describe Gavin, the Duke of Boynton, who was determined to do his duty. However he has grown over the course of the series and presents a completely different man

Whilst I missed the second b ...more

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Oct 27, 2016 Jaci rated it it was amazing

Finally!!!! The Duke of Baynton, Gavin Whitridge gets his story. Gavin is a Gentleman who has always done what was required of him as a Duke. He uses his position to keep his country safe and prosperous. Guiding and influencing where he must. He has never kept a mistress nor ever been the subject of any unsavory gossip. He is everything that a Duke of the Realm should be. He has never stepped out of the boundaries that were drilled into him by his father. If you have read the first two books in Finally!!!! The Duke of Baynton, Gavin Whitridge gets his story. Gavin is a Gentleman who has always done what was required of him as a Duke. He uses his position to keep his country safe and prosperous. Guiding and influencing where he must. He has never kept a mistress nor ever been the subject of any unsavory gossip. He is everything that a Duke of the Realm should be. He has never stepped out of the boundaries that were drilled into him by his father. If you have read the first two books in this series, you know that both times he courted a lady she has fallen in love with someone else, as a Gentleman he has stepped back and let the ladies marry their true loves.

Mrs. Sarah Pettijohn is an actress, a playwright, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Twyndale, a widow and a survivor of physical and sexual abuse by her late husband. Sarah is a fighter who is determined to succeed, she will have one of her plays performed at a theater in London. She is also stubborn to the point driving The Duke of Baynton stark raving mad!!!

It begins when Gavin has been talked into attending an event at a theater where the famous Siren is to perform. He is brought to his feet in shock when he recognizes that Mrs. Sarah Pettijohn is the Siren. He has had dealings with her and the past and never thought to have to see her ever again. His brother married her niece. Gavin has never been a slave to lust, but now he wants Sarah as his mistress and is in the position to help her if she will agree to Carte Blanche.

Sarah has vowed never to become like her mother, going from man to man as she ages and then dies broke and alone. But the Duke is offering something she might not be able to refuse. Deep inside Sarah is terrified of intimacy and simply is not any good at sex, or so her husband had told her. She doesn't know if she can submit to Gavin. For his part Gavin is tired of always doing the right thing. He realizes that he has never made any decisions to make himself happy. He has never known anyone like Sarah and is determined to have her. Add his mother pushing him to court a young lady of her chose.

This is a story that will touch you down to your soul. Sarah and Gavin are amazing characters that will tug at your heartstrings and you will cheer for them to get their HAE. Cathy writes a story that you will not be able to put down. I smiled alot at the witty dialogue between Sarah and Gavin and I cried as they both opened up and told each other their secrets. This is an extraordinary love story that you will want to read over and over again. All I can say about this book is you must read it!! This book can be read as a stand alone. I recommend if you have not read the first two in the series....do!!!
...more

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Dec 03, 2016 Kazen rated it liked it

A fun read that did some things really, really well.

The good:

- Our heroine Sarah is strong and confident and happy in her own skin. She's doing what she wants with her life and it's refreshing and wonderful to watch. Some people may doubt the plausibility of the plot so Maxwell shares some of her research in an afterward.

- Many Regencies talk about mistresses, often in the context of "oh no you don't" or "I can't believe he/she did". Here we get to see that experience from the other side and ho ...more

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Sep 06, 2017 Jultri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: straight-laced-pompous-hero, heroine-poor, mistress, widow, traumatised-heroine, illegitimate-heroine

2.5/5. Arrogant, exceedingly proper, closet-romantic, alpha-male virgin duke in his 30s makes an offer to cynical, world-weary, destitute, widowed, also 'mature'-aged play writer/actress, who has sworn off men. Interesting concept, but oh, I could not get past the annoying narration. I especially could not stand the way the narrator voices the heroine, so utterly insincere, supposedly snooty and proud, but comes across more like Eliza Doolittle's initial try hard, but ultimately distorted interp 2.5/5. Arrogant, exceedingly proper, closet-romantic, alpha-male virgin duke in his 30s makes an offer to cynical, world-weary, destitute, widowed, also 'mature'-aged play writer/actress, who has sworn off men. Interesting concept, but oh, I could not get past the annoying narration. I especially could not stand the way the narrator voices the heroine, so utterly insincere, supposedly snooty and proud, but comes across more like Eliza Doolittle's initial try hard, but ultimately distorted interpretation of an elitist version of the King's English. And what's with the "wronKs"!! It drove me to distraction, but not enough for me not to notice the many incongruities in the plot and the characters.

Sarah came across as immature and impetuous at times despite her advanced age of 34. I don't mind the virgin plot so much, but he must have read a lot of sex manuals because lucky for Sarah, he certainly hits the spot upon first go. He initially sought to protect Sarah because she is the aunt of his sister-in-law and hence practically family. Yet, he then proceeds to compromise her reputation by overtly carrying on an affair with Sarah. In fact, he somewhat pressured her into it, knowing she was destitute and left without any other option. He goes from preserving himself for years due to his strict principles then disregarding all that he stood for by making a mistress out of a decent respectable woman. All this while planning to marry some young debutante and knowing that he would disgrace his vows by continuing his affair afterwards, thereby also disgracing Sarah in the process. He is powerful duke, but allowed himself to be pushed into an understanding with this young girl through the machinations of his mother and others around him. And why tell Sarah that he has to marry another the night before the grand opening of her show? Furthermore, why on earth did it end with his younger brother Ben and Ben's son being the heirs in waiting, when Gavin has a twin brother still alive and also expecting a child? I could go on, but duty calls.

...more

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Oct 06, 2017 Desi rated it really liked it

3.5 stars. I love theater settings so this was enjoyable. The couple was charming, things moved along briskly. While the wrap up was a little too pat, seeing as how they had some legitimate social incompatibility issues with regards to status that were unlikely to have been so easily solved, it still worked for the story.

I also like that at the end the author did not magically solve the couple's very real (view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Giselle Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star-reads

This was so delightful.

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Jul 24, 2017 Samantha rated it liked it

I own this book. Review to come on my blog.
https://storyobsessedblog.wordpress.c... ...more

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May 29, 2019 Jo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2019, scribd, books-i-own-kindle

A charming read. In fact this whole series was utterly charming. Enough of what I’ve come to expect from a historical romance to make them a comfort read but with surprising twists that made them feel slightly edgier.

Audio narration was also brilliant, highly recommend.

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Mar 08, 2017 SidneyKay rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance-regency

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ZZZZZZzzzzz

Poor Gavin. This isn't the first time we've run into Gavin, Duke of Baynton. In the two previous books Gavin was a secondary character who kept getting stood up at the wedding altar. He also happens to be a secondary character who almost stole the book in Fairest of the All. If you remember correctly in that book he and Sarah Pettijohn were chasing a runaway couple across the country. Gavin and Sarah were the only good thing about that book and now it's their turn.

I admit, I was looki ZZZZZZzzzzz

Poor Gavin. This isn't the first time we've run into Gavin, Duke of Baynton. In the two previous books Gavin was a secondary character who kept getting stood up at the wedding altar. He also happens to be a secondary character who almost stole the book in Fairest of the All. If you remember correctly in that book he and Sarah Pettijohn were chasing a runaway couple across the country. Gavin and Sarah were the only good thing about that book and now it's their turn.

I admit, I was looking forward to this book. I was hoping that Ms. Maxwell could create a story worthy of the fascinating secondary characters of Sarah and Gavin. Alas, they suffered from Secondary Characteritis. That's a disease that great secondary character get when they get their own books. One of the symptoms of this disease is a character is written one way when they are supporting, but then they change when they get their own books. So many expectations have been crushed by not enlarging on the way they are written when they first open their mouths in their supporting roles. When this story started I had hopes that this story would go in a direction I might like. But it soon became apparent that I was being lead down a different path. And, as the story progressed I became less and less fond of our hero, Gavin. Realistically I know that a real duke would never offer marriage to an actress (although some have). But as I grow older I'm becoming less fond of heroes offering a less than honorable proposition to a woman they supposedly love. I have a problem with my hero believing he loves the woman he's offering a carte blanche to and still planning on marrying someone else. It's a lose, lose situation for all involved. The mistress and the wife both lose. In the hands of some writers this kind of story line can be pulled off, but Ms. Maxwell doesn't.

This story had all the right ingredients to make it a fun great read. Gavin is a virgin, a rarity in Romanceland, and Sarah has been married before. Gavin realizes he is strongly attracted to Sarah and really really wants to end his virginity. Sarah on the other hand isn't all that interested in a relationship with a man - her marriage was a failure. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she is forced to accept his proposition.

All of a sudden Gavin changes from an uptight stuffed-shirt into a free-wheeling man about town. He is also one of those virgins who know what goes where and how much ding to put in the ding-a-ling. I just wish his idea of honor had been different. I'm tired of "men of their time." As I said before his character didn't set well with me. Sarah I liked better; her character didn't change all that much from the last book.

For me this book was another disappointment in a long line of disappointments. I wish the book had continued the dynamics that were established in the previous book. They were quite humorous then, especially when Sarah was getting on every inch of Gavin's stuffed-shirt nerves. The character momentum just did not carry through. A big disappointment.

KaysBlog ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Leone (She Reads too Much Romance) rated it really liked it

Review: 4.5

"A Date at the Altar" is truly an exceptional read, quite divergent and a bit of pure spicy romantic entertainment that was entirely what I was looking for in a historical-romance novel.

I need to clarify in this review that this is my first time reading a novel in author's Cathy Maxwell's "Marrying the Duke" series. I am actually quite glad about this (although a little disappointed too) because I was able to have a clear mind when reviewing this specific story because honestly I fell Review: 4.5

"A Date at the Altar" is truly an exceptional read, quite divergent and a bit of pure spicy romantic entertainment that was entirely what I was looking for in a historical-romance novel.

I need to clarify in this review that this is my first time reading a novel in author's Cathy Maxwell's "Marrying the Duke" series. I am actually quite glad about this (although a little disappointed too) because I was able to have a clear mind when reviewing this specific story because honestly I fell in love with the book from the opening chapter till the end.

As a PR I have made a notion to include how historical-romances are beginning to read so much alike. The same dry plot, the same hero and the heroine and of course let's not forget that same ole love story. I point these flaws out because I want fellow readers to understand just how amazing well the author wrote this story by taking the time to deliver something refreshing to her readers. I've always liked the author, but if her stories keep reading like "A Date at the Altar," pretty soon I am going to have a new favorite.

The entire book was an excellent, strong storyline with the heroine that is a bit known for scandal. Add an a haughty hero who is sexy as he is game and I was hooked. I do have to add that the heroine was such a nice relief. Sarah, was not the heroine that I was expecting to see in this novel likely because of her witt, her sass and of course her determination. The attraction between Sarah and Gavin was sizzling from the start. I enjoyed how Gavin pursued Sarah as it made the novel fun to see how these two opposites were going to end up reaching their HEA-ending.

Without a doubt if you haven't already grabbed this book, do so! If you are like me and haven't read this series yet it is not a big dilemma. I was not lost in this novel at all in comparison with the rest of the novels of the series which is yet another prime example of how Cathy Maxwell pens her books. In the end I couldn't ask more for a historical-romance than what Maxwell delivered. ...more

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Nov 14, 2016 The Book Junkie Reads . . . rated it it was amazing

Shelves: author_free_reads, historical_romance, blogtour, review-requested

Sarah was the absolute wrong person to become the next Duchess of Baynton. She was a playwright. She was not a Lady. She was free-spirited. She was illegitimate. She was strong, courageous, outspoken. She was not afraid of the wrath of the duke. She was perfect.

Gavin step in it again. This time he wanted to learn a little something for his trouble. He got a lot more than he bargained for. Sarah was all that he need and none of what he wanted for the proper Duchess to his Duke of Baynton. He was ...more

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Jan 06, 2017 Quirky Omega rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, historical-romance, romance, drama, virgin-hero, fiction, enemies-to-lovers, tortured-past

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

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Jan 09, 2019 Shawna rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, hh-actor-actress-celebrity-model, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, heroine-beautiful-bombshell, heroine-redhead, historical-romance-regency, hero-celibate-virgin-virginesque, hh-endured-traumatic-past-asurvivor, heroine-mistress, heroine-poor-lower-class-background

4 stars - Historical Romance

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Aug 14, 2020 Christi (christireadsalot) rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, widowed-romance, marriage-of-convenience

A Date at the Altar is the 3rd book in Cathy Maxwell’s Marrying the Duke series but can be read as a stand-alone (which is how I read it). This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed the writing! As the series suggests, it is about a Duke who has been engaged to be wed twice already and the actress he finds himself falling for. The main characters, Gavin and Sarah, both have their flaws and have not had a great time with relationships in the past. Sarah was married over 14 years ago to a ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Azfa Yazrin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: feb2020

I loved this book from the beginning to the end, which is more than I can say for some of the books I’ve read this year so far. Was so well written and the ending was very satisfactory. I think this may be the 3rd book in the series and I wouldn’t mind catching up ☺️

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Apr 25, 2017 Tarra rated it really liked it

So much of my catnip in this book! Theatre, Virgin hero, huge public declaration of love. Really fun and engaging book. Gavin is a great beta hero, who gets to show off his alpha tendencies!

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Oct 21, 2016 Bambi Unbridled rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, romance-historical, million-page-challenge, read-2016

Throughout this series, we have been (in my case) not-so-patiently waiting for love to fall in the lap of Gavin Whitridge, Duke of Baynton. So I knew when this book came out that I had to get my hands on it... so, thanks Avon! I urge you to read the books of this series in order so you will get Gavin's whole story, but its not absolutely necessary if you are picking up this book before the others.

Warning!!! This review may contain spoilers for earlier books in the series. Not big ones... and you can probably figure them out from the book blurbs, but I thought I would throw out the warning just in case.

So... Gavin Whitridge, Duke of Baynton. I just loved him in the first book, The Match of the Century. Poor Gavin has now been jilted by two brides in favor of his brothers, and I don't know how he doesn't have more of a complex about him. He is an exceedingly noble and virtuous hero - literally - having saved himself for his bride. He never expected to be a 30+ year old virgin, and he is feeling the itch quite bad these days. After pursuing Charlene so doggedly in The Fairest of Them All, I was really upset when she was stolen away by another brother. Gavin was just so eminently likable... until he wasn't. He acted like a bit of an arse towards the end of Fairest and I started to lose my enthusiasm for Team Gavin. But now, after reading this book, I have to say that I probably would have been a bit of a grumpypants too if my siblings kept stealing my betrothed away. In A Date at the Altar, Gavin redeems himself and, for the most part, goes back to being that nice and noble hero from the earlier books. He is just a little more jaded now.

We met Mrs. Sarah Pettijohn in The Fairest of Them All as Charlene's strong-willed aunt, a former actress and hopeful playwright. Sarah has hair the color of rubies, emerald eyes, and the tart tongue of a bitter snark. She has fallen on hard times since Charlene and Jack moved to Boston, and desperate time call for desperate measures. When her actions garner the somewhat expected consequences, Sarah must suck up her pride and go to Baynton for assistance. While I felt for Sarah's situation and found her desire for a career to be admirable... sometimes she was just too plucky for me. That bitterness seeped out fairly often and it caused me to not connect to her character. Of course I would probably feel the same way in her situation, but I was just so firmly on Team Gavin that I wanted him to have a little less difficulty with his match.

The relationship between these two was tenuous more often than not. Gavin is awkward with women and often says things to offend Sarah unintentionally... and I think Sarah resented having to get help from a man. So I didn't feel a grand passion with their characters, but I did find their story to be entertaining nonetheless. Maxwell did a good job at highlighting the difficulty women faced during this time period, and shined a less-than-flattering light on the historical male who felt he was entitled to do as he pleased without repercussion. It makes me really glad that I was born in this era because I certainly would not have been one of those aristocratic women of leisure, so I shudder to think of what my life would have been like in the 1800s.

There weren't many secondary characters of note in this installment. We were revisited by some favorites from past books: Ben from Match, Char's Godmother from Fairest, and Fyclan from A Little Thing Called Love. I believe this will be the end of this series now that Gavin has gotten his story, so I would have to say that my favorite book of this venture was A Little Thing Called Love. Jennifer and Fyclan were just so great that they cast a long shadow on the following books.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Avon. ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-books-read, historical-romance, romance

Good book. I was glad to see Gavin finally get the girl, after losing out (to his own brothers!) in Match of the Century and The Fairest ofThem All. In the first book the woman he's been engaged to all his life because of a family arrangement, has actually been in love with his brother Ben for years. In the second book he loses out to the twin brother who has been missing for years and suddenly reappears.

For the most part in the first two books, I liked Gavin. I also felt a bit sorry for him. As Good book. I was glad to see Gavin finally get the girl, after losing out (to his own brothers!) in Match of the Century and The Fairest ofThem All. In the first book the woman he's been engaged to all his life because of a family arrangement, has actually been in love with his brother Ben for years. In the second book he loses out to the twin brother who has been missing for years and suddenly reappears.

For the most part in the first two books, I liked Gavin. I also felt a bit sorry for him. As the heir, he was raised very strictly by his father, with a sense of responsibility and importance of appearances drilled into him. He's been so intent on his responsibilities as duke that he has never taken the time to cut loose like others of his class. It has made him rather stiff and awkward around women, and he usually has no idea what to say to them. He is also no real believer in love, though when he sees it in the previous two couples he does the right thing and steps back. He's not perfect, though, and has his moments of reacting badly. At the end of the previous book, he is in pursuit of Jack and Charlene, who are eloping to Gretna Green. With him is Char's Aunt Sarah, who rubs him the wrong way. They arrive before the wedding, but Gavin sees the light and lets Char go, leaving him alone again.

Sarah is an independent woman with a mind of her own and plans for her future. She is a survivor of a life that hasn't been easy. She is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and his mistress. For years she watched her mother go from man to man and vowed she wouldn't follow in her footsteps. She married a man who turned out to be abusive, causing her to doubt her judgment about men and keep them at a distance. After the death of her husband she became an actress to earn the money to care for her orphaned niece, then worked as an assistant playwright. She is determined to put on a play of her own writing. She makes a deal with a pair of theater owners to do so, but things don't go the way she planned. Gavin ends up rescuing her from a dangerous situation.

I loved the relationship that built between them. In the previous book there had been sparks of antagonism, but those were mixed with sparks of attraction. Gavin's rescue of Sarah brings his attraction to her to the surface. There is also a need to protect her when he discovers the conditions she's living in. The protection he offers isn't what she wants, as it goes against everything she wants for herself, and she has no problem telling him so. But circumstances cause her to have to take him up on it. This is where Gavin shows his true self. He wants her very much, but is sensitive to the fear he senses in her. I loved the way he backed off and talked things out with her. I loved Sarah's confusion, as she had very definite expectations and Gavin didn't match any of them. The connection between them when they finally came together was not what either expected. Over the next few weeks they got much closer, as Gavin found himself wanting to spend as much time as he could with her. I loved the way they shared their lives, sharing bits about their days and supporting each other. Sarah made a good sounding board for his problems, and he was an active supporter of her play.

But Gavin still has to find a wife, because as much as he wants her, Sarah doesn't fit the requirements he's been looking for. He's understandably reluctant, even as his mother and aunt find the "perfect" woman. I ached for Sarah as she realized that she had fallen in love with Gavin, but that nothing could come of it. I loved how she picked herself up and went on, because that is what she does. I also ached for Gavin, who wanted what he believed was impossible to have. I loved the conversation with his first fiancée's father, and the difference it made to his outlook. Gavin's big moment at the end was sweet and romantic, and so out of character for him that it was irresistible.

There wasn't much in the way of secondary characters except for one fellow nobleman. Though he had started out as a friend of Gavin's, he turned out to be a real loser. Rov's pursuit of and attitude toward Sarah earned him Gavin's enmity. The duel scene showed just how awful a person he was, and that wasn't even the end of his troublemaking. I enjoyed the final confrontation with him and how Gavin dealt with him. ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Marlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: public-library

This 3rd installment was better than the 2nd. The Duke of Baynton became completely undone and turned into an Actor! There was more romance in this ones. The heroine Sarah was a bit of a shrew, and I didn't like her for most of the book. Would have liked Rovington to get more punishment. I liked the ending where they became a happily family. I give the overall 3 book series a 3. ...more

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Jun 17, 2016 Britney (BookDrunkSloth) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-romance, read-2016, read-historical-romance, ramblings-from-this-chick

Originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspo...

Gavin Whitridge has waited long enough to find a match. In the two books prior to this one, his two younger brothers steal the show and get the girl. Gavin is so understanding though and gives both unions his blessing. Unfortunately for him, rumors have begun to fly and people are wondering about him being snuffed two times.

Sarah Pettijohn gave all she had so that her niece could live the life she deserved. Now Originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspo...

Gavin Whitridge has waited long enough to find a match. In the two books prior to this one, his two younger brothers steal the show and get the girl. Gavin is so understanding though and gives both unions his blessing. Unfortunately for him, rumors have begun to fly and people are wondering about him being snuffed two times.

Sarah Pettijohn gave all she had so that her niece could live the life she deserved. Now that she's settled in America, Sarah has found herself in dire straights. She's past due on the rent of a horrible place in a bad neighborhood and losing weight due to lack of food. She was born on the wrong side of the blanket and has no familial connections.

So Sarah grudgingly decides to do a repeat performance of her past persona, The Siren. It's a singing part for a Naughty Review, but the managers promise her that they'll stage her play in return. She hopes that this will turn things around for her so she can become a play manager. Unfortunately, a pathetic excuse for a man attacks her onstage and basically starts a riot. Luckily for Sarah, Gavin is there to save her.

Gavin and Sarah had met previously when his twin brother eloped with her niece. They were at complete odds with each other which was quite entertaining. I enjoyed that the battle of wits and wills between them continued in this book. Then they find a connection and admiration for each other that leads to love. It also leads to struggles and difficult decisions.

Gavin was as splendid as I had built him up to be in the two previous books of this series. Sarah is his perfect match! The story gave me a similar feeling to Moulin Rouge, but the plot differs greatly. The ending was a bit cheesy and maybe a tad too perfect for some people but I ADORED it! I really feel this series and this book in particular are a must for any historical romance readers.

I cannot think of one aspect of this book that I didn't like! Cathy Maxwell does an amazing job writing about love. I am sad that the series is over, but thankfully I have been introduced to this wonderful author and can now delve into her other books.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Love the cover! Finally its Gavin's turn! He's waited long enough;) ...more

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About Cathy Maxwell

Cathy Maxwell

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CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.

Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell ...more