Cover Image: Make Mine a Marquess

Make Mine a Marquess

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Member Reviews

We meet both MCs at a weeklong house party thrown by William Willard, a Baron who is set to inherit his cousin's Marquesatte. Robert Kirkian, the Marquess of Landon has been missing at sea and presumed dead for five years now.

Phoebe Dawson is the only daughter of a wealthy trade family. Her mother is hoping to be accepted by the ton through her daughter's marriage to Lord Willard. Neither party is in love with the other. Willard plans to pay off his gambling debts with Phoebe’s dowry. On the first night of the house party, Phoebe is outside when she meets a virtual stranger hiding in the shadows who strikes up a conversation with her. Both attracted to each other, they feel an instant connection. Unknown to Phoebe, it is the long-lost Marquess, Robert Kirkian, who has returned to reclaim his estate and title and investigate the attempted murder on his life by his greedy cousin Lord Willard!

Said attempted murder has also taken the lives of all the crew on board Landon's ship. All of this is not known to Phoebe, who while highly attracted to Robert, is keen to continue with the planned marriage to Lord Willard.

Fast paced and an enjoyable read. The investigation that proceeds that will find evidence to convict Willard for his hand in arranging his cousin’s murder and the love story between the MCs move the story along and keep you interested. I received an ARC from the publishing house and NetGalley with thanks and submit my honest review.

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Historical romance is always one of my favs and this is a new to me author! I absolutely adored this book! I will definitely read more!

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I usually really enjoy Tina Gabrielle's writing but "Make Mine a Marquess" is not one of her best. MMC Robert is set on getting revenge against the cousin who tried to kill him. FMC Phoebe is set to marry this same cousin, believing him the answer to her desire for a non-emotional marriage after a youthful indiscretion driven by passion. Robert decides he will seduce Phoebe away from the villainous cousin, though he has no plans to have actual feelings for her or marry her himself - at least until he meets her.

I just wasn't able to connect with Robert or Phoebe. I don't love the revenge trope when it will have potentially ruinous effects on innocent parties, which is what the case would be here. I do not understand why Robert felt like he was undeserving of Phoebe for much of the book, or why Phoebe somehow took the lesson of needing a passionless, basically unhappy marriage from the happenings of her youth (something which no one except Phoebe's BFF cousin even knowns about).

The steam was decent but this book was also essentially one big miscommunication trope, which is just not my thing. I liked the diversity Gabrielle includes but it was not enough to save the book overall.

2 stars. Thank you to Entangled and to NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

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This was the perfect weekend read - easy to enjoy while relaxing after a hard week at work. I liked that there is some diversity in the characters - though I did wish for more in-depth exploration of the characters

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First of all, I was gifted an ARC of this book by Entangled Amara, and I want to thank them!

I enjoyed reading Make Mine a Marquess. It is an accessible historical romance, with a unique storyline. The integration of characters of different ethnicities is wonderful, and often lacking from (many books in general) historical romance. I applaud the author introducing characters from different parts of the world, seamlessly.

The storyline is unique, dramatic, and intriguing. It is easy to delve into the world of Miss Dawson and Lord Landon, and want to know how their stories end.

The writing is very accessible and conversational, making this novel inviting to all audiences. For readers who are not accustomed to 18th/19th century vocabulary need not worry - it is written for a modern audience. I did want a little more sophistication, but that is not the point of the novel, so I can happily overlook that.

Overall, this was a wonderful little read!

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I really loved participating in the read along for this one with Entangled Publishing! This is the perfect little historical romance to sink your teeth into! The MMC is seeking revenge and the FMC has had her heart broken one too many times. It is fast paced, and I love that the MMC survived an assassination attempt. I don't, however, in any circumstances, condone cheating. This put a really bad taste in my mouth, to be totally honest.

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This is a great book full of adventure, drama, secrets and a house party! I love Phoebe & Landon. Even though there were lots of ups and downs, they were learning more about each other along the way. Great addition to the Daring Ladies Series and I am looking forward to the next release!

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I knew the moment I picked this book up, I was going to love it! And I cannot say anything but it's true.

Make Mine A Marquess see's Phoebe Dawson, who is engaged to the Marquess, whoever the Marquess has a secret - he tried to kill off his cousin to take his title. The true Marquess of Landon, Robert, survived a terrible incident and the story navigates how Phoebe, who had a troubled past herself, wants only a political marriage and wants to please her parents. However, what turns out is that the true Marquess of Landon, Robert, is alive and returns to London. In a ploy of sabotage, he lures Phoebe into his game and plays her as he gains evidence to ruin his cousin for good.

The storyline is basically, that Phoebe is engaged but ends up cheating with her fiancé due to her attraction and chemistry with Robert, the true Marquess of Landon. There is a lot of suspense, tension, slow burn moments and also a very much internal dilemma from Phoebe herself.

The only downside was the ending felt rushed, like the moment that Phoebe and Robert finally fell in love and accepted it, it was an epilogue and it was a few years after they were married, and only one chapter! I would have loved to see their wedding, and a little more added . I get that the story is the build up, getting the relationships in place and the burn of the romance interest but I would have absolutely loved it more if there was just a bit more to the ending than just the epilogue. Like their engagement was so sweet! I feel this is becoming a common thing with this author, but otherwise I loved it.

ARC given by netgalley/entangled publishing for an honest review.

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I enjoyed Robert and Phoebe's story. Ample amounts of drama and emotion are combined with a desire for vengeance and a bruised heart to create a romance that inspires lots of feelings while also being quite fun. The draw between these characters was undeniable and the storyline very engaging.

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I loved the idea of someone being lost at sea returning home to reclaim what is his! He was patiently planning out his revenge. This is a quick and easy read. I really liked Robert and Pheobe’s chemistry and connection. While I would have liked a little more background information on some of the characters I would definitely still recommend this book!

✨What to expect:
🌺Regency Era Romance
🌺Forced Proximity
🌺Mystery & Revenge
🌺Forbidden-ish Romance

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A lovely mix of mystery, revenge and romance; Make Mine a Marquess is a historical fiction that will keep you engaged from start to finish. I really enjoyed delving into the characters of Phoebe and Robert, though I was sure I knew how it would end, I really enjoyed reading how the story got there. The added mix of a revenge plot kept the story moving and even though there was a vast host of characters they all felt relevant to the story. This is my first by the author and won't be my last. Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted ARC!

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‘Make Mine A Marquess’ is one of those comforting reads. It is a tale of relentless passion and formidable vengeance, and Robert and Phoebe’s journey is as intoxicating as it is dangerous.

In “Make Mine a Marquess,” Robert Kirkian returns from presumed death at sea, driven by a fierce resolve to reclaim his title and possessions from the treacherous cousin who plotted his demise. His quest for retribution finds an unexpected ally in his cousin’s betrothed, the wealthy and stunning Miss Phoebe Dawson, whose own brush with social ruin has left her wary of charming suitors. Despite her reservations, Phoebe is irresistibly drawn to Robert, whose skilled flirtations and intoxicating kisses challenge her resolve. As they navigate London’s high society, they must decide if love is worth risking everything for, even as revenge looms large.

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First time reading this author, and found that I enjoyed her book. With a bit of mystery, romance and intrigue, this book is a good read. What impress me is the Middle Eastern heritage of the hero that was told smoothly, and how the integration of some other culture in the British-based history novel is another plus on the story.

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I loved this fast-paced historical romance. It's the kind of book you find hard to put down not because you love the story but because you love the characters and want to know what happens to them. It's a perfect read for romance lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to all readers.

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This book was beautiful! I’m a sucker for all things Historical Romance, and so this hit the mark. The diverse representation was great to see in the story. The chemistry between characters was very evident, and it wasn’t lacking for tension. Although I’m not a love triangle fan, it didn’t bother me as much in this case. Ultimately it was a good read, and I recommend to any historical romance lover!

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The Mamas of the Ton wish they could have had a chance to be a part of this story. Tina Gabrielle took what could have been a rote and formulaic story and elevated it with a tale of broken hearts, intrigue and attempted murder.

“Everyone thought that the Marquess of Landon was lost at sea. Instead, Robert Kirkian defied all the odds and survived. Now he’s returned to London to reclaim his title, his property, and his lands from the foul snake who tried to have him killed – his own cousin.”

The missing Marquess returns to find himself face to face with his cousin’s betrothed and they find themselves continuously drawn to one another. Here’s where things get trope-y and formulaic. They find themselves thrown together- from lawn games to dinner parties and un-surprisingly the only people taking note of their burgeoning interest in each other are their two closest friends.

In true romance novel/hallmark movie fashion, they find themselves falling for each other quickly but holding themselves back for their own unique reasons – she’s engaged to his cousin, he just wants to find a way to take everything away from his cousin (thus his original intention of drawing her to him then ditching her which has obviously backfired spectacularly).

He doesn’t fully trust her and she’s keeping secrets – leading to the height of hallmark-ery … the moment of supreme miscommunication which leads to her running with her family back to the city to escape him.

Why Oh Why do we always want this miscommunication/lack of communication trope? JUST LET THEM BE GROWNUPS AND TALK TO EACH OTHER PLEASE. (this is why it’s not 4 stars… I can’t take another one of these stories).

Granted the ending salvaged a large portion of this book for me because the Marquess is truly just that GOOD of a guy that we know doesn’t exist but we really want him to.

I loved the intrigue and skullduggery – which also salvaged my rating for this book – I just wish there was MORE. Everything came together far too easily and I would have loved to know more about what came before but for these parts alone, it ranks higher on my lists of books of its ilk.

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Make Mine a Marquess was a wonderful Regency era romance with twists, turns, and suspense throughout. The storyline involving the just returned Marquess and his investigation was incredibly captivating. And the way that Landon and Phoebe were introduced and the way their interactions and separate lives began to intertwine was so entertaining. I found myself continuously wanting to read more ... More about Phoebe and Landon, Beatrice and Aram, Phoebe and Willard, the charities that Phoebe gave time to... All of it. I also really enjoyed the fact that even though Phoebe was a dutiful daughter that thought of her family and position, she had an independent mind and found ways to ensure she was able to do and support things that were important to her. 🩷

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Such a cute and fun book. I love that the main characters have so much depth to them. That's rare in historical romances. Super cozy.

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Another wonderful addition to the Daring Ladies series. Definitely a page turner to see 'who done it' while leaving you smiling. A thorough development of characters which I fell in love with.

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A excellent, fast paced historical fiction. I loved the complexity of the MMC and FMC both. There was a depth in characters that I really appreciated. I also loved that they were not the stereotypical characters that had different experiences than I've read before. I will be checking out other books by Tina Gabrielle!

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