Cute romance. Lily is shy, but desperate for romance. Galbraith is hiding behind a cold demeanor, no matter what Lily tries during their marriage of their convenience. In desperation she flees to Galbraith's childhood home for some space. Will they reconcile? A very sweet romance, that I really enjoyed.

Sweet story though it did drag in parts for me so I skimmed a bit at times. I also was losing patience towards the end as I am not a big fan of miscommunication being a driving-force for plot but overall, a very enjoyable read.

Quintessential Anne Gracie (aka wonderful, emotional historical romance) - I enjoyed the twists and turns AND ROMANCE of the story!

Lily Rutherford sees herself as fat, stupid, and unattractive, but she dreams of finding someone she can love who will love her as she is. Her Aunt Augusta, a harridan with social influence, is determined to see Lily, her sister Rose, and Georgiana, their niece and contemporary, married advantageously. She hopes that the fortune Lily will inherit will offset the eighteen-year-old’s deplorably lush curves and the shameful handicap of her illiteracy. To everyone’s surprise, gentle Lily refuses to cancel her plans to meet a former schoolmate at a ball in order to accommodate Aunt Augusta’s scheme to introduce her nieces to a duke and his friend during an opera visit.

Lily’s rare show of independence is almost her undoing. Her foolish friend introduces Lily to a scoundrel who dupes the heiress, drugs her, and abducts her, planning to force her into a Gretna Green marriage. Lily is frightened, but she proves her intelligence and resourcefulness by escaping from her abductor and his henchman. Just as they are about to recapture her, Edward Galbraith, her brother Cal’s rakish friend and best man at his wedding, rescues her.

Edward, in true hero fashion, eliminates the villains with ease, but he is left with the problem of returning Lily to her home without anyone knowing that she has traveled in his company without a chaperone. Edward almost succeeds in maintaining the secret, but just as victory is in sight, he and Lily are spotted by Aunt Augusta’s most formidable social rival who can’t wait to spread scurrilous gossip. Edward has no desire to be married, but, despite his reputation, he is a man of honor who cannot see an innocent ruined. He genuinely likes and respects Lily, and he is uncomfortably aware of the attractions of her curvy body. However, he believes that love is not for him. He makes certain Lily understands exactly what he is offering when he proposes that they marry.

Lily, of course, has fallen hard for Edward. Ignoring her family’s doubts and with the example of her besotted brother and his convenient bride in mind, she agrees to marry Edward. Will she see her marriage of convenience transform into a love match? Lily just may prove competent even for this daunting task.

Anne Gracie has written another winner! Despite a kidnapping plot that comes distressingly close to melodrama with a villain who is little more than a handy device, the second marriage-of-convenience tale is a charming story of two likable characters who deserve their HEA. Edward is an appealing hero, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars whose scars are deeper than anyone suspects. However, Lily is the heart of this book. She begins as a shy girl with a crippling lack of self-esteem, but as life tests her, she grows into a woman of strength and self-knowledge who has the courage and the wisdom she needs to fight for what she wants most. Lily totally won my heart. She is one of my favorite Gracie heroines, right up there with Kate Farleigh (Gallant Waif), Lady Helen “Nell” Freymore (His Captive Lady), and Daisy Chance (The Summer Bride).

A superlative cast of secondary characters offer additional reasons to love this book. Gracie fans will be happy to see more of Cal and Emmaline (Marry in Haste) and to see the connection to characters from the Chance Sisters series expanded. Rose and George become increasingly interesting, leaving readers eager for their stories. Gracie has a history of creating well-drawn, memorable older women characters, and in this book, she adds an older man to her repertoire. Edward’s grandfather is a dear, a kind, caring man who loves his grandson enough to respect his autonomy.

If you enjoy historical romance with characters who will steal your heart and a story that will leave you laughing at times and wiping away tears at times, if your favorite stories are those in which the hero and heroine rescue each other, I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Janga for The Romance Dish

A marriage of convenience can turn into a love match. The two characters, Lily and Edward, are full of integrity and dignity. They are just plain nice people who find themselves in a precarious predicament. Lily is so trusting and willing to believe the best in others, even when they have treated her unjustly in the past. He trust leads to an abduction. She is rescued by Edward, and because they were seen together, even though he is a hero, they become part of a scandal.

The book is basically about two people who have been hurt in the past and are broken in some way coming together to make themselves whole. They bumble their way around each other, reluctant to put their emotions on the line. And somehow, the magic happens in spite of their less than energetic efforts.

I enjoyed this story. It is a fun book to read. There are some intimate moments between a married couple that doesn't into a ton of detail.

Source: I requested a copy to read from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Ooooooh, this made me so happy! This was such an excellent take on the classics re: the rake & the wallflower, and I have to say, it was refreshing for the woman (instead of the dude) to have the secret weakness she was ashamed of? I don't know, I just particularly had a lot of feels for this book.

A very entertaining Recency read overall. The main character is appealing, and I wanted to follow her story through to the end and was "rooting" for her. I didn't understand the need for the alternating secondary story of the other females in her family, and I think this is because I haven't read the other books in the series. I found myself skimming those sections more often than not. Reading this as a stand-alone, I'd have preferred a secondary story line which didn't feel so separate from the primary one. As is the case with many Regencies these days, there was plenty of sex; it was written well and supported the character development, though the language got a bit too bodice-ripper at times. (Why does everyone have to shriek?)

Lily Rutherford and Edward (Ned) Galbraith. The only thing they have in common is her brother Cal.....until Lily manages to get herself drugged, abducted, and forced into a carriage bound for Greta Green with oh so charming yet oh so despicable cousin of an old school friend.
Ned, bored and having no real direction since the war, is headed to the beds of several “willings” at a house party when Lily Rutherford is thrown into his path while trying to escape a fortune hunting abductor. Oh my! What’s a rake like him to do with the voluptuous virgin sister of one of his best mates? Why, get her safely back to London while avoiding scandal!
Naturally, scandal wins and Ned is forced to do the honorable-marry Lily. But is it his honor that’s driving him or the fire Lily stirs in his blood? But Ned has secrets he won’t share and he won’t fall in love. Lily, too has secrets but loves Ned already. Can they break down the barriers to find the true happiness they both deserve?
This title by Ms. Gracie is filled with wonderful secondary characters and the story moves along quickly. The book was so good, I read it twice!

I just finished this last night, and I must confess I cried buckets at the ending--but in a good way. The heroine is Lily Rutherford, my favorite of the younger sisters from Marry in Haste (the first book in this series). Her hero, Ned, believes himself to be a terrible rake but does the honorable thing when Lily gets caught in a scandal not of her own making. Watching these two find their way to each other was affecting and heartwarming. I hope Anne Gracie writes the next book in the series soon!

Edward Galbraith doesn’t realize just how drastically his life is about to change as he heads off to attend yet another scandalous house party. While en route, Edward’s carriage is approached by a frantic woman screaming for help, with another carriage pursuing her. As she is about to be captured, Edward rescues the woman, and proceeds to take her back to town. Edward is shocked to learn that the lady is Lily Rutherford, heiress and sister to his good friend, Cal. Lily had been drugged and abducted by a villain intent on forcing her into marriage, and managed to escape while his carriage got stuck in the mud. Knowing that he must do everything in his power to protect her reputation, Edward is careful to keep Lily’s identity a secret. If they are caught traveling together, it could mean social ruin for Lily, or a forced marriage for them. His caution proves to be successful. Almost….

Edward is kind and caring to Lily, yet remains aloof. He’s aware that she’s looking upon him as her savior, but he’s no one’s hero. Edward lives a rakish lifestyle which only allows for shallow encounters with experienced women. Innocent ladies, love, and marriage are not in his plans. Still he can’t deny Lily’s appeal, and can’t resist a kiss in the moonlight. On the last leg of their journey home, Lily is spotted with him by one of the ton’s most notorious gossips – one who has a particular grudge against Lily’s aunt, and doesn’t hesitate to spread the word. Though Lily is delivered home safely, and her family does its best to avoid scandal, the whispers have started. It’s obvious that the only way to save Lily’s reputation is by marriage. Though Edward is a rake, he’s also a gentleman, and he proposes. Lily, who has hopes to turn the marriage into a real love match, accepts.

It’s obvious that Edward has an incident from his past that has turned him into the closed-off man that he is today, one determined never to love or to let himself be loved. While he shows Lily every courtesy, he warns her from the start that all they will share is friendship, passion, and children. I could feel his pain, guilt, and self-loathing, and my heart broke for him. Lily is an amazing heroine. Though only eighteen years old, she shows strength and maturity. It was her own kind heart that allowed her to be kidnapped, and it was her own ingenuity that led to her escape. She instinctively knows how to handle Edward’s moods, and begins to build a happy home life for him. This couple had amazing sexual chemistry, and it was wonderful watching how Edward slowly came to accept love, and to heal.

MARRY IN SCANDAL is full of romance, passion, excitement, and emotional moments. I was brought to tears several times, most of them involving Edward’s beloved grandfather. The secondary characters of Lily’s sisters are wonderfully portrayed, and added much to the story. Anne Gracie’s second installment in the MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE series contains all the heart and entertainment that I’ve come to expect from her novels, and I highly recommend MARRY IN SCANDAL.

I just recently read and reviewed Marry in Haste, but I decided to re-read it before Marry in Scandal to refresh my memory because I've read so many other historical romances since then. And sometimes they start to blend together! I don't have anything new to say about it aside from the fact that I So Loved It just as much the second time. Cal and Emm have such a sweet story, and I was glad I re-familiarized myself with the family history. And when I read the summary for the second book and realized the hero was Cal's friend? That made me all the more excited to find out what would happen next! I do love Gracie's rakes.

I was excited for sweet Lily to fall in love and reform the rake, but the biggest surprise of the book was the way she stands up for herself! Her brother, sister and niece have such strong personalities that for me she always faded into the background when they were around. She certainly displays her strengths in this book! I loved that she saved herself from a dangerous situation, helped the hero find peace with his past, and began to find her identity outside of her learning disability. I was a bit less in love with the hero -- but that's just because it took him a long time to let down his emotional walls. I wanted a bit more relationship development between them, too, but I still So Enjoyed It overall.

Marry in Haste was such a wonderful read, and I adore everything about this book. There wasn’t really anything I didn’t like except the beginning was a bit slow. But once it picked up then it really set fire to the story and the romance. I have always been a fan in how Anne Gracie handles historical romance, she writes them so very well. So I was delighted to grab this one up. I haven’t read book one, but I feel like you don’t need to. Although now, I really REALLY want to since it features our heroine’s older brother and sister in lawn. But this story totally worked for me, because of the heroine.
She was pretty wonderful but she is not a character that everyone will love reading. She is shy and reserved but has a strong resilience but she can be a bit naive but I think its due to her circumstances and how protective her family is of her. We see her grow into her own wings in this story and see what she is capable of.

In this story, our heroine, Lily, was sent away to school with her sister when her father learned that she couldn’t learn to read and considered her “defective”. Lily is kindhearted but shy and innocent. She has been overly protected by her sisters and brother and shield her from any conflicts of life. But while attending a party to help a girl who once hated her in school, she is kidnapped by a man who wants her inheritance and is determined to marry her in Gretna Green. After a few days, she manages to escape and runs into a man she least expected…Edward Galbraith. One of her brothers closest friends and even though he is rumored to be a rake, he treats her with kindness and generosity. But when a scandal reaches the Ton about her bring “alone” with Edward, they are forced to marry. but Lily is determined to find love with Edward and to be the best wife. Both Edward and Lily have a friendship and have some powerful chemistry that they share. But Edward once fought in the war when he was eighteen and came back hardened and emotionally damaged. We see how the love that Edward and Lily have for each other, help both of them overcome their weaknesses and become stronger together. And the chemistry was surprisingly well done and sweeps you off your feet
I found Marry in Scandal to be a heartwarming and romantic story that curled my toes and I couldn’t put this story down. I was so fully invested in this story and I was charmed by these characters that tug at your heartstrings.

I love Anne Gracie's books! Her heroines are warm and caring people. Marry in Scandal is no exception. This book is not to be missed!

Gracie continues her new series with a great installment, featuring Lily, who is a delightful character who is trying to hide a secret that she believes makes her unmarriageable. Edward seems to be an affable young rake, but is still hurting from his past. Together, they work to overcome their own issues together. A great read.

I will never tire of Historical Romances, especially when the plot is a marriage of convenience.

Lady Lily Rutherford finds herself in a position to be rescued by well-known rake Edward Galbraith. After her rescue, rumors fly threatening Lady Lily’s reputation and he may be a rake, but Edward does have honor and would never be able to move on while Lily’s life is ruined.

Lily is aware of her feelings for Edward, as her hero-worship has turned to love. Edward on the other hand knew he would have to marry someday, it is his duty to provide an heir after all, but never entertained the notion of actually loving his wife.

Edward knows that Lilly wanted to marry for love, but the predicament his rescue put her in, doesn’t leave room for fantastic notions of romance and a happily ever after, at least not in his mind. Out of respect for her, he needs to make clear what their marriage would be:

He sat on a stiff little chair opposite her.

His palms were damp. “There are several things I want to make clear before I er, put the question to you.”

“Go Ahead.”

“This arrangement, if you agree to it, will be an arrangement, a marriage for practical reasons—you understand?”

“A convenient marriage?”

“Yes.” He was relieved she understood. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry for what?”

“That you won’t be able to do as you’ve always wanted—that there isn’t time for you to meet a suitable young man, be courted and fall in love.” There. He’d said it.

“Because of the scandal.”

“Yes. You and I know there is no basis for the gossip, but it is the way of the world. A woman’s reputation is based on what others think and say she did, not what she actually did.”

Horrible that a women’s life was run by her reputation, though men had to worry about their honor, it never compared.

With her family in full support of whatever decision she made, Lily agreed to marry Edward. With her marriage to Edward, she took on the task of helping him fight the demons that kept him from returning to his childhood home, feeling worthy of her love and loving her in return.

As in the first Marriage of Convenience novel, the secondary characters were wonderful. The Jane Austen quotes throughout showed that author Anne Gracie is a fan of her own genre. There’s just no way to go wrong with an homage to Jane Austen. I cannot wait to see if George or Rose are next!

With several Anne Gracie books under my belt, I was confident I’d found an historical author I could count on for an enjoyable read. It makes me sad to report that her latest release, Marry in Scandal, just wasn’t what I was hoping for. I found Lily to be a heroine who was simple and hard to relate to, Edward incredibly underdeveloped, and the plot shallow. But the biggest problem for me with this book was that, aside from the setting and a few plot points, these heroines were plucked right from the modern world and thrown back in time.

Now I will admit that Lily was a very sweet girl, and I liked her very much in Marry in Haste. But she did not feel, to me, interesting enough to carry her own story, or, if we’re bringing modern days into an historical setting, old enough to be getting married. I didn’t find her naivete endearing, and I don’t like it when heroines manipulate the hero because they aren’t coming to terms with their issues quickly enough. It’s something that rubs me the wrong way and turns me completely off. As far as Ned goes, I did like his character, but obviously, only what I knew of him. I don’t feel like we got to know him enough to really feel the appreciation and relief he did at finally coming to terms with his past, and aside from the fact that Lily accepted him into her bed almost ravenously, I am unclear as to why he was so drawn to her. As for the pacing of this book, it started off so slow that we were at least a third of the way through before the story really even got under way, and the pace never picked up. Also, like I mentioned before, I don’t feel like Lily had enough going on to carry an entire story, and we never really delved into Ned’s character, so the entire story arc felt superficial to me. When I went back and read my review for the first book in the series, which I really enjoyed, I realized I barely mentioned the romance between the main characters. My review mostly focused on the family dynamic and how the way they came together was so interesting and very sweet. It seems without that element, the story is lacking, and it makes me sad to admit that. I loved Lily’s family so much in the first book.

There were a few things I think are worth mentioning - there was a family Lily and Ned stayed with near the beginning of the story, and the son and daughter who later travelled with them were so entertaining and fun to read about. And so was Sylvia, a woman from Lily and Rose’s past. She was the most compelling part of this story, and I hope she makes an appearance in upcoming books.

I did go back and forth between print (provided by the publisher) and audio (purchased by me,) and I think the narrator does a wonderful job with accents and intonation, even if she does sound a bit older than Lily is supposed to be.

At this point I am undecided on whether or not to continue the series. We have Georgiana’s story coming up, and I can’t help but think it will be even more modern-feeling than this one. If you don’t mind a more contemporary feeling historical, Marry in Scandal may work for you. But if you’re looking for an historical romance that has an historical feel, you may want to pass on this one.

This is the second book in this series and after reading the first two I am very excited and anxious to read the rest. I am so in love with this family and hope with all my heart that we get to find out what happens to George and Rose and to see if they find their true loves. Lily Rutherford is a character I found so endearing in the first book and I was super excited to find out she is the leading lady in this book. I love that she was able to blossom and become a truly strong character and young lady to be admired. I loved this book and these characters and can’t wait to see what happens next for this incredible family.

Author Anne Gracie is known for her quick wit and in depth character development. Her latest book, Marry in Scandal is the second book in her Marriage of Convenience series. Gracie takes a sweet, naive, young heroine and puts her with a notorious rake. Rescue turns to scandal and Lily's reputation is about to go up in flames when she marries her rescuer, Edward. But this is no blessed union as Edward has plenty of secrets and even more walls around his heart. Gracie gives a readers a very good Regency period romp, that is both a quick read and a satisfying respite from a spring that hasn't sprung...



What I liked:



Anne Gracie is one of those authors that always pique's my interest. She has a wonderful knowledge of the Regency period. Her books ring true and have an authentic feel to them. The customs ands rules of Ton are many and varied and Gracie obviously knows them all. Readers enjoy an author who does her homework and Gracie certainly does. It is easy to be transported right into Lily and Edward's lives and the roles they are meant to play. What's even more interesting is when they deviate from the plan.



One of the things I found interesting about this book was that Gracie gives readers a heroine they might not be expecting. Lily is a young heroine, only 18. She is very sweet and gentle and doesn't come across like most female leads. She is almost timid. She also has a problem with reading and writing. It will probably be clear to reader that Lily is dyslexic, but in the Regency time period she was probably just thought to be slow. She is actually quite smart and engaging. She's also not a string bean. She's a little chubby or curvy as I like to say. I liked that she was flawed and real. It made her character easier to relate to and I applaud Gracie for going there with a heroine that's not societies idea of perfect.



Edward wasn't what one would call a "tortured" hero but he definitely wasn't a jubilant or happy character in the beginning. He understands that he needs to marry and that his rescue of Lily has put her in a precarious position. Reputation, reputation, reputation. That's everything in the Ton and Lily's is now ruined. He doesn't marry her for love. It's all convenience. I liked that he was not a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve. He was very introspective and he had some serious secrets. He wasn't just pining away over something silly. Gracie could have developed this character a little more, but I think she did enough to get the reader interested in finding out more.



Gracie does an amazing job of incorporating characters from the previous book and giving readers something to look forward to with some eclectic and interesting secondary characters. I loved Lily's sister Rose with her sharp tongue and wit. And her cousin Georgie was a real hoot. I hope we see more of her in this series. Gracie always makes me feel like her characters are genuine and full of surprises. I like the fact that she isn't afraid to give the secondary characters some time in each book without taking away from the main couple.



What I didn't like:



This one was pretty short and sweet. The plot was a little lacking. The marriage of convenience trope is a common one and often an author needs some kind of hook to get the reader engaged. I felt like there were good moments in this story and the I enjoyed the characters but the overall plot was a bit lowkey. Once the initial scandal is averted there isn't much to propel the story to the next level. It is a good book by Gracie but probably not my favorite.



Bottom Line:



This one can be read as a standalone and readers who have read Marry in Haste the first book in the series will enjoy catching up with old favorites. I thought Gracie did an great job with the secondary characters and the chemistry from the main couple was excellent. Lily is flawed and simply a joy to read. She wasn't a cookie cutter heroine and I liked that. Edward is a bit grumpy but not without redemption. The plot is a bit lowkey overall but it is still a very good read.

I absolutely loved Lily and Edward's story!! We meet Lily and Edward in the previous book in the series (although this could be read as a stand-a-lone, I recommend reading that one first). I never would have guessed that Gracie would partner these two together, but it really worked for me.

Lily is kidnapped and Edward comes to her rescue. Because of some nasty members of the ton, they are forced to marry. Lily knows that this is a marriage of convenience, but she can't give up her wish to have love in her marriage. But Edward is not willing to open up to Lily and they don't get as close as Lily would hope for. Can Lily get Edward to open up to her and get the loving marriage she always hoped for?

This was a great addition to the Marriage of Convenience series and I can't wait to read Rose and Georgiana's stories!

I am loving Anne Gracie's Marriage of Convenience. If there's a trope that I gravitate towards in historical romance, it's this one. I adore the fact that Gracie's series focuses on this trope - and she does it so well!

In Marry in Scandal, Lady Lily Rutherford does, indeed, marry in scandal. After being kidnapped, Lily is able to escape the villain this is attempting to abscond with her and force her to marry him since she's a heiress. In the midst of her escape, Lily literally stumbles upon Edward Galbraith in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, Edward is friends with Lily's brother Cal (the hero of book one) and helps her out of a bad situation. Edward tries to keep to whole ordeal under wraps, but naturally the scandal is revealed and Edward offers for Lily's hand to salvage her compromised reputation. Despite her family's misgivings, Lily agrees to marriage and hopes that Edward's feelings will change to become more like her own.

I liked everything about Marry in Scandal. Lily was a great heroine that perseveres despite her misfortune. And Edward is a decent man thrust into a complicated situation. While he consistently claims to be no one's hero, his actions towards Lily seem to contradict that belief, at least, in Lily's mind.

Other than the dramatic kidnapping at the beginning of the book, the mystery behind the abduction isn't something that takes up too much of the plot. Instead the focus is on the main characters and the progression of their relationship. And this is exactly how I prefer my romance and likely why I like the "marriage of convenience" trope so much: two people thrust into a permanent relationship and trying to work out what that means. This is all the drama that I need. Gracie is a master at making the character-driven drama work.

If you were a fan of Mary Balogh's Only a Promise, Gracie's Marry in Scandal is a must read. The character drama in Gracie's novel is exquisite as is the ultimate resolution of the relationship between Lily and Edward.