A Most Worthy Husband

The Lucky Ladies of London #3

by Faye Delacour

When she picks the most unsuitable bachelor in London to ruin her reputation with a kiss, neither of them counted on her mother making a gentleman out of him....

Perfect for fans of Evie Dunmore, India Holton and Bridgerton.

Hannah Williams would never want a marriage like her parents'. She'd be perfectly happy to spend her life as a spinster and support herself by helping to run her sister-in-law’s gambling club. But no matter how many schemes Hannah hatches to repel suitors, her mother won’t accept defeat. To wrest back control of her life once and for all, Hannah takes drastic measures. She’ll ruin herself with a man so unsuitable that no one will force them to the altar, making her unmarriageable forever. What could possibly go wrong?

Silas Corbyn is nothing but trouble. Disinherited by his family and dishonorably discharged from the Navy over a fight with his sadistic superior, the ton has dismissed him without hearing his side of the story. When an old friend from the Navy gives him work as a dealer at a lady’s gambling club, Silas doesn’t intend to repay the favor by compromising the man’s little sister on his first night, but Hannah offers him an obscene amount of money for just one kiss. Money that he could use to build a new life for himself.

Neither of them counted on Hannah’s mother deciding to salvage her daughter’s reputation with a hasty marriage. Now they need to find a way to call off their engagement before it’s too late. Unless they lose their hearts first.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Adult, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

Published December 16, 2025

About the author

Faye Delacour was raised in the Canadian prairies before deciding that she needed a challenge and should move to a place where everybody spoke French. She now lives and works in Montreal with her partner and children, a reformed street cat, and a shepherd who hasn't yet accepted that he can't herd the cat.

Faye writes historical romance featuring strong, feminist heroines and enthusiastic consent.

Reviews

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
A historical romance about a girl who does not want to get married a man just trying to put his life back together.

The plot got really convoluted here. Hannah has been out for a few seasons and is waiting for her mother to give up the matchmaking schemes and leave Hannah to her spinsterhood. However when she realizes how determined her mother actually is, she sets out to ruin her reputation. Honestly this part of the story just made me think Hannah was really dumb. I get that she's extremely sheltered but she A) didn't even know how to ruin herself. She walks into a ladies gambling club (that her sister-in-law runs!) and expects to be ruined at the doorway? She also has no other means of supporting herself. Usually when you get this type of plot in a HR, the heroine has something going on- usually some sort of intellectual or business endeavour, which would also enable her to support herself. Hannah has NO means of supporting herself and it doesn't even occur to her? Her family isn't well off enough that she can live comfortably forever, but she doesn't even question where she will live or who will fund her life. Which is not to say she should give in and marry when she doesn't want to, but she should at least have a plan?

Hannah then ALSO tries to gamble away her family fortune?! In an effort to ruin her reputation... Truly, does this girl even understand what money is used for?! Like to feed her family? When that doesn't work she pays Silas (who was working at the ladies gambling club) to kiss her and then gets him fired with no references. Again, this outcome didn't even occur to her.

When her mother is still insistent that Hannah marry, she insists that she's actually in love with Silas an will marry no one except for him. When her mother finally relents to her marrying Silas, she has Silas pretend to want to marry her but to be awful enough that her mother will ultimately object? Truly, this was the stupidest plot I've read in a while. It was so outrageously annoying I just wanted Hannah to use her freaking words and tell her mother how she felt.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this story sort of started and ended in the wrong place.
The premise is this: Hannah is tired of being on the marriage mart and hears how Silas is a very unsuitable man. So she decides to kiss him very publicly and ruin her own reputation in an effort to make herself unmarriageable so she can go back home to the country. Except that her mother decides that actually, if Silas ruined her, he will marry her and she will just MAKE HIM a suitable husband for Hannah. It's a fun plot idea! It's a shame that the book's pacing leaves something to be desired. The book ends with Silas and Hannah getting married. The literal last scene is a kind of fade to black after their very first "I love you's" days after they get married.
I can see a world where this is a good place to end the book. It's a world where the fake engagement, gender-swapped-My-Fair-Lady makeover trope was fast-paced and fleshed out and Hannah and Silas had ample time to get to know one another and fall in love (and hey, maybe feel each other up a time or three). But alas the book mostly takes place with us watching Hannah's MOM carting Silas around from one place to another. I think Hannah and Silas are actually completely alone, having an honest conversation with each other maybe...three times? In a pretty lengthy book. That doesn't really lend for any relationship development, if they're constantly performing for their respective families and society. They rarely have any heart to hearts. So when the book ends with them days after getting married, it feels like we stopped following Hannah and Silas right as their relationship was going to start. Right as they were finally going to have time alone to really get to know one another.
Especially considering Hannah's main conflict (the reason she was so marriage-adverse to begin with) is that she is terrified of getting married because of the horrible example of marriage her parents have set. It would have been really great if this story moved a little faster, Hannah and Silas got married at around the half-way point, and we got to really see Hannah navigate marriage, come to understand where her mother was coming from and fall in love with Silas slowly as he got to show her what a true partnership can be like.
There was a point in the book, as Silas and Hannah are negotiating the terms of their marriage of convenience (which was convenient for about two days because they quickly decided they loved each other and the book ended) where they agree that Hannah will have her own home where she will live separately while Silas lives with his family somewhere outside London because he's opening a business there. Silas is already in love with her at this point but he agrees because he wants to make her happy. It would have been really interesting to see this come to fruition. See Hannah MISS Silas and want to be with him and have to revise the things she thought she wanted. But like I said, the book ends just as I felt like things might get interesting.
I really love the way Faye Delacour writes. She has some serious chops for characterization and humor. The bones were all here for a really great story, I just didn't like where we were dropped off and then pulled away from Hannah and Silas's story.

[Tracy Emro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having no desire to marry and endure the unhappiness that her parents have, Miss Hannah Williams has thwarted any man that was even remotely interested in her for four seasons, she is sure if she can make it through this season, her mother will finally give up, and Hannah can live her life as a spinster. But when it becomes clear that her mother is not going to give up – Hannah takes matters into her own hands and bribes her brother’s friend Silas Corbyn to kiss her and “ruin” her – knowing full well he was not an acceptable match in her mother’s eyes, which means she will be sent back to the country in disgrace. Too bad she underestimated her mother!

Silas Corbyn is not having a good year, it started out good and things were going so well, he was due for a long-awaited promotion, but that hope is shattered when he punched his commanding officer and is dishonorably discharged from the Navy. He tries to return home, but his father wants nothing to do with him. So, he takes the little money he has and goes to London. His friend Eli Williams takes pity on him and convinces his wife to let Silas work as a dealer in her gaming salon. This is the second chance he has been hoping for, and things are once again going well – until he finds Eli’s sister Hannah hiding in a small office at the salon. She offers him a small fortune to kiss her in front of her mother, he agrees, but never expected that kiss would change his life! He knows he is not of Hannah’s class and would never be considered a suitor, but that doesn’t stop her from offering him more money to pretend to be in love with her – he refuses. He loses his job over the incident and has trouble finding work, so when his cousin and brother arrive with a business opportunity, he reconsiders Hannah’s offer, after all it’s not like they would ever actually marry!

After the disappointment of the previous book, I had high hopes for this installment. I actually liked the author’s writing style in the first book, but I have a problem with the characters and the plot in this book. It seems like the character’s personalities change from book to book – I liked Hannah in the previous books, but in this book, she came across as very self-absorbed, immature and at times TSTL. Silas was much more likable, and I was horrified that the author made him grovel to Hannah – when he had done nothing wrong. Overall, this book had great promise, but it dragged from almost the first page until the last chapter, when miraculously everything comes together and they both love each other (eye roll) and then it is over – I have no idea how or why they fell in love and honestly by the end, I didn’t even care. This is the third book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone book without a problem – for me, this book was a miss, but the author has a lot of potential and is worth checking out.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

2.5 stars rounded up

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I hadn’t read the previous books in the series, this one stands on its own surprisingly well. The plot is easy to follow, the emotional beats still land, and the dynamic between the leads is strong enough that I never felt lost. It definitely made me curious about the earlier installments, but you can absolutely enjoy this story without any background.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Most Worthy Husband is an upcoming historical fiction novel set in 1840's England. It is has an important message explaining in order to be happy with the outcome of your life you need to take matters into your own hands and not care what others will think. This was my first time reading a book by this author but I will say that I was very impressed with what I read.

We are introduced to Hannah who would rather be a spinster than subject herself ro an unhappy marriage. On a trip to London she comes up with a plan to ruin her own reputation so no one can force a marriage on her. We are introduced to Silas who is down on his luck and has recently started a new job at a ladies gamblibg club courtesy of a friend. However, his first night at work he ends up compromising the reputation of his friends sister Hannah.

However, Hannah's mother has decided that Silas must marry Hannah to save her 'disrupted' reputation. Will Hannah and Silas manage ro call off this engagement before the wedding or will they lose their hearts to each other in the process?

[Nia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

My rating requires a lot of nuance in the case of this book so I really want to emphasize I think this book is fantastically written and it really draws you into the world! So much so I read it in one sitting.

The thing about my rating is that it’s a ME problem. This book had something that usually does not work for me, which I will explain in a minute, but I think this book has an audience and that actually I’ll be in the minority and most people will like it.

Let’s start with what worked for me:
There is some good humor at the beginning and the writing is such that you feel Hannah’s despair. She’s exasperated and at her wits end but she’s still witty and funny. Multiple times I found myself laughing, which is such a credit to how well this book it’s written.

Our MMC, Silas Corbyn, is perfect in my eyes. He’s honorable while also being severely disgraced. He feels no one wants to understand him but feels a kinship to Hannah and constantly comes at her beck and call to try and save her and eventually actually impress her and court her.

I loved the side characters particularly Hannah’s mom. She’s a character with so much depth and we see how she thaws to Corbyn. But, it doesn’t take away from how frustrating she can be.

Now, my issues lie entirely with our FMC, Hannah, which is the reason for the removal of 1.5 stars. Hannah’s behavior drove me really wild. She was naive and selfish. I did not understand any of her motivations and I don’t really think they’re explained well. She goes from wanting to ruin herself to then fix her parents with no real understanding by the reader of why. It’s later framed as she doesn’t want to get married because of her parents unhappy marriage but from her actions wanting her parents together it doesn’t seem she really understands them to have a bad marriage until her parents get separated so this is confusing. Also, her emotions are not believable. I feel like the whole time except with regards to the balls, she thinks nothing of Corbyn besides physically so when does she warm to him emotionally? She spends the whole book treating him like an afterthought and a means to an end but I’m not sure she really ever developed emotions for him, even though we’re told she felt some tenderness for him. Lastly, my biggest issue is this book commits what I consider to be the greatest book sin, which is the offended party, in my opinion, is the one who tries to make it work and grovel. I hate this so much it breaks my heart because, again, it makes me doubt the other party’s emotions.

Here after all the times Hannah has said the wrong thing or hurt Corbyn, he’s still the one chasing her and begging for her. He just wants to be with her while Hannah fights it with all her might and after all she’s done to hurt him she says sorry but doesn’t do anything else, she doesn’t grovel for him or is shown to prioritize him after all the times she’s sort of hurt him. When she finally relents and states her feelings it’s page 243 of 246 with no epilogue. So then she still seems like a selfish person and I’m not convinced she loves him. I do wish we would have gotten to see Hannah essentially fully and unafraid return Corbyns emotions.

However, this book is worth reading for Corbyn, his thoughts, his actions and his lovely side of the romance, alone. I think people should give it a try if they don’t mind an FMC who’s more aloof for longer.

Thanks NetGalley and author for the arc !

[Sophie (slovenianbookworm) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book, but I'm DNFing @34 %.
I'm bored, that's all. Hannah was careless on purpose. Her actions led to a man being fired after just starting his job, and for her own selfish reasons. Given that the job was all he had, Hannah was incredibly stupid. I would cheer on this union in any other circumstances, but not if a man has nowhere to go or to turn to. It was hard for me to like Hannah as FMC because she was super childish, so I DNF-ed.

ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved book one of this series and enjoyed book two for the big swing Faye Delacour took in the plot writing, so I was highly anticipating book three of The Lucky Ladies of London series. I’ve sat with the book for a little while before writing my review, and I have very mixed feelings about how A Most Worthy Husband shook out.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC.

Hannah Williams is desperate to get out from under her matchmaking mama’s plans once and for all. After four seasons, she has had enough and wants to go home to her family’s country house to live out her life in peace. But her mother refuses to give in, insisting that they will stay in town—far away from Hannah’s father, who is still in the country—and attend every possible function. Hannah decides to take matters into her own hands and believes that if she ruins herself just enough, her mother will relent and let her move back home. So she kisses a man so inappropriate there’s no way her family will let her marry him.

Silas Corbyn is a dishonorably discharged former midshipman from the Royal Navy who served with Hannah’s brother, Eli, but is now unemployed, disinherited, and decidedly without prospects. As a favor, Eli hires him to work as a dealer at his wife’s gaming hell, and it’s there that he reconnects with Hannah Williams. Hannah kisses him just as her mother storms into the hell to find her, leading to chaos. Silas is fired and thinks he’ll never see Hannah again—until she shows up and asks him to fake an emotional attachment to keep her mother at bay. Silas doesn’t want to, but if Hannah will pay him enough to start over in a new career, he’s going to have to take the job no matter the stakes.

This book had a lot of promise. I really enjoy the way Faye Delacour writes and the world she’s created around Bishop’s, the ladies-only gaming hell at the center of the story. I also loved Eli and Jane, our couple from book one, so I was excited we’d be spending more time with them. I just couldn’t get over how immature and sometimes outright dumb Hannah was throughout the book.

Where I really bumped up against Hannah as a character is that she spends most of the book fervently believing that marriage as an institution doesn’t work because her parents are split up. Her mother left her father behind in the country and took Hannah to town to stay with Eli and Jane, and therefore marriage is a scam. I just couldn’t get on board with this because she is literally living with her happily married brother and sister-in-law. She can walk down to the dining room and see a happy, functional marriage whenever she wants. It also felt a bit like Faye Delacour was retconning Hannah into this position from the previous books. This is something she’s done before when she rewrote a bit of Della’s character from book two as well. I was willing to forgive the retconning once, but I can’t do it twice.

Where I think this book was excellent was in its depiction of the working-class hero, Silas. We don’t usually get to see actual working-class characters on the page in historical romance who are fine with working for a living. Usually we get the Man Who Crawled Out of the Gutter and Is a Tycoon™️ if we see someone born in the lower classes. In this case, Silas was an enlisted man in the navy, his family is in trade, and he hopes to stay in trade in the future. I really enjoyed seeing his character as the hero, especially because he doesn’t change his future plans to accommodate Hannah’s social class. More actual working heroes in historical romance, please!

I’m giving this one three stars for the quality of the writing and the depiction of the hero. I just really didn’t believe Hannah’s character motivation, so that part of the book fell flat.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

1843 London.
Hannah Williams does NOT want to marry. Now in her fourth Season, her mother has practically given up hope and is throwing every suitor imaginable her way. Instead of accepting anyone, Hannah decides to ruin herself instead. Initially she thinks she should lose a lot gambling at her sister-in-law's club, but when she finds out how low the table stakes are, she turns her eyes to the handsome dealer instead. Silas Corbyn was dishonorably discharged from the Navy, which means his job prospects after thirteen years at sea are slim. When Hannah offers her gambling winnings to him as a bribe to kiss her and then double that to proclaim love to her while a suitor is calling, he takes the offer. Hannah may think she's chosen a man her mother will never approve and therefore will save herself from marriage, but the tables are turned when her mother actually agrees to her scheme.

Faye Delacour writes historical romances that are both traditional but also have a fresh feel both structurally and that take on challenging topics. Silas is a man who will never quite fit into the world of the ladies and gentlemen, in fact it's his inability to keep his mouth shut and temper in check that gets him discharged. He's interested in helping his cousin and brother establish a brewery, but his only way of getting funding is through his transactional relationship with Hannah. If Silas is jaded at 24, Hannah is a young 21, as the youngest of the family sheltered from a lot of life. She makes a lot of impulsive decisions based on lack of knowledge, which is a trait I'd often find annoying but instead with Hannah I found that sympathetic. Her parents marriage is dissolving, and she thinks that any marriage she enters would be doomed to fail too (never mind that her brother is happily married).

I enjoyed the chemistry between Silas and Hannah, and I think that's what brings strength to to the story. What started as a bribe turns into real attraction and eventually trust and love. We see the most vulnerable parts of both characters, and I'm impressed at the way Delacour reveals these in her writing. The overall pacing on the book was a little challenging for me though. I needed about 15-20 more pages after their marriage to be truly convinced of their happily ever after: honestly, at 96% I still wasn't sure how it would resolve (very Balogh-ian of Delacour). Overall, I'm excited to see what Faye Delacour does next!

As a note: I often love listening to historical romances, but for whatever reason, the audiobooks for Faye Delacour have not worked for me, and I find I prefer to read her prose with my eyes. While this could have been specific to the narration for book one, I read print versions of two and three and strongly preferred them that way.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC. A Most Worthy Husband is out 12/16/25.

[Gail]

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Most Worthy Husband opens partway through the previous novel with a madcap dash to ruin Hannah’s reputation. This energy carries throughout the book as Hannah makes increasingly desperate choices to escape the marriage mart. This is definitely my favorite in the series, mostly due to our hero, Silas. We love a man with a strong moral backbone and absolutely no social skills, a man who protects women first and thinks about the consequences later.

My main complaint for the first two books in this series was that it felt like the author consistently tackled more plot than there was time for — a lot going on with a lot of side characters, and not a lot of pages to handle it. This final installment actually had a bit of the opposite problem, though I would say A Most Worthy Husband strikes the balance the best out of the trilogy. Both main characters are pushed to interact because of the main plot thread, and have their own b-plots motivating them to stay involved. Still, I think more time could have been taken to explore their side plots, especially Silas’ career journey which felt overly convenient for the sake of the plot.

Another complaint I had from the last book was the lack of epilogue/a clear happily ever after. I think we get much closer in this book, but I was once again surprised there wasn’t a final scene to bookend their journey. I felt like Hannah had a lot of emotional development left to go before she could truly have a happily ever after. I was also hoping we would get an unofficial epilogue for A Lady’s Guide to London in here, especially because the timelines overlap, but that’s not revisited here.

Overall, this was a good way to round off the series. The humor of their ruse balanced the searing romantic tension, and Silas made for a memorable romantic lead. While I found some side characters underdeveloped, Hannah’s mom surprised me and grew into one of my favorite characters in the book. If you enjoyed the last two books in the series, I definitely recommend this one.

4 stars

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hannah does not want to marry but getting her married off is her mother’s number one goal. Hannah tries everything she can think of to ruin her reputation so her family will let her live out her days as a spinster, but when is caught kissing Silas Corbyn, a dishonorably discharged midshipman, she finds she is instead trapped with Silas as her only option. She pays him to go along with the scheme until she can find a way to break off the engagement and make her escape.

I don’t think Faye’s books are for me. I loved the first book in this series but DNF’d the second one and was sorely tempted to DNF this one too. Hannah is probably the most naive, selfish, and annoying heroine I have had the displeasure of reading about in years. She is borderline in the “too stupid to live” category of 90s romance heroines. Silas is wonderful and deserves so much better than bratty Hannah and I am very annoyed that they end up together. The plot is so convoluted and the pacing is so weird. When I picked up the book and Hanna was “ruined” within the first 20% I figured there would be a wedding at about 30% and the rest of the book would be about Hannah and Silas coming to love each other despite being trapped together, but no the book ends with their wedding. Because of this, it felt like they were barely alone together on the page so we never really got them developing anything other than a transactional relationship. I do not believe even for a moment that they love each other. The book also really really really pissed me off by having Silas groveling to Hannah trying to get her to take him back during the unnecessary third-act breakup. Why on earth would he need to grovel / apologize to her. He did nothing wrong and was the victim in her scheme and in her family’s drama and meddling. She should have been begging on hands and knees for him. I don’t get this book at all. I am honestly annoyed that I wasted so much time reading it. The only thing keeping it from getting one star is that it is not outright offensive other than to my love of historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[xxwriterluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Source books Casablanca for providing me with an eARC of this book for an honest review.

When I went into this book, I did not have crazy expectations. I did not know the author and had not read the first 2 books in this series. I also had a bunch of other books that I was reading, so it also took me awhile to start this after I received it. I felt like I needed to mention all of this for y'all to really understand my feelings for this book. Within NO TIME I absolutely fell in love with this book. Sometimes the most unexpected books are really the ones which surprise you.

The book is about Hannah who so desperately wants to not get married, but her mother is constantly finding new suitors for her and she is constantly trying to scare then away. She's finally had enough and comes up with a plan to ruin herself to make her ineligable in the eyes of any man. To do this, she enlists the help of Silas, a man she just met but who for some reason is unable to say no to her. At first this starts as nothing more than a simple mutually beneficial agreement. Silas helps Hannah to not have to marry another man and Hannah gives Silas the money he needs to start his business. But slowly it becomes more than just business.

It is a historical romantic comedy in the best way possible. There is so much yearning, love and lust from both sides, but still they are both uncertain of whether the other one truly has the same feelings or if only following their agreement. It leads way for the best tension imaginable and I can't get enough.

Silas is such a protector and I simply love how much he cares for Hannah and how gentle he is with her. My absolute favorite part was all the things he did to try to impress her, especially spending hours learning how to dance to show that he could fit into her world.

My only regret is not reading the first 2 books before reading this one. Not because I had to, as this is a standalone book as well, but just because I imagine the first 2 books would be amazing as well.

I actually have nothing negative to say. A big recommendation from here!

[PlotTrysts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah does NOT want to get married. And yet ... that's literally the only thing her mother is focused on. Hannah and her mother are in town staying at her brother and sister-in-law's house. Hannah just wants to go home where she can be a spinster in peace. So she does everything she can to sabotage her mother's matchmaking attempts. She lies to suitors about her prospects. She sneaks into a gambling hell where she tries to lose all of her pin money.

When nothing else works, she kisses a completely unsuitable man without realizing that she's not just ruining her own reputation - she's ruining his. To her shock, her mother seems to accept her romantic attachment - at least Hannah's marrying SOMEONE. But of course, Hannah doesn't actually want to marry Silas. She asks him to go along with a fake engagement instead, and he agrees. But in true romance novel fashion, the more they get to know each other, the more they discover that they're really well-suited for each other despite their major class divide.

Although a fake engagement is a tried and true trope, Delacour manages to give this book a fresh take: Hannah hates the very idea of marriage, but hasn't interrogated WHY she feels that way. The reader can see that it's because of the awful example set by her parents, and the feeling that marriage isn't the secure future everyone expects it to be. Toxic families are a trend in romance novels right now, but Delacour presents this one in a "show don't tell" way that really works.

And the class difference feels real in a way it sometimes doesn't in other historical romance: Silas has no employment and no prospects, which Hannah simply cannot comprehend. She learns a lot from Silas about how the less privileged live, while he learns about how stifling life can be for upper-class women. The result is that this feels like a hard-fought, satisfying happily ever after.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

[Winnifred D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: opposites attract; fake engagement; working class MMC; class difference
Steam level: 2-3
Part of a series, but fine on its own.

3.75 bumped up. I liked this, but didn't love it. Possible spoilers ahead.
Yes to:
--MMC Silas, who was unjustly discharged from the Navy and just wants to live his life. He's sweet and relatable and the kind of HR character I gravitate toward. He elevated the scenes he was in and gets all of the stars.
--Writing style and world building are strong. No jarring anachronisms.
--Good premise. MFC Hannah is tired of her mom's matchmaking attempts and plans her own ruination. Who better than Silas to do the honors? She never intends to fall in love with him, of course.
--Some nice touches of humor.

Not crazy about:
--Hannah. I'm OK with heroines in their late teens/early twenties, but Hannah was sheltered and fairly silly at times. Not much of a character arc. I would have loved Silas to have been paired up with a more savvy MFC who seemed to appreciate him.

A big nope to:
--The execution of the premise. Too much time with Hannah's mom and the marriage doesn't take place until the end. Not enough romance between the MC's and I just didn't sense their chemistry. (It didn't help that Hannah constantly referred to Silas by his last name, even by the end.)
--The conclusion is too abrupt. This needed an epilogue that filled the reader in on how things went post-marriage.

Overall, this is cute, but doesn't quite live up to its potential.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author and Net Galley for this opportunity.

[bookstosoothethesoul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a premise I love (FMC who wants to be ruined) with a unique execution. It was so fun to see Hannah and Silas become partners in scheming. It was such a clever idea to have Hannah actually explore why marriage is so scary for her and I related hard to her reasons. I also really appreciated that falling in love didn't immediately allay those fears. I felt so seen by the complex family dynamics portrayed in this story and the resolution of the 3rd act conflict warmed my heart. The class difference was handled very thoughtfully which I really appreciated. It was absolutely adorable to watch Silas fall for Hannah and slowly become more and more invested in her achieving her dreams (regardless of whether that included him). He respected the fuck out of her and I was so touched by how careful he was to leave important decisions in her hands (knowing that she was railing against choices being made for her). I have loved all the Faye Delacour books I have read and I am desperately hoping for another one because her historicals always leave me swooning!


Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Probably Delacour’s best work to date. Very funny at the start with FMC trying to evade her mother’s marital machinations - some typos which hopefully will be fixed by the time of publication - but blended fairly seamlessly with the emotional weight of both mc’s family trauma and what it means for them to make the decisions they are making about each other and their lives to come. I love how gentle MMC was with FMC even when he didn’t need to be or frankly when she didn’t deserve it. Few qualms - I didn’t buy how quickly MMC was on board with his family’s plans considering the breach, and how easily FMC was brought into the fold at the club given the way her family felt at the beginning. I also felt like we could have spent more time on the third act before the HEA as it felt a bit rushed compared to very well set up first and second acts. Just a pacing issue I think. Overall I’m glad this book was better than book 2 and am now eager to see more from this author.

[Mikhaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intro/synopsis:
“A Most Worthy Husband” was an interesting plot line. Hannah is trying to escape her match making mother and meets Silas on his first night on the job in her sister in laws gambling club. She gets him in a compromising position to ruin her marriage prospects. She then hires him to be her fake fiancé when her mom gets desperate and tries to marry her to a man who could be her grandfather. As they spend time together she realizes that marriage might not be as bad as she thought but is he worth risking her heart over?

My thoughts:
I like the book, the plot was interesting overall but I found there were duller moments where I really had to force my way through the story. I liked Hannah and Silas together and found it interesting that she was thought to be above him in society and he was struggling to feel accepted in society as often in historical it is the opposite. I found Hannah’s mom to be insufferable until the end. Her family was not all that supportive of her which was hard to root for them as well.

3 ⭐️’s
2.5 🌶️

[Kelli Matthews | SighingOurPleasure · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the series, but it reads easily as a standalone: a slightly chaotic, very fun comedy-of-errors that turns a “one kiss to ruin me” plan into a fake engagement that… predictably does not stay fake for long.

Hannah is a scheming sunshine heroine with a sheltered, limited set of options and a grim view of marriage that genuinely makes sense (her parents: yikes). Silas is grumpy-light in the best way. He's more bruised and lonely than mean. He's full of self-loathing thanks to his dad and some previous bad decisions, he's got class-chip-on-the-shoulder cynicism, and a self-sacrificing streak that made him feel heartbreakingly alone. Their chemistry builds (hello, garden kiss), the meddling relatives bring the pressure.

My one gripe: the ending felt rushed and a little weird in the wrap-up, like we didn’t get quite enough runway to land everything. All in all a light, fun read with some vivid characters that make the book, despite some hiccups.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, 1 spice

Overall, this book was a decent historical romance. The FMC does fall on the very naïve and immature side; I know that’s usually a character trait for the age and time period, but this FMC felt more so than others I’ve read in the past. The MMC is honestly what kept me going with this book. He’s a man who was dishonorably discharged for doing something right, but being born in the wrong social class forced him out of the navy. He’s mature, upfront that he’s in her schemes for the money (which I appreciated), but does end up falling for the FMC and helping the FMC mature as well. Overall a decent read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was much improved over the previous book in the series. In some ways, I wish this had been the second book in the series, as (given that this book happens at the same time as the previous one) this explained some of what was unintelligible about the previous book.

The characters were much more likable in this book and more consistent with previous characterizations. I loved Hannah and Silas, both individually and as a couple. Hannah in particular had a nice growth arc. The ending was much improved over the previous book. I still would have liked an epilogue, but this ending did not feel nearly as abrupt.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah is fed up with her mother’s matchmaking, so she seizes an opportunity to ruin herself by paying a man to kiss her where they can be seen. Silas is all sorts of hesitant, but eventually agrees for the money. It’s a whirlwind of scandal that turns into a fake courtship and a fake engagement. But Silas really is a stand-up guy, even if a bit misunderstood, and totally deserving of love an affection. Hannah is a bit naive in regards to scheming to get her parents back together, but aside from that, she does have genuine affection for Silas. Definitely a case of he falls first and harder though, which I adore.

[Lovely Loveday]

A Most Worthy Husband by Faye Delacour felt like slipping into a warm, character-driven romance with just the right amount of tension. I loved watching the slow shift from wary glances to genuine trust, and the way their pasts kept nudging at their present made the story feel grounded. The chemistry built so naturally that I found myself rooting for them long before they admitted anything to each other. The setting added a lovely touch of charm without ever overshadowing the emotions at the center. By the time I reached the final page, I was wishing I didn’t have to leave them behind.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Determined to avoid marriage, Hannah hires notorious Silas to ruin her reputation. In need of funds, Silas agrees. But when their scandalous encounter leads to a forced engagement, they must find a way out of their predicament…before they unexpectedly fall for each other. This historical rom-com is entertaining and fun. I’m really enjoying this series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Mindy B (reader_of_the_lost_arcs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a fake engagement, because you just know they won't be able to not catch feelings for each other. It took a whi for Hannah to really know her own mind and come into her own. She had been very sheltered. Almost too sheltered. Silas was a good man and I was happy that he crossed paths with Hannah. It's was annoyed at Hannah's mother for most of book but she really did redeem herself.
Thank you to Source books Casablanca for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

[susu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madame Faye Delacour, I will read every damn book you write. Thank you for proving that historical romance isn’t dead, because my gawd Silas Corbyn is a top tier male lead.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun historical romcom. I had never read the other books in this series but it stands alone quite well and the plotting is good. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was disappointing. Hannah did not deserve Silas. And what was that ending?

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Hannah is annoying for most of it

[Lesewolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the others. The heroine is somewhat unsympathetic and a bit stupid. 4 🌟 from me because I liked the speak out between the mother-in-law and son.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved this series and after reading Della’s book, could not wait to see what would happen with Hannah and Silas’s story. I was so excited about the premise - fake engagement with the promise of forced proximity… yes, please - but I really struggled with the execution and am conflicted about the characters’ choices, particularly Hannah.

I completely understood and appreciated Hannah’s determination to make her own way in the world and seek out a life that would bring fulfillment, especially in a time when women had little to no influence over their futures. Hannah was resourceful and clever in her attempts to escape her mother’s marriage machinations, but I struggled with how Hannah had little regard for Silas and often belittled him. Hannah, girl, he’s doing you a huge favor, the least you could do is not insult him. There were many times when she acted much younger than her 21 years.

There was also a lack of chemistry between Hannah and Silas. Yes, their arrangement was for show, but they went from tolerating each other for 90% of the book and then suddenly Silas wanted to spend forever with Hannah… and Hannah didn’t declare her feelings until the second to last page. I liked Silas and Hannah as individuals, but I didn’t buy into them as a couple and honestly, think they would have been better off parting ways and then maybe reunite after a bit to see where things stood. I’m not always team epilogue, but given the characters’ feelings, I think the story could have greatly benefited from an epilogue.