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When the young ladies of the Fairchild family learn that their stepfather has absconded with their late mother's fortune, Ava, the eldest, hunts down the notoriously wealthy rakehell Jared Broderick, the Marquis of Middleton and heir to a dukedom. Much to her shock and delight, the marquis sweeps her into a whirlwind romance and proposes marriage. But after their passionate wedding night, Ava discovers Jared has ulterior motives of his own. Not only does he expect her to deliver an heir while he continues to enjoy a rogue's life, but Ava also suspects she is a pawn in her husband's quest for revenge. Marriages of convenience work for some, but for Ava a loveless bond won't do. So she devises a bold plan to confront her husband's demons so that he might be free to choose to give her his heart for the right reason: because she is the only woman he will ever truly desire.

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The Hazards of Hunting a Duke

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After her mother's death, Lady Ava Fairchild quickly discovers she must marry. Her step-father, who now controls her mother's fortune, plans to sell Ava, her sister, and her cousin to the highest bidder on the marriage market. That is, he will just as soon as he returns from France and his mistress. With little funds, Ava must find a way to stay in respectable society and snag a rich, but not too objectionable man. Remembering her witty exchange and delicious kiss with the Marquis of Middleton, Jared Broderick, Ava thinks she has found her answer. As luck would have it, Jared is also looking for a wife. Actually, his father, the Duke of Redford, has decided it is past time for the young rake to settle down and produce some legitimate heirs. While his father already has a proper girl selected, Jared is more intrigued by Ava. More importantly, he will have stronger control over a wife of his own choosing. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that marrying Ava will stick it to his overbearing father. A marriage of convenience seems like the answer to both problems, yet they quickly find that their marriage is anything but convenient. They are drawn together, but for Ava passion is not enough. She wants a love match, but can she get it? The Hazards of Hunting a Duke is a lighthearted, sexy romp. Jared is a wonderful hero. He is deliciously wicked, but truly a good man. Although Ava was fun and sassy, she was also frustrating. Early in the story, she was sensible and intelligent, but as she tried to win Jared's love, her choices became extremely childish. Where did the competent young woman go? Much of the conflict seemed manufactured and pointless. Ava had to make stupid decisions, otherwise the story would end too soon. The secondary characters were a mixed bag. Some, like Ava's household staff, were hilarious, but other characters weren't as well developed. I had major problems with Jared's father. His actions throughout the story make his ending hard to buy. While I did have several issues with the story, it was an enjoyable afternoon's sensual escape. This was my first Julia London novel, and I'd love to read more. The first installment in the Desperate Debutants series has an intriguing start, but not without its faults Cheryl reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

If only Ava were more likeable

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I'll start off by saying I really want to read the others in this series - that's the good news. The bad news is that's because the other characters in the book interested me more than the main characters in this one. They were on the edge of being good, but something was lacking. Jared is just a little too cliché of a rake and Ava is almost interesting (an example being the horse-riding bit) but they both get a bit too... emotional and unrealistic. And while the endings of romance novels are a bit predictable, this one seemed to rushed and tied up far too quickly (the sitcom-esque ending), and I felt let down by what had seemed an interesting storyline. There just seemed something a little off, a little missing about this book. It left me feeling unfulfilled, probably partially because the whole mysterious bit about Greer - though that is also what has made me want to read on, so it's a double-edged sword. The bottom line is it's a decent romance, but not one to bump to the top of your to-read list.

Redeemed?

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Two things right off: 1. If you are a frequent reader of Julia London, you know that she likes the "redeemed hero" that starts off as a real [...]. 2. This has the typical plotline of woman strikes a deal of convenient marriage, falls for husband, and decides that only love with suit her. Ava needs money, Jared needs an heir. After their marriage Ava falls desperately in love with Jared and the hunt begins! I liked Ava. She was very much a "historical figure," her preoccupations were those that I would expect from someone in that time period. Of course she had a modern/liberal streak in her and was quite bold and brazen. Her downfall was definitely her immense pride and narrowminded view when it came to getting what she wants... when she wants. I wish she would've outgrown that at some point, but all-in-all, Ava was a delight. (Much more so than Greer, who ruined the sequel for me. I won't even bother with writing a review for that work.) Jared was a tough nut to chew. A lot was not revealed about his past until the very end, giving the audience a skewed perception of his actions. I don't feel like he was redeemed, but rather, his character was developed. He always had that love in him, he just couldn't put a name to it. Couldn't identify why it was he had those tender feelings where Ava was concerned and at first it scared him... causing him to put up walls between them. The romance was excellent, as far as I am concerned. There were some points when my heart was just breaking at the desperate and awkward way these two characters clung to their muddled emotions looking for some sort of justification for inadvertently hurting each other at every turn. But, there were sweet tender moments that I enjoyed. Humorous, sweet incidents. Little things that London added to her work. One of my favorite little moments is when Ava is in her room, ignoring Jared the best that she can while trying to get lessons in seduction from Sally, her lady's maid. He hears giggling in her room at odd moments and repeatedly walks by it trying to get a listen of more. He feels stung that he's left out and misses her at dinner! So sweet. My problem was the ex-mistress that tries to get in the way. Money-grubbing, catty, greedy, little hussy. Shows up at opportune moments, groveling before the hero as the heroine just happens to overlook and misinterpret the entire situation. It's such a played-out convention! Can we retire the use of the ex-mistress from now on? ENOUGH! I also wish there could be more Jared-Edmond and Jared-the Duke. Such interesting relationships were not allowed to be developed fully. But, I enjoyed this novel none the less. I have hope for Phoebe! Greer was SUCH a dissapointment.

Delightful "marriage of convenience" novel

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"Hazards" was my first experience reading a historical romance by Julia London. It is the first in the "Desperate Debutantes" series, the stories of three girls who lost their inheritance to an unscrupulous step-father. While Ava has some faults as a heroine, it doesn't detract from the story. Jared is a marquis and has a very strained relationship with his father, the duke. The relationship between Ava & Jared is strained at first, but becomes more romantic as the story progresses. I'm looking forward to Ms. London's next book in the series, "The Perils of Pursuing a Prince".

wonderfully enjoyable	Customer Rating:
This is my first Julia London book and I enjoyed it completely. Good solid characters, well written. I highly recommend it. The Regency period is one I would have loved to have lived -- as an aristocrat with antibiotics of course!!