The marquis of Exeter returns home from his Grand Tour because his father died unexpectedly. His mother has run off with a Scottish lord and left his sisters behind. A neighbor, Dorie, has been keeping the estates going and his sisters under control. Poor guy has a lot on his plate since his father never taught him how to run things. Exeter decides the best thing to do is marry, and Dorie will suffice. But Dorie only wants to marry for love, so she introduces Exeter to all her friends.
This is a cute story as Dorie and Exeter find their way to a HEA. Lots of twists and turns, and surprising developments.
I received an ARC of this book.

Alex has just inherited his new title and a whole lot of headaches. Dorie is looking for a husband but she will not settle for nothing but a “love match”. She is very intelligent and good hearted and has decided to help Alex get settled with the knowledge he needs. That’s when all the fun and twists and turns come about. Fantastic read. I wish I could give this read a “10”.

Heat Factor: They’re pretty proper. They do jump in the sack after they’re engaged.
Character Chemistry: The holding each other at a distance while also becoming more intimate was kinda sorta cute.
Plot: “Please rescue me, my love. My life is a hot mess.”
Overall: If you like high drama, this isn’t for you. If you like low key stress, this is probably a good fit.

I do not know what to make of this book. Perhaps you, readers, can help me. On the one hand we are dealing with a story that includes adults whose stressors are normal adult stressors, which is a refreshing change from all the angst and drama of so many romance novels. On the other hand, there were several occurrences that made me think, "Why is this even a thing?"

The premise:
Alexander has just unexpectedly inherited the Marquisate of Exeter from his father. He was traveling on the continent when it happened, so he's arrived home to find his household a complete shambles. His father never trained him to manage the estate (which naturally comes with several properties). His mother eloped with the steward. And his young sisters have been left alone in his house, chaperoned only by their highly unsuitable governess. Fortunately their neighbor, Lady Dorie, has been keeping an eye on things, but it's a mess.

Lady Dorie is a managing female who honestly has a hard time minding her own business. Fortunately Exeter appreciates that, but holy moly this woman needs to learn some boundaries. She stepped in where she was truly much needed, and now that the Marquis is home she's ready to step back. Sorta. It’s just that Exeter is at a loss as to what to do, and he'd be perfectly willing to let Dorie continue managing his life as his wife. Because nothing but a love match will do for her, Dorie determines that she must find Exeter a wife who will meet all of his needs so she can continue her search for a love match. You see? Meddling.

Peppered throughout are little conflicts that must be addressed:
Through no fault of their own, Exeter’s sisters reputations are being dragged through the mud. (Thanks, Mom.)
The irresponsible mother who carelessly damaged her daughters' reputations wants them to live with her and her new husband, going so far as to try to kidnap them.

The unsuitable governess is having an affair and because she is a forward-thinking vegetarian feminist, she also refuses to get married.

Exeter's father's Tory friends won't sponsor him in Parliament because they think he should leave town for a year (fortunately he's a Whig like Dorie's father).

I wondered why there was so much denoument, and the reason is Quinn did a pretty solid job of tying up all her loose ends.

Let's discuss:
Unlike (I would argue) most Regency romance novels, which focus on propriety primarily so the protagonists can proceed with utmost impropriety, our protagonists in this book are paragons. From a pragmatic standpoint, I appreciate this aspect of the book, but it also means that non-conformist behavior is scorned. Examples:

Exeter’s mom falling in love and marrying the man she loves is basically the end of the world.

The unsuitable governess is sacked after she engages in an extramarital affair.

If outlandish drama that doesn’t always make sense in a historical context (or, let’s be honest, in any context...we’re fantasizing here after all) is not your favorite, Ella Quinn is a good bet. It also means that the drama that drives the plot is based on the sort of bad assumptions and misunderstandings that occur in real life. For example:

Exeter is a bit out of sorts when he comes home, and his willingness to allow Dorie to keep managing his life leads Dorie to assume that Exeter knows less than he does. He’s an adult who has friends from when he went to school. He knows how to go on in society. His father just never taught him to manage his estates and he hadn’t planned to be a stand-in father to his sisters. And yet Dorie is shocked when he doesn’t need her help in some social situations.

Given where he is in his life Exeter is advised by several friends to marry. As a product of aristocratic society (and of his parents), love doesn’t need to be part of the equation, but when he fixes his interest on Dorie, he loses interest in every other woman. For her part, Dorie demands a love match and nothing else, so she keeps trying to fix up Exeter with other women.

Dorie demands a love match but she has no idea what she’s looking for because she’s decided that a man with whom she has nothing in common and for whom she has no strong feelings is apparently the man for her. Meanwhile, she can talk politics, estate management, etc. with Exeter but she refuses to consider that she could love him because she’s already decided he doesn’t love her.

Anyway, for some low key Regency romance, start here. You’ll find strong heroines, but know that they don’t fit the mold of the popular historical heroines who throw convention out the window with impunity. Given that those heroines are totally annoying, I’d recommend a cozy sit-down with Ella Quinn any day.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

What an excellent book! Lady Dorie is a strong woman with a lot of knowledge of how t run a household and an estate. Alex, Lord Exeter, has absolutely no knowledge, but just wants Dorie as a wife. Dorie is holding out for a love match, but perhaps during her lessons to him, they can both get what they want.
I loved the characters in this story. Dorie is a strong, capable woman who is not afraid to wait for what she wants. I also liked how Alex recognized her strengths and valued them.
The family was lovely as well!
This is definitely a sweet, rather than steamy read, but well worth reading if you enjoy historical romances. I am curious about the other books in the series, but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Hyper competent regency heroine helps hapless London neighbor get his estates in order and chaperone his sisters after their father dies and mother decamps with a scandalous second marriage. This is a good one, although I hope that a subsequent book explores how the widowed mother was mistreated by the deceased Marquis, and son/hero realizes his father was a shit.

3,5 stars

The writing is good but the do they like each other/are they in love seemed to take about 75% of the book and then the hero Exeter and heroine Dorie went from non sensual beings to full out sex in just a few pages! I also found the plethora of characters confusing. I realised that this is actually book 9 in the marraige game series so it isn't surprising that couples from previous books turned up. I really liked Dorie's parents they were quirky and interesting. It was good that Dorie was able to help Alex with getting to understand his estates etc. Not sure making him to dyscalcic added that much to the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alexander, the newly elevated Marquis of Exeter, arrives home from his Grand Tour to find his mother has run off to marry again, leaving his 2 young sisters with a governess. Alexander always thought he'd have time to learn how to manage his estates, but with his father's sudden death, he's like a fish out of water. The only bright spot is his neighbor Lady Dorie who has been helping out with his sisters and the estate management while he made his way home to England. Alexander needs a wife and fast. He's attracted to Dorie's skills, but she wants a love match before she marries. Can Alexander convince her she's more than just an expert in estate management before she marries another?

I usually love Ms. Quinn's books, but this one was rather boring and the slow burn between Alexander and Dorie got tedious after a while. The only obstacle in their way was Dorie's doubts of Alexander's intentions. I kept waiting for some kind of twist in the story and I did manage to read it to the end, but it took a few days. While this book wasn't my favorite, I'm looking forward to reading Ms. Quinn's next release.

I really liked this. Easy, enjoyable reading. Poor Alex has just arrived from the continent and is totally untrained and unprepared to take up his late father's title and responsibilities. Fortunately, the Marquis of Huntington, his wife and daughter, Lady Dorie, are willing to help. I do believe sneaky Lady Huntington was plotting and subtly matchmaking all along; she was my favorite character.
I did not feel handicapped by not having previously read any other books of this series. Some minor characters I'd "met" in the Worthington series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via netgalley; the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Dorie and Alex. This is just a classic good romance book that a reader can enjoy and know that love wins! Ms. Quinn does such a great job keeping her characters interesting and fun.

The storyline intrigued me about this book, but in the end it felt like it pulled too many punches. It may be that I'm used to a different type of romance novel, this is my first time reading Ella Quinn that I can recall, but I found myself missing some level of conflict as well as passion. It read as being a bit paint by numbers with less character development than I would have liked.

Talk about a slow burn romance. I spent most of this book waiting for either character to fess up to their feelings for each other, yet the continued to dance around it. Much like Elizabeth and Darcy, until they finally confessed everything to each other.

This was such a good book. Totally not what I had expected. Lady Dorie is an intelligent young lady who wants to marry for love. Lord Exeter wants someone who can manage his household and his estates. He is set on Dorie and she is determined to find him the perfect help mate. This was a delightful story and one I would highly recommend.

This is book nine in the Marriage Game series. It’s been a while (4 years) since the last book in this series came out so I did have difficulty remembering what all the character’s back stories were. I enjoyed Dorie and Alex’s book, though I thought it took a little too long for them to come together. I look forward to book 1 in the next series (Lords of London) titled The Most Eligible Lord in London due out in March of 2020. I received an ARC for my honest review.

I found this title to be an enjoyable read. I liked the hero and heroine, even if I liked Alex just a little bit more. I thoroughly enjoyed a woman teaching a man how to run his estate. I did find myself wishing I had read more of the series and of Ella Quinn’s other series due to characters from other books making appearances in this one.

This is my second read by Mrs Ella Quinn, and she is one author who does not rush her stories.
This was a slow burn romance, the plot moved slowly giving time to Lady Dorcus Caltrop and the Marquis Of Exeter to get to know another, challenge the other and a. For in time they were made for each other.

At first I did not understand Dorie’s character, I knew she felt hurt to have engaged her hope to the wrong man. But did she knows why he didn’t gave suit to his courting? Their personalities were not matching. When one is looking for an obedient bride, a managing woman is surely not the right one.
Then why being weary of the new titled Marquis?
He is newly titled and she does not know him.
Then she explained she was expecting a love match, and her managing self has settle on the idea she can choose with whom she will fall for.
What a the silly notion she could decide on someone and fall in love.
It is not something to command and the men she has put on her list, only rise middle feelings for the best or none.
She even got angry at herself when she senses she is more attracted to Alex than to all her potential suitors.
Still she can’t scratch to analyze her feelings and continue to push him away by trying to find the right woman for him and awaken new sentiments not always kind to her heart.

Sure, Alex was attracted to Dorie for the wrong reason at first. But soon he comes to see her for more than the managing woman who could rule his household and estates.
By not answering his lead, she intrigued him and became a fixture for his brain. How slowly he began to fall for her not even knowing it.

It was entertaining to see all these prim and proper protagonists interacting and finding themselves trapped in the game they thought leading. Misreading the other and misjudging the situations.
Hopefully they are surrounded by very meddling side characters who see straight to their heart and in their own way protected them against their own stubbornness.
The end of the story added a bit of action to the couple’s life until they are properly settled.

A 4.5 stars read.
I was provided through Netgalley an advance copy by the publisher Kensington Books. I purchased my own copy. This is my true and unbiased opinion.

This was a fun read, but I think it left a bit to be desired. The characters were sweet, but predictable and the pot even more so. Personally I like a little more intrigue in my novels. Besides a tiny aspect of the mans mother there was very little to wonder or worry over. I would have liked if the deceased marquis' other family had caused problems, or something of that ilk rather than the very obvious directions the entire book went. I also must say that there was very little in the way of sensuality within the novel. The intimate scenes were few and witten in very limited style. There was also very little sexual tension developed throughout the book to the point that what little there was felt forced. All in all I feel the book needs some additional work before it heads out to the shelves.

Ms. Quinn does it again with another enjoyable read. Lady Dorie Calthorp wants to marry for love, as the members of her family have. She enjoys managing, which is something not quite common during this time period. Dorie is talented at what she does, though she has had her heart broken. Alexander, the Marquis of Exeter, gets into a pickle when his mother does some scandalous behavior not long after his father has died. This puts Alex into a difficult situation, especially with his younger sisters. The ton love to gossip and shun people based on what they hear and interpret. Thank goodness Alex has Dorie assisting him, both with his sisters and learning to run an estate. Alex wants a wife and immediately knows Dorie is the one. Dorie proposes a plan to Alex: she will assist him. It is entertaining to see Alex try and get Dorie's attention and him not understanding why she was acting the way she was when with him. What Dorie never expected was to fall in love with Alex, even though she kept pushing other women at him, hoping one would make the ideal wife he was searching for. However, Alex is stubborn and only wants Dorie, yet it takes him time to realize he loves her as well. But there are still loose ends that need to be fixed before they have their happily ever after.