Say Yes to the Marquess (Castles Ever After, #2) by Tessa Dare

Say Yes to the Marquess (Castles Ever After, #2) by Tessa Dare
SUMMARY 

After eight years of waiting for Piers Brandon, the wandering Marquess of Granville, to set a wedding date, Clio Whitmore has had enough. She's inherited a castle, scraped together some pride, and made plans to break her engagement.

Not if Rafe Brandon can help it. A ruthless prizefighter and notorious rake, Rafe is determined that Clio will marry his brother—even if he has to plan the dratted wedding himself.

So how does a hardened fighter cure a reluctant bride's cold feet?

● He starts with flowers. A wedding can't have too many flowers. Or harps. Or cakes.

● He lets her know she'll make a beautiful, desirable bride—and tries not to picture her as his.

● He doesn't kiss her.

● If he kisses her, he definitely doesn't kiss her again.

● When all else fails, he puts her in a stunning gown. And vows not to be nearby when the gown comes off.

● And no matter what—he doesn't fall in disastrous, hopeless love with the one woman he can never call his own.

MY REVIEW 

Clio Whitmore has been engaged to Marquess Piers Brandon for several years, until she is fed up waiting when he will back from abroad. 
Luckily she has inherited a beautiful castle. Now she can put a stop in this arranged engagement and live her life independently. 

Unfortunately she needs the help of Piers’ brother, Rafe Brandon. 
Rafe is a notorious rake and a famous fistfighter. He does not need any more complications in his life. Miss Clio needs to marry his brother so that he can be left alone to fight to win his title back again.

Well, Clio does NOT want to get married to his brother and that is final.
What happens next is that Clio will turn Rafe's world upside down.

“Ah.” He paused. “I see where this is going. You want to know my secret pain.”
“Secret pain?”
“Oh, yes. My inner demons. The dark current of torment washing away little grains of my soul. That’s what you’re after. You think that if you keep me here in your pretty castle and cosset me with sixteen pillows, I’ll learn to love myself and cease submitting my body to such horrific abuse.”
Clio bit her lip, grateful it was too dark for him to see her blush. If she’d been flamingo pink the other day, she must be fuchsia now. “I don’t know where you get these ideas.”
He chuckled. “From every woman I’ve ever met, that’s where. You’re not the first to try it, and you won’t be the last.”
“How disappointing. Can I at least be the best?”

4 stars for the story and 1 extra star for the magnificent cake fight.