Alex and Dorie's story is one for the romance readers! The story is expertly told and the dialogue is easily readable! I enjoyed this story and look for to reading more from Ella Quinn!

This story was a good historical romance. Heroine got jilted in her first season and is now jaded. Hero is a spoiled little boy who has to grow up really, really fast after his father dies leaving him a title.

Hero decides to find himself a wife and since the heroine has sworn off marriage except for the love of her life, she is perfect to find him one. In this time of searching, the two spend lots of hours together and by the time the heroine figures out the hero is perfect for her, he finds another.

Slow moving story, not much excitement. Fairly proper romance until the last bit of the book and then it gets somewhat steamy.

I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I'd known it would be a slow burning romance, but I'm rather glad I did. It took them forever, but they finally got there.

Reviewing all of Ella Quinns books at the same time because Ive been holding off. I have tried three now and haven't enjoyed any of them. She writes well enough but I am bored to tears and they lack chemistry. They don't make my heart pitter patter. Just nothing exciting happened in this book. There were things that I was really confused about and I wonder if there were bits and pieces in other books that would have filled in the gaps. Like, how long it had been since Alex saw his family and waht happened with his parents. I wish those had been explained here. Or maybe I was so bored that I zoned out and missed it. I had plenty of other questions too.

I think this author is just not for me, which is why I am not posting these reviews publicly. But I wanted to provide the feedback.

I love the author, but this book started slow and finished slow for me. There was no twists in it. It was predictable too. Saying that I can also say it was a light and good reading during a very rainy day.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoy ella Quinn's book but this one seemed to just drag on. The characters were boring and so was the plot. It felt like nothing happened. The characters did not spend any significant time together, so when would they have fallen in love. I will absolutely give Quinn another chance but this was a miss.

There was a time in my life where all you would catch me reading, other than Harry Potter, was historical romances. That being said, I am pretty familiar with most of the storylines related to the reluctant marriage turned love match. Based on the title that is what I expected, but I got so much more.

Ella Quinn breathed new life into a tale that I thought that I had heard it all related to. The strong heroine that only agrees to marry for love and the man in needed of a wife, with his eyes set on her. I was so happy to see a heroine that went beyond the stereotypical ideas of a strong lady, she wasn't only outspoken but incredibly adept in ways that Alex was lacking. Though the book started off a bit slow for me, after I got into it I could not put it down. I was pulled in to the relationship between Alex and Dorie. There were times where I wanted to laugh, which I did and accidently woke up my seven month old in the process, scream at them for being so blind, and close the book out of frustration.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has a soft spot for strong heroines and a love of a good historical romance with a really long build up.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I most definitely will read more by this author.

A slow burn without any real tension or things at stake. I did find it highly unrealistic that the heir, was left unprepared to undertake the responsibilities of the title upon his father's death (because primogeniture) and regardless of how "unexpected" the death was, this sort of teaching began from the cradle, especially with a title this high up.

Lady Dorcus Calthorp, daughter of the Marquis of Huntington, loved and lost during her first Season, leaving her suspicious of gentlemen. Now Dorie finds herself with no marital prospects in sight—until Alexander, the newly elevated Marquis of Exeter, arrives in town. Handsome, charming, and an interesting conversationalist, he at first seems to be her perfect match. Then Dorie discovers he may not be seeking a wife so much as a land steward and mother to his sisters. After learning of his father’s death, Alexander returns home to find his mother has run off with his land steward, leaving his younger sisters with their governesses. The most expedient solution is a wife who will take the household and estate in hand while he assumes his role in parliament. Lady Dorie meets all the requirements—until she makes a surprising proposal. Instead of marrying Alexander, she will tutor him in his duties, freeing him to find his heart’s match. Yet the more Dorie teaches him, the more he longs to change their course of study—to love. And with the end of the Season nearing, he doesn’t have much time...
This was a decent story. I was a little bothered in the beginning. One thing with titles in royalty is that the heir is always trained in what he will inherit. I know it was a plot point for them to have a chance to fall in love but it still was a little irritating. Other than that, I did like both characters and their story.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is a very sweet historical romance. The plot is simple and the appeal is in the characters that Quinn has created. Alexander, the Marquis of the title, has returned from his Grand Tour after the death of his father and his mother's sudden elopement. In the meantime, Lady Dorie has been helping run the household and look after his sisters. She is a 'managing' sort, which translates in this case to an interesting and competent woman. However, she doesn't want to be wanted solely for her household management skills, though Alexander quickly sees that she would be an ideal partner. The plot is not terribly complicated, mostly a series of events to build a slow romance. In a flip of familiar tropes, Alexander is more sure of his feelings than Dorie.
I appreciated that this book doesn't rely on intrigue and outlandish plotting, though this also leaves the story ultimately not that memorable. However, while reading, it is a nice story to get distracted by.

The Marquis She's Been Waiting For is book nine from The Marriage Game series. I have not read anything by Ella Quinn before and it won't be the last. I enjoyed this story. I give it three and a half stars.

Alexander Endicott is on his Grand Tour in Italy when he learns his father has died. When he returns to London, he is in for a bigger shock. His mother married the estate steward shortly after he inherited his uncle's title and they went to Scotland, abandoning his younger sisters. Luckily, Lady Dorcus Calthorp, daughter of the Marquis of Huntington, stepped in and helped run the household.

Lady Dorie had loved and lost during her first Season. She is holding out for a gentleman that she can love. Alex has decided that Dorie is perfect for him. Dorie is doing her best to keep helping Alex while finding him the perfect wife.

While Dorie starts to tutor him in his duties, he longs to make a match with her. Will Alex get his HEA?

I enjoyed the slower pace of this book. Dorie was a strong character. I really liked her. Alex was just trying to figure out what end was up. He needed a strong woman backing him. I really liked the characters and how characters from the previous books made "guest appearances".

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/09/21/the-marquis-shes-been-waiting-for-by-ella-quinn/)

My Rating: 3 stars

Library recommendation: Not 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 Clueless Peer (H) / The Managing Lady (h)

Sexual content: Some; both on and off-screen and explicit, but with some use of euphemisms

Triggers: None.

Grammar/Editing: This ARC had a fair number of typos and omissions of punctuation.

Review: This novel set a fairly slow pace, but the action sped up close to the end of the book, making it feel a bit like the author was running out of time or word count. The setting is Regency, but the reader is left to infer this from clues scattered throughout the text – there is a reference to Waterloo and “Prinny”, so the setting is clearly between 1815 and 1820.

Both Dorie and Alexander, while interesting characters in their own rights, are a bit inept (my reading notes use the word “bumbling”) with regard to relationships, although they somehow find themselves able to come together. While this premise could have been an interesting one, the writing felt stilted and uneven. Additionally, while the book seemed a typical “drawing room” regency novel, it careened into a wall of sexual modernity unexpectedly in the last quarter of the novel, which was at odds with the style of the first three-quarters, causing some cognitive dissonance. The supporting characters were similarly inconsistent, being very concerned with propriety initially, but suddenly eschewing it in the name of the apparently elusive “love match.”

Stand-Up Comedy Version: As the great Eddie Izzard would have it, “you can’t eat popcorn to that”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfw60qXtOH0



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

Alexander, Marquis of Exeter, needs someone to run his household, chaperone and guide his sisters, and help him understand the estates he has inherited. When he learns that Lady Dorcus "Dorie" Calthorp has been managing all for him since his mother's infamous elopement, he is intrigued. Alexander needs to marry, and Dorie appears to fulfill all his needs with little effort on his part.

Dorie wants a "love match" and won't settle for anything less.

"Let me just say that he is a little too interested in me without knowing me at all. I do not believe he wishes for a love match, and I will not marry without one."

While Alex tries to fix his interest with Dorie, she tries to match him with others. She needs a gentleman who will challenge her and encourage her to use all her talents, and Alex sets out to be that man.

Ella Quinn has written an enjoyable, fun story with a number of great secondary characters. You will get a kick out of Dorie's father and mother! Lady Huntley knows her daughter and isn't afraid to scheme a little to get Dorie to realize that she and Alex are actually a perfect match.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a number of books by Ella Quinn and I love them.
Lady Dorcus Calthorp wants to marry for love and is on the hunt for just the right man who will love her but Alexander, the new Marquis of Exeter is not that man! Lady Dorie has no problem helping him find a wife. A wife that he so desperately needs. He needs help with his sisters and someone to assist him in running his estates as he never learned how.
Alexander believes that Lady Dorie is the right woman for the job, even if he doesn't love her because who needs love in a marriage?
A fun story of a Lady who denies any attraction she may have for the Marquis and a Marquis who tries to convince her to wed.
I really enjoyed reading about these two characters getting to know one another. Lady Dorie is intelligent and Alexander is wanting to do well in his new role as Marquis.
You will come across a number of characters from Ella's other books as well.
I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a wonderful addition by Ella Quinn to her world of extended families who are happy, well-adjusted and searching for love despite the obstacles of gossips and snobbery in Regency London. Lady Dorcas is a somewhat unusual heroine in that she is not just bossy; she is managing in a way that might be uncomfortable in real life. Yet, Quinn writes her heroine with so much heart and kindness, Dorie, as she is called, does not become annoying. In fact, our hero, Alexander — or the Marquis of Exeter — realizes fairly early that Dorie is the answer to his prayers. Not just because she can help manage his sisters, squash the scandal of his mother running off to elope or even because she can teach him how to run the estate -- no, Alexander just falls for her, and his coming to realize that Dorie is his true love is truly sweet. Dorie, who knows it all, doesn't know that Alexander is right for her -- yet, and her coming to realize that she might have missed the lover of her life is written with compassion, humor and enough suspense to make the ending one to savor. A delightful read. (I received an advance copy on NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

This is my fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. The writing in this book was well done. However, I found the story lifeless.

This was a standard regency romance in many ways, with a very competent and intelligent heroine Dorie, who has a kind heart and determined personality, and Alex, the new Lord Exeter. Alex has come home from his grand tour to find his mother has elected and he is completely unprepared to manage his estates and look after his sisters, who have been left behind as he is their legal guardian. Dorie has been helping his sisters out while he has been away, and when he returns she decides to help him find a suitable wife who has been well trained in management to support him. Although she is attracted to him, Dorie is determined to fall in love. Alex Immediately realises he wants to marry Dorie as she could solve all his problems but it takes far too long for him to realise that he loves her.

This book was very long, and I think, a little too long. Neither of the characters made me feel that invested in them or their story and I also was absolutely astounded at the way Alex’s mother was vilified in the book. Her husband had had a bigamous marriage with four other children since she had had her children, and she was blamed and penalised for trying to find happiness after her husband had died. She also seemed to have been treated quite badly by him, and not even been given the respect that she should have had as his wife.

There were also a lot of details that didn’t seem to go anywhere, such as the detail about the Marchioness’ apartments, and so on.

All in all, I felt this was ok, but not a favourite, it was overlong and a little disjointed.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Also posted on Goodreads

The characters are great! They are well fleshed out and interesting. I just couldn't take the slow pace of the story. It felt like I was on a merry go round for 80% of the story and the last 20% I got off all dizzy, wondering what just happened. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Another lively read from Ella Quinn.

What do you do when you've become the Marquis earlier than wished, your mother's scandalously run off with the land steward leaving your two sisters in your care, and you know nothing about managing households, lands, or young ladies?
What Alexander, now Marquis  of  Exeter decides is that he needs a wife to help him through the mire of governing his marquisate. An aunt he's asked for assistance fires off the following tersely worded sensible sentiment, 'My advice is to find a wife.'
Meanwhile Lady Dorcus Calthorp, daughter of a Marquis and sister one of Alex's friends, crosses Alex's path and decides to help him by introducing him to eligible potential candidates.
Dorie discounts herself as a candidate. She's decided to marry for love, like the rest of her family. (I must admit to finding the interactions of her parents, the Marquis and Marchioness of Huntington very amusing.)
Alex is completely bamboozled about the idea of being in love. This is foreign territory and not for him. However as he starts to change his mind he ruminates that, "This falling in love made life much more problematical just when it did not need more complications."
He feels his only viable action is to pursue the reluctant Dorie. Having decided she is his preference will be difficult because, "Dorie was definitely a challenge. His greatest one yet."
Now added to this it seems his father has another family. We don't hear much in this novel but that fact seems to be somewhat up in the air and hidden. Will it come to light later? And then there's Dorie's friend Lady Augusta Vivers, who seems to me even more absent minded than ever. Mmmm!
What with amongst many things, preventing scandals from coming to light, needing a wife, and not even on a nodding notice with the idea of falling in love, our newly minted noble has his hands full, as does his chosen lady.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley