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The Mating Habits of Scoundrels #3
The Wrong Marquess
USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret continues the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series with a debutante who believes she is destined to marry the lord next door until a fateful encounter with a rogue makes her wonder... if she might be falling for the wrong marquess!
The wrong place...
Elodie Parrish can feel spinsterhood breathing down her neck. That’s the trouble with waiting for the marquess next door her entire life. But Ellie knows if she gives him one last Season, he’ll finally propose. The only problem is, her path keeps crossing with the arrogant Lord Hullworth, who is convinced she has designs on him.
The wrong time...
Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, never wanted to be “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor,” or have a horde of hopeful debutantes and their scheming mamas follow him around. His past has left him too jaded to consider marrying any of them. At least, that’s what he thinks... until he meets Ellie. She’s quirky, opinionated, blushes easily, and drives him absolutely wild. The only problem is, she believes she’s in love with someone else.
Ellie never imagined that one sultry summer could change everything. But the more time she spends with Brandon researching her book on the mating habits of scoundrels, the more she wonders if she might be falling for…
The Wrong Marquess
The wrong place...
Elodie Parrish can feel spinsterhood breathing down her neck. That’s the trouble with waiting for the marquess next door her entire life. But Ellie knows if she gives him one last Season, he’ll finally propose. The only problem is, her path keeps crossing with the arrogant Lord Hullworth, who is convinced she has designs on him.
The wrong time...
Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, never wanted to be “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor,” or have a horde of hopeful debutantes and their scheming mamas follow him around. His past has left him too jaded to consider marrying any of them. At least, that’s what he thinks... until he meets Ellie. She’s quirky, opinionated, blushes easily, and drives him absolutely wild. The only problem is, she believes she’s in love with someone else.
Ellie never imagined that one sultry summer could change everything. But the more time she spends with Brandon researching her book on the mating habits of scoundrels, the more she wonders if she might be falling for…
The Wrong Marquess
385 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 29, 2021
118 people are currently reading
3053 people want to read
About the author
Vivienne Lorret
37 books1,303 followersUSA Today bestselling author VIVIENNE LORRET writes fun and steamy Regency historical romances. She lives in the Midwest where she coaxes words out of giant mugs of tea and attempts to jot them down before they can escape. For her entire catalog of books, including the Liars’ Club, her latest series from Avon, please visit www.vivlorret.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
July 16, 2021
2.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Even though they had never been formally introduced, there wasn’t a woman in society who didn’t know of London’s most elusive bachelor, the Marquess of Hullworth.
When their friend Prudence gets outcast to the country because of a labeled scandalous moment with a man she'll only identify as Lord F., Winnie, Jane, and Ellie decide to write a book to warn other debutantes of the dangers of men. With Winnie and Jane married, it's up to Ellie to take over writing the marriage habits of the native aristocrat, but Ellie hopes to very soon have her own wedding to look forward too. As neighbors, Ellie and George grew-up together and with them both orphans, at age seven, George promises to marry her so they both can have a family. However, at age twenty-five, Ellie is still waiting for George to sow his wild oats.
But surely, considering the parasol came from London’s most elusive bachelor— a man who was neither interested in marriage nor willing to trust his sister’s newfound friend— it meant nothing at all.
The Wrong Marquess was a story that started off with very common elements that readers enjoy in the Regency sub-genre, began to highlight the skill Lorret has with chemistry and dialogue between her leads, and gave a latter second half that left me frustrated with the heroine. Ellie was a character that grew up with her two loving aunts but had several fears and phobias because of losing her parents so young; she feared death around every corner. This explained why she found comfort in the steady presence of George in her life and latter it's revealed that she knew she didn't fully love George, because how can a woman love a man-child, but that was what made him safe. Still, the whole plot hinged on Ellie wanting to marry George and just waiting for him to propose, instead of diving at the more mature Marquess of Hullworth. There just wasn't enough there for me to support a full novel, I got a little bored and restless for Ellie to wise up.
She was his. The only problem was, she didn’t know it yet. But Brandon was willing to do whatever it took to have her fall in love with him.
Our wrong marquess Brandon comes on the scene in all his odious and grumpy glory. He's had a lifetime of marriage minded misses contriving to be his wife and had his heart broken over a woman who refused him when he was younger because she wanted to marry up, so he has instant distrust of Ellie. His distrust attitude went on a bit long, again, not enough to support it for so long for me, but when he decides that he wants/loves Ellie, around the half-way point, Brandon gives us a pretty sweet hero. He gives Ellie gifts that show how much he pays attention to her wants and needs and knows that he has to gently ease his way into her heart.
“This is all your fault. Every time I’m near you, I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.”
“I’ll hold you together,” he rasped, even as he tugged her spencer from her shoulder.
I thought the beginning was slow and especially in the latter second half, you'll want to take Ellie aside and give her a shake. Lorret wrote George so obviously uncaring and man-child, that it's no competition between him and Brandon, unless you're dragging things out for page count. The only plot is really the attraction between Brandon and Ellie and Ellie eventually getting over her revealed fear to truly love someone. This simpler plot can work and, like I said, Lorret has skill with chemistry but this easily could have been a novella.
“Well, for starters. No more calling me sweetheart and no more mentions of inevitability.”
He nodded, but in the back of his mind he was already planning an I told you so on their tenth anniversary.
In terms of connecting to the series, we get a few appearances by prior series heroines, Winnie and Jane, and finally a look and reveal regarding shunned Prudence. There was also an epilogue giving a Devil in Winter vibe between Prudence and a Lord Savage that more than peaked my interest. If you read a lot of Regency romance, you'll like some elements here, but the overall effect left it feeling uninspired to me. The hero has some heartfelt and sweet moments but when the heroine declares her love around eighty percent, I couldn't help feeling it should and could have happened around forty percent.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Even though they had never been formally introduced, there wasn’t a woman in society who didn’t know of London’s most elusive bachelor, the Marquess of Hullworth.
When their friend Prudence gets outcast to the country because of a labeled scandalous moment with a man she'll only identify as Lord F., Winnie, Jane, and Ellie decide to write a book to warn other debutantes of the dangers of men. With Winnie and Jane married, it's up to Ellie to take over writing the marriage habits of the native aristocrat, but Ellie hopes to very soon have her own wedding to look forward too. As neighbors, Ellie and George grew-up together and with them both orphans, at age seven, George promises to marry her so they both can have a family. However, at age twenty-five, Ellie is still waiting for George to sow his wild oats.
But surely, considering the parasol came from London’s most elusive bachelor— a man who was neither interested in marriage nor willing to trust his sister’s newfound friend— it meant nothing at all.
The Wrong Marquess was a story that started off with very common elements that readers enjoy in the Regency sub-genre, began to highlight the skill Lorret has with chemistry and dialogue between her leads, and gave a latter second half that left me frustrated with the heroine. Ellie was a character that grew up with her two loving aunts but had several fears and phobias because of losing her parents so young; she feared death around every corner. This explained why she found comfort in the steady presence of George in her life and latter it's revealed that she knew she didn't fully love George, because how can a woman love a man-child, but that was what made him safe. Still, the whole plot hinged on Ellie wanting to marry George and just waiting for him to propose, instead of diving at the more mature Marquess of Hullworth. There just wasn't enough there for me to support a full novel, I got a little bored and restless for Ellie to wise up.
She was his. The only problem was, she didn’t know it yet. But Brandon was willing to do whatever it took to have her fall in love with him.
Our wrong marquess Brandon comes on the scene in all his odious and grumpy glory. He's had a lifetime of marriage minded misses contriving to be his wife and had his heart broken over a woman who refused him when he was younger because she wanted to marry up, so he has instant distrust of Ellie. His distrust attitude went on a bit long, again, not enough to support it for so long for me, but when he decides that he wants/loves Ellie, around the half-way point, Brandon gives us a pretty sweet hero. He gives Ellie gifts that show how much he pays attention to her wants and needs and knows that he has to gently ease his way into her heart.
“This is all your fault. Every time I’m near you, I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.”
“I’ll hold you together,” he rasped, even as he tugged her spencer from her shoulder.
I thought the beginning was slow and especially in the latter second half, you'll want to take Ellie aside and give her a shake. Lorret wrote George so obviously uncaring and man-child, that it's no competition between him and Brandon, unless you're dragging things out for page count. The only plot is really the attraction between Brandon and Ellie and Ellie eventually getting over her revealed fear to truly love someone. This simpler plot can work and, like I said, Lorret has skill with chemistry but this easily could have been a novella.
“Well, for starters. No more calling me sweetheart and no more mentions of inevitability.”
He nodded, but in the back of his mind he was already planning an I told you so on their tenth anniversary.
In terms of connecting to the series, we get a few appearances by prior series heroines, Winnie and Jane, and finally a look and reveal regarding shunned Prudence. There was also an epilogue giving a Devil in Winter vibe between Prudence and a Lord Savage that more than peaked my interest. If you read a lot of Regency romance, you'll like some elements here, but the overall effect left it feeling uninspired to me. The hero has some heartfelt and sweet moments but when the heroine declares her love around eighty percent, I couldn't help feeling it should and could have happened around forty percent.
October 25, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (though 2 are fairly close together)
Humor: Yes!
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
I think this one would be okay to pick up alone. The heroines of this series are working on a book, The Marriage Habits of the Native Aristocrats, and there is some minor character overlap but nothing that would hinder your enjoyment of the series.
Basic plot:
Ellie has made a childhood bargain to marry her friend and neighbor. So Ellie is just waiting, and waiting….and waiting for the perfect proposal when she runs into the wrong marquess.
Give this a try if you want:
- Their relationship starts with animosity, then grows to friends and finally…
- Protective, sweet, romantic hero
- Marquess hero
- Heroine suffers from anxiety, and it’s handled beautifully from the hero
- Hero loves first (and is basically obsessed with this heroine, though he doesn’t exactly realize what’s happening to him at first)
- Letters/notes written to each other (a small but lovely part)
- Late Georgian time period (1828)
- Mix between London and country setting
- Slow burn with low to medium steam (3 scenes, though 2 are close together and all are late in the book)
- Focus on the relationship (no villain/mystery to solve)
Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 34
My thoughts:
I have been putting off writing this review purely because I highlighted half the book. IT. WAS. PERFECTION! And I kept going back and listening to more parts I had highlighted. And then I checked quotes in the ebook version and started reading parts over again. Oh, how much I loved this story.
So many romances I read, I don’t find them particularly romantic but this one just oozes it. And I ate it up.
Ellie is such a wonderful heroine. She’s sweet and sunny and cares deeply for her family. She lost her father at a young age and nightmares and anxiety haunt her. She struggles with new things and has found solace in embroidering to keep her mind and hands busy. But she was also so funny and bubbly and makes friends easy. She was just such a bright character and I loved her so, so much.
Brandon has been hurt in love before and it makes him distrustful of other’s motives – especially young debutantes that are trying to get their hands on his title. Because of this, he is very much a judgmental, assuming jerk in the beginning of this book. And as he meets Ellie, it leads to a bit of enemies to lovers feel as Ellie befriends Brandon’s sister and they are constantly pushed together.
But it doesn’t take long for him to see how beautiful and true Ellie actually is, how wrong he was, and their relationship evolves into friendship and more – and I loved watching this fall. It allowed some wonderful banter, attraction growth, and character depth to form. I found him sheltering her, crooning to her, nuzzling her, growling gently against her lips...He compares her to fluffy little cakes with pink icing and he wants to gobble her up. He makes her blush and fantasizing about her cheeks. This man is ALL IN!
Just so much sweetness in this book. I loved how the hero fell first and how careful and caring he was with Ellie. You get a lot of time in his perspective and he is always thinking about her, how much he wants her but also how to help her, keep her, cherish her. I adore Brandon so, so much. He is such a wonderful hero! He does make some hurtful assumptions in this story, but I loved how he reflected on that and made things right. He takes the time to show he was wrong. He’s just perfection.
Quotes….endless, endless swoony quotes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – it’s possible my percentages are a bit off as I was switching between audio and e-book
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (though 2 are fairly close together)
Humor: Yes!
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
I think this one would be okay to pick up alone. The heroines of this series are working on a book, The Marriage Habits of the Native Aristocrats, and there is some minor character overlap but nothing that would hinder your enjoyment of the series.
Basic plot:
Ellie has made a childhood bargain to marry her friend and neighbor. So Ellie is just waiting, and waiting….and waiting for the perfect proposal when she runs into the wrong marquess.
Give this a try if you want:
- Their relationship starts with animosity, then grows to friends and finally…
- Protective, sweet, romantic hero
- Marquess hero
- Heroine suffers from anxiety, and it’s handled beautifully from the hero
- Hero loves first (and is basically obsessed with this heroine, though he doesn’t exactly realize what’s happening to him at first)
- Letters/notes written to each other (a small but lovely part)
- Late Georgian time period (1828)
- Mix between London and country setting
- Slow burn with low to medium steam (3 scenes, though 2 are close together and all are late in the book)
- Focus on the relationship (no villain/mystery to solve)
Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 34
My thoughts:
I have been putting off writing this review purely because I highlighted half the book. IT. WAS. PERFECTION! And I kept going back and listening to more parts I had highlighted. And then I checked quotes in the ebook version and started reading parts over again. Oh, how much I loved this story.
So many romances I read, I don’t find them particularly romantic but this one just oozes it. And I ate it up.
Ellie is such a wonderful heroine. She’s sweet and sunny and cares deeply for her family. She lost her father at a young age and nightmares and anxiety haunt her. She struggles with new things and has found solace in embroidering to keep her mind and hands busy. But she was also so funny and bubbly and makes friends easy. She was just such a bright character and I loved her so, so much.
Brandon has been hurt in love before and it makes him distrustful of other’s motives – especially young debutantes that are trying to get their hands on his title. Because of this, he is very much a judgmental, assuming jerk in the beginning of this book. And as he meets Ellie, it leads to a bit of enemies to lovers feel as Ellie befriends Brandon’s sister and they are constantly pushed together.
But it doesn’t take long for him to see how beautiful and true Ellie actually is, how wrong he was, and their relationship evolves into friendship and more – and I loved watching this fall. It allowed some wonderful banter, attraction growth, and character depth to form. I found him sheltering her, crooning to her, nuzzling her, growling gently against her lips...He compares her to fluffy little cakes with pink icing and he wants to gobble her up. He makes her blush and fantasizing about her cheeks. This man is ALL IN!
Just so much sweetness in this book. I loved how the hero fell first and how careful and caring he was with Ellie. You get a lot of time in his perspective and he is always thinking about her, how much he wants her but also how to help her, keep her, cherish her. I adore Brandon so, so much. He is such a wonderful hero! He does make some hurtful assumptions in this story, but I loved how he reflected on that and made things right. He takes the time to show he was wrong. He’s just perfection.
Quotes….endless, endless swoony quotes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – it’s possible my percentages are a bit off as I was switching between audio and e-book
November 5, 2023
The Prologue
I thought the author did a great job portraying a child's (the heroine at age 7) confusion and sadness over the loss of a parent.
The circle, rimmed in gold, reminded her of the sovereigns they’d put over Papa’s sleeping eyes. The aunts had told her it was to pay the ferryman so that he would have a peaceful crossing. But if he needed so much help leaving, then why couldn’t he have just stayed instead?
A few pages later...Aunt Maeve was forty-six and Aunt Myrtle was forty-two. Practically mummified. 🤣
I enjoy reading childhood scenes since we do not get too many of them in HR. We also meet George in the prologue. He is Elodie's neighbor, an orphan, a marquess, and likes to tease her for being a girl. Now that Elodie is an orphan, they form a bond and George states that he will marry her one day so she will never be sent away. If George had been the hero of this story, this moment in their childhood would have been a sweet beginning to their romance. But, alas, he is not the hero of the story.
The story
I have not read the first two books in the series but I think this book can be read as a standalone. Elodie and her friends (Winnie and Jane) are gathering research to write their book, The Marriage Habits of the Native Aristocrat. I think the book will contain advice for debutantes and other things because one of their friends, Prudence, was sent away after getting caught being in the arms of a lord ("Lord F") in the garden at a social event. They felt it was their duty to caution other women of the ton. So at the beginning of each chapter, we get one piece of advice or note for the book.
Two of Elodie's friends (Winnie and Jane) were recently married (in the previous books) so we don't get to see them too much in this book, which took me off guard because I'm used to seeing recurring characters in a series, especially if they're friends of the current H and/or h. As friends, I thought they, as well as Elodie's aunts, could have talked some sense into Elodie about her blind love for George, who has grown into a reckless, flaky, selfish, irresponsible, inconsiderate man-child who is stringing Elodie along. So, yeah, we're supposed to dislike him so we can root for the real hero of the story, Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth.
“A debutante should never enter a garden alone, for alone is likely not how she will remain.”
While researching three marriage proposals at a social event, Elodie literally bumps into Brandon in the garden. They'd never been introduced but she immediately recognizes him as London's most elusive bachelor. He thinks she intentionally bumped into him in the hopes of having someone catch them in a "compromising position" to entrap him into marriage. This exchange reminded me of The Bridgerton tv series when Daphne bumps into Simon.
Elodie becomes friends with Meg (Brandon's younger sister) at the same event, who is overjoyed that a lady is not interested in her brother for once. Sometimes I wondered if she played the matchmaker for Elodie and her brother. Brandon, however, is still skeptical of Elodie's claim that she's not interested in him. He even thought Elodie made up George. It doesn't help that frickin' George always flake on Elodie and that she makes excuses for him.
I enjoy the numerous interactions between Brandon and Elodie. They always end up at the same place at the same time, which I love! Lots of scene time with our main characters as the romance blossoms and for the kisses! I would say that the level of steam is a 3 out of 5. I got a Lizzy and Darcy vibe from a few of those interactions. Brandon is drawn to Elodie while Elodie repeatedly mistakes her attraction towards him for an ailment. lol
“I’m having the most adverse reaction to your presence. I can feel it in the way my head is still spinning. My skin is hot as well—sure signs of fever—and my palms are damp beneath my gloves. Worst of all, my pulse is pounding so hard it will likely break through my skin at any moment.”
Speaking of ailments. I didn't realize this at first (since I wasn't always paying attention to the audiobook .😅), but after reading a few reviews, it was brought to my attention that Elodie is afraid of death. She fears doing many things that will result in death. For instance, she's afraid to ride a horse because she can fall off and break her neck. In fact, when she bumps into Brandon the first time, she thought she was going to die from that fall. I like how Brandon helps Elodie overcome a few of her fears.
Brandon accepts his attraction a lot sooner than Elodie. The second half of the book started to drag, waiting for Elodie to come to her senses about George. I wished she had an actual conversation with George when she ended things with him or at least yell at him for stringing her along for so many years and for what he did to her friend.
I liked the side characters: Meg and Elodie's aunts. I'm looking forward to Meg's story and a little bit to Prudence's story. The epilogue gave off Devil in Winter vibes. 😏
I thought the author did a great job portraying a child's (the heroine at age 7) confusion and sadness over the loss of a parent.
The circle, rimmed in gold, reminded her of the sovereigns they’d put over Papa’s sleeping eyes. The aunts had told her it was to pay the ferryman so that he would have a peaceful crossing. But if he needed so much help leaving, then why couldn’t he have just stayed instead?
A few pages later...Aunt Maeve was forty-six and Aunt Myrtle was forty-two. Practically mummified. 🤣
I enjoy reading childhood scenes since we do not get too many of them in HR. We also meet George in the prologue. He is Elodie's neighbor, an orphan, a marquess, and likes to tease her for being a girl. Now that Elodie is an orphan, they form a bond and George states that he will marry her one day so she will never be sent away. If George had been the hero of this story, this moment in their childhood would have been a sweet beginning to their romance. But, alas, he is not the hero of the story.
The story
I have not read the first two books in the series but I think this book can be read as a standalone. Elodie and her friends (Winnie and Jane) are gathering research to write their book, The Marriage Habits of the Native Aristocrat. I think the book will contain advice for debutantes and other things because one of their friends, Prudence, was sent away after getting caught being in the arms of a lord ("Lord F") in the garden at a social event. They felt it was their duty to caution other women of the ton. So at the beginning of each chapter, we get one piece of advice or note for the book.
Two of Elodie's friends (Winnie and Jane) were recently married (in the previous books) so we don't get to see them too much in this book, which took me off guard because I'm used to seeing recurring characters in a series, especially if they're friends of the current H and/or h. As friends, I thought they, as well as Elodie's aunts, could have talked some sense into Elodie about her blind love for George, who has grown into a reckless, flaky, selfish, irresponsible, inconsiderate man-child who is stringing Elodie along. So, yeah, we're supposed to dislike him so we can root for the real hero of the story, Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth.
“A debutante should never enter a garden alone, for alone is likely not how she will remain.”
While researching three marriage proposals at a social event, Elodie literally bumps into Brandon in the garden. They'd never been introduced but she immediately recognizes him as London's most elusive bachelor. He thinks she intentionally bumped into him in the hopes of having someone catch them in a "compromising position" to entrap him into marriage. This exchange reminded me of The Bridgerton tv series when Daphne bumps into Simon.
Elodie becomes friends with Meg (Brandon's younger sister) at the same event, who is overjoyed that a lady is not interested in her brother for once. Sometimes I wondered if she played the matchmaker for Elodie and her brother. Brandon, however, is still skeptical of Elodie's claim that she's not interested in him. He even thought Elodie made up George. It doesn't help that frickin' George always flake on Elodie and that she makes excuses for him.
I enjoy the numerous interactions between Brandon and Elodie. They always end up at the same place at the same time, which I love! Lots of scene time with our main characters as the romance blossoms and for the kisses! I would say that the level of steam is a 3 out of 5. I got a Lizzy and Darcy vibe from a few of those interactions. Brandon is drawn to Elodie while Elodie repeatedly mistakes her attraction towards him for an ailment. lol
“I’m having the most adverse reaction to your presence. I can feel it in the way my head is still spinning. My skin is hot as well—sure signs of fever—and my palms are damp beneath my gloves. Worst of all, my pulse is pounding so hard it will likely break through my skin at any moment.”
Speaking of ailments. I didn't realize this at first (since I wasn't always paying attention to the audiobook .😅), but after reading a few reviews, it was brought to my attention that Elodie is afraid of death. She fears doing many things that will result in death. For instance, she's afraid to ride a horse because she can fall off and break her neck. In fact, when she bumps into Brandon the first time, she thought she was going to die from that fall. I like how Brandon helps Elodie overcome a few of her fears.
Brandon accepts his attraction a lot sooner than Elodie. The second half of the book started to drag, waiting for Elodie to come to her senses about George. I wished she had an actual conversation with George when she ended things with him or at least yell at him for stringing her along for so many years and for what he did to her friend.
I liked the side characters: Meg and Elodie's aunts. I'm looking forward to Meg's story and a little bit to Prudence's story. The epilogue gave off Devil in Winter vibes. 😏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2021
*3.5 stars*
The Wrong Marquess is a fun enemies-to-lovers historical romance from the talented Vivienne Lorret.
I read a lot of historical romance, and it can be hard to keep my attention, but I'm a total sucker for the whole enemies-to-lovers trope. I mean, give me a icy, apprehensive male MC who has been burned in the past and I'm putty.
I really enjoyed how the opening of the book set us up with the female MC falling for the wrong male MC in a childhood flashback. It set the stage for why Elodie ever cared for George, her neighbor, and made her situation more understandable. I wouldn't have liked it if the story was a love-triangle, but it was more just a very slow realization that George was never going to be the man she wanted him to be. I really liked the gradual build-up between Elodie and Brandon, and how Brandon only had eyes for her, once he realized her true character.
I also really liked the whole cast of secondary players in this story. Elodie's aunts were fun, recipe-hungry support systems with Elodie's best interests in mind, and Brandon's sister seemed like she could have her own off-shoot story next. Just a really pleasant reading experience, all around. My only real complaint is that Elodie made some incredibly stupid choices near the end of the story, and it took her far too long to realize that George is an idiot and scoundrel (love using that word) of the highest order.
Take note that this book can completely be read as a stand-alone, which is great for those wanting to jump right in. I'm excited to add the previous books to my TBR list, and I'm already ready for the next in the series.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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The Wrong Marquess is a fun enemies-to-lovers historical romance from the talented Vivienne Lorret.
I read a lot of historical romance, and it can be hard to keep my attention, but I'm a total sucker for the whole enemies-to-lovers trope. I mean, give me a icy, apprehensive male MC who has been burned in the past and I'm putty.
I really enjoyed how the opening of the book set us up with the female MC falling for the wrong male MC in a childhood flashback. It set the stage for why Elodie ever cared for George, her neighbor, and made her situation more understandable. I wouldn't have liked it if the story was a love-triangle, but it was more just a very slow realization that George was never going to be the man she wanted him to be. I really liked the gradual build-up between Elodie and Brandon, and how Brandon only had eyes for her, once he realized her true character.
I also really liked the whole cast of secondary players in this story. Elodie's aunts were fun, recipe-hungry support systems with Elodie's best interests in mind, and Brandon's sister seemed like she could have her own off-shoot story next. Just a really pleasant reading experience, all around. My only real complaint is that Elodie made some incredibly stupid choices near the end of the story, and it took her far too long to realize that George is an idiot and scoundrel (love using that word) of the highest order.
Take note that this book can completely be read as a stand-alone, which is great for those wanting to jump right in. I'm excited to add the previous books to my TBR list, and I'm already ready for the next in the series.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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January 25, 2022
✅ Historical romance
✅ Enemies-to-lovers
Plot:
Ellie Parish is convinced she is in love with the marquess next door who was a childhood friend. The only problem is she keeps crossing paths with Brandon, the Marquess of Hullworth and “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor”, who thought she had designs on him. At first, they couldn’t stand each other but things change the more they got to know each other. Pretty soon Brandon finds himself seeking Ellie’s company more abs more, and Ellie finds herself falling in love with the wrong marquess.
Likes:
👍 I normally do not like misunderstandings in romance stories but in this case I welcome it with open arms. Brandon thinking Ellie has the hots for him is so funny.
👍 Their banter is hilarious while at the same time you can feel the growing attraction and the sexual chemistry between them.
👍 Both Ellie and Brandon are great characters. I find them both likable and I was immediately invested in their romance.
👍 I really liked Ellie’s friendship with Brandon’s sister. I also love Brandon’s relationship with his sister. I hope said sister will get her own book in this series and achieve her own HEA with someone worthwhile.
👍 Intimate scenes are 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
👍 I love Ellie’s aunts. They are definitely colorful characters and added to the fun aspects of the story.
👍 I love Ellie’s girl friends and the way they teased her when she was still in denial. 😂
👍 I really hated the marquess Ellie thought she was in love with. Many times I wished he would be thrown out of the carriage. It definitely added to my engagement of the story.
Dislikes:
👎 Some pacing issues. There were parts that dragged.
👎 I wasn’t too keen on the narrator. Her voicing of the male characters was kind of awkward.
Final Verdict:
While not perfect, this was a fun read. I would like to check out the other books in this series someday, but I have so many books I’d like to read first.
✅ Enemies-to-lovers
Plot:
Ellie Parish is convinced she is in love with the marquess next door who was a childhood friend. The only problem is she keeps crossing paths with Brandon, the Marquess of Hullworth and “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor”, who thought she had designs on him. At first, they couldn’t stand each other but things change the more they got to know each other. Pretty soon Brandon finds himself seeking Ellie’s company more abs more, and Ellie finds herself falling in love with the wrong marquess.
Likes:
👍 I normally do not like misunderstandings in romance stories but in this case I welcome it with open arms. Brandon thinking Ellie has the hots for him is so funny.
👍 Their banter is hilarious while at the same time you can feel the growing attraction and the sexual chemistry between them.
👍 Both Ellie and Brandon are great characters. I find them both likable and I was immediately invested in their romance.
👍 I really liked Ellie’s friendship with Brandon’s sister. I also love Brandon’s relationship with his sister. I hope said sister will get her own book in this series and achieve her own HEA with someone worthwhile.
👍 Intimate scenes are 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
👍 I love Ellie’s aunts. They are definitely colorful characters and added to the fun aspects of the story.
👍 I love Ellie’s girl friends and the way they teased her when she was still in denial. 😂
👍 I really hated the marquess Ellie thought she was in love with. Many times I wished he would be thrown out of the carriage. It definitely added to my engagement of the story.
Dislikes:
👎 Some pacing issues. There were parts that dragged.
👎 I wasn’t too keen on the narrator. Her voicing of the male characters was kind of awkward.
Final Verdict:
While not perfect, this was a fun read. I would like to check out the other books in this series someday, but I have so many books I’d like to read first.
June 6, 2025
DNF at 42%. I got to the point where I just didn’t care if they had an HEA or not.
While this was better than any of the other books that I have read from this author, it still did not grab me.
First, the heroine was super annoying in that she was dead set on waiting for her loser of a boyfriend to finally be ready to marry her. The little marriage pact was made btwn them as children and while the heroine was holding on strongly to this loser, he on the other hand was taking his sweet ass time waiting for it to feel like it was the right time to get married. Up until the 42% mark, this bf had cancelled out on pretty much all activities and plans, ignored her when they were together and was completely oblivious to her as a girlfriend.
At the same time, the heroine meets the hero of this story. She has super strong emotional and physical reactions to being near this hero, enjoys his company for the most part and he is very courteous of her and attentive. But alas, she only has eyes for her non-present bf. So her constant denial of feelings for the hero and holding out for a bf that doesn't give two hoots for her was annoying.
As for the hero, I would have liked to see him be grumpy a wee bit longer before giving in to liking our heroine.
While this was better than any of the other books that I have read from this author, it still did not grab me.
First, the heroine was super annoying in that she was dead set on waiting for her loser of a boyfriend to finally be ready to marry her. The little marriage pact was made btwn them as children and while the heroine was holding on strongly to this loser, he on the other hand was taking his sweet ass time waiting for it to feel like it was the right time to get married. Up until the 42% mark, this bf had cancelled out on pretty much all activities and plans, ignored her when they were together and was completely oblivious to her as a girlfriend.
At the same time, the heroine meets the hero of this story. She has super strong emotional and physical reactions to being near this hero, enjoys his company for the most part and he is very courteous of her and attentive. But alas, she only has eyes for her non-present bf. So her constant denial of feelings for the hero and holding out for a bf that doesn't give two hoots for her was annoying.
As for the hero, I would have liked to see him be grumpy a wee bit longer before giving in to liking our heroine.
August 3, 2021
This one was so cute and fun!! I loved the hero who was so vulnerable and worried that she wouldn't love him back. And our heroine coming to her senses that the boy she was in love with all her life is wrong for her and she should be with our hero.
June 15, 2021
Series: The Mating Habits of Scoundrels #3
Publication Date: 6/29/21
Period: Regency London - 1810
Number of Pages: 384
** 4-Stars **
The book starts off with the saddest event any child, especially a young child, can possibly witness. This beginning is beautifully written and deals with Elodie’s emotions wonderfully. It also shows, very plainly, the genesis of all of her fears and phobias that are a central part of this story. To be honest, I had reservations about this trope because it usually turns out that one party clings to their ‘love’ for another for way, way, way too long. It didn’t work exactly that way in this one, but there was an event that made me just want to reach into the book and spank her. The book is well written and the characters are lovely.
Elodie Parrish has more fears and phobias than you can shake a stick at, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about marriage. She has had an understanding with George, Marquess of Nethersole since she was a very young girl – but now, she is twenty-five years old and is practically a spinster. George is busy sowing his oats and just isn’t ready for marriage yet. Elodie isn’t jealous and it doesn’t bother her for him to be sowing his oats, but it is just time. Elodie is totally oblivious to the way George takes her for granted, makes jokes of her, teases her unkindly – others notice, but Elodie doesn’t. He’s just being the George she’s known since she was a small girl.
Brandon Stredwick, Marquess of Hullworth, is unhappily in London for the season. He’s there to escort his much-beloved sister, Meg to all of the events. Brandon is rich, handsome, unwed – and pursued ceaselessly by the debutantes and their mothers. Brandon has no intention of marrying any of them and has not one ounce of patience for their ploys such as accidentally bumping into him, dropping their handkerchiefs, befriending his sister solely to get near him, or feigning injury. When he’s at a garden party and one of those women barrels into him, he’s deplorably rude to her and just walks off – only to find that she’s befriended his sister. He tries to warn Meg, but she’ll hear nothing against her new friend.
Elodie and Brandon certainly have an inauspicious beginning to their acquaintance and only tolerate each other because of Meg – until – Meg isn’t the only reason they tolerate each other. Elodie is focused on George and Brandon mistrusts all women, so their journey to an HEA is a hard one.
I loved both Elodie and Brandon and I loved how each of them grew – especially Elodie. She had so many fears to conquer and I loved that she finally embraced overcoming them. I also loved how Brandon came to trust Elodie and to learn that not all women were ‘out to get him’. I did NOT love George, but then I wasn’t supposed to. However, I also didn’t love Prue, and I think she might be the female lead in the next book. To me, what she did was unconscionable and I think Elodie was much too easy to forgive. So, it will be interesting to see how the author manages to make Prue acceptable to me in her book. Elodie’s aunts, Maeve and Myrtle are delightful and I think you’ll enjoy them as well. They could have offered Elodie a bit more guidance though rather than just letting her flounder after George for years.
I definitely enjoyed this book and hope you will as well.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Date: 6/29/21
Period: Regency London - 1810
Number of Pages: 384
** 4-Stars **
The book starts off with the saddest event any child, especially a young child, can possibly witness. This beginning is beautifully written and deals with Elodie’s emotions wonderfully. It also shows, very plainly, the genesis of all of her fears and phobias that are a central part of this story. To be honest, I had reservations about this trope because it usually turns out that one party clings to their ‘love’ for another for way, way, way too long. It didn’t work exactly that way in this one, but there was an event that made me just want to reach into the book and spank her. The book is well written and the characters are lovely.
Elodie Parrish has more fears and phobias than you can shake a stick at, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about marriage. She has had an understanding with George, Marquess of Nethersole since she was a very young girl – but now, she is twenty-five years old and is practically a spinster. George is busy sowing his oats and just isn’t ready for marriage yet. Elodie isn’t jealous and it doesn’t bother her for him to be sowing his oats, but it is just time. Elodie is totally oblivious to the way George takes her for granted, makes jokes of her, teases her unkindly – others notice, but Elodie doesn’t. He’s just being the George she’s known since she was a small girl.
Brandon Stredwick, Marquess of Hullworth, is unhappily in London for the season. He’s there to escort his much-beloved sister, Meg to all of the events. Brandon is rich, handsome, unwed – and pursued ceaselessly by the debutantes and their mothers. Brandon has no intention of marrying any of them and has not one ounce of patience for their ploys such as accidentally bumping into him, dropping their handkerchiefs, befriending his sister solely to get near him, or feigning injury. When he’s at a garden party and one of those women barrels into him, he’s deplorably rude to her and just walks off – only to find that she’s befriended his sister. He tries to warn Meg, but she’ll hear nothing against her new friend.
Elodie and Brandon certainly have an inauspicious beginning to their acquaintance and only tolerate each other because of Meg – until – Meg isn’t the only reason they tolerate each other. Elodie is focused on George and Brandon mistrusts all women, so their journey to an HEA is a hard one.
I loved both Elodie and Brandon and I loved how each of them grew – especially Elodie. She had so many fears to conquer and I loved that she finally embraced overcoming them. I also loved how Brandon came to trust Elodie and to learn that not all women were ‘out to get him’. I did NOT love George, but then I wasn’t supposed to. However, I also didn’t love Prue, and I think she might be the female lead in the next book. To me, what she did was unconscionable and I think Elodie was much too easy to forgive. So, it will be interesting to see how the author manages to make Prue acceptable to me in her book. Elodie’s aunts, Maeve and Myrtle are delightful and I think you’ll enjoy them as well. They could have offered Elodie a bit more guidance though rather than just letting her flounder after George for years.
I definitely enjoyed this book and hope you will as well.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 5, 2022
✨I really just fucking couldn’t with George✨
This story starts off super cute then gets super not cute super fast. Picture this: girl loves boy, they grow up, woman loves man (man indifferent about woman), woman meets new man (this man is absolutely GONE for woman), then it’s fucking 94 percent and woman is still being a big dum dum about first man when the better man is RIGHT THERE. If this seems mildly irritating, I promise after 300 pages it is MAJORLY irritating.
I started out loving this book!! I was okay with Ellie fancying herself in love with George because I assumed it would change rather quickly. I mean really, Brandon was SUCH a charmer and their chemistry was off the charts. And then George just kept being THE WORST and she kept forgiving him. Seriously, there was no nuance to George. He was THE WORST. This also made him a severely uninteresting character. There was never any “maybe he could be good” NO it was all bad all the time and it only got worse. Every mention of George was pointless and added nothing to the story because he was clearly TERRIBLE. Which is BAD because SO much space was given to her thinking about George or him popping up randomly to fuck shit up. He made this book so tedious. It also made Ellie look like such a fool, making her annoying and tedious. Which made Brandon annoying and tedious because I don’t trust his judgement liking her when she was being so ANNOYING AND TEDIOUS.
In a bubble, I loved their relationship. Him understanding her fears and letting her conquer them on her own terms was lovely and heartwarming. Like I said, he was absolutely GONE for her from the start which I loved. I just loved her not being equally gone for him (because her reasons were TERRIBLE aka George) a lot less. I mean come on, George tried to force her into an air balloon and she was STILL making excuses.
THEN, when she came to her senses, she did NOT rip George a big enough asshole. He got off SO easily and I’m still pissed ten days later. What’s fun and enjoyable about having such a terrible character who gets not one ounce of the proper comeuppance he deserves??? He ruined this book and he was not ruined enough.
Also, so many important scenes were skimmed or skipped over entirely and then “remembered.” Like something would be happening, then it would be cut off only to be mentioned in passing. This would be fine if the cut scenes were PROPOSALS and other important scenes like SEX. YEAH, we got one good sex scene and then the rest were faded. I cry.
Speaking of, the narrator was okay but was VERY overcome during the sex scenes, especially from Brandon’s perspective. Honey sounded absolutely WINDED. It was rather alarming. Rather than being hot, I just wanted to make sure he was okay.
Alls this to say: fuck you George you motherfucker.
⭐️⭐️⭐️*/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
*This was a very low 3⭐️
This story starts off super cute then gets super not cute super fast. Picture this: girl loves boy, they grow up, woman loves man (man indifferent about woman), woman meets new man (this man is absolutely GONE for woman), then it’s fucking 94 percent and woman is still being a big dum dum about first man when the better man is RIGHT THERE. If this seems mildly irritating, I promise after 300 pages it is MAJORLY irritating.
I started out loving this book!! I was okay with Ellie fancying herself in love with George because I assumed it would change rather quickly. I mean really, Brandon was SUCH a charmer and their chemistry was off the charts. And then George just kept being THE WORST and she kept forgiving him. Seriously, there was no nuance to George. He was THE WORST. This also made him a severely uninteresting character. There was never any “maybe he could be good” NO it was all bad all the time and it only got worse. Every mention of George was pointless and added nothing to the story because he was clearly TERRIBLE. Which is BAD because SO much space was given to her thinking about George or him popping up randomly to fuck shit up. He made this book so tedious. It also made Ellie look like such a fool, making her annoying and tedious. Which made Brandon annoying and tedious because I don’t trust his judgement liking her when she was being so ANNOYING AND TEDIOUS.
In a bubble, I loved their relationship. Him understanding her fears and letting her conquer them on her own terms was lovely and heartwarming. Like I said, he was absolutely GONE for her from the start which I loved. I just loved her not being equally gone for him (because her reasons were TERRIBLE aka George) a lot less. I mean come on, George tried to force her into an air balloon and she was STILL making excuses.
THEN, when she came to her senses, she did NOT rip George a big enough asshole. He got off SO easily and I’m still pissed ten days later. What’s fun and enjoyable about having such a terrible character who gets not one ounce of the proper comeuppance he deserves??? He ruined this book and he was not ruined enough.
Also, so many important scenes were skimmed or skipped over entirely and then “remembered.” Like something would be happening, then it would be cut off only to be mentioned in passing. This would be fine if the cut scenes were PROPOSALS and other important scenes like SEX. YEAH, we got one good sex scene and then the rest were faded. I cry.
Speaking of, the narrator was okay but was VERY overcome during the sex scenes, especially from Brandon’s perspective. Honey sounded absolutely WINDED. It was rather alarming. Rather than being hot, I just wanted to make sure he was okay.
Alls this to say: fuck you George you motherfucker.
⭐️⭐️⭐️*/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
*This was a very low 3⭐️
May 5, 2022
The hero was sweet but I was exhausted by the heroine. She lacked a backbone and the hero deserved better.
May 13, 2022
Edited 8/16/21
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars
Revisiting The Wrong Marquess on audio was a dream! Justine Eyre was incredible and I loved her performance so much. She delivered all of Ellie and Brandon's banter with perfect comedic timing, but also so much emotion during the more heartfelt scenes. I highly recommend experiencing this one on audio!
*****
4.5 stars
I didn't want to put this one down! The Wrong Marquess pulled me right in from the start and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough on this hilarious and hopeful historical romance. It features a wonderfully grumpy (but truly romantic) cinnamon roll and a quirky and naive romantic. Fate grants these two a fantastic meet hate and they clash from the get go. I loved how that animosity and distrust slowly gave way to a beautiful friendship and more, as fate threw them in each other's paths time and time again. This is the 3rd book in the series and even though I haven't had a chance to read the others, I didn't feel lost or confused. This can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone.
Brandon. *swoon* He was a wonderful hero and he gave me all the Mr. Darcy vibes with his gruff exterior, but absolute marshmallow center for those that he loves. I think this is the first time I have ever not rooted for the childhood friend/love interest (not that George's behavior was ever remotely attractive). Brandon's relationship with his sister, Meg, was the perfect balance of caring and overbearing. LOL. His tenderness and thoughtfulness had me swooning and I loved what a romantic at heart he was. His patience and restraint throughout the novel, giving Ellie time to overcome her fears and not settling for anything but being her first choice, made me fall even harder for him. Book boyfriend hall of fame here for sure!
I loved him and Ellie together (the sunrises and bridge *heart eyes*), but Ellie's inability to see George for who really was grated on me. In the beginning I was able to look past it given their history, but once she realized her true feelings for Brandon, she really should have put an end to any of the George nonsense. Her behavior was very disrespectful to Brandon and though that wasn't the ultimate reason for the drama at the end of the book, I do wish Brandon would have put his foot down more firmly. Ellie had a wonderful character arc though and I appreciated that she realized her errors and took steps to grow and move forward. She also gave some good grovel (I'm always a fan of more grovel though LOL) and I was thankful that everything with George and his character was resolved once and for all.
I wasn't a big fan of Ellie's friend, Prue, given what transpired, but my heart hurt for her and what she experienced. The end of the book planted the seeds for a wonderful (but likely emotional) second chance romance for Meg and laid the foundation for an intriguing marriage of convenience/arrangement for Prue. This is my first book by Vivienne Lorrett, but I can't wait to go back and read Jane and Wynn's books, while I wait for Prue's book next!
CW: death of parent/family, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares/fear of impending death/loss
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars
Revisiting The Wrong Marquess on audio was a dream! Justine Eyre was incredible and I loved her performance so much. She delivered all of Ellie and Brandon's banter with perfect comedic timing, but also so much emotion during the more heartfelt scenes. I highly recommend experiencing this one on audio!
*****
4.5 stars
I didn't want to put this one down! The Wrong Marquess pulled me right in from the start and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough on this hilarious and hopeful historical romance. It features a wonderfully grumpy (but truly romantic) cinnamon roll and a quirky and naive romantic. Fate grants these two a fantastic meet hate and they clash from the get go. I loved how that animosity and distrust slowly gave way to a beautiful friendship and more, as fate threw them in each other's paths time and time again. This is the 3rd book in the series and even though I haven't had a chance to read the others, I didn't feel lost or confused. This can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone.
Brandon. *swoon* He was a wonderful hero and he gave me all the Mr. Darcy vibes with his gruff exterior, but absolute marshmallow center for those that he loves. I think this is the first time I have ever not rooted for the childhood friend/love interest (not that George's behavior was ever remotely attractive). Brandon's relationship with his sister, Meg, was the perfect balance of caring and overbearing. LOL. His tenderness and thoughtfulness had me swooning and I loved what a romantic at heart he was. His patience and restraint throughout the novel, giving Ellie time to overcome her fears and not settling for anything but being her first choice, made me fall even harder for him. Book boyfriend hall of fame here for sure!
I loved him and Ellie together (the sunrises and bridge *heart eyes*), but Ellie's inability to see George for who really was grated on me. In the beginning I was able to look past it given their history, but once she realized her true feelings for Brandon, she really should have put an end to any of the George nonsense. Her behavior was very disrespectful to Brandon and though that wasn't the ultimate reason for the drama at the end of the book, I do wish Brandon would have put his foot down more firmly. Ellie had a wonderful character arc though and I appreciated that she realized her errors and took steps to grow and move forward. She also gave some good grovel (I'm always a fan of more grovel though LOL) and I was thankful that everything with George and his character was resolved once and for all.
I wasn't a big fan of Ellie's friend, Prue, given what transpired, but my heart hurt for her and what she experienced. The end of the book planted the seeds for a wonderful (but likely emotional) second chance romance for Meg and laid the foundation for an intriguing marriage of convenience/arrangement for Prue. This is my first book by Vivienne Lorrett, but I can't wait to go back and read Jane and Wynn's books, while I wait for Prue's book next!
CW: death of parent/family, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares/fear of impending death/loss
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
May 7, 2021
So, I feel at a loss that I haven’t read not one of Vivienne Lorret’s novels and quite at a loss that I’ve missed the first two in this series of The Mating Habits of Scoundrels. With that being said, I finished “The Wrong Marquess” in one sitting (i.e., had to finish before bed).
Since childhood, Miss Elodie “Ellie” Parrish has “in her mind” had an understanding that she would marry George, Marquess of Nethersole. Unfortunately, she has wasted her entire seasons being strung along by George who has no plans to marry and who still sees Ellie as his life preserver. While attending a tea, she literally runs head on into Brandon Stredwick, the Marquess of Hullworth. Known as “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor” by all the debutantes and their mommas, he mistakenly believes Ellie is one of the scheming party when he sees that she has dropped her handkerchief at his feet. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Later, he uncovers that his sister Meg is not friends with said schemer and enters the dislike for one another.
This was by far a loveable, funny and enjoyable read for me. I loved Ellie and Brandon as well as her two delightful aunts who brought plenty of whit with their fascination for stealing food and recipes. This was a well-written story where in picked up quite few tropes that consisted of best friend love, love with boy next door, enemies to lovers, best friend brother and having to stay way too close in proximity to a handsome Marquess. Was totally not disappointed with all three. The transition of the story and development of their romance was very good. Both characters have their reasons for why they are…Ellie, fears of her past that have carried over into her prospects for a good future and for Brandon, having his heart broken and believing he will be unable to find that same kind of love. I liked how there was a gradual building of their relationship that led to their “steamy” intimate moments. It didn’t’ feel rushed and I liked that Brandon was patience with Ellie despite her shortcomings with George.
I became bored a bit with the circumstances surrounding George that dragged on a bit. I would have liked it to have been uncovered a lot sooner. George was a bit of a nuisance and I got tired of him about midway through the story which his antics and Ellie’s continuous notions and talks of marrying him. Again, this was my first book that I’ve read by Vivienne Lorret and most definitely put her in my list of fanfav authors. My plan is to read the first two in this series to catch up. Looking forward to Pru’s story with Lord Savage. Recommend the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Since childhood, Miss Elodie “Ellie” Parrish has “in her mind” had an understanding that she would marry George, Marquess of Nethersole. Unfortunately, she has wasted her entire seasons being strung along by George who has no plans to marry and who still sees Ellie as his life preserver. While attending a tea, she literally runs head on into Brandon Stredwick, the Marquess of Hullworth. Known as “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor” by all the debutantes and their mommas, he mistakenly believes Ellie is one of the scheming party when he sees that she has dropped her handkerchief at his feet. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Later, he uncovers that his sister Meg is not friends with said schemer and enters the dislike for one another.
This was by far a loveable, funny and enjoyable read for me. I loved Ellie and Brandon as well as her two delightful aunts who brought plenty of whit with their fascination for stealing food and recipes. This was a well-written story where in picked up quite few tropes that consisted of best friend love, love with boy next door, enemies to lovers, best friend brother and having to stay way too close in proximity to a handsome Marquess. Was totally not disappointed with all three. The transition of the story and development of their romance was very good. Both characters have their reasons for why they are…Ellie, fears of her past that have carried over into her prospects for a good future and for Brandon, having his heart broken and believing he will be unable to find that same kind of love. I liked how there was a gradual building of their relationship that led to their “steamy” intimate moments. It didn’t’ feel rushed and I liked that Brandon was patience with Ellie despite her shortcomings with George.
I became bored a bit with the circumstances surrounding George that dragged on a bit. I would have liked it to have been uncovered a lot sooner. George was a bit of a nuisance and I got tired of him about midway through the story which his antics and Ellie’s continuous notions and talks of marrying him. Again, this was my first book that I’ve read by Vivienne Lorret and most definitely put her in my list of fanfav authors. My plan is to read the first two in this series to catch up. Looking forward to Pru’s story with Lord Savage. Recommend the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 19, 2023
⭐⭐⭐
3 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Good chemistry.
Rather good banter.
A good hero even if he was a bit presumptuous/judgemental at the beginning of the story.
A supportive and caring hero (helping the heroine with her fears/anxiety etc.)
The description of the settings/scenery.
➖ What I disliked:
A annoying and immature heroine. (too obsessed with other man etc.)
A weirdly age-obsessed heroine.
The side character (the other man/George) was very annoying/over the top and he was mentioned too much and took over too much of the heroines thoughts and the story.
A little bit jumbled.
3 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Good chemistry.
Rather good banter.
A good hero even if he was a bit presumptuous/judgemental at the beginning of the story.
A supportive and caring hero (helping the heroine with her fears/anxiety etc.)
The description of the settings/scenery.
➖ What I disliked:
A annoying and immature heroine. (too obsessed with other man etc.)
A weirdly age-obsessed heroine.
The side character (the other man/George) was very annoying/over the top and he was mentioned too much and took over too much of the heroines thoughts and the story.
A little bit jumbled.
May 25, 2022
4.75 stars
What another lovely read by Vivienne Lorret! When Lorret gets it right, she gets it so right. I have such a stupid silly grin on my face right now from this book, I just can't take it. I loved how Ellie and Brandon's relationship develop, even it is kind of a case of insta-lust—I didn't really count it as such, because they're just victims of the Stredwick Certainty, which happens in Brandon's family where both people in the destined pair feel an overwhelming sense that they're destined to be together ... because Brandon and Ellie are!!!! I loved their developing friendship, which then eventually becomes intermingled with kissing because they just can't help themselves. Now normally I would be bothered because of George—Ellie's kind-of-intended—and I was, though not for the reasons you might think. He was just such a smarmy guy and from the beginning I knew I didn't like him; not that it makes cheating on him okay, but honestly, with the promises—or lack thereof—that he's given Ellie, it hardly counts as cheating. And throughout, she's determined to stop and keep her friendship with Brandon platonic, but they what do you know?! I absolutely adored that the hero was the one who knew halfway through and the heroine is the one who is the Love Scaredy Cat—makes for such a nice and refreshing change! Brandon easily made it onto my Favorite Heroes list; he's so sweet and tender with Ellie and so understanding about her fears and touching in the way he wants to help her get over them. Lovely book, read it!!
What another lovely read by Vivienne Lorret! When Lorret gets it right, she gets it so right. I have such a stupid silly grin on my face right now from this book, I just can't take it. I loved how Ellie and Brandon's relationship develop, even it is kind of a case of insta-lust—I didn't really count it as such, because they're just victims of the Stredwick Certainty, which happens in Brandon's family where both people in the destined pair feel an overwhelming sense that they're destined to be together ... because Brandon and Ellie are!!!! I loved their developing friendship, which then eventually becomes intermingled with kissing because they just can't help themselves. Now normally I would be bothered because of George—Ellie's kind-of-intended—and I was, though not for the reasons you might think. He was just such a smarmy guy and from the beginning I knew I didn't like him; not that it makes cheating on him okay, but honestly, with the promises—or lack thereof—that he's given Ellie, it hardly counts as cheating. And throughout, she's determined to stop and keep her friendship with Brandon platonic, but they what do you know?! I absolutely adored that the hero was the one who knew halfway through and the heroine is the one who is the Love Scaredy Cat—makes for such a nice and refreshing change! Brandon easily made it onto my Favorite Heroes list; he's so sweet and tender with Ellie and so understanding about her fears and touching in the way he wants to help her get over them. Lovely book, read it!!
July 12, 2021
Sometimes you just want a low-angst love story between two people who get the wrong idea about each other at their first meeting. Ellie - the most innocent and unaffected young woman in London - literally runs into Brandon - the most sought-after bachelor in town. He believes that she has manipulated her way into his path, while his reaction convinces her that he is "odious and overbearing." But of course, these two are meant for each other, despite the fact that Ellie is all-but-betrothed to her childhood friend, George.
We really liked that Brandon was persistent without verging into badgering territory; when Ellie tells him to back off, he does. We also appreciated that while George ended up not being a nice guy, his misbehavior was not the deciding factor for Ellie to reconsider their attachment. This is a great choice for a slower-paced historical romance that still brings the steam.
23-Word Summaries:
Laine: Brandon thinks Ellie is just another debutant, but she's promised to another. They both hate being turned on all the time when together.
Meg: Ellie is the only girl who’s not after Brandon, so of course she’s the one he’s determined to have (after a false start).
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
We really liked that Brandon was persistent without verging into badgering territory; when Ellie tells him to back off, he does. We also appreciated that while George ended up not being a nice guy, his misbehavior was not the deciding factor for Ellie to reconsider their attachment. This is a great choice for a slower-paced historical romance that still brings the steam.
23-Word Summaries:
Laine: Brandon thinks Ellie is just another debutant, but she's promised to another. They both hate being turned on all the time when together.
Meg: Ellie is the only girl who’s not after Brandon, so of course she’s the one he’s determined to have (after a false start).
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
October 30, 2023
4.5 stars
It’s like this book was written for the teenager in me who will always love a good ‘hero in pursuit’ romance, where he’s super determined to win her over even though she thinks she’s in love with someone else. So many moments of ‘wooing’. 😍
The main characters were also physically affectionate for a historical romance - perhaps not true to the genre, but I loved it.
It’s like this book was written for the teenager in me who will always love a good ‘hero in pursuit’ romance, where he’s super determined to win her over even though she thinks she’s in love with someone else. So many moments of ‘wooing’. 😍
The main characters were also physically affectionate for a historical romance - perhaps not true to the genre, but I loved it.
February 16, 2025
Summary:
I just wrapped up The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret, and overall, it's nearly perfect—4.5 stars, which I’d round up to 5 if you’re willing to overlook one major gripe, the third act break up. Brandon and Ellie’s love story is pure magic, so genuine and funny it had me grinning and swooning from the start.
Characters:
Brandon: Brandon is that dreamy blend of broody and tender that you just can’t get enough of. Watching him fall fast and hard for Ellie is addictive—his chemistry with her practically leaps off the page.
Ellie: Ellie is the heroine who makes you believe in real, relatable romance. Her wit, resilience, and just the right dose of vulnerability make her utterly captivating. Together, they create a romance that feels both fresh and heartfelt.
Overall Thoughts:
For most of the book, I was all in. But then—bam—there’s a third act breakup that totally ruins the flow. This is my third Lorret book, and seriously, not every story needs that random breakup twist. It felt forced, and I couldn’t believe Brandon would forgive Ellie so easily and Vivienne Lorret did not have to do that. Honestly, if Lorret ended her books 10% earlier, I’d be in total bliss. Despite that one clunky moment, the rest of the story is a delight. I’m excited for the next installment, though I’m already bracing myself for another potentially unnecessary twist.
Rating:
★★★★★ (Rounded up from 4.5/5 stars)
I just wrapped up The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret, and overall, it's nearly perfect—4.5 stars, which I’d round up to 5 if you’re willing to overlook one major gripe, the third act break up. Brandon and Ellie’s love story is pure magic, so genuine and funny it had me grinning and swooning from the start.
Characters:
Brandon: Brandon is that dreamy blend of broody and tender that you just can’t get enough of. Watching him fall fast and hard for Ellie is addictive—his chemistry with her practically leaps off the page.
Ellie: Ellie is the heroine who makes you believe in real, relatable romance. Her wit, resilience, and just the right dose of vulnerability make her utterly captivating. Together, they create a romance that feels both fresh and heartfelt.
Overall Thoughts:
For most of the book, I was all in. But then—bam—there’s a third act breakup that totally ruins the flow. This is my third Lorret book, and seriously, not every story needs that random breakup twist. It felt forced, and I couldn’t believe Brandon would forgive Ellie so easily and Vivienne Lorret did not have to do that. Honestly, if Lorret ended her books 10% earlier, I’d be in total bliss. Despite that one clunky moment, the rest of the story is a delight. I’m excited for the next installment, though I’m already bracing myself for another potentially unnecessary twist.
Rating:
★★★★★ (Rounded up from 4.5/5 stars)
March 14, 2024
This was a great read, cute and romantic and passionate but I felt the resolution was all dragging on for too long. Way too long. To the point I got annoyed with all the characters even those I loved.
But let’s get to the good parts.
Heroine is waiting for her childhood friend to finally propose, they have an understanding but she has been waiting for many years and meanwhile she literary bumps into another Marquess and the fatal yet denied attraction begins on both sides.
It was so cute to watch them how lost they get in their attraction together. Hero is the first one who realizes it and heroine jumps on board later.
Hero (Brandon) was spectacular. Period.
Heroine was great as well but I just couldn’t buy the fact that it took her so long to see that George, her childhood friend, was total waste of time.
I was glad that there wasn’t any extravagant drama from Brandon’s point of view, he was always totally understanding and clearsighted about their relationship.
Nice relaxing romantic read but the resolution with George should have been over way sooner.
But let’s get to the good parts.
Heroine is waiting for her childhood friend to finally propose, they have an understanding but she has been waiting for many years and meanwhile she literary bumps into another Marquess and the fatal yet denied attraction begins on both sides.
It was so cute to watch them how lost they get in their attraction together. Hero is the first one who realizes it and heroine jumps on board later.
Hero (Brandon) was spectacular. Period.
Heroine was great as well but I just couldn’t buy the fact that it took her so long to see that George, her childhood friend, was total waste of time.
I was glad that there wasn’t any extravagant drama from Brandon’s point of view, he was always totally understanding and clearsighted about their relationship.
Nice relaxing romantic read but the resolution with George should have been over way sooner.
June 26, 2021
Since childhood, Ellie Parrish knew she would marry George, her next-door neighbor and Marquess of Nethersole. Now nearing twenty-five, George’s proposal is nowhere in sight. When she bumps into Brandon, the Marquess of Hullworth, Ellie is unimpressed with “London’s Most Elusive Bachelor.” However, the more Ellie gets to know Brandon, the harder it is to deny her growing feelings. Can Ellie forget her hopes of marrying George and embrace a new potential future with Brandon? Can Brandon convince her that his love is true?
This is a fabulous and swoon-worthy romance with great characters and a wonderful love story. I love Ellie and Brandon and enjoy how Ellie slowly gets to know Brandon, who is very different from what she expected. Not the arrogant and Brandon is strong, caring, and protective, and he cares deeply for others. He is not a man to be trifled with, and he is loving, trustworthy, and loyal. In short, he is a perfect match for the endearing, intelligent, and caring Ellie.
Brandon likes that Ellie isn’t a simpering female trying to get his attention by any means possible, like the other women of the ton. He finds her refreshing and unique, and he loves bantering with her. He also likes to throw her off balance and challenge her. He loves to see her blush, as that proves her feelings are as strong as his. Ellie is one of the few people that Brandon is himself around.
One of the most swoon-worthy parts of the story occurs when Brandon tries to help Ellie with her anxiety and fears. He doesn’t taunt or tease her and instead tries to help her conquer them. He is such a contrast to George, who always seems to put Ellie down especially in regard to her fears. He ignores her worries, which exacerbates her anxiety. Brandon shows much more understanding of Ellie’s needs, and his support of her is wonderful.
I found some of Ellie’s responses to Brandon comical. She has such strong physical reactions to him that she often thinks she is dying. She suffers from a racing heart, stomach flutters, and a variety of other strong and new feelings, and she doesn’t know how to process them. Brandon is so gentle and understanding with her while still showing her the wonder of love, and I adored every-single-second of it! Their romance is filled with swoon-worthy (and sometimes steamy) moments that are fantastic! However, Ellie still holds on to the understanding she has with George that they will eventually marry.
Ellie’s friendship with Brandon’s lovely sister, Meg her fears, his cynicism toward eligible women of the ton, and her definitiveness about waiting for George all prove worthy obstacles for this couple, and they both have to decide if their feelings are worth fighting for. Ellie doesn’t want Meg or Brandon to think she used Meg to get closer to her brother, much like other women in their social circle. At first, that is exactly what Brandon thinks. His jaded nature in regard to women makes him suspicious, but once they all get to know each other better, Brandon and Ellie’s worries dissipate. Brandon just has to convince Ellie that he is the man for her, not George.
George, though charming to some, is immature and insensitive, and he is not a good match for Ellie. He is, however, a great foil to Brandon, and his bad qualities definitely highlight Brandon’s good ones. Other characters, like Ellie’s aunts, Brandon’s sister, and some of Ellie’s friends are endearing and fun characters and add so much to the story. I love Ellie’s quirky aunts, as they add a bit of levity to the story while always showing their unconditional love and support. Brandon’s sister Meg is fun and lively, and she is a great friend to Ellie.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read, and I loved the characters and the romance!! Though it is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Of course, I enjoyed this one so much that I have to go back and read the first two books! The romances are referenced in this story, and they sound positively swoon-tastic! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avon Books, Harper Voyager, and Vivienne Lorret for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fabulous and swoon-worthy romance with great characters and a wonderful love story. I love Ellie and Brandon and enjoy how Ellie slowly gets to know Brandon, who is very different from what she expected. Not the arrogant and Brandon is strong, caring, and protective, and he cares deeply for others. He is not a man to be trifled with, and he is loving, trustworthy, and loyal. In short, he is a perfect match for the endearing, intelligent, and caring Ellie.
Brandon likes that Ellie isn’t a simpering female trying to get his attention by any means possible, like the other women of the ton. He finds her refreshing and unique, and he loves bantering with her. He also likes to throw her off balance and challenge her. He loves to see her blush, as that proves her feelings are as strong as his. Ellie is one of the few people that Brandon is himself around.
One of the most swoon-worthy parts of the story occurs when Brandon tries to help Ellie with her anxiety and fears. He doesn’t taunt or tease her and instead tries to help her conquer them. He is such a contrast to George, who always seems to put Ellie down especially in regard to her fears. He ignores her worries, which exacerbates her anxiety. Brandon shows much more understanding of Ellie’s needs, and his support of her is wonderful.
I found some of Ellie’s responses to Brandon comical. She has such strong physical reactions to him that she often thinks she is dying. She suffers from a racing heart, stomach flutters, and a variety of other strong and new feelings, and she doesn’t know how to process them. Brandon is so gentle and understanding with her while still showing her the wonder of love, and I adored every-single-second of it! Their romance is filled with swoon-worthy (and sometimes steamy) moments that are fantastic! However, Ellie still holds on to the understanding she has with George that they will eventually marry.
Ellie’s friendship with Brandon’s lovely sister, Meg her fears, his cynicism toward eligible women of the ton, and her definitiveness about waiting for George all prove worthy obstacles for this couple, and they both have to decide if their feelings are worth fighting for. Ellie doesn’t want Meg or Brandon to think she used Meg to get closer to her brother, much like other women in their social circle. At first, that is exactly what Brandon thinks. His jaded nature in regard to women makes him suspicious, but once they all get to know each other better, Brandon and Ellie’s worries dissipate. Brandon just has to convince Ellie that he is the man for her, not George.
George, though charming to some, is immature and insensitive, and he is not a good match for Ellie. He is, however, a great foil to Brandon, and his bad qualities definitely highlight Brandon’s good ones. Other characters, like Ellie’s aunts, Brandon’s sister, and some of Ellie’s friends are endearing and fun characters and add so much to the story. I love Ellie’s quirky aunts, as they add a bit of levity to the story while always showing their unconditional love and support. Brandon’s sister Meg is fun and lively, and she is a great friend to Ellie.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read, and I loved the characters and the romance!! Though it is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Of course, I enjoyed this one so much that I have to go back and read the first two books! The romances are referenced in this story, and they sound positively swoon-tastic! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avon Books, Harper Voyager, and Vivienne Lorret for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
September 3, 2022
I loved Hullworth too much to rate it any less than 5 stars but damnit Elllie made it really hard for me to remain calm with her nonsense about fucking George.
August 5, 2021
I feel torn. I didn’t finish. I liked a lot of the book but there were just enough things that made it not quite work for me.
On one hand, I enjoyed the interactions, the slow getting to know you, the patience of the hero to wait until he’s seen, the family support. But, I stopped at 90%. The heroine tells him she loves him and then they have sex. It makes no sense. The whole book is her being too innocent for words.But without him saying he loves her or asking to marry him, they have sex outdoors!? I mean, I know that historical romance can be a little unrealistic, but this is not the behavior of a man who cares for a woman in this day and age. I hate the trope of “we just couldn’t control ourselves”.
On one hand, I enjoyed the interactions, the slow getting to know you, the patience of the hero to wait until he’s seen, the family support. But, I stopped at 90%. The heroine tells him she loves him and then they have sex. It makes no sense. The whole book is her being too innocent for words.But without him saying he loves her or asking to marry him, they have sex outdoors!? I mean, I know that historical romance can be a little unrealistic, but this is not the behavior of a man who cares for a woman in this day and age. I hate the trope of “we just couldn’t control ourselves”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2022
A lively novel of a young woman who expects to marry her childhood companion. Unfortunately her companion seems to rather elusive and Elodie Parrish is giving him one more season to come up to scratch. George, the man boy is a scoundrel as far as I can see.
Now Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, and London’s most desirable bachelor does need to be taken down a peg or three—and he is.
A great story that gives a friction to the idea of HEA.
Now Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, and London’s most desirable bachelor does need to be taken down a peg or three—and he is.
A great story that gives a friction to the idea of HEA.
December 8, 2021
Awwww, what a fun read! I absolutely loved it. The book was written really well with a lot of humour. The MC had a great chemistry, loads of interactions and amazing tension. Also, the H was absolutely swoon-worthy! ❤️
May 9, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Ellie Parrish has spent her life believing that she is going to marry George, but he has spent years delaying their marriage to sow his wild oats. Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, believes every woman he meets is scheming to marry him and he believes Ellie is no different. Time changes everything, and Brandon shows Ellie how to be strong and brave in love and in life.
This book was so adorable. I loved it. Ellie has a huge growth ARC in this story, and a lot of her growth comes from Brandon's understanding and patience. I really love a hero who knows what he wants, and fights to get it. He does that most of the book once he realizes he is the man for her instead of George. They had great banter and great chemistry. I think this series just gets better and better with every book. The ending set up the next one perfectly, and can't wait to read it!
Ellie Parrish has spent her life believing that she is going to marry George, but he has spent years delaying their marriage to sow his wild oats. Brandon, Marquess of Hullworth, believes every woman he meets is scheming to marry him and he believes Ellie is no different. Time changes everything, and Brandon shows Ellie how to be strong and brave in love and in life.
This book was so adorable. I loved it. Ellie has a huge growth ARC in this story, and a lot of her growth comes from Brandon's understanding and patience. I really love a hero who knows what he wants, and fights to get it. He does that most of the book once he realizes he is the man for her instead of George. They had great banter and great chemistry. I think this series just gets better and better with every book. The ending set up the next one perfectly, and can't wait to read it!
May 23, 2021
Hmmm. Let’s see. Should Ellie choose the man she decided to marry when she was seven years old? George is rude, demeaning, childish, and unfeeling. Or, should she marry Brandon? He’s kind, handsome, rich, and adores her, quirks and all. She does have quirks. Suffering from anxiety, phobias, and nightmares. She has an obsessive fear of dying. A sewing needle prick to her finger has her imagining dying from blood loss. Her parents dying when she was young traumatized her. I do admire her determination finally to overcome her fears. The story though is bland. I received an arc of this title from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
July 5, 2021
Elodie is the worst and Brandon deserves better.
June 6, 2021
The Wrong Marquess
Book 3 in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
Ellie's marital plans were to marry her childhood friend, George, who has lead her on the promise of matrimony for many years. George is a marquess who has lived a very carefree life and has been very selfish in his decisions in leading poor Ellie.
Luckily Ellie literally bumps into Lord Brandon and hence begins their journey to falling in love. Though she is very attracted to Brandon she doesn't know what to do with her feelings. Brandon's actions towards her are making her very confused about how she feels about George.
I loved Brandon!! I loved how he treated Ellie and how he taught her to overcome her many fears (and they were many!! Their relationship was slow paced that for a minute there I was a little bored in the middle of the book because the story seemed to not move along. I just wish Ellie would of given up on George sooner. His reckless behavior gave her many opportunities to realize how he was the wrong marquess when the right one was in front of her for quite a while. Even when she admits her feelings towards Brandon, her fear of the future almost caused her to miss having a HEA.
The secondary characters were a charm! I loved the antics her aunts would do and Brandon's sister, Meg.
I'm looking forwards to the next in the series!!
Book 3 in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
Ellie's marital plans were to marry her childhood friend, George, who has lead her on the promise of matrimony for many years. George is a marquess who has lived a very carefree life and has been very selfish in his decisions in leading poor Ellie.
Luckily Ellie literally bumps into Lord Brandon and hence begins their journey to falling in love. Though she is very attracted to Brandon she doesn't know what to do with her feelings. Brandon's actions towards her are making her very confused about how she feels about George.
I loved Brandon!! I loved how he treated Ellie and how he taught her to overcome her many fears (and they were many!! Their relationship was slow paced that for a minute there I was a little bored in the middle of the book because the story seemed to not move along. I just wish Ellie would of given up on George sooner. His reckless behavior gave her many opportunities to realize how he was the wrong marquess when the right one was in front of her for quite a while. Even when she admits her feelings towards Brandon, her fear of the future almost caused her to miss having a HEA.
The secondary characters were a charm! I loved the antics her aunts would do and Brandon's sister, Meg.
I'm looking forwards to the next in the series!!
April 21, 2025
I’m so disappointed by her friends’ betrayal that nothing else about the book resonated. She still continued the relationship after he ruined her, and lied to her friend. I can’t get past that. I wanted to read savage’s story but not with her, ugh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
4,5⭐
my favorite in this series so far
LOVED these two so much
swoon worthy hero...
my favorite in this series so far
LOVED these two so much
swoon worthy hero...
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