Review - - How to Catch a Sinful Marquess

 

How to Catch a Sinful Marquess

by Amy Rose Bennett

The Disreputable Debutantes- Book 3

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

A reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye.

Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world--or at least the men of the ton--at her feet. But when she's thrown out of a young ladies' academy, Olivia doubts she'll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account. To make matters worse, her dissolute cousin Felix is determined to marry her against her wishes. A virtual prisoner in her guardians' London townhouse, Olivia can’t help but develop a tendre for her neighbor, a handsome Scottish marquess.

Battle-scarred in more ways than one, Hamish MacQueen, Lord Sleat, has braved many dangers in life. But nothing has quite prepared him for the shock of having a young child dumped on his doorstep, with a note claiming she’s his daughter. Just in the nick of time his pretty neighbor appears, offering to act as a nursemaid for the young girl on their journey to his estate in Scotland. He suspects she has her own reasons for wanting to flee the country…
 
The close traveling quarters leads to a fierce attraction between Olivia and Hamish that seems impossible to resist. But when ghosts from the past and monsters from the present threaten to tear them apart, will their unlikely love survive?

PJ's Thoughts:

This is the third book in Bennett's Disreputable Debutantes series and I've enjoyed them all. The four young women who anchor this series, each unique and each from varying backgrounds and social classes, have a strong bond of friendship from school, and the scandal that saw them expelled from that school, that continues to strengthen as they mature and enter this new phase of their lives. I love their open and honest conversations, their support of one another, and their determination to be their best selves, in spite of the obstacles life, and others, have put in their paths.

By the time I reached this third book, Olivia had become the friend I was most invested in and as her journey progressed that only intensified. I loved watching her gradually regain the confidence that had been drummed out of her by her greedy, controlling relatives. After years of being ridiculed for her stutter, and watching her guardians drain the coffers of her inheritance while treating her like a poor relation, it was pure joy to see her begin to come into her own and gain the inner strength and determination to pursue love and happiness, refusing to settle for less than what she deserved. I was cheering her on the entire way.

I enjoyed how Bennett flipped the rescue roles in this book. A strong, confident Marquess, Hamish MacQueen is used to getting his own way, and any woman he wants, but he's also a man of honor. From the beginning, when he believes Olivia really is a poor relation of the family next door, he treats her with care and respect but he is clearly the one in charge of their situation. As their journey continues (did I mention how much I enjoy a road romance?) and desire deepens on both sides, he's the one to set the boundaries. And when they reach his home on Skye, the reasons for those boundaries begin to become clear. Beneath his confident exterior beats the heart of a complex, tortured man who believes with all he is that he is not worthy of love, especially not the love of a woman as special as Olivia. 

As Hamish becomes more determined to set her free, newly-strengthened Olivia becomes more determined to free him from the misconceptions that have barricaded his heart and guide him to the love that will bring both of them the happiness they deserve. The rescue roles have been reversed and I loved every bit of it. 

Bennett has used a blend of tropes (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Marriage of Convenience, Secret Baby, and Road Romance) to weave together an enjoyable, slow-burn romance with likable protagonists, an adorable child, a despicable villain, intriguing secondary characters, and a happy ending for all. Well, all except Olivia's horrid family, though I'm of the opinion that they got off much too easily. Olivia proves she's the best of them but I wanted a bit more payback. 

How to Catch a Sinful Marquess can be read as a standalone but my investment in Olivia was deeper for having read the previous two books first. Next up is the final disreputable debutante, and the acknowledged leader of the group, Charlie (Lady Charlotte) Hastings. I can't wait to discover what Bennett has planned for her.

Have you read any of Amy Rose Bennett's books yet?

Do you enjoy a road romance?

What's your favorite romance trope?

Review & Giveaway - - How to Catch a Wicked Viscount

How to Catch a Wicked Viscount
by Amy Rose Bennett
The Disreputable Debutantes - Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Jove
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
    

Shy, bookish Sophie Brightwell is expected to make an advantageous match to improve her family's fortunes. However, Sophie's plans to make a spectacular debut go horribly awry when she and her three closest friends are expelled from a young ladies' academy for unbecoming conduct. Since the ton will be sure to close their doors on these disgraced debutantes, they determine that unconventional means need to be employed in the husband-hunting market. Rakehells—the beau monde's wickedest members—might be the only men willing to overlook a young lady's besmirched reputation. 
 
But how does one catch a rake?

Nate Hastings, the devil-may-care Viscount Malverne, is the older brother of Sophie’s best friend, fellow disgraced debutante Lady Charlotte. When a terribly foxed Nate accidentally compromises Sophie, Charlotte strikes a wicked bargain: in order to avoid a scandal and the parson's mousetrap, Nate must help Sophie snare a husband. But as Nate fulfills his obligation and begins to instruct the lovely Sophie in the art of luring rakes, he soon finds himself battling his own fierce attraction to her.


My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book that launches Amy Rose Bennett's new Disreputable Debutantes series. The four young women who meet at school are each unique, from varying backgrounds, and social classes, yet they form a strong bond that continues beyond the scandal that saw them expelled from school and returned to their respective families. I enjoyed their friendship and look forward to getting to know each of them better as the series continues.

Sophie engaged my emotions almost immediately with her shame over the school scandal (which in comparison to the antics of young men of the time was barely scandalous at all), her determination to be her family's savior through her writing, and her never-ending crush on her best friend's older brother. But she also endeared herself to me through her pragmatism, her honesty, and her loyalty to family, friends and to herself. I love how open and honest she is with Nate. She may be an innocent but she doesn't hold back from exploring her own sensuality as well as her feelings for Nate. And I cheered for her when she put her own well-being first.

Nate is a charmer and he's smitten with Sophie, though he denies it to others, and to himself. He's likable but seemed immature to me even though he'd been through the horrors of war. I understood the need to forget all he'd seen and done by living large once he returned home, and he does grow over the course of the story, but I was looking for a little more substance. 

Nate and Sophie's journey is well-paced for most of the book, with sparkling banter, sensual encounters, and deepening emotions. Though those deepening emotions are more on Sophie's side of the relationship until near the end of the book. I would have liked to see more evidence of Nate's feelings before the conclusion, which seemed a bit rushed.

Those few quibbles aside, though, this was an enjoyable book that introduced me to intriguing characters about whom I want to know more. I'll be back for the next book in The Disreputable Debutantes series. 

Excerpt

Nate pushed open the double doors to the library. If only he didn’t have to attend any damnable ton balls or soirees. God, the idea of courting a simpering debutante like Lady Penelope Purcell was enough to turn his stomach—

A decidedly feminine gasp and a dull thud stopped him dead in his tracks.

What the deuce?

Behind his father’s desk stood a raven-haired angel. A beautiful young woman wearing nothing but a pale blue shawl over a thin white night rail, and an expression of sheer terror.

“Lord Malverne. Oh, heavens. Oh, my goodness.” The angel’s shocked, wide-eyed gaze dropped to the desk, and then, much to his amusement, he was certain she muttered something not so angelic like blast beneath her breath.

Nate’s gaze followed hers. Blast indeed. His father’s cut crystal inkwell was on its side, and a black pool of ink was rapidly spreading across the dark red blotter, heading inexorably toward the young woman’s pristine nightgown. In the next instant, as he strode toward the desk to offer assistance, she whipped off her shawl and pressed it against the inky puddle.

“I’m so, so sorry. What will your father think of me? I only meant to borrow a little ink. I didn’t think he’d mind.” Her words came out in a breathless rush as she began to dab furiously at the blotter. “And now I’ve ruined some of his papers. Oh, Lord, I hope they’re not too important.” She nodded at a dark splash marring the top of a document that looked a lot like a draft parliamentary bill. “What a disaster.”

Her long black braid had fallen forward over her slender shoulder and it swayed with her movements, caressing the swell of one pert breast. A breast covered by nothing but threadbare cotton. It was cold in the room and her nipple pressed quite impudently against the fabric.

Holy hell. Nate swallowed as his body tightened with longing. The sight was so distracting, he had to force himself to lift his eyes back to the girl’s.

“I’m not sure it’s as bad as all that,” he lied. His father would be livid. On an impulse, he laid a hand atop the angel’s slender, ink-stained fingers to stop her frantic attempts to contain the mess. She stilled instantly, her breath hitching. And when she looked up at him, Nate’s breath caught too.

At these close quarters, the lamplight illuminated the girl’s lovely face. Her eyes, as clear and blue as a midsummer sky, were ringed with a darker liquid navy and fringed by impossibly long, black lashes. When she dropped her gaze to his hand lying atop hers, they fanned across her cheeks where a bright red blush was beginning to spread almost as rapidly as the ink had. God, she was an innocent and he was behaving like a cad, but he was thoroughly enchanted and couldn’t seem to help himself.

His voice, when it emerged, was embarrassingly unsteady. “You seem to know me, but I’m not sure that I know you, Miss . . .”

“Brightwell. Sophie Brightwell,” she supplied in a voice that was also oddly husky. She clearly felt the sizzle of attraction between them too.

“Sophie Brightwell,” he repeated, savoring the feel of her name on his lips. It suited her perfectly. The girl was about the same age as his sister, and a distant memory stirred. A cold winter’s day in Hyde Park. Three years ago. This was the awkwardly shy but pretty schoolroom chit that Charlie had introduced him to. “You’re Charlie’s friend. From the academy.”

“Yes.” Miss Sophie Brightwell slid a hand from beneath his and pushed a loose strand of hair away from her flushed cheek. “Your father and Charlie . . . I mean, Lady Charlotte, have invited me to stay. For the Season. I know this looks terrible, my skulking about the library at the dead of night, but I couldn’t sleep. You know how it is in a strange bed. Honestly, I only meant to borrow a little ink.”

“Yes, you said that before. But then I barged in and I startled you, no doubt. So this accidental spill”—he couldn’t resist lightly squeezing her hand—“is entirely my fault. And I shall tell my father so.” His father would believe him. It wasn’t as though this was the first mess he’d ever made.

“No.” Miss Brightwell shook her head. “No, I can’t let you do that, Lord Malverne.”

“I insist.” Removing his hand from hers, Nate pulled a silk kerchief from his coat pocket, then, rake that he was, he leaned closer. The heady scent of warm female laced with something delicate and floral—perhaps it was the soap she used—teased him, enticing him to do something unthinkable, like burying his face in her sweet neck. To inhale deeply and run his lips along her collarbone. To taste the silken flesh where her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat . . .

Jesus Christ and all his saints, what was he thinking? Less than a month of abstaining from sexual congress had clearly addled his brain.

He couldn’t seduce Charlie’s friend no matter the desire thrumming through his veins. She was a young woman alone with a known rake, late at night. The situation was highly compromising to say the least.

Dangerous.


Have you read any of Amy Rose Bennett's books?

Are you a fan of the "falling in love with best friend's brother/sister" trope?

One person who comments before 11:00 PM, August 29, will receive a print copy of How to Catch a Wicked Viscount. (U.S. addresses only)