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ずたぼろ令嬢は姉の元婚約者に溺愛される #1
Betrothed to My Sister's Ex, Vol. 1: Light Novel
A woman who's lived her life in the shadow of her sister must suddenly take her place after a tragic accident--but her life is about to get way more complicated. Manga also from Seven Seas--and don't miss the anime!
Marie has always been an afterthought. Her parents treat her like a servant, and her flawless older sister, Anastasia, is the family's shining star. Even at Marie's own birthday party, all eyes are on Anastasia--so much so that no one notices when Marie sneaks away. But in the quiet of the evening, she has a chance encounter with a captivating man with striking green Count Cyrus. Their brief meeting feels like a dream... until reality comes crashing back. Soon after, a marriage proposal arrives from the count--for Anastasia, of course. Except... something doesn't add up. The gown that arrives with the proposal? It's clearly made for Marie. Could there be a mistake? Or is this the start of an unexpected love story?
Marie has always been an afterthought. Her parents treat her like a servant, and her flawless older sister, Anastasia, is the family's shining star. Even at Marie's own birthday party, all eyes are on Anastasia--so much so that no one notices when Marie sneaks away. But in the quiet of the evening, she has a chance encounter with a captivating man with striking green Count Cyrus. Their brief meeting feels like a dream... until reality comes crashing back. Soon after, a marriage proposal arrives from the count--for Anastasia, of course. Except... something doesn't add up. The gown that arrives with the proposal? It's clearly made for Marie. Could there be a mistake? Or is this the start of an unexpected love story?
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First published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2025
Very very tired of the “parents treat MC h like Cinderella” and she meets a wonderful man who is responsible for her “glow up” and she’s meek and sweet and naive and CWUTE and he loves her, but she needs to get used to being treated like a human, let alone someone who is worthy of being treated with love and siiiiigh….
2, not bad just tired, stars.
2, not bad just tired, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2025
I am an absolute sucker for a story about someone who was abused rising above, and even more of one when the progress of that rising is slow and steady. Marie doesn't learn that she's worthwhile all in one day - in fact, she's still learning at the end of the book. But the story respects what she's been through and is charting her progression from victim to survivor, along with her understanding of what happened to her. I have to respect a story that can do that.
January 6, 2026
Pretty standard neglected heroine trope, with the heroine unable to believe she's pretty, worthy, etc even after she's rescued. What I did love was how absolutely head-over-heels the male MC was for her - super cute!
Also one of the reoccurring points in the book is that the main MC has a foreign mother so his skin is "tan" and he's discriminated against for that, despite being a noble heir, wealthy, blah blah blah. Frankly, based on the cover, I'm just going to keep my opinion to myself on that, but the MC repeatedly (very repeatedly, thanks afterschool special) doesn't care about that. In fact, she loves how multiethnic his household is, as opposed to the extremely xenophobic rest of the country. Given the usual light novel treatment of characters with non-porcelain skin tones, I'd consider this a step (a very stumbling, kinda cringey baby step) in the right direction.
Also one of the reoccurring points in the book is that the main MC has a foreign mother so his skin is "tan" and he's discriminated against for that, despite being a noble heir, wealthy, blah blah blah. Frankly, based on the cover, I'm just going to keep my opinion to myself on that, but the MC repeatedly (very repeatedly, thanks afterschool special) doesn't care about that. In fact, she loves how multiethnic his household is, as opposed to the extremely xenophobic rest of the country. Given the usual light novel treatment of characters with non-porcelain skin tones, I'd consider this a step (a very stumbling, kinda cringey baby step) in the right direction.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Lady Marie Chandelan's 18th birthday is used by her parents to entice a rich groom for their other daughter Anastasia. But when she died in a carriage accident on the way to meet the groom, the parents pushed Marie in as a replacement. Count Kyros Granado, the groom, had wanted Marie rather than Anastasia, so that was a plus. But Marie has quite a shock in regard to how her groom treats her versus how her parents had treated her. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future volumes.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews