Friday, May 22, 2020

Tour Review - - Marry in Scarlet


Marry in Scarlet
by Anne Gracie
Marriage of Convenience - Book 4
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
 


When a duke denied . . .

The proud and arrogant Duke of Everingham is determined to secure a marriage of convenience with heiress, Lady Georgiana Rutherford. He's the biggest prize on the London marriage mart, pursued by young unmarried ladies and their match-making mamas, as well as married women with a wandering eye. He can have any woman he wants. Or so he thinks. . . 

...Hunts an independent lady . . .
Lady Georgiana Rutherford--irreverent and unconventional--has no plans to marry. Having grown up poor, Lady George has no intention of giving up her fortune to become dependent on the dubious and unreliable goodwill of a man. Especially a man as insufferable as the Duke of Everingham, whose kisses stirs unwelcome and unsettling emotions . . .

...Sparks are sure to fly
The more she defies him, the more the duke wants her, until an argument at a ball spirals into a passionate embrace. Caught in a compromising position, the duke announces their betrothal. George is furious and when gossip claims she deliberately entrapped the duke--when she was the one who was trapped--she marches down the aisle in a scarlet wedding dress. But the unlikely bride and groom may have found love in the most improbable of places--a marriage of convenience.


PJ's Thoughts:

I've been reading Anne Gracie's books for a long time. She's one of my favorite historical romance authors, a gifted storyteller whose characters leap from the pages and immerse me completely in their lives and loves. Some of her books I like better than others, though she's never disappointed me, and many sit on my keeper shelf, ready to indulge my need to revisit certain characters and their journeys to love. But, even among that collection of favorites, Marry in Scarlet stands apart. This one is special. 

Every so often, a character comes along, captures my heart, and refuses to return it. George is just such a character. I've been eagerly anticipating her story since she first burst onto the page of book one, kicking and screaming. She's unique, endearing, courageous, refreshing, honorable, and just plain fun. I adore her kindness, her loyalty, her protective nature, her irreverence, take-charge mindset, and huge capacity for love. Watching her evolve over the course of this series, while remaining true to herself, has been pure pleasure. There are so many facets of her personality and passages from her story that I want to share but each reader should have the opportunity to discover the wonder of George by reading her story themselves. 

And then there's Hart. If George evolves during this journey, it's nothing compared to what happens to Hart. This aloof, entitled duke, full of his own consequence and cold-blooded in his approach to matrimony, has his life turned upside down by our heroine. She's nothing he could have anticipated and everything he never knew he needed. The banter between these two sparkles and the desire threatens to spiral out of control. But it's the unexpected sweetness and depth of their emotions, especially his, that are so romantic and sensual. He's one of my favorite Gracie heroes and, believe me, after reading book three, Marry in Secret, I never thought I'd be saying that. But Hart came through, and in glorious, heart-tugging style. He and George made me laugh, made me sigh, and made me cry. And if they aren't enough, there's a secondary, secret romance that kept my tear ducts, and my heart, overflowing. Keep tissues handy for the epilogue. Just sayin'. 

I've already read this book twice and I know if won't be long before I'm pulled back to these characters again...and again...and again. Marry in Scarlet can be read as a standalone but for a more complete understanding of the characters and their journeys to this point, especially George, I strongly recommend reading this quartet in order: Marry in Haste, Marry in Scandal, Marry in Secret, and Marry in Scarlet. All four books have my enthusiastic endorsement. I can't wait to see what Gracie has planned for readers next. 



7 comments:

  1. She is an author on my tbr list - thanks, sounds good!

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  2. I just ordered the first 3 books in this series. So, eventually, I will get to this book, and you have made me want that to be a not very long time.

    Thanks for the review. You have out done yourself.

    I hope everyone is safe and taking care.

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  3. I really enjoy Anne's books

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  4. Thanks for the review PJ. Sounds like I need to read some of her books.

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  5. I just started reading Marry in Secret where Rose was due to marry the Duke of Everingham. I loved your review of Marry in Scarlet and I've added it to my "wish list".

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  6. Anne Gracie is another author that I have sadly let slip through the cracks of my ever growing TBR shelves. I've read a few of her earlier books as well and enjoyed them so I'm not sure what happened. I find I do have several of her earlier books still on the TBR pile and nothing current. I am lacking here and plan to change it. I am a list maker so I plan to add some of those books to my list of books to read the second half of this year so maybe I can come into the light and get some new stuff from her!

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  7. I am a fan of this author's books. When reading one of them doesn't make me smile and swoon, very little else can.

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