Iris Somerset is all set to marry Phineas "Finn" Knight, Lord of Huntington. Before they tie the knot, she wants a kiss from him to see if they suit one another. Unfortunately, chasing Finn out into the gardens at a party proves to be a mistake. Finn turns down her advances, the proceeds to leave her behind to meet with his mistress. As if that is not hurtful enough, Iris learns Finn has no feelings for her. In fact, she is not even his first choice for a bride, but he had to settle for her. Iris does not want a cold marriage, so she jilts Finn. With the help of "wicked widow" Lady Annabel Tallant, Iris determines to learn more about who she really is and what she really wants.

Finn is shocked when Iris turns down his offer of marriage. It forces him to take a step back and examine the woman he thought he knew... the woman he was going to marry. Iris is hiding her real reasons for jilting him and Finn means to discover what they are, although he may not like what he learns. When another man pursues Iris, Finn cannot allow it. He wants Iris for himself, but will she ever give him a second chance?

Reviewed via NetGalley for honest review. It's easy to see why author Anna Bradley has earned herself a spot among my top 10 historical romance writers list already this year. Her latest novel, a great start to her SOMERSET SISTERS series btw, MORE OR LESS A MARCHIONESS, is enthralling. Ms. Bradley gives readers a worthy heroine and a noble, albeit slightly arrogant hero. Finn's attitude is a little frustrating throughout most of the book, but I promise, there is a reason for it, and he does learn to open up and express his feelings to Iris. Iris gives him a merry chase and makes him work to prove himself. Watching their love story unfold is a beautiful thing. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in Ms. Bradley's SOMERSET SISTERS series.

Iris Somerset is a debutante who decides she is not going to do what is expected of the young ladies of the ton after she accidentally hears her betrothed, Finn Huntington, and his former mistress in the garden. That moment changes the course of her life. She decides to take control of her future, becoming bold, strong and self-reliant. One of the reasons Finn was interested in her, at first, was because he thought he saw a spark of something in her eye that might make her a non-compliant wife.

Iris begins by bating Finn about some of the comments he and his former mistress made about her. Some of her jabs were about Finn’s relationship with his former mistress. Either way, Finn has difficulty believing she is breaking their betrothal. It takes a while for her witty comments to make him realize she knows more about why he offered for her and the card game than she should. His rival, Lord Wrexley, takes full advantage of the break in their betrothal to move in to make Iris his. Lord Wrexley is cousin to Iris’s good friend, so she has known him for some time. Iris trusts Lord Wrexley never having reason not to do so.

More or Less a Marchioness is a good representation of the life of ton members. Men married quiet women who left them alone. Husbands kept mistresses while wives looked the other way. The awakening of Iris, with the help of Finn’s own mistress’s words and the help of a wicked widow, leads to a female who makes her own decisions and stands by them.

This is a great book for a light-hearted, fun read. Anna Bradley keeps you entertained from beginning to end, even adding in portions from a naughty book of the era.

Iris Somerset has had to hide her strong willed, impetuous nature under the veneer of a pliable placid debutant in order to secure an engagement to one of the Ton’s most eligible bachelor, Lord Huntington. However, as she discovers, its soul destroying to hide ones true nature and a chance meeting at a garden party precipitates her rebellion with unforeseen consequences. Entertaining.

Loved this book! I love the cold Marquess, I like Iris, just a little bit too feminist for me, during that era! She finds out he won her in a water, however, he lost his first choice. Iris finds out, by listening in a garden , in a conversation between his Mistress, and himself. She decides to jilt him, without telling anyone, if society finds out, she will be ruined! He is in absolute shock, that anyone would dare jilt him! Then they are invited to a house party, she has no idea, that he will be there. Then, the game is on!
I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

This is an entertaining story about a titled man, Lord Phineas, or “Finn”. He has decided it is time for him to marry and since in his mind one debutante is about the same as another, he places a wager with two of his friends over which gentleman can court which young woman. Finn loses out on his first choice, and so he begins to court Iris.
Lady Iris has been raised to be the perfect wife, as is the norm for a girl of her station. She is quiet, plays an instrument, has hobbies, and behaves appropriately at all times. Not because she wants be good, but because it’s expected of her.
Finn and Iris become betrothed and while at a garden party, Iris discovers that she may have made a mistake in saying yes to Finn. A bit of eavesdropping helps her with this revelation. She may have made mistakes in a number of things. This is where the story begins and becomes amusing.
There are several ancillary characters from whom Iris seeks advice or assistance, and others from whom she keeps secrets. Finn on the other hand becomes embroiled in a quest of his own.
The two of them discover that each is not what they seem, but may be vastly different, possibly better.
There is humor, a bit of intrigue, longing, and a smoldering heat that builds up between the two that is wonderful! I truly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to stories involving other characters from this book- especially Violet, Iris’s sister. I highly recommend this to readers of historical romance who enjoy a laugh or two with their happy endings.

Well, I have to add another author to my list. I loved this battle of the sexes between Finn the Marchioness and Iris, his betrothed. He wanted a docile, quiet obedient wife who is what society make the female gender adhere to, while the boys will be boys was AOK with the ton as long as it was discreet. After Iris hears him talking to his ex mistress, she stages a rebellion and jilts the proud man. He didn't think he would like a woman with a spark in her eyes, but he finds himself unable to turn her loose. I loved Finn and Iris and the author paints a multi-layered portrait of life in the ton. Loved this story!

I enjoyed this tale , it was well written and had some great characters, I felt in parts the story lacked but two pages later it picked up again., so overall it was entertaining and worth the read

Finn and Iris' story is one I could not wait to turn the page to see what was going to happen next.. Their story captivates the heart and had the reader rooting for the two to end up together. No one wants to be a second choice and Iris comes to realize she can do something about it. No simpering miss in this story. I would definitely reccomend this book.

I would actually give this book 4.5 starts. It had funny parts and had a wonderful supporting cast of characters. Finn was betrothed to Iris but was not really interested in her since he was really desiring a biddable, demur wife. When Iris overhead a conversation between Finn and his old mistress, she decided to end the betrothal. Finn realizes slowly what he missed and was also protecting her from scandal. There was also Lord Westerley who was trying to mislead Iris because he wanted her dowry. I liked the characters and how Finn and Iris had people supporting their relationship. I would have like Iris to start being bolder in her wardrobe and I would have liked Finn to be more open about decisions earlier than he was. I would also have liked to understand a little bit more of their backgrounds. It was a fun read, thank you!

I have read, and enjoyed, other stories by this author, so I have to admit his one was a bit of a disappointment to me. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not invest myself in these characters or their story. I feel as though the characters fell flat - Iris jilts him without at first giving him a real reason, and Finn treats her like the toy he lost on the sandbox. He wasn't overly interested in her until someone else wanted her. And of course that someone else must be a villain - its cliche for a reason. I didn't even see where Annabel really even took her under her tutelage other than to suggest she read erotic (and therefore highly inappropriate) books, and place an idea in a head here or there, merely for her own amusement as she says several times.

I think this book could have been so much better with just a few changes, and I know what this author is capable of so I feel she could have done better than this. All things considered however, I do believe this story will still appeal to those who enjoy historical romance novels.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is Iris and Finn’s story. They’re betrothed. Iris overhears Finn’s former mistress talking to him about inappropriate things. She tries to break off the betrothal. He won’t let her. He thinks she will be the perfect marchioness. He follows her to a house party. They find out things about each other that will make for a passionate marriage. There are many twists and turns in their relationship. True love finds them. This book made for great reading.

Anticipation. There was so much tension in this story, I had a hard time putting it down. Finn and Iris leapt off the page in every scene they were in. Just the right amount of witty conversation, double entendre and angst-filled remarks. There is so much going on with who is courting who and who will they end up with and the whys of their switching around. Love this author and love this story.

The one thing I did not like about the book was Lord Derrick. Don’t mistake, I loved him but not his end circumstance. Just saying...

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Anna Bradley’s novel and More or Less a Marchioness is no exception. This is the first novel in her series “The Somerset Sisters”. This story follows Iris Somerset who overhears her fiancé Lord Huntington (Finn) telling his former mistress, Lady Beaumont that he wants to marry Iris, simply because she is ‘naïve, docile and predictable’. She also hears Lady Beaumont say that Iris was not even his first choice. Consequently, Iris decides to jilt Finn and as a result, he sees her in a new light. Finn decides to pursue Iris which is where the story becomes interesting.
As the story progresses, Finn becomes more likeable whilst Iris becomes more confident in her own actions. Lady Annabel who is considered to be the ‘wicked’ or slightly risqué widow, is particularly enjoyable and she adds depth to the novel. Whilst this is the first book in the series, there are connections to the previous series “The Sutherland Sisters’ which make me want to go back and read through this series again. I look forward to reading more about the Somerset sisters in the future.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A truly lovely historical romance.

I really enjoyed More or Less a Marchioness by new-to-me author, Anna Bradley. I'm going to have to snatch up Anna Bradley's entire backlist if she has more like this up her sleeve!

I don't think I like anything more than an antihero in romance. In More or Less a Marchioness, Finn started off the story as someone I was firmly rooting against. I found him to be cold, ruthless, and just... bleh. However, as the story progressed, I grew to understand him and love him, and he completely won me over.

I also don't think I'll ever tire of strong-willed, bold female MCs, especially in historical romance. I really liked Iris, and my love for her also got stronger as the book went on.

I liked how there was so much excellent chemistry between the two MCs. I read SO much romance that I can find myself bored or uninspired by a pairing, but I just though that Iris and Finn smoldered. I love a story where attraction and sexual tension builds over time, and by the time Finn and Iris truly got together I was READY for it.

Other than some pacing issues and some deviations in the plot that I found to be awkward, I really adored the story. I didn't want to stop reading, which is always the best sign for me. This book put Anna Bradley and this series on the top of my "to-watch" list, and I can't wait to read more about the entertaining Somerset sisters.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

What an utterly enchanting love story! I absolutely adore Finn and Iris’s characters that are hiding their real selves from the world but go through a phase of self discovery as they work their way to a HEA with each other. This book is sexy, emotional and difficult to put down. I adored it so much that after reading it the first time, I immediately went back to read it again and savor the parts of the story that I absolutely adored. This is book one in the Somerset sisters series. I cannot wait for Violet to get her own story. My heart broke for her in this book and I really wish she gets her own HEA next. Highly recommend this book for the heartthrob hero and brave heroine.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

„More or Less a Marchioness“ by Anna Bradley is the first novel in her new series „The Sumerset Sisters“. I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all this is not my first Anna Bradley novel, I already enjoyed „The Sutherland Sisters“ so I already mixed those up in the beginning.

It took me quite long to get into this story because I really felt no connection towards Iris, the female lead, in the beginning. I think it took me more than 15 percent of the novel but I did not want to put it away though I was shortly before.

Lord Huntington and his friends wager over cards and he loses, so he cannot court his first choice but has to court and wed Iris, one of the three headstrong Sumerset sisters. In the beginning she seems dull and boring and it took me quite long to get behind her facade. She plays the boring and dull lady to hide her rebellious streak.
It is not like Lord Huntington is really into her but he is a man of his word, so he courted her, asked for her hand in marriage, she agreed to it and they kind of set a date for the marriage already when she finally jilts him because … well because of a few reasons. Without going into too many spoilers: there is a frivolous mistress involved, a kiss, the wagering …

As soon as I got over the initial boring first 15 percent I really enjoyed the story and I fell for Huntington, I did not really connect with Iris though. She is a nice character, well developed but not my cup of tee.
But my favourite character was Lady Annabel, the wicked widow. She is the connection between those two strong headed adults, who really enjoys paring those two off. She is not shy to introduce Iris to erotic literature and that is one of the aspects I really enjoyed about the novel, those references to existing erotic novels and the missing education. Women had no clue about the amorous activities. They knew little about their body and their pleasures, respectively taking their pleasure.
Another part of the story I really enjoyed is „Chaos“, the huge horse. This strand of the plot was different from the usual involvements of animals in Regency novels.

All in all – a 4 Star Rating.

I enjoyed the story line but did get a bit confused at times because of the character perspective hopping. The author switches first person between main characters and secondary characters which at times had me wondering who the story was about. Once I got passed the confusion, i settled confortablely into the book. The characters are colorful and interesting, the plot line keeps you intrigued. Looking forward to the next book

I'm a fan of Anna Bradley's work and I enjoyed this read about the romance between Finn and Iris. I liked how Iris bucked convention and jilted Finn who was sadly, completely disinterested in her. I quite disliked Finn in the beginning of the story and was interested to see if the author could redeem him in my eyes, which she did as I grew to like and understand Finn more by the end of the story. I really enjoyed this read and it was one I'd recommend!

Do you remember when you were a child and you had a toy you never played with or you despised and when your mum gave it away you had the sudden urge to retrieve it swearing that it was your favourite toy and that you couldn’t live without it? Well this is what happened to Finn when his sweet betrothed, the most proper lady, oveheard him and his mistress engaged in a goodbye conversation in which she called her dull and predictive and he, instead of defending his sweetheart, agreed with her because that was precisely what he wanted in a wife.

Of course Iris jilted him, and not only for that, there were also other reasons, like… for example courting her because he lost a wager, or her not being his first choice… who wants to be second choice? No one. It’s not like Iris expected him to love her, no, but that coldness, that lack of empathy, that unbearable propriety… She wanted more of him, and of course she didn’t care about his wealth and his title. Did he really think that all ladies wanted to marry and become invisible? Not our Iris. So she jilted him… TWICE.

Here’s the story of a man who learns that women need to be seen as they are. That they aren’t interchangeable clones. And here’s the story of a young innocent woman who learns to know herself and her own desires better. But in order to get them together we need a small house party, a greedy rake for a rival and a wicked widow acting as a Celestine to these two.

Speaking of the rival; the animosity between Finn and lord Wrexley reminded me of Bridget Jones (stop reading if you haven’t seen the movie). There’s two men and one woman; one man loves her but his pride and sense of propriety stops him from sharing his feelings, the other man seems to care a lot for her and shows her all the time, but in the end he only cared for himself (and her money). Our Iris is improper and unpredictable, unsuitable for the title of marchioness, but she’s also funny and sensual… well actually Finn likes that she’s improper and unpredictable… and he had thought her dull! So there, I thought of Bridget, Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver. There are more similarities but I don’t want to spoil the book for you, you’ll have to read it. Sorry!

Our Celestine is the wicked widow Lady Anabel Tallant (are you familiar with the figure of Celestine? She was a wise woman in the town of Salamanca who, for a little sum, would sell you love potions for your sweetheart, the book didn’t end well for the lovers). Instead of love potions she meddles with the lovers by giving Iris some advice and by recommending some erotic literature so she can teach herself. Basically Lady Anabel gives Iris some degree of sexual education which, as you well know, has never been considered important although it actually basic. Iris learns to please a man thanks to these books and, well, Finn discovers her reading… and realizes that although the sex ed is considered scandalous, the lack of knowledge in a woman is what actually makes her dull. Not knowing what to do, of course she’s boring!

That leads me to the aspect of the novel that I liked the most. When Finn and Iris have sex for the first time he asks her what she’s learned from the books, and while she’s telling him he teaches her something; the books are all about how to pleasure men, the woman’s pleasure is secondary if anything. Finn wants Iris to please herself, to know her own body reactions so she can ask for pleasure in bed, she can tell him what she wants him to do to her once she knows herself. He explores her body so she gets to recognize her pleasure spots and when she tells him that she had been masturbating when reading the saucy books he tells her that it’s natural and that there’s nothing wrong with it. In that moment I fell in love with Finn too.

Once I got sucked by the story (because that was what happened) I couldn’t stop reading, and it was quite late at night. I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially because of what I said in the paragraph above and for many other conversations between Iris and Finn. These conversations are so important while at the same time so sexy and such fun to read. I only wished that Finn wasn’t so despicable at the beginning or that the characters had a little bit more depth.

This is the second book by Anna Bradley that I read. The first one being “Twelfth Night with the Earl”, which is my favourite Christmas romance now and the reason why I requested “More or Less a Marchioness”. I want to read more of her books now.

This is the first book of the series. It made it clear that you always want something you can't have. This had fun characters. A lot of ups and downs without being outragous. I liked how they were getting to know each other and they already thought they knew and liked them anyways. Well written