Oliver, Lord Davenport needs to marry. Finding a bride should be easy, but unfortunately, only one lady actually holds any appeal. It's the one woman he refused many years ago... Lady Harriet Wheatley. Oliver comes up with a plan. He will ask for Harriet's assistance in finding a bride, but will really be trying to win Harriet's hand.

Harriet wants nothing to do with the cad who rejected her so easily. She does, however, want to teach Oliver a lesson. She wants him to stop being so extravagant in his spending and use it for more worthy causes. Little does Harriet know she is the one who will be schooled. Find out what happens in THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN.

Author Robyn DeHart's LORDS OF VICE series currently consists of two novels, THE SCOUNDREL AND THE LADY and THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN. I have only read the second installment, THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN, but I can attest that it can be read as a standalone. I, myself, prefer the full effect and want to get to know Harriet's friends and the LADIES OF VIRTUE so I will be going back to read the first novel as well. Back to THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN... I was really surprised at this pairing. At first I thought, there's no way in hell, Harriet and Oliver suit each other, but then things took an unexpected turn. Theirs was a rather unconventional HEA, but I am happy with the way things turned out for Harriet and Oliver. THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN is a very entertaining read. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This story is filled with raunchy wit and steamy language. Harriet is strong willed and determined to have things her way and Oliver is determined to break down her walls. They go head to head in what becomes a clash of heated words hot enough to burn the pages. The back and forth banter is amazingly witty sometimes funny. It is an awesome love story.

The Marquess and The Maiden is the second book of the Lord's of Vice series. It stands alone, so don't worry if you missed the first one. This was a fun, quick little read. I always enjoy this author's books, and this one is no exception.

Harriet and Oliver were the children of best friends who hoped their children would unite the families through marriage. Harriet was a friend of many, but beloved by none. Oliver was bitter because his almost-fiance ditched him when he suffered a bad injury to his leg. When Harriet approaches him and suggests marriage to improve their lots in life, Oliver tells her in no uncertain terms that he doesn't want her. OUCH.

Fast forward six years, and both are still unattached. Oliver decides he needs to marry. Harriet is going to help him find a bride; however, it's Harriet he decides he wants. Harriet doesn't believe he desires her (she has self-esteem issues because she is short and curvy, while the desired form of the day is willowy). Also, Harriet wants to marry for love, not only desire. Oliver decides to change her mind. What follows is Oliver's steamy course of seduction.

I really enjoyed the romance between the leads. What I was a bit disappointed in was the lack of story concerning the Ladies of Virtue, a crime fighting team composed of women, including Harriet. There was also a bit of a mystery concerning said group, which was pretty much left dangling with no resolution. Hopefully those issues will be addressed in future installments of the series.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

The love story of Oliver and Harriett had a shakey start several years ago when their mothers tried to arrange their marriage. Oliver at the time refused because he was in the process of trying to undo all the damage his father had done to the family’s finances prior to his death. Six years later they meet and this time Oliver is looking for a bride and he chooses Harriett. The biggest problem seems to get her accept he is sincere in his choice of her as his bride. The book is well written and worth reading.

This was a lovely historical romance. The kind that sucks you in and makes you care deeply for the characters. A few things irritated me but I realize they're more a function of the age I'm born in, rather than true flaws.

Usually the Big Misunderstanding trope annoys me but this time I found it oddly charming. Harriet is a lovely woman, one I want to have been real, because of her passion and rather rebellious (for the age) nature. A bit naive but ready to fight for her own happiness. Her empathy and courage are something every human being should strive to possess. Oliver is my favourite type of male lead - the broken man that needs love to see he isn't really broken. The callous way he was treated due to his disability is truly appalling but unfortunately quite common even nowadays. Yes, he did some things I found disturbing but in that day and age it wasn't considered as wrong as it is today. Still I loved him and am happy that he got his HEA.

Apart from the disturbing nature of Oliver's courtship of Harriet the only other thing that annoyed me was the unresolved mystery of the book. I realize it will probably be a long running plot in the series but I still would have liked if the mystery was solved at the end. I have my suspicions and I wanted to know if I'm right. And now I'm off to read the first book of the series because this definitely caught my attention.

This is the first book I've read by Ms. DeHart and while I liked the romance of Oliver and Harriett, I was disappointed that the main mystery theme running throughout the book was not addressed or resolved at the end of the book. I'm not a fan of a mystery running across multiple books. Usually by the time the next book in the series comes out, I've already forgotten what the original premise was.

I did enjoy Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport, pursuit and courtship of Lady Harriet. He believes he is damaged goods because of a limp and Harriet believes that no one would ever find her attractive because of her lush curves which is the exact opposite of lithe figures of other debutants. In the end, they both help each other realize they are perfect for each other despite their imperfections. Having a flawed hero makes him more believable.

Harriet Wheatley knows many things about the ways of the world. Life is often unpleasant and those you surround yourself with are your best chance at finding happiness. Harriet surrounds herself with the ladies in her secret club, The Ladies of Virtue. Not only is the club a place where they discuss how to turn the men in the ton into purposeful members of society, but they also train themselves physically and mentally to fight crime. The one rule of The Ladies of Virtue is not to discuss The Ladies of Virtue. But someone’s tongue has wagged to a local newspaper and their club is in jeopardy.

Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport, was once upon a time almost engaged to Harriet. Their mothers are the best of friends and wanted the pair to married. When Oliver refused to take Harriet as his wife for her dowry, it stung her heart and her pride. Several years later, Oliver has brought his estate and the properties of the family his father swindled back to glory. With good investments and a lot of knowhow, Oliver’s family is prosperous once again. But it is time for Oliver to find a wife and Harriet is friends with everyone. The scheme is hatched with both Harriet and Oliver having their own agendas, but the final goal is to find Oliver the perfect bride.

DeHart takes us on a very bumpy road to love. Harriet is full of untapped passion for life. She tries to show the world her skills, yet is stifled when their club is leaked to the papers. Oliver was desperate to show the world he could bring his legacy back from the brink of destruction. His one stipulation was he would never marry to recoup his father’s losses. While his exterior shows a man who walks with a defined limp and spends money like water, he is actually very selfless in his daily life, helping his friends and family live comfortably.

I loved each twist and turn DeHart threw at us throughout the novel. The issue of Oliver’s limp might not be a problem by the standards of today, but it was almost world ending to him in the time period of this novel. Harriet never saw his limp as a problem and even though she thought his spending was excessive, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the man.

The Marquess and the Maiden is a complicated and passionate love story told brilliantly from awe-inspiring wordsmith, Robyn DeHart. If you love your stories full of passion, romance, and a thrilling plot you can hold close to your heart, this novel is for you.

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am occasionally iffy about Regency romances. Even though I had my ups and downs with this couple, I loved Heather and Oliver being together by the end of this story

Harriet’s involvement with the Ladies of Virtue made for a very unique story. I’ll be honest, I struggled to figure out the true purpose of this organization. At first, I thought it was some sort of Robin Hood type of thing, but then it just seemed as if they were trying to change the men to be more charitable. I wish that more time had been spent in this story really explaining what this organization was for.

I won’t spoil anything, but by the time I got to the end of the novel, I didn’t really see the point in their whole storyline of “trying” to get together. They almost always had chemistry, even if they tried to deny it. It didn’t make their romance pointless, but a lot of the “drama” between the two had me facepalming.

I did like the fact that Harriet was successful in her own way. Rather than succumbing to the “old maid” syndrome. She didn’t stop her life because she didn’t have a husband, or even feel the need to get a husband. She just wanted to live her life and better her community.

Even though Harriet may have been more spirited than the typical woman of the time, this book still stayed pretty historically accurate. It discussed the issues of women fighting against alcohol abuse, and woman fighting for the good of their communities. They didn’t want the rich men to have all of the power and waste their money on pointless things, dragging their communities to the ground.

The plot of this story moved smoothly, and it started to move quickly after the beginning had finished. It took me a bit of time to get into the story due to a bit of a time skip at the start, but then I got hooked!

I would recommend this short story if you enjoy Regency romances with strong female main characters and sweet love stories.

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book right from the beginning. I like a stong lead female and Harriet was definitely that. I do think it ended rather abruptly though.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.
What a steamy little read! This is the story of two individuals that have had issues to over yet find each other. Harriet is an independent spinster looking to settle down only for love. Her main focus is her ladies club that works to make London a safer place. Oliver is a jaded Marquess that lost his love after a crippling accident. They are thrown together again years after Harriet humiliated herself by making an assumption Oliver wanted to marry her. Oliver's interest have changed and his eye is now set on Harriet. My only complaints are I wish it were a longer book and I would like to know more about Oliver's first love and their split. I felt she was thrown in as an afterthought.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick and charming read with plenty of steam, which I like, I just wish it had been a bit longer. The plot seems to be woven into a simultaneous timeline with the other book in the series, with hopefully more to come, so there is mystery woven throughout that isn't really resolved yet. This story focuses mostly on Oliver and Harriet learning to have confidence and believe that they can truly love and be loved. If you're looking for a fun and light-hearted read, I'd highly recommend it.

Another fantastic read by Ms. DeHart. I love how some of the characters overlap in her series. It was great seeing The Brotherhood’s Lord/Lady Somersby again. The second Lords of Vice novel features the lovely, Ladies of Virtue member Harriet and the broken, lustful Oliver. I do love a story where the hero or heroine has to overcome a disability. It makes it seem more real. Not everyone is perfect in every story. This is a sassy, sexy and intriguing story. We still do not know who Lady X is…that is a story for another episode in Lords of Vice.

Oliver, Lord Davenport has been thrown at Lady Harriet. He walks with a cane and has no fortune. She is considered everybody's little sister and has not had any offers. He rejects her totally. He comes back to London after several years and thinks Harriet is beautiful, but she can't believe anything he says after the set down he has given her. He asks Harriet to play matchmaker and find him a bride.. There's no one but Harriet for him. While at a house party, he meets his formally betrothed who left him after he had his accident. Harriet sees her and leaves the room. Oliver comprises Harriet so she will have to marry her. She realizes that she has fallen in love with him but he has told her that he will never fall in love. Harriet is gone and he cannot find her. Has she left him? Will he be able to win her back? Great story with a wonderful ending. I received this book from Net Galley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I loved Harriet and Oliver's story!

Harriet was on a quest to reform Oliver and his spending. She doesn't feel like he should be throwing away all of his money and should be spending it on helping others instead. What she doesn't know is that there is a reason he spends so much of his money. They've known each other most of their lives, but they don't really know the other. I loved watching these two really learn what the other was like. Their bantering had me laughing out loud.

This was a great addition to the series and I can't wait to see what DeHart has in store for us with the next Lords of Vice book!

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/the-marquess-and-the-maiden-by-robyn-dehart/)

My Rating: 4 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library Romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: The Formerly Rejected Spinster (h) / The Determined, Titled Gentleman (H)

Sexual content: Some. Sex is romantic, “onscreen”, and explicit

Triggers: Bullying of h (not by H); forced proximity of h to H

Grammar/Editing: Some awkward phrasing.

Review: This is a fairly well-written book. There seem to be overlapping events from the first book in the series, but I admittedly have not read it and am basing this on having read the blurb for it. I typically would not review a series book without having read its predecessors, but the publisher indicated that this could stand alone, which I found to be accurate. Without spoiling the plot, some of the tropes are overdone or extraneous and therefore some of the internal (relationship) conflict seemed to me to be unnecessary. However, this is still a satisfying read and there are certainly those readers who will appreciate a higher degree of individual angst or will tolerate it more readily just because of the keen attention to historical detail displayed in the novel.

Oliver and Harriet are solid characters, if a little over-committed to their perceptions of what society thinks of them. Granted, we know that that was encouraged in the Victorian era, but it still seemed to be done to a remarkable degree in this book. Some supporting characters were more well-developed than others, which is suggestive of who the hero/heroine might be in the next book (pure speculation on my part – I haven’t seen or heard anything to indicate that I’m right about that). The more developed characters also seemed to be sensible people, which was needed to balance the personalities of the hero and heroine.

Overall, an enjoyable read that leaves the door open for future potential in the series.

Architecture and Design version: A short, curvy structure is paired with a building of slightly unstable foundation and overcompensating upper supports. While this combination could in some ways resemble a fun-house, the structures mingle well when paired with sympathetic internal design.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.