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My Review:Title: Her Wicked Marquess
Author: Stacy Reid
Series: Sinful Wallflowers #2
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Release Date: December 29, 2020
Format: ebook
Pages: 300
Genres: Historical Romance
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Source: Overdrive
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 1, Lenoreo's 2023 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:Miss Maryann FitzWilliam is too witty and bookish for her own good. No gentleman of the ton will marry her, so her parents arrange for her to wed a man old enough to be her father. But Maryann is ready to use those wits to turn herself into a sinful wallflower.
When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of Nicolas Ives climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does the unthinkable. She anonymously claims that the bedchamber belonged to none other than Miss FitzWilliam, tarnishing her own reputation—and chances of the dastardly union her family secured for her. Now she just needs to convince the marquess to keep his silence.
Nicholas Ives, Marquess of Rothbury has purposefully cultivated a reputation as the most ruthless, unprincipled libertine, all so he can slip beneath the guards of those whose vile actions caused him to lose the only girl he's ever loved. Despite his intrigue, Nicolas is determined to ignore the deceitful and enticing Miss FitzWilliam. However, his enemies are drawing close, and he soon discovers he must keep her closer to protect her. Nonetheless, she rouses a soul-burning passion within him, causing him to question who will protect her from his devilish wiles.
4.5 stars — Oh wow, that was a ride from start to finish.
It’s funny, b/c I am not a fan of domineering males…or villainous ones. And I’m not saying that Nicolas was necessarily either of those things, but he was definitely a shades of gray kind of hero. And all I can say is that he balanced that edge PERFECTLY, and that seems to be really hard to do because usually I’m turned off. I was NOT turned off. There was so much guilt and strife in him, and he had become exactly who he needed to be to right wrongs of the past. It was difficult to watch, but I found I understood him at each step. It helped that we were able to see into his heart and soul, and see how Maryann was opening his eyes to the possibility of happiness in his future. I loved his journey. And I even enjoyed his wicked ways, I always felt that he would never push her farther than she genuinely wanted to go.
Maryann was freaking spectacular. I adored how she balanced between feisty and brave and vulnerable. I’m so glad that society hadn’t completely dimmed her light, and that she still held onto it underneath it all. She was so forthright, curious, sassy, naive…she made my heart happy. Total girl crush. She went through all the emotions, and she didn’t hide from them.
They had such a fantastic “courtship”. It was totally scandalous even as it was hidden, and I truly felt that they connected on so many levels.
I was worried about how some aspects of the plot would play out, but I was very satisfied with how it all went. I have no idea about realism, I just know I enjoyed myself spectacularly.
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