Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

Frank Melrose is a rake and pays little attention to the newspaper business owned by his father. His sister Eliza, now married to a duke, has been the successful writer selling newspapers. Frank finally finds his spark to write when three highwaymen start robbing the wealthy members of the ton and he discovers one of them is a woman. Meanwhile, he is fighting his attraction to his brother-in-law's sister, Taya. He might as well give up and give in to seduction because he's not going to win. As Frank gets closer to discovering the identity of the highwaywoman, the more troubling and threatening it becomes.
A nice read and a steady pace with a rake that causes a lot of heartache. A very clever solution to the problem of a deceptive businessman
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Frank and Tara are a wonderful Regency couple! I enjoyed this sweet yet steamy romance! This is book two in a series of interconnected standalone but I look forward to reading more!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Ever since his family moved into the stylish Belmore Square, Frank Melrose has been on the look out for a story. He's about to take his family's printing business global, but his new obsession of the highwayman causing havoc on the ton is taking his time and energy away from his goal. And the clashes he has with the beautiful Taya Winters, someone completely out of his reach, don't help either. Will Frank risk it all to discover the truth, even risking his heart?

I liked the first book in this series, but wasn't blown away by it. Even so, I felt like continuing the series, so was happy that I was approved to read A Gentleman Never Tells on NetGalley. This time the main couple are the siblings of Johnnie and Eliza. Eliza's brother Frank, who had been the one putting his name to her articles, wants to do his own investigations, mainly into the mysterious highwayman terrorising the ton. He has a feeling that they are linked with Belmore Square, and sets out to discover the truth. But he could never expect that the culprit is a woman, and a Lady at that. Lady Tara Winter may be the sister of the Duke of Chester, but she finds joy in riding, and has someone become involved in the highwaymen. She also has no intentions of doing what society wants, and takes her own pleasure where she can. Again, I liked this book, but something was missing to make it a 4 or 5 star read.

This was a 3.5 star for me but I rounded up because I truly love JEM's books generally and I think she is a great author. This one left me meh for a good portion of it. I'm not sure if it is because I expect something different from this author or if reading the first book might have changed how I felt. I don't know. Not everyone can write every genre spectacularly and I give JEM kudos for trying her hand but the story felt so stilted like the characters themselves didn't know how to handle the world they were in. The "mystery" of the highwayman or woman was easy to guess early on but I did quite enjoy how the author brought us around to the why's of it. There were some decent bouts of steam in the story which is what I would expect from this author.

This was a good adult historical romance novel, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

A GENTLEMAN NEVER TELLS Belmont Square Book 2 by Jodi Ellan Malpas
This is the 2nd book in the Belmont Square series. It takes off at the end of the 1st one. It can be read as a standalone, but you would enjoy the 1st one too with the background insight. This is Frank (the rake) and Taya's (the little sister of the duke) story. This story has mystery, romance, deception, a couple of overbearing older brothers, some humor, and chemistry. This is 4 stars.

Frank is doing his best to take over his father’s printing business and his first order of business is to find out the identity of the Highwayman. But Frank is finding that difficult with his sister’s recent marriage and always seeming to run into the infuriatingly captivating Tara Winters. After making a deal with a potential investor, Frank is more determined to unveil the Highwayman’s identity and making his story a success.

I really enjoyed this historical romance and appreciate the message of female empowerment.

*I received a free ARC of this ebook from the publisher.*

I hadn't read the previous book, but aside from missing initial acquaintance with some of the characters, I don't feel like that hindered my understanding of this installment. Enough back story was provided about the events that had already happened, and I believe each book is meant to be able to stand on its own anyway.

The story itself was fun, but the execution felt a bit sloppy. I'm not sure if it was the author's writing style or simply Frank himself, but it was filled with unnecessarily long sentences containing a multitude of appositives and asides. (I counted the words in one sentence: 88. That's right, folks--the same number as the keys on a piano.) I would almost say that it bordered on stream of consciousness, which has never been my favorite form of narration. That's not to say I don't like seeing into a character's head or that well-executed long sentences don't exist. These, however, felt messy and long winded. It made Frank come across as a fast-talking teenager with a serious lack of focus. Perhaps it was cleaned up in editing prior to final publication? I'm not sure that would be possible without a complete rewrite, so I am assuming it's just the author's style.

Although it was easy to get to know Frank (early 20s), it was less so to get a good picture of Taya (19?). Frank becomes infatuated with her from the start and thinks about her quite a bit, but the two of them don't have much opportunity to truly get to know one another. The majority of their non-romantic interactions are filled with hostility.

By the end of the book, we know the identities of two of the three highwaymen. Who is the other? Will that person feature in the next book? I have my suspicious, but I will have to wait and see if anyone is willing to spoil it for me because I do not plan to read what comes next.

Note: Very little language but several f words (they were so out of place, especially when sometimes the same character would say "heck"). Two rather explicit sex scenes, which somehow also ended up just being . . . awkward and overdone. Easy to skip, though--just go to the next chapter.

Unfortunately, "A Gentleman Never Tells" by Jodi Ellen Malpas was a novel that I couldn't bring myself to finish. While I love historical romance, this particular book fell short of my expectations in several key areas.

The story follows the romance between Lady Elizabeth and a mysterious gentleman, promising intrigue and passion in the vibrant setting of Regency-era England. However, from the beginning, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and become invested in their journey.

One of the main issues I encountered was with the pacing of the plot. The story seemed to drag on without much significant development, leading to a lack of momentum and engagement. Additionally, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural at times, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the world of the novel. Furthermore, while I typically enjoy flawed and complex characters, I found it challenging to sympathize with Lady Elizabeth and her love interest. Their motivations and actions often felt shallow and predictable, lacking the depth and nuance that I look for in protagonists.

Overall, "A Gentleman Never Tells" failed to capture my interest and ultimately left me feeling disappointed. While I'm sure it will appeal to some readers, I personally found it lacking in the qualities that make for a compelling and enjoyable read.

I could tell right away the writing in this book was not for me, so I won't be reviewing or featuring this on my blog. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the second book in the BELMORE SQUARE series featuring a rakish hero and the lady heroine that he falls for. The hero has been the acknowledged writer of his sister's writings, but his own desire for being a writer was ignited when he began the journey to unmask the highwaymen causing havoc in Belmore Square. As a bachelor loving his single life, the hero didn't expect to fall in love with the heroine, his sister's sister-in-law. Now the hero must solve the mystery of the highwaymen before he can have his happy ending with the heroine.

This second book in this particular Jodi Ellen Malpas series is a solid addition that brings romance and mystery together in an entertaining story. The book can be read by itself, but it would be better if read in order. The characters were likable, and the story is a solid one. There were instances where I would have liked a bit more details for smoother transitions, but overall, it's been an enjoyable read.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

The description of this book intrigued me, but I’m not the target audience. The voice is literary, the pace is on the slow side, and I felt no emotional connection to the story or the characters. DNF.

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

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

I wanted to love Frank and Taya but there was something about them as a couple that just wasn't right for me. I loved the storyline and the intrigue of the highwaymen and in the end, it was a good story.

I found that I was more interested in the mystery of finding out who the highwaymen were than in the romances of Frank. I was laughing at the antics and saddened by some of the things they had to go through. But you have to remember this is a historical romance and some things didn't happen back then.

In the end, I found that I enjoyed Frank and Taya's journey, and their story is one I will enjoy again.

A Gentleman Never Tells by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Belmore Square series #2. Historical romance. Can be read as a standalone but the couple in the first story are included as siblings.
Frank Melrose believes he can take his father’s printing business global. Yes, he is disappointed that his sister is awarded the top job, but he knows he can find the stories to continue to increase the print count. He focuses on the mysterious highwayman that is robbing the ton. He’s trying anyway. Tara Winters has him a bit dazzled. So much so that he’s willing to give up his philandering ways.

This was a fun book. Frank and his family is not used to titles but their sister has married into it and now there is just that much more scrutiny over them and their business dealings. Frank has made use of his handsome good looks and status with daughters across the land. Until he sets his eyes on Tara and suddenly those other dalliances have lost the appeal. He doesn’t know quite how to handle that. At heart, he’s a good guy although maybe out of his depth with both finding the story in journalism and what to do when love hits him.
Secrets abound as well as mischief.
Entertaining, steamy and heartwarming.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley

Ambivalent....

I liked the premise and I really wanted to like this book.
But I just wasn't feeling the connection between Frank, a rake and a printer and Taya.
That was frustrating for me, as I really did want to root for the both of them.
But I look forward for more from this author.
3.5 stars

A Gentleman Never Tells by Jodi Ellen Malpas is book Two in the Belmore Square Series. This is the story of Frank and Taya. This was a forbidden type love story I felt. This series is interconnecting so I do think it adds to your enjoyment if you have read the previous books. Enjoyed

This was a DNF for me, which is incredibly rare because usually if I get an arc, I read it whether I like it or not. But this is written in the first person narrative, and I just cannot.

I did try, I read three chapters but no, it just doesn’t work for me.

A forbidden love between a rake and a lady. This felt like it started up right where book one left off, but switched focus to Frank and Taya. Frank has a reputation of a rake, but one look at Taya and that part of his life is over... except he doesn't even know it yet. And Taya is the mysterious sister of the murdering Duke. Together they make for an intriguing couple who fight the attraction they have for each other until it can no longer be denied. They go through a few bumps in the road with a mysterious highway gang ruffling the Ton's feathers. This made for a fun, fluffy historical romance read. Now I'm curious who Clara is going to be paired with in book three. And will Sampson get a story?

This book was well written, but just did not work for me. I struggled to connect with the main characters Frank and Taya, and couldn’t get invested in their lives and their relationship storyline, or the highwaymen mystery. Maybe if I had read the first book in this series I would have been more invested, since many others gave this story great reviews. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.