Follow My Lead

The Blue Raven #3

by Kate Noble

From the national bestselling author: a romantic adventure across Europe starring a marriage minded Duke and an independent beauty...

Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne is feeling the weight of his responsibilities - one of which is to get married. Being the most sought after bachelor in London can be trying, so who can blame him if he seeks refuge from the voracious hordes of young debutantes at the decidedly female-free Historical Society? Female-free, that is, until Winnifred Crane marches up to the door, demanding entrance.

Despite her prowess as a historian, Winn is denied membership the Society. So she daringly offers an unusual bargain: if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, she'll be granted recognition, fame, and respect. But to do that, she must go abroad. And to go abroad, she must have an escort, even a stubbornly unwilling one...

Jason has no desire to accompany Winn on her adventure across Europe, but even he is not immune to Winn's passion for her profession. As the journey proves more difficult than planned, they must work together to stay one step ahead of their rivals.... and the closer they get to the proof Winn seeks, the closer she and Jason become. But as their adventure turns dangerous, can Jason keep this headstrong bluestocking safe? And what will become of their growing bond when the adventure ends?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency, Adult

355 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

aka
Kate Rorick

Kate Noble is the national bestselling, RITA-nominated author of historical romances, including the acclaimed Blue Raven series and the Winner Takes All series. Her books have earned her numerous accolades, including comparisons to Jane Austen, which just makes her giddy.
In her other life as Kate Rorick, she is an Emmy-award winning writer of television and web series, having written for NBC, FOX, and TNT, as well as the international hit YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Kate lives in Los Angeles with her family, and is hard at work on her next book.

Reviews

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found a new favorite author! I would be giving this book 5+ stars if not for two things (4.5 stars)

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon Kate Noble, but it was quite by accident. From the four books she has published, this one and Compromised seemed like they would appeal to me most, based on the summaries. I started with this one and oh how right I was! There were so many utterly fabulous things about this romance: historically rich in detail; features a compelling, unique heroine and utterly sweet hero who really comes into his own; is well-written and fast-paced; has both funny scenes and great chemistry. However all this only made the two flaws that much more annoying to me - and one is practically a literary crime (in the romance genre)! Either way, Noble is a great writer and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her next book.
(Apologies in advance for the obscene length of this review!)

Summary
Miss Winnifred Crane (30), known to her friends as Winn, is a brilliant woman and an expert on art history. Her father was a revered professor of that discipline at Oxford, so she's been studying art and history from a young age. Following his recent death, she decides that after spending her life in the library and recent years caring for her increasingly sick father, it is finally time for her to be independent, have an adventure, and be in control of her own life. The first thing she wants is recognition for her talent and expertise, which will come by finally unmasking herself as C. W. Marks, the pseudonym she used to publish several esteemed and greatly-admired papers.

When her claim comes into question, she is forced to strike a bargain: if she can prove that a painting widely accepted to be by Durer was in fact painted by someone else, the Society of Historical Art and Architecture of the Known World (would be interesting if it was of the Unknown World ::sarcasm::) will be forced to acknowledge that she was in fact capable of having written the Marks papers herself. Along for the ride with her is George Bambridge, her cousin who is also an "expert" in the family field. He has been set on marrying Winn for many years, calculating that through her, he will be able to rise to great heights by capitalizing on - and basically plagiarizing - her own brilliance. When he forbids her from going to Europe to find the proof of her claims, they strike their own bargain: should she succeed, he will back off and will also give her inheritance, which he has been backhandedly withholding since her father's death; if she doesn't, they will marry.

Lord Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne (30) becomes involved completely by chance. Jason has finally decided to marry, figuring that this is the next step: after his father's death, he took over the responsibilities of his dukedom as he should and now that that is under control, it's time for him to marry. Though the entire reasoning is pretty dispassionate, he is actually quite committed to this path, though finds it an increasing trial given all the debutantes he has met bore him to tears. Becoming accidentally entangled in Winn's quest, he finds himself assigned to be the escort for the first leg of her and George's journey, which is to travel to Dover to board a ship to Calais.

Nothing is ever that simple of course, and through twists and turns, Winn and Jason find themselves stuck together as they travel through Germany and Austria trying to find the much-sought after evidence to back Winn's claims. Having to battle both their growing attraction to one another and the pursuit by George whom they are only able to stay one step ahead of, they find themselves on the most unlikely - and exciting and thrilling and lovely! - adventure of their lives.

Unbelievable Pros
There were a lot; one of the things I loved is that to find all of these in one romance is very rare, so I admire Noble and her books all the more for this:
--- Romantic relationship is so believable; no instant lust, are really nothing to one another at the beginning, but develops and builds in an absolutely lovely manner
--- Both the hero and heroine have their own vulnerabilities, as well as their own strengths, and together they provide the other what he or she is missing; are wonderfully 3-dimensional characters and the hero is to die for
--- Historically rich - doesn't at all overwhelm the story, is integral to the plot, it's clear Noble did her research, and is actually very interesting
--- The subplot of the painting quest is well-crafted, necessary to the story, and not contrived (historically rich and etc. as previously mentioned)
--- The book is humorous/witty and a lot of the scenes/dialogue are cute, but the story maintains a great amount of depth; is not light and fluffy, but is still a truly plain-fun read
--- Chemistry was wonderful - not a super steamy read, but there is great tension and what is there is very well done; has a lot of physical affection, couple of kissing scenes, and two love scenes

Main Characters, Winn and Jason
Winn was terrific! She's 30, which is significantly older than most romance heroines, however she has no experience with society or the outside world and before traveling to London to assert her claim of being C. W. Marks had never even traveled outside of Oxford. She is determined, intelligent, resourceful, naive, funny, perceptive, self-deprecating, charming, and just all-around great. What she seeks to avoid at all costs is the need for anyone else - she doesn't want to have to depend on anyone but herself. Because of this, her attraction and developing relationship with Jason causes her endless internal turmoil.

Jason was so, so, so wonderful. I know from other readers and from mentions in this book that he was not as much of a charmer when in The Summer of You , however not having read the book myself I cannot really speak to the change except for what I know from this book. He apparently used to always run from his responsibilities and could never finish a thing he started, but he has undergone a change in the last 5 years and really tried to reform his ways. This transformation is also one of the reasons - though not the main one ;-) - he decides to stick it out with Winn and accompany her to the end of her adventure: he wants to see this completed start to finish, and doesn't want to abdicate his responsibilities.

With Winn, Jason is just dreamy and delicious. He's sweet, tender, protective, teasing, insightful, caring, selfless, *thoughtful,* and is so adorable blushing at some of the things he says or some of Winn's comments!! Love how he has a pet name for her and that he's a redhead ... though it's a book, so really what difference, lol :-). I honestly can't do anything but add him to my favorite heroes list! In many ways, his change is the more remarkable of the two, since Winn's is more halting and doesn't fully show through until the end (practically not even then! See flaw #2b). Jason, who at the beginning is more of a passive actor in his life, really takes charge of his own destiny, makes decisive choices, and jumps headlong into the unknown void (several times) earlier and more often than Winn.

The Two Flaws
I'm annoyed just thinking about them, because this would be nothing but a rave review if it weren't for them and would qualified as one of my top 10 HRs, if not #1. And had the rest of the book not been as fabulous as it was, the rating would have suffered far more than half a star.

(1) There is another love interest: Miss Sarah Forrester for Jason. Their relationship develops throughout the book much, much further than I would have liked. I am not alluding to anything naughty, I just mean the stages that their relationship reaches. At the end, I was practically having heart palpitations, while also trying to tell myself this was a romance = has a HEA = stop being such a complete and utter dimwit. IMO though, Jason wouldn't have reverted back so much to how he was before the trip; even had his actions been the same, I would have wanted more inner turmoil on his part.

(2a) If you counted up the times that either Winn or Jason went out on a limb for the other / hinted at their feelings / reached out to the other, Jason would definitely come out on top. So much so that I began to get very annoyed with Winn. She was such a strong woman, that I wish she had grown a backbone in this area a little earlier. Jason proves himself in so many ways and it left me feeling that Winn hadn't done enough to deserve him yet. I mean if she can't get herself to say it or put herself out there, I will - give him to me :-). Now I could have let all this slide if not for 2b ...

(2b) I'm sorry, but what was up with that last chapter and ending? Before you freak out, yes it's a HEA, but I really felt cheated. I actually thought for a second that maybe there was a page at the end missing or they had forgotten to include the Epilogue, because without one or the other how that ending is told is practically a crime! Jason gives the most amazing declaration and deserves an equivalent one in return. It's the ending for pity sake; how can you leave us with that?

I was so upset by the ending, that I had to read the first few pages of another romance before going to sleep so I could get something else in my head before dreaming ... that book ended up being Noble's Compromised and I was up until 5am because I couldn't put it down. So not only an unsatisfactory ending, but she made me lose a night's sleep LOL. What reading a second book by her clearly showed me though is that Noble loves to twist her readers inside out and put them through the ringer! I hate Big Misunderstandings for that very reason, and while she doesn't have those, it's a *huge* case of Things Left Unsaid (in both books).

Bottom Line
Read it, definitely! I cannot recommend any other action. But can someone maybe just rewrite the ending for me and I'll paste it over the last page of my book? ... Or maybe I will just do it myself, because this a sure reread, but honestly I cannot emotionally survive going through this again! Yes, yes, overly dramatic. All I can say is: the book was so fabulous and strong that the ending's weakness stuck out (and slapped me upside the head and tortured me) that much more.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 Stars*

"What on earth did you say to him? And what did he say back? I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to get a straight answer out of him."

"Miss Crane, do you even speak German?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Of course I speak German," she said, affronted.

"Really?" Jason asked coolly. "Which dialect?"

She opened her mouth and closed it, like a fish. "At least I can read German very well." And then, after a moment, "Renaissance German."

Jason rolled his eyes but firmly withheld from giving in to his great desire to hang his head in his hands.

And so commences the adventure that changes the lives of both the protagonists. Winn is a woman of ambition—as Jason later says—who is on a mission to prove herself to the Historical Society. Jason, in the midst of trying to do “what comes next” (aka get married), stumbles into helping her along the way. He didn’t ask to come along in the beginning—indeed, he was quite furious to find himself in that situation—but he soon found himself enjoying the adventure, and spending time with Winn.

I’ve only read one book by Kate Noble before. It was The Summer of You, and Jason was featured heavily in that book. Unfortunately, he was not nearly the charming creature we saw gracing these pages. He was immature, spoiled, and rather whiny. With that memory of him, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d like a whole book devoted to him. Surprisingly, I loved this one even more than the last. Jason was completely unlike his past self, although I’m pleased the author didn’t ignore his past behavior and brought it up a couple times.

I love the style Noble writes in. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking of Loretta Chase. They both have an informal, friendly way of telling a story with fun characters and clever turns of phrase. The friendly asides told to the reader, and the almost madcap nature of the situations Jason and Winn found themselves in, had me utterly charmed. I smiled through most of the book and sighed happily through the rest.

This book was not intensely sexual or seductive, but it was completely romantic. The slow nature of the romance between Winn and Jason was perfectly played. They took no special notice of each other’s charms in the beginning, but slowly, as their friendship deepened, they started to see each other in another light.

"Where the hell had his brain been? It was the ale, he decided. Strong Bavarian beer, the undoing of better men than he, had clouded his brain and had him thinking things he shouldn't. That, combined with the hard labor he had performed for hours that afternoon, had weakened his resolve. After all, it was very hard to think of Winn as a little sparrow who he could tuck under his arm and who needed his help and protection (whether she admitted it or not) when taking far too much notice of her breasts."

The emphasis on the smallest of touches and the lingering eye contact between them was so lovely. We got to watch the characters get to know each other slowly over the book, without any intrusive forced attraction thrown in too soon. The slow development made it so that by the time you got to the sex scenes, you couldn’t imagine them not being together. I finished this book confident in the fact that Jason and Winn fit like two puzzle pieces, and that no one else in the world would have made them as happy as they were together.

I found Jason the more open of the two, but I could understand Winn’s resistance to letting herself get attached. They both were almost passive characters in their own life, but Jason’s was by his own choosing while Winn’s was purely involuntary. Jason’s changes through the book are more apparent and happen earlier because he doesn’t run in terror from entanglement. He wasn’t looking for love (even though he was committed to marrying), but he didn’t fight it when he fell into it. Winn’s fall was a little rougher, but I actually appreciated the change of pace from the usual romance.

The only real complaint I had was the inclusion of Sarah in the plot. I honestly couldn’t see how she added to the story at all. The entanglement she became involved in at the end seemed rather off-key to the rest of the story. Some might say that it was included to illustrate Jason’s decent back into passivity, but I would argue that there were many other ways to show this, and they all probably would have felt more natural to the man he had become than that. To be quite blunt, she seemed to be included only as a lame way of introducing the next book’s main lead. If she hadn’t played that part in the plot my grade would have been a straight 5.

Favorite Quote:

"She giggled--Winn Crane giggled! Like the coquettish child she hadn't known how to be, and for the briefest of moments, Jason was completely certain his heart had stopped beating. Just a second, frozen still the world around them lost, and the only thing that occupied it was Winn's happy, girlish laugh.

So. This is trouble, he thought, his body slowly catching up to the rest of life. Slowly drifting down into someone's laugh, until you realize you're stuck."

Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.

[Nuria Llop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenida, curiosa y bien documentada, con toques de originalidad que se agradecen en la romántica histórica. La lectura, sin embargo, ha sido una especie de montaña rusa: me encantaron las primeras páginas, me desinflé en las siguientes, volvió a despertar mi interés hasta la mitad (incluso me entusiasmó), pero a partir de ahí, el viaje que centra la trama me ha llegado a resultar pesado, algo repetitivo y muy conducido por la autora según su conveniencia. Es decir, aparecen personajes de la nada oportunamente cuando se necesitan, hechos casuales que ponen trabas al viaje se suceden porque sí, dilatando demasiado el alcance del objetivo de la pareja protagonista; como si ese objetivo (demostrar que una obra atribuida a Durero no fue pintada por él) no fuera ya lo bastante complicado. En consecuencia, la resolución de la trama es repentina y también debido a un hecho casual.
En cuanto a la relación de pareja, priva la amistad por encima del amor. Es bonita, pero bastante fría. Y, aunque tanto él como ella me han gustado como personajes-individuos, su historia de amor no me ha convencido ni hecho vibrar. Creo que si la trama principal no hubiera girado en torno al tema del arte (una de mis debilidades) le habría dado una estrella menos. Solo recomendaría esta novela a las adictas a la romántica histórica a la vez que al arte, o si estás preparando un viaje por Alemania. La descripción del recorrido es minuciosa y puede servir de guía.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 2 out of 5]

What in the 3rd act breakup monstrosity happened here?

Who wrote this? Who edited this? Are these the same people who wrote the first two books in the series? Did I get the discarded draft? Where can I purchase the real copy?


࿔*:･ The good part because I know I didn't hate everything, but that ending is slowly poisoning it and I want to write it down before I succumb to the rant... or this title becomes any longer
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Sombra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 estrellas porque me han sabido a poco varios momentos.

Lo primero decir que no es un libro romántico al uso, sino más bien un libro de aventuras, podemos llamarle combinado con un romance que va naciendo poco a poco a medida que la convivencia entre ambos va siendo más profundo. Como bien dice el refrán, "el roce hace al cariño".

Nuestros protagonistas se conocen en unas circunstancias bastante especiales y debido a que él se encuentra en el momento menos indicado y en el lugar menos indicado, quedan irremediablemente unidas en una travesía a través de Europa en busca de la prueba irrefutable de que Durero, gran pintor Renacentista no fue el responsable de un cuadro que está expuesto en la Sociedad Histórica de Londres.

Durante el viaje ocurren muchos accidentes e inconvenientes que harán que nuestros protagonistas tengan que subsistir a base de mentir, aparentar e incluso trabajar en situaciones extremas para poder hacer frente a la misión que tienen entre manos. Y a ello hay que sumarle la persecución del primero de ella, quien viendo peligrar su futuro como catedrático de Oxford, pretende alcanzarles para impedir que su misión se lleve a cabo.

Como digo, el libro ha sido más un diario viajero más propio de libros basados solamente en aventuras o en un guía de supervivencia, pero no por ello se me ha hecho pesado ni mucho menos.
El romance ha sido un segundo plano, pero creo que la autora lo ha manejado bastante bien y nos ha ido dando pequeños adelantos sobre sus verdaderos sentimientos; de tener que viajar juntos por obligación, pasan a ser compañeros resignados, después amigos y por último amantes. Es hacia el final cuando los sentimientos de ambos han tenido un pequeño revés debido a que tanto Jason como Win tenían unas ideas claras de lo que querían hacer con su futuro, pero creo que ha estado a la altura y ese final ha sido muy buen broche.

Ha tenido peros, sí, como por ejemplo la trama sobre las cartas de Durero y el famoso cuadro. Yo pensé que iba a tener más relevancia y que se iba a hablar más sobre ello, y aunque ha sido la trama principal durante todo el libro, había veces que pasaba a un segundo plano para poder centrarse en las penurias de ambos protagonistas.

A pesar de todo, es un libro que recomiendo si eres amante de los romances lentos y de la historia del arte.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a famous song from the 1934 Cole Porter Broadway show, Anything Goes called “It’s De-Lovely.” The chorus goes as follows- “It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely”. I can’t help but hum this song when I read a Kate Noble book. Her books are all of these things- delightful, delicious and lovely.

Follow My Lead is a light hearted, on the road romance between the hero and heroine who match wits while falling in love with one another. The hero, Jason Cumming, Duke of Rayne made quite a splash in The Summer of You. I love Jason, and not only because he’s a redhead. In that book he was too young and immature, but so very lovable and endearing. Now in Follow My Lead, Jason has come into his own. As a duke, he feels the next logical step is to get married because Jason is about to turn thirty. His sister Jane still likes to coddle him and wants him to find the best possible woman to be his wife. She prefers he fall in love with his wife, just like she has fallen in love with her husband. But Jason is more practical. When his brother-in-law, Bryne asks him why he wants to get married, Jason replies that marriage is the next logical stage in his life. How romantic of Jason to think this way.

While Jason maneuvers through the parties, searching for his future bride, a Miss Winnifred Crane has come to London. Winn is on a mission to be accepted as a member of the Historical Society that only allows men. Winn thinks she has an “in” because she writes under a pseudonym, as the well-respected C.W. Marks. When she meets with Lord Forrester, the head of the Historical Society, she explains how he gave a letter of introduction to her father, inviting Marks to join the society. Forrester assumes Winnie’s father was Marks and doesn’t believe her. Winnie’s cousin George then says he’s Marks, which causes Winnie to take action. She’ll prove that the painting hanging up in Forrester’s office isn’t by the artist he believes it to be.

Winnie has a lot going against her. First of all she’s a woman alone and her cousin George, who expects to marry her, wants to stop Winnie on her hunt. George has waited far too long to claim Winnie as his own and will do whatever he can to sabotage her. But he doesn’t expect Jason to accompany them. The moment Winnie smacks Jason in the face by accident, he finds Winnie equally strange but fascinating. He’ll escort her to the Port of Dover where she, George and their companion, Totty will board a ship that will take them across the channel to Calais. But Winn has something else up her sleeve. She has tricked everyone and plans to take a ship to Hamburg, Germany. Winn has lied to get out from under the thumb of George. Jason follows Winn, thinking she got on the wrong ship. But when he realizes what she’s done, he’s forced to go along with her.

Winn rather go on the journey alone, but Jason being such a gentleman, won’t allow Winn to go off unprotected. Unfortunately, Jason doesn’t have any of his funds readily available and he and Winn must find ways to make money to keep from starving. They meet a few choice characters among their travels, and Winn is always looking over her shoulder because she knows George will figure out what she’s done and come for her. As Jason and Winn rely solely on each other, they soon follow each other’s lead into their arms and in their hearts.

Plucky comes to mind, especially with Winn, who may have lived in a small town and preferred books over people, but when her father dies, and she ventures off to London, she’s finally free for the first time in her life. Winn is honest and forthright, especially around Jason. I love a heroine who befuddles the hero, and Winn definitely does that where Jason is concerned. But Jason takes everything all in stride. He doesn’t act lofty with his nose up in the air like most his lordish counterparts and his adventure with Winn is a breath of fresh air for him.

One of my favorite passages in this book is where it finally hits Jason that Winn is the woman for him. When he first meets Winn, he doesn’t find her attractive, but respects her intelligence and stoic manner. While Jason is doing some manual labor for money, he comes to the conclusion that Winn’s hair isn’t just plain brown, her face no longer small and her eyes sparkle. He loves how he finds out that Winn has breasts and she’s full of energy and light. This is where his regard changes for her and he wants her as a man wants a woman he desires. Jason is smitten and nothing Winn can do or say will change his mind.

I loved Jason and Winn’s banter. Kate Noble had a way with words and dialogue. These two complete each other perfectly. The love scenes are not overly passionate, but have just the right amount to keep the reader happy. Also, Jason is more a beta than an alpha with an instinctual need to protect Winn, but never forces her to do what he wants. He treats her like an equal in every way.

Follow My Lead is the best in what historical romance has to offer. If there’s an author you should be reading, it’s Kate Noble. This is one book that shines in every possible way.

[Ursula · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, (probably really only 3) but mostly because the story involved Dürer, took place in nineteenth century Germany and Austria, and all these things are my family background. I just loved reading about these places!

A pleasant book but it didn't grab me as much as some of the others by this author. Just couldn't really connect to the romance. It took a long time coming.
It was useful to have read the previous book in the series because it gave me more of an insight into the hero, Jason, who had behaved like a spoilt and immature ass in that one. He became quite a nice hero, which I had not expected, but the heroine was relatively old (I think pushing 30) and the HEA nearly didn't happen, because the hero was conflicted but dithering and the heroine was conflicted and avoiding. Thank God for the eminently sensible and kind fianceé of Jason's who found out his affections were otherwise engaged and set him free, at no small cost to herself. (She is the heroine in the next book of the series.)
The author persists in the odd Americanism which tends to bump me out of the zone, but writes very engagingly. Was bothered by the constant "da" for "yes" in German. It is "ja". There is no "da", not even in Southern dialects, for "yes" in German. I should know. Weird.
I did like the fact that the heroine went ahead and followed her dream, spreading her wings and having lots of experiences overseas before she and Jason got together. There was no selling out of the independent, intellectual woman, as so often happens in HR about blue stockings.

An engaging enough read but not one I would read again.

[Gerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in The Blue raven series, and I loved the first two books. This book is equally well written, with Ms. Noble's sparkling dialogue and well rounded characters. And she's a terrific writer and story teller. In this book, Ms. Noble leaves regency England behind for Germany and Austria. Winn, the heroine, wants admission to the royal art and architecture society. Since the society's by-laws don't specifically prohibit women, she feels that she may have a chance. However, in order to gain the acceptance of the male members of the society, she goes off to Germany to prove that the society's highly valued copy of a painting attributed to Albrecht Durer was actually painted by somebody else. This is a great plot and road romance. There was no instant love - or lust - between Winn and Jason (the hero), and the author did an excellent job of depicting the couple's developing friendship and reliance upon each other.

This was certainly at least a 3.5 star book (Goodreads' rating system is very limited). However, I never really warmed up to the heroine. While her character was masterfully portrayed - the brilliant researcher obsessed with being accepted for her academic achievements during a period when women were barred from any career accomplishment - I simply found her too detached from her emotions. She probably needed to tamp down her emotions to keep focusing on and fighting for her right to be accepted as a scholar, but it made for a difficult character.

Finally, I found the ending rushed, and extremely unsatisfactory. I felt both Jason and Winn made some bad choices near the end, and the ending was too abrupt for there to be a satisfactory resolution of those choices for me. I probably gave this book a 3.5 stars because the first two books were so spectacular. And this book was excellent, just not quite as stellar as the first two. But I eagerly look forward to reading the last two books in this series.

[Katyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.5***

This was a fun, fast read! The characters were sweet and funny, and it was great to get to know them. At times, I wanted to smack their heads together, because I was frustrated at how stupid they were being in regards to each other. But that said, it was still sweet to watch them slowly become comfortable with each other, and have fun on their adventure.

And the plot was fun too - the adventure story was great! My only criticism would be that George was a little overly-villainish. He bugged the crap out of me right from the start: taking credit for Winn's work, belittling her abilities, yet still wanting her to basically write his papers to make him look brilliant, manipulating her inheritance so that she was leashed to him, the guy was a total piece of shit. Having him morph into a violent, physically abusive piece of shit at the end was, I think, a little bit overkill. I already wanted him to be lit on fire, just based on the other crap. And Winn "winning" would have been sufficient to shut him down. I am not sure what purpose the violence served. *shrug*

Though it is really just a minor point of criticism, as all-in-all, I thought this book was a heck of a lot of fun. I might have to check out the others in this series. :)

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quote: So. This is hell, Jason thought. A garden party, being backed into a corner by three of the most baldly opportunistic furies to have been formed in the British system of wealth and aristocracy. Who knew?

Jason Cummings (who has red hair, swoon), Duke of Rayne is 30 and ready to get married, because well, that is what one does when one turns 30. Being a very wealthy Duke however means the marriage mart is more of a war (one that he is losing badly) than an actual task. He finds young women throwing themselves at him. Thankfully he has his sister Jane who is somewhat orchestrating his quest for a wife because Jason is drowning in the sea of eligible women.

However, when he meets Winnifred Crane (and by meets, I mean gets whacked in the nose by her) he meets someone very different than the other debutants. Winn recently lost her father who was a great art historian. Unknown to everyone, Winn has published three papers under the pen name C.W Marks but now that she admits this fact, no one believes her. Now that her father has died, Winn’s inheritance is tied up in his collection of paintings rather than money. There is a particular painting hanging in the head of the Historical Society’s office that she knows is not an original Durer. To prove she really is C.W. Crane and this painting is not authentic, she sets off abroad to track down very old letters. Thereby letting her inherit her father’s artwork, rather than the university, so she has some type of inheritance to live on.

They take off abroad to track down these papers. Jason intending only to see her safely to her ship, but a string of unforeseen events are about to take place. Winn is sneaky, and soon Jason finds the two of them, by themselves, on quite an adventure.

Kate Noble writes such adorable books. Two of her previous books, Revealed and The Summer of You always make me smile when I think of them. We first meet Jason in the The Summer of You, where he is a bit more immature but in this book, we meet a Jason who has taken the responsibility of being a Duke very seriously. He meets all of his duties with care, and has great fondness for his sister Jane. What is different about this book is that there is no instant lust or physical attraction from either Winn nor Jason. We actually explore each character for about 100 pages before the first spark of attraction hits.

It really lets us learn who Winn and Jason are. Even then, the romance is very slow to build. Winn really has no plans to marry, and Jason has his eye on a woman back in England (really the only sane one he could find), so these two have a very easy, laid back friendship. It is a nice change from the instant “mine” many romance books have. And when the romance starts it is so darn cute:

She giggled – Winn Crane giggled! Like the coquettish child she hadn’t known how to be, and for the briefest of moments, Jason was completely certain his heart had stopped beating. Just a second, frozen still, the world around them lost, and the only thing that occupied it was Winn’s happy, girlish laugh.

So. This is trouble, he thought, his body slowly catching up to the rest of his life. Slowly drifting down into someone’s laugh, until you realize you’re stuck.

That being said, it did take me awhile to warm up to Winn. Where Jason comes across very easy going and charming, Winn was a little more of a mystery for me to figure out. She is very independent and has a strong academic background. But – as you learn quickly, she is quite naïve when it comes to traveling the world. Which is where Jason comes into play. I honestly was a tiny bit bored with her at the beginning. There is a very minor character in this book, Sarah who catches Jason’s eye at the beginning and I was much more intrigued by her than Winn to start. (Luckily, Sarah is the heroine in the next book!). But once these two start their journey, and they both get taken out of their element – Jason out of his role of duke and Win away from her books and papers, we have quite an adorable couple. The strength of this book comes from the conversations between Jason and Winn. And we get extensive conversations because most of this book is just the two of them traveling and searching for documents. Very sharp wit and engaging conversations that eventually lead to a romance that I really liked.

Besides the romance we get a glimpse into Winn’s life as she struggles being a woman in the early 1800’s. She reminds Jason, she can’t proceed in life without money, friends or standing – for a woman that is pretty much impossible. So her desperation to prove to the men who rule the historical society that she is C.W. Marks is very important to her.

Kate Noble again gives us a sweet romance book that just makes you smile.

[Adi (Reading in the Windowseat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read of adventure travelling for a travel (I'd know, I read this while I was travelling around the country).

I adore Kate Noble's style, and though my all-time favorite remains Compromised, I'd had great fun reading both Revealed and Follow My Lead. I was so impressed by the latter's back-cover description that I bought it instead of The Summer of You, which actually comes first (and which I'm buying next).

The novel was so not what I expected. The characters were real and eccentric and very different from what I thought they'd be. I had a load of laughs reading about Winn's unusual choices and actions and the soonfollowing stunned reactions of one Jason Cummings. The history and geography, the real facts in the story were compelling and a good addition to anyone's knowledge of art and culture.

The best, sweetest surprise for me was the appearance of young Evie and Gail (from Compromised). I laughed hard when I figured out the time arrangement - the children made the world ironically reversed, because I thought she was building her world out of Compromised, but it turned out that her first book comes last in the time arrangement of the four-novel story.

Romantic, funny, adventurous - a sparkly read to add to my K.N. collection.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in The Blue Raven series. Another winner from Ms Noble. She is able to blend romance and humor into an enjoyable and entertaining read. Winnifred Crane is a woman searching for the truth in regards to a painting that was believed to have been painted by the German artist Druer. She has a desire to be recognized for her accomplishments. Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne, ends up following her across Europe, assisting her in the mission. The romance was a gradual thing, happening over time. No love at first sight in this one. I did have a bit of an issue with the Sarah situation but I see I'm not the only one. I would still recommend it to those looking for a light, feel-good historical romance.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

FAKE MARRIED!!! SHARING BEDS!!! GOING ON QUESTS AND HAVING ADVENTURES WHILE FALLING IN LOVE~

[Malin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Cummings, the Duke of Rayne, has worked diligently for years to be responsible and take care of both his sister and estates. Now, as he is nearing thirty, he feels that it is his duty to find a wife and father some heirs, and after experiencing just how ruthless some of the debutantes on the marriage mart can be, he asks his sister for assistance. Just as he seems to have found a promising lady of suitable temperament, his wooing is temporarily derailed because of bluestocking Miss Winnifred Crane, who wants to join the prestigious Historical Society (one of Jason's refuges) and is willing to do anything to prove her credentials.

Winnifred, or Winn, as she prefers to be known, is the daughter of one of Jason's old art historian professors from Oxford (not that he remembers her much) and claims to be the author of several very insightful and interesting historical essays. Now she wants to be admitted to the Historical Society (who don't even like the idea of a women visiting their hallowed halls, let alone becoming a member of their exclusive group). Unfortunately, her cousin (who also wants to marry her) tries to stop her by claiming HE wrote the texts, and therefore Winn enters into a wager with the head of the society, one of her father's old friends. If she can prove the origins of a famous painting hanging on his wall, she'll be considered for membership.

To win her wager and prove her credentials, Winn needs to go to Europe, Vienna to be exact. She's quite happy to go off alone, but her cousin/fiancee insists on accompanying her (so he can try to sabotage her mission - if she loses the bet, she has promised to give in and marry him). Lord Forrester, the head of the Historical Society and father of the young lady who has taken Jason's fancy, asks him to escort Winn and her little entourage to Calais, where other people will be on hand to see her to her destination. Little do they know that Winn has a plan to trick her cousin and travel on her own. Jason observes her sneaking off the ship to Calais and follows her onto a new one, headed for Hamburg. He is unwillingly trapped on the vessel with her, and once they reach Germany, his honour won't allow Winn to travel unaccompanied to her destination. What follows is a very eventful road trip? Will Miss Sarah Forrester seem like the perfect bride once Jason returns to London?

Jason Cummings was a grade A asshole in the previous book in the series, The Summer of You. He went off on his Grand Tour of Europe, leaving his sister alone to grieve with their elderly father shortly after their mother's death, and even upon returning to England refused to step up and take responsibility or help out, when it was clear that their father's health was deteriorating, and his sister Jane needed help. Getting drunk a lot and trying to flirt with an old flame (now happily married with children) seemed to be all he was good for. Happily, at least five years have passed since the events of that book, and Jason has inherited his father's title. There is some reference made to his irresponsible youth at the beginning of the book, but it's clear that this is an older, much changed man who takes his duties as both the Duke of Rayne and as a caring brother/brother-in-law/uncle seriously. Hence his wish to settle down and marry, as it is "what comes next".

Winnifred Crane is her scholarly father's only daughter and grew up to be both his assistant, clerk and as he aged, his carer. Her mother died when she was young, and for a long time, there was just the two of them. Her father was clearly proud of her intelligence and scholarly aptitude, but nevertheless made her publish her writings under a pseudonym. Now that he has died, Winn is feeling the pressure from her cousin George to agree to the very informal arrangement set up by their mothers when they were still children, and become his wife. Of course, George wants to claim the identity of C.W. Marks for himself and use Winn's brilliant mind to get himself a membership in the Historical Society and a lecture post at Oxford. It wouldn't do for Winn to be the acknowledged and lauded one. Winn doesn't particularly want to marry anyone, and at 30 years of age, considers herself to be firmly on the shelf. Nonetheless, she doesn't really want to hurt her cousin's feelings and therefore tries to soften her rejection by saying that if she can't win her wager, she'll settle down with him.

Jason and Winn find themselves travelling unchaperoned through most of Germany and Austria, and to make it slightly harder for George to hunt them down, end up posing as a newly married couple (don't ALL couples thrown together on a road trip do this sooner rather than later?). While Jason is both angry with and exasperated by Winn to begin with, he also cannot in good conscience let her travel through Europe alone (especially seeing how she's fleeced trying to hire transport by herself). Unfortunately, a pickpocket stole Jason's money before he ended up on the ship to Hamburg, and he doesn't even have a change of clothing with him, so they can't exactly travel in the style to which the Duke is accustomed. They strike some pretty interesting bargains with various locals over the course of their journey for food, lodgings and other services and get more comfortable in each other's company, as well as more informal as the journey progresses.

While I liked that their romance took a while to develop, the presence of Miss Sarah Forrester, Jason's more or less intended back in London, was an uncomfortable complication. While Jason has not formally proposed to her before he heads off on his impromptu road trip with Winn, I hate it when it feels like one of the parties is cheating on someone else. Interestingly, while Winn's relationship with her cousin George is almost more formalised, it never felt like she was betraying anyone (probably because her unwillingness to marry him at all was made so clear from the start). Even as they grow closer and stop trying to fight their attraction to one another, there seems to be this unspoken agreement between Jason and Winn that "what happens in Europe, stays in Europe" and that they can just go their separate ways and forget about each other once Winn's quest is complete.

Interestingly, what Sarah Forrester does once it's clear that Jason is in love with another, is the story in book 4 of this series, If I Fall, which was the first Kate Noble I ever read, and which didn't make much of an impression on me (mainly because Sarah seemed to be a spoiled beyotch in much of the book). Having re-read my review of the book, I'm not sure the book would improve all that much even knowing the backstory that led to Sarah's jilting. I am glad that these other Blue Raven books were a lot more fun, and that I finally got round to reading them.

Judging a book by its cover: Another Kate Noble Regency romance, another partially headless lady running through some foliage in a pretty dress. I'm going to just be grateful that the dress is period appropriate (although this outfit looks way more fashionable and expensive than anything Winn wears over the course of the book, in my recollection).

[Katelyn (old soul country girl's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... I got bored about halfway thru and really wanted to DNF, but I powered through because I do NOT quit 😤. And the ending was quite satisfying especially George's outcome (ya know, the guy who wants to marry his cousin 😳).
But I really do not want to read the other three books in this series, so I am not going to! Tootles! 👋🏻😘🎉

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Follow My Lead by Kate Noble

D+

“Perhaps it was because she was the first woman in two Seasons who did not look at him with some kind of expectation.Perhaps it was because, when her hand made contact with his nose, it was if she’d knocked the weight of the day clean off him- the dreary, boring day that had sat on his shoulders for so long.”

Jason Cummings, the Duke of Rayne, has decided that thirty is a great age to get married and has started to hunt for a bride. Imagine his surprise when he becomes the hunted and is prey to every young lady and their mother in the Ton. He seeks out refuge in his men only Historical Society that is until his is literally smacked out of his search for a bride by Miss Winnifred Crane, the daughter of his favorite professor at oxford.

Miss Winnifred Crane has spent her whole life either in a library or taking care of her now deceased father. She has decided to take credit for the work that she has done under a false name, C.W. Marks, and accept the invitation to join the Historical Society. The Society refuses to believe that she herself and not her father wrote the papers that turned the art world upside done. To prove to everyone that she is in face C.W. Marks, she must travel to the Continent and prove her latest theory about a painting but there are many who would like to see her fail. By a twist of circumstance Jason ends up as Winn’s chaperon and together they are thrown into a whirlwind adventure that neither of them ever expected.

Rarely ever do I struggle to finish a book or even think about not finishing a book. I almost couldn’t finish Follow my Lead. Let me start by saying that I love historical romance books and I read as many as I can get my hands on but this book was just way too much historical and not enough romance for me. It took the first two hundred pages for Jason and Winn to even look at each other as something other then an annoyance and not a cute annoyance. Neither of them showed any emotion for such a long time that I didn’t even think they were capable of having a true feeling about anyone but themselves.

The only reason that I did finish this book was the last hundred pages where events other then digging through letters or traveling in a carriage occurred. Jason and Winn were both just so unlikeable for me. Jason just decides that he wants to marry at thirty and doesn’t even care about love just about taking the next step. Winn cares about nothing but proving that she’s right so she can live her own life that way she wants to live it. I really wanted to like her especially for her desire for independence but I found her very cold and selfish which made me not care about what happened to her. When I started the last chapter i almost threw the book against the wall but luckily kept reading. I really didn’t care for Jason at the end and upset at Winn for just letting him get away with doing something to her that I thought was actually really horrible.

Follow my Lead is much more of a historical fiction then a historical romance. I personally didn’t the plot or the characters. I can honestly say I was very happy when I finished it because it was a struggle to do so. I am giving it a D+ and not an F only because of the last couple of chapters were interesting to read and held some suspense, romance and excitement

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually missed that this was a series, so it's a perfect stand alone novel. The other two books are about Jason's sister and her sister in law. I sure want to read those books too.

In this book Jason (our dashing hero) thinks it's time to get married. I did like that it was he who wanted it because he thought it was time. Of course he was not ready for the horrible horde: débutantes. He does meet one normal woman named Sarah, poor Sarah. We all know she will not get a HEA in this one and I did feel sorry for her. But then why would she want to marry someone who is in love with someone else. Still I was happy to learn that she will get the next book. Back to Jason, I almost feel sorry for him too. He runs after Winnifred because he thinks she is in trouble. And then he most follow her all over Europe. I said almost sorry because I was just so amused to see him follow her lead. He was a strong character who did not want to leave her alone in the middle of no where. Right, Win then, well she wanted freedom and she wanted people to know she had a brain. She was smart but also a bit stupid because she did not realize that freedom does not mean you have to be alone. What we have in the end is a duke who wants to marry a perfect nice woman and a woman who is anything but that.

The book was so utterly charming. I kept on smiling. They get in a lot of trouble and situations and their bantering is so amusing. This is how I want my historical romance. Funny and sweet. Also they do get a bit passionate but that was after they knew each other, and had started to fall in love even if they denied it. I still smile when I think of this book.

Conclusion:
A great book to read this summer. An adventure in search of clues, and a couple so amusing you have to love them. I will definitely read more books by Kate Noble. Her backlist is already on my wishlist.

Rating:
I recommend this book

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason and Winnifred. Most of the time, I loved this book (as long as I ignored the historical inacurracy).

Winnifred's academic obsession was refreshing, and it was nice to see a man pursuing marriage for once. Winn was a little over-exuberant, and Jason provided good balance. Plus it was nice to see him stripped of his aristocracy for huge chunks - definitely an awakening for him.

And the road trip romance circa 1820s was fun.

But I just couldn't understand Jason going back to Sarah Forrester at the end. Even if he knew Winn was not as into him, he seemed like he had matured enough to realize that marrying a woman while in love with another was stupid. And I thought their trip had re-awakened his love of travel and academics. So him going back to the pre-trip life seemed unlikely and solely to set up Sarah's back story.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 19th century road trip, an art history mystery, and an offbeat but believable romance.

Kate Noble's writing keeps getting better, and Follow My Lead is a particularly strong offering: flawed but determined characters, challenging and complicated trysts, and some pretty rich emotions. Her lead characters are always three-dimensional, and while I've enjoyed all her leads, I think I might like Winn and Jason the most. They each have a moment where they make room for the other person to be the best version of themselves, the person they've spent the book (or in Jason's case, the last two books) trying to be. Happy sigh. Awesome partnership, awesome romance.

[Rachna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. dying with glee was a frequent thing because this book hit all the beats I wanted from the 'pretend relationship' trope but at the same time gave me an independent, smart lady and an intelligent, supportive dude - both of whom had faults that they were called out on, but both of whom were respected and clearly written with love!!! with a relationship that works - the way it builds and shifts is just wonderful - I always love it when main 'ships fit like this. I just enjoyed this so much. (The ending was a little bit of a disappointment because I wanted a little more making out, but otherwise?) Wonderful!!

[hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

smart and adventurous female protagonists and the redheaded dukes who love them for them!!!! i loved the main leads so much!!! their interactions and their relationship but also just them as individual characters. also, pretend relationship that ends up being real!!!!! this book has everything i love basically!!! my only gripe is with the ending, not a grip exactly just that i wanted more make-outs (really everything needs more make-outs!!!).

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly, pleasantly surprised by this! I haven't read any of the other Blue Raven books, but that didn't affect me at all. This has to be one of the more unique historical romances I've read recently. No waxing rhapsodic about the other's looks when they first meet, a redheaded male lead, road trips through Europe, actually being able to chart the frenemies-to-friends-to-possible-lovers-to-lovers progression of Jason's and Winn's relationship... not bad, Kate Noble, not bad at all. :)

[Darlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it up until the ending, but liked it enough to keep reading. The hero did something that struck me as extremely cruel and foolish and it would have had major consequences for the other person involved. However, overall I liked the characters and their road story, and I'll read more from Ms. Noble.

[Viri · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gustó, me pasé muchas hojas y no lo volvería a leer, quizás no era mi momento para leer este libro... ¿quien sabe? el caso es que me pareció tedioso e insoportable con unos protagonistas de lo más sosos. Le daré dos porque la narración no estuvo tan mal.

[Epeeblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after I saw Tessa Dare tweet about a book with a similar plot to one of hers. (Intellectually minded woman on road trip with the hero to prove her worth to a royal society). And while the premise is similar, they are far different books.

I did enjoy this one as well.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne and eligible bachelor, is searching for what comes next. Having accepted his role as duke and mastered its attendant responsibilities, he knows the next step is to acquire a wife and in due course produce an heir...and if in the process, the aforementioned wife manages to assuage the vague loneliness that dances at the periphery of his conscience, growing ever more insistent as he settles into his ducal responsibilities, so much the better. For family is what comes next...and after spending the better part of his youth shirking his responsibilities in favor of his recreational academic pursuits, Jason knows and accepts his new responsibilities with equanimity. And he's become rather good at it...even more so at ignoring the little voice whispering at the back of his consciousness, craving something more -- a spark to captivate his very soul. But duty trumps desire, and so Jason plots the course of his life -- and while most of the debutantes are, frankly, terrifying, he's pleased to find a potential match with the daughter of the Historical Society president, membership in that hallowed institution being one of Jason's most prized indulgences. But it's when visiting that institution that Jason finds his carefully-planned life knocked off-course by a well-placed (albeit accidental) punch at the hands of one Miss Winnifred Crane, a bluestocking with the goal of accomplishing the impossible -- becoming the Society's first female member. Jason cannot help but admire her temerity, and when asked to serve as the Society's witness to the audacious wager Miss Crane proposes in order to gain admittance, Jason agrees, little realizing that she is about to launch him on the scandalous adventure of a lifetime.

Winnifred Crane was her father's best pupil, forsaking society for the rigors of an academic lifestyle, serving first as the renowned Oxford professor's assistant and then nursing him through his final illness. But while Winnifred put her academic passion foremost in service to her father's career, she also launched her own covert career as an academic by publishing several well-received papers under the pseudonym C.W. Marks. Winn finally has the chance -- as a firmly on-the-shelf spinster of thirty -- to pursue a life of her own making, determined to join the Historical Society and at last gain academic acclaim under her own name. But when the only proof she possesses that she and Marks are one and the same is destroyed, she stands in danger of losing her shot at independence and being forced to marry her overbearing cousin George, she proposes a daring gamble: prove that the Adam and Eve painting donated by her father to the Society is not an Albrecht Durer as long supposed, and should she fail, return to Oxford and marry. Set on achieving her hard-fought dream, Winn never imagined having to cope with a determinedly helpful duke, or even more, welcoming his companionship and coming to rely on his assistance. As the unlikely pair journey across Europe in search of letters that will prove the painting's provenance, confidences are shared and trust is earned, and Jason, determined to follow-through and be the respectable, reliable duke, finds himself losing his heart to the unconventional academic. But the thought of love and losing her shot at independence terrifies Winn -- can she learn that love, the right love, though she may lose her heart might just empower her and give her the wings to fly higher than she'd ever dreamed?

What a difference a few years can make in a hero's development! With Follow My Lead, I'd imagined that Kate Noble had set herself a formidable task -- transformed Jane's petulant, immature brother Jason, first introduced in The Summer of You, into a hero I'd love -- but more than that, a hero worthy of a bookish, academic heroine, a Georgian-era Belle if you will, and as such a heroine near and dear to my sympathies. This being my third Noble novel, I never should have doubted -- for with each successive installment she's proven increasingly incapable of disappointing this reader, never failing to beguile my heart and imagination with her sparkling characters and romances that captivate you, heart and soul.

With Jason and Winn, Noble proves once again that she is an undisputed master at developing a romance that goes far beyond physical attraction. Her romances explore the emotional and intellectual compatibility of her leads, and never more than here as the nineteenth-century world of art academia is central to Jason and Winn's relational development. I love that at thirty, Winn is considered a spinster, but caring about that label doesn't even cross her mind, as the freedom to pursue intellectual and academic pursuits of her own choosing is her foremost goal. While at times I found myself agreeing with Jason, frustrated by her naivete, it's in keeping with her sheltered upbringing, and learning curve aside one cannot help but admire Winn's passion for her quest and endless reservoir of gumption. That passion is what first draws Jason to Winn as a moth to a flame, for while he was a good student he nevertheless pursued academia as first and foremost a hobby, never connecting with his studies with the depth and passion evidenced by Winn. And so a tentative friendship develops as the duo races across Europe, striving to stay one step ahead of Winn's odious cousin, and from that comes the promise of something more, a something more that threatens both of their firmly-laid plans regarding what comes next in each of their lives.

However, as the saying goes, the "best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry," and it is in this respect that Noble's characterization and plotting shine most brilliantly, transforming what would be in lesser hands a straightforward romance into a heartfelt examination of the sacrifice and risks of love, and what one does with the fear that acceding to such is the death knell of one's dreams, and the irretrievable loss of an essential aspect of one's self, particularly as it comes to the heroine. Noble's female characters never fail to be gloriously realized examples of independent, individual, and bold women, but I suspect that none will be more relatable to modern audiences than Winn. With Winn, Noble manages to argue (quite successfully, I might add), that a woman's hard-won independence need not be a solitary achievement when the right partner is found. As Totty powerfully reminds Winn, being alone is not a requirement for achieving successful independence, rather it "means you have the right to make your own choices." Watching her awaken to the frightening, exhilarating realization that she wants Jason to be a part of her story results in a romance beautifully told, for he is the rare man capable of supporting her dreams, and not merely celebrating her achievements...but positively exulting in them.

I adored Jason and Winn's travelogue-romance, though the calculated risk Noble took in introducing Sarah, a wholly likable -- and perfectly good -- alternate love interest for Jason could have easily derailed the plot. Sarah's storyline broke my heart, but I must acknowledge that in the telling of it, Noble reveals the proclivity of romance readers to all too often want the happy ending without any heartache. And that quite simply isn't life. The painful realization Jason comes to as regards Sarah is wrenching, but better before the marriage than after -- and this is just one example of the raw emotional honesty that is a hallmark of Noble's writing and makes her romances so breathtakingly unforgettable. Peppered with unforgettable, colorful supporting characters (I adore Totty, and loved the updated peek into Phillippa's and Jane's lives), Follow My Lead is a smartly realized romance, where intellect collides with passion and duty with desire, and along the way both Jason and Winn learn the joy of following each other's lead into a life both greater and more fulfilling than their best-laid plans...all that was required was that first, tentative step into the unknown.

[Susan Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually give this book 3.5 stars. The beginning was a little slow and I didn't like the ending AT ALL but the adventure itself was wonderful.

Jason is one of the few non-alpha heroes I've read about in a long time and I liked him a lot. Winn is determined to be independent but doesn't realize that independence doesn't mean you have to be alone.

Since I really hated the ending I made a new, albeit brief, one.

ALTERNATE ENDING TO FOLLOW MY LEAD

From page 332

…as the world became a cacophony of emotion…Winn, the world still swimming slightly, sought the comfort of Jason’s hand.. and soon found it as his firm, warm grip enveloped her hand.

Chapter 26 removed and the following Epilogue replaces it:

Winn was thrilled that her inheritance had been returned to her now that George’s reputation was totally destroyed and his word considered meaningless.

Due to the fact that Winn had proved that the illustrator of the Adam and Eve was not, in fact, Albrecht Durer but a woman of all things; and due to the fact that she was now acknowledged to be C.W. Marks, Winn was grudgingly made a member of the Historical Society.

As soon as her membership had been made official, Jason had proposed, right in the great room of the Historical Society. He’d gotten down on one knee in front of a host of the Historical Society’s members, its steward, Edward and Lord Forrester and said, “I’d be honoured if you’d grant me my greatest wish…to be the husband of the smartest member of the Historical Society. Will you marry me?”

Over the outraged gasps all around them, Winn gave a resounding “Yes!” in reply.
They returned to Jason’s home, opened a bottle of Burgundy ’93, and made sweet love all night long.

Winn and Jason honeymooned in Greece. Jason got to see Winn’s face when her eyes lit with delight and wonder at her first view of the sapphire blue of the Mediterranean Sea.

With the help of their dear friend, Totty, Jason had planned a huge surprise party for Winn upon their return to London. When Winn walked through the doors to Jason’s home, Totty, Phillippa Worth, Mr. Ellis, the Altons, Jane, Byrne and a host of other family and friends (none of whom belonged to the Historical Society) were there to greet her.

“What’s all this?,” Winn gasped as she looked at Jason in complete surprise.

“It’s a celebration of your new post, my dear,” Jason responded, a mischievous glimmer in his beautiful eyes.



The students enrolled in the sought after course, the History of Art at Oxford, looked up as the door to their classroom opened. They’d been waiting for their new professor for ten long minutes. Punctuality was apparently not his long suit.

In walked a small slip of a woman, books in hand, head held high as she looked around the room at faces in shock, jaws dropped, mouths open and smiled.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m the Duchess of Rayne, but you may call me… Miss Marks.”

[Carole Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a touch unsure about this one because I was meh about Jason in the last one. However, I seen this on Audible so I decided to finally dive in.

We follow Winn and Jason as they go on an adventure of craziness. Winn is denied membership at the Historical Society, so she offers an unusual bargain...if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, then they have to grant her recognition, fame, and respect. In order to do this, she has to go abroad. Through some craziness, Jason becomes her escort and guide. He is intrigued by the woman and also wants to see her win. However, their adventure turns out to much more difficult than planned and they have to stay ahead of someone who wants Winn to lose.

This was very exciting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire listen! I had zero idea what was going to happen next. I had no idea and I loved it. It was a ball of craziness for sure. A perfect word for this book and it's characters.

I did warm up to Jason right away especially when he took Winn's side at the very beginning. It was very sweet and noble of him.

Winn? I actually was a unsure of. I guess you can say I had a love-hate for her. She was so clueless for being so smart. She is all brains and no polish (ha Hamilton). Without Jason she would have gotten nowhere. Poor, poor noble Jason.

I also adored Sarah. I want her to be happy. She will find her HEA!

This was very fun and I adored it. I think it is one of my favorites of the series so far. How funny is that!? I was hesitant of this one, but it has ended up as one of my favorites so far?? Thus is life, eh?

The narrator is pure perfection. I adore her voices. Her German ones were great.

In the end, I highly adored this. The characters, the adventure, the mystery, all the craziness? All fun. I'll stamp this with a 5.

[MsWhiskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Author,

I beg of you, please, PLEASE write an epilogue!

Yours truly,
A crying reader

This would've been sooo PERFECT! but because of two things at the very end, it made me shout obscenities in my room and my family don't know what to do with me. For the first flaw–Jason proposing to another girl after 6 months of being apart from Winn and didn't try hard enough to find and talk to her, I'm just going to ask– ' Was that completely necessary? '. For the second flaw–about the story ending so abruptly (Among all the novels I've read, this will be at the top of the MOST ABRUPT ENDING OF ALL TIME) I mean, Jason's speech got me all teary-eyed and I've never felt that kind of happiness and redemption after that kind of betrayal from a book in a long time. And yep, after that speech, the ending smashed me to pieces.

All vents aside, I would've written this review by first saying–Have you ever looked for specific things in a novel but no recommendations fully tick the boxes? Then suddenly, a book came to you and finally, after so long of a search, one book finally satisfy your request?

Well, Follow my Lead ticked all those boxes for me.
Namely:
(1) A travel/adventure HR book
(2) A slowburntastic romance
(3) No insta-lust & insta-anything
(4) A book written like how clean HR writers do, but still has the adult category evident in the half of the story. In short, no perpetual lusty thoughts!
(5) An independent, genuinely funny heroine
(6) A not so overly handsome hero with the perfect bod
(7) A genuinely loving hero with LOTS of chemistry with the heroine
(8) Little/big things that have a breath of fresh air in the HR genre
and the list goes on...

[Amanda Gayhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets a 4 because it goes Sopranos on your butt and fades to black at the end.
If the next book doesn't pick up from there, I'm going to be thoroughly incensed.

This is the BEST book of the series so far: Jason, Duke of Rayne, is definitely a conflicted individual. A scholar, a peer, responsibilities / primogeniture / fortune, etc. to manage. Gets tied up with Winnifred (Winn), a bluestocking on a quest across the continent to prove a fact she threw out at the Historical Society and she has to back it up. I LOVED this book and the "journey" trope that it follows - I love how this isn't an easy trip for either one of them and crazy, believable things happen to them along the way. The scene with Jason / Winn in the inn, leading up to a spicy moment needs to come with an octane rating. HOT. HOT. HOT. I was scared thoroughly for George and Winn - he's definitely a villain and not one you want to root for.

The 3rd Act conflict? *chef's kiss* When Jason was yelling to Winn through her chaperone's door? I had TEARS in my eyes. It was amazingly hot / cute / sweet - all the feels. Hate Jason in the previous book but I absolutely ADORED him in this book. I also loved how amazingly fierce Winn is - LOVE a STRONG female main character. She's strong but she has her flaws along with Jason and they complement each other so well.

Can't wait for the next book - I better get more Jason / Winn!