2.5 Stars

So much potential for a great story, but I wasn’t impressed.

This is my first Minerva Spencer book, and I went in blind. Now, I do see… how not all enemies-to-lovers’ tropes are equal. This story had that trope and the whole best friends older brother thing going for it. There was plenty to love: diverse cast, dastardly villains, unconventional heroine, and even the marriage of convenience.

We have Drusilla Clare, daughter of a tradesman, who isn’t seeking a husband, as she’s determined to run her own life. When caught in a compromising position with a scoundrel, she’s rescued by none other than her best friends’ stepbrother, Gabriel Marlington. Of course, Gabriel offers for her. It’s the proper done thing.

Dru is attracted to our hero, has always wanted him, but of course, she can’t tell him this or she’ll become a ninny. This is where the story went a bit off the rails for me. Drusilla is ridiculous. She keeps all her feelings to herself, doesn’t have a single meaningful conversation with her husband of convenience till long past halfway in the book. She’s prone to flights of jealousy about her husbands rumored relations with other woman.

In the meantime, Gabriel becomes jealous when Dru engages in a clandestine meeting with a business partner, he stays friends with previous mistresses, and in also doesn’t bother getting to the point of the issues via conversation. There is plenty of outside conflict from the scoundrel who put Dru in the position that forced her into marriage, a side plot with possible son of Gabriel’s born out of wedlock and more.

Ultimately, the primary conflict for over fifty percent of the book hinges around the main characters not talking to each other about their true feelings, expectations, or life happenings. Their lies by omission or silence breed conflict and create faux drama. I call it faux because when the opportunity arises to do the right thing, say the right thing, neither of them take that route. The author bases this lack of talk on the characters internal makeup and fears, but once everything comes to a head and they finally decide to act like adults this faux drama disappears and the real conflict, brought on by the antagonist, takes shape.

I have found that I despise books where the only thing keeping the hero and heroine apart is their inability to discuss things with each other. I firmly believe that there can be conflict, still fed by internal and external sources, with communication still present, and that a person can still say all the right things and those things aren’t enough to keep another person happy.

Overall, I wanted to like this book. It had the makings of an interesting story with equally interesting backdrop, but I found the flaws between hero and heroine too much of a gulf for me to cross. I wanted to slap both of them most of the time and kept reading in the hopes it would change, soon versus than the later. Ultimately, by the time things changed I was too disappointed to wish the main characters well.

~ Landra

Notorious by Minerva Spencer is a great historical fiction/romance/mystery novel all wrapped up into one.

This book has a lot going on. An intricate plot with multiple subplots between a full character cast that kept me interested throughout.

This is the first in a new series: Rebels of the Ton. While it can easily be a first and stand-alone, it looks like some of the characters’ backstories are better described in parts of another book (Dangerous) from another series: The Outcasts. To fully appreciate the full history, I am definitely going to snatch up this book and read it as well.

I enjoyed the main characters: Dru and Gabrielle. They are both polarizing, interesting, complex, and emotional characters. Their personalities definitely attract one another and create chemistry and interesting material. I especially liked Eva and hope that a future installment can focus more on her. There is definitely plenty to work with.

This book is for anyone that enjoys historical fiction, romance, and great plots.
4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

The cure for a wilful wife ...

Drusilla Clare is full of opinions about why a woman shouldn't marry. But that doesn't stop the rush of desire she feels each time her best friend's brother, notorious rake Gabriel Marlington, crosses her path. So imagine her dismay when she finds herself in the clutches of a scoundrel, only to be rescued by Gabriel himself. And when Gabriel's heartless--and heart-pounding--proposal comes, it's enough to make Dru's formidable resolve crumble . . .

. . . is a smitten husband.

She's sharp-tongued, exasperating--and due to one careless moment--about to becomes w his wife. Still, something about Drusilla has Gabriel intrigued. First there's the delicious flush of her skin every time she delivers a barb--and then the surprisingly sensual feel of her in his arms. Gabriel even finds himself challenged by her unusual philosophies. And when he discovers a clandestine rival for Dru's affection, his temperature flares even hotter. But the real threat to their happiness is one neither of the newlyweds sees coming. If they're to save their future--and their very lives--they'll need to trust in each other and their growing love.

I loved, loved, loved this book.
This book was entertaining and fun to read, I did not want it to end.
I thought Gabe was an interesting character and I enjoyed that he was born and raised in another country. Not your usual member of the ton. I loved the misunderstandings and banter between Gabe and Dru and how the beginning of their relationship was forced upon them but grew into a steamy, loving marriage.

All the characters were well developed and likeable. I also enjoyed how you got a little bit of a backstory with some of the characters this is shaping up to be a good series. Can’t wait for book 2.

4.25 Stars
This is the first in a new series but is a spin off from the Outcasts series. Gabriel Marlington has grown up since we last met him & is living in London, he’s wealthy, gorgeous & keeps not one but two mistresses who share a house. Drusilla Clare is the wealthy merchant’s daughter who is passionate about helping the needy. Their common link is Dru’s best friend Eva who is Gabe’s step sister. Whenever Gabe & Dru meet sparks fly & it’s their verbal bantering, which is highly entertaining but both have secrets. When a situation is misread they have to marry & that’s when communication totally fails. I loved both Gabe & Dru but I lost count of the number of times I said talk to each other & at times I wanted to shake both of them. Misunderstandings, secrets & unrequited love plus a couple of villains made for an entertaining read. I do love the authors books, she's a must read for me, whilst this wasn't my favourite it was still a very good read. I felt the ending was a little rushed & I had questions, especially about Dru’s meeting with the ‘aunts'. I do look forward to Eva’s story.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

He's a mess and she hates that she into him.

I'm in a quandary.
I like Drusilla, and her seething fury at being just like every other girl, smitten, infatuated with Gabriel.
Gabriel is beyond promiscuous, he started early at 13, then proceeded to bed many servants in his father's harem. In England, he keeps two mistresses in a menage a trois, he has a son Samir, that he keeps hidden and is entering into a marriage of inconvenience with Drusilla, who has outwardly hated him for five years, but that's only because she's into him, just like every other woman in England.

I did not care for Gabriel, he is a product of his Oran heritage and his English mother, that's all cool, just that he's so promiscuous though he does finally give up his two misttesses but not after we get to know them and he's still engaging with them. The author did show that he couldn't keep up with Drusilla mentally.

So, what works. Drusilla's inner fury and turmoil, though she does absolutely want Gabriel.
What doesn't. Gabriel's way too many sexual proclivities.
Those two will never be compatible;.
Strong writing and again, I really liked Drusilla. But just ha da tough time with Gabriel.
3.5

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me a last minute ARC of Notorious to read and provide an unbiased review of prior to its release on 11/24/2020.

Overall, Notorious is a fun highly amusing romp of a romance. Spencer has created both delightful main and side characters. You are left truly adoring them all and ready to dive directly into Outrageous. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until summer 2021 for that one.

This one is a solid 4 star read that anyone looking for something light but with good dose of spice will enjoy.

One of the ways I can tell if I enjoyed a book is by how quickly I get it read. Notorious took just a little more than a day. I loved Gabriel, and felt a bit like a kindred spirit with Drucilla. The action and mystery was just enough and the romance was the best. 5 stars.

I absolutely adored this book. The cover and blurb got me interested, but the kinship I felt with Drusilla and her social awkwardness won me over. Gabriel describes her as a porcupine - she uses her sharp barbs to protect herself from hurt. She’s smart, feisty and caring.

When she and Gabriel are caught in a compromising position she feels guilt for the sacrifice she feels he makes in marrying her when she’s loved him for years. Gabriel doesn’t really know Drusilla and her prickliness makes it hard for them to get along, but through the family dramas and unexpected dangers their relationship grows.

The secondary characters were also fabulous and I’m looking forward to Eva’s book.

Whew, what a wild ride this story turned out to be. You might remember Jibril/Gabriel from Dangerous and I wanted him to get his own story and what a story I got. The wildness of his upbringing is very much present in this story. There is a lot going on in this story and I will admit I did not like that Gabriel was friendly with his ex-mistresses. I was very uncomfortable but that also makes a good story. I was on edge through most of the book wondering why can’t they just talk. The never-ending problem in romances. Minerva pushes the envelope with her stories. They aren’t always what you could consider typical and I love her for that. The journey for Drusilla and Gabriel is a hard one but one that will entrance you and keep you in their bubble.

Minerva Spencer is a relatively new-to-me historical romance author, and I was quite keen to read this compromised-to-marriage-of-convenience romance (all the tropes I'm a sucker for!). If you're familiar with Spencer's romance you'll be aware that her romances are a bit "old school" and over the top (I find her writing very similar to Kerrigan Byrne), and it's a style that I definitely need to be in the mood for. And, that was certainly the case when I picked up Notorious.

Drusilla Clare is opinionated and isn't shy about sharing her opinions. What she is shy about is revealing her feelings for her best friend's brother, Gabriel Marlington, which means she's pretty tart tongued when in his proximity. Naturally, Gabriel has zero idea that Drusilla is in love with him and is convinced that she loathes him, which really isn't a bit deal to this notorious rake. Alas, when Drusilla is caught in a compromising position with Gabriel, they must of course marry. How will these misunderstandings resolve themselves??? In typical Minerva Spencer fashion it involves high drama!

I loved the first half of Notorious. Drusilla and Gabriel were perfect foils for each other and their sparring was highly entertaining. However, in the second half, I found their romance was overshadowing by all the other wild stuff going on (i.e. secret children, villains, thwarted suitors etc.). For me, this meant that there was less time developing the relationship between Drusilla and Gabriel when they actually got married, and for me, that's the best part of the whole marriage of convenience trope - what happens after the wedding. I also wasn't a huge fan of how heavy handed Gabriel was with his temper and belief that he was in charge of their relationship. Gabriel didn't quite see enough of a revelation on his dealings with Drusilla and I felt that she had to compromise a great deal more than Gabriel ever did.

While I had some issues with the characterization of Gabriel, I still found Notorious to be highly entertaining. And with how things with Eva were left, how can I not check out the next book in the series?

I am a big fan of Minerva Spencer's The Outcasts series, and I was looking forward to Gabriel's story since we first met him in Dangerous, which is his mother's book. Notorious is technically a spin-off of The Outcasts series, it can be read as a stand-alone, but for an enhanced experience and to better understand Gabriel's character, it's worth reading Dangerous first.

Gabriel Marlington is the son of an English woman and Sultan of Oran. He was raised with the expectations of one day becoming a sultan, ruling the people, and having multiple wives and concubines. After his father's death and the power struggle between him and his brother, he left Oran and came to live in England, his mother's birth country. Drusilla Clare has been in love with Gabriel for years since she first laid eyes on her best friend's stepbrother. Because Dru is a wallflower and Gabriel is a notorious rake who has never shown any interest in her, she believes that he will never notice or love her. Due to unfortunate circumstances, they find themselves forced into a marriage to avoid scandal.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as other books by this author. As much as I liked Gabriel in the previous books, I sometimes found him too overbearing in Notorious, but he is the product of his upbringing and his birthplace, so I forgave him. I also didn't love Drusilla. She was very insecure around Gabriel, and she constantly doubted his actions and feelings. Her insecurity caused a lot of unnecessary fights between them. I am still a fan of Minerva's books, and I am looking forward to the next installment.

When the hero starts kissing on his mistress the day before he’s supposed to marry the heroine it ceases to be a romance to me. Especially when he was just being shitty to the heroine because she was holding another guy’s hand.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY NO TO THIS ONE

So... I was really excited about this one. The promise of a feminist heroine who had studied Wollstonecraft was so alluring! However, I was sorely let down. Even though the first chapter showed such promise, that was literally the only thing I liked about this book. The first chapter. That's it.

👍 What I Liked 👍

The first chapter: Honestly, the first chapter WAS SO GOOD! I am so sad the rest of the book could not carry on the good vibes from the first chapter. When Dru and Gabriel are introduced here in the first chapter it's obvious that there's friction between them, but it's entertaining, fun and filled with delightful banter. I wanted that vibe throughout the entire book. I didn't get it.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Characters: Dru and Gabriel are seriously some of the worst characters. They are so unlikable. They are mean, judgmental, hot tempered and not able to communicate. At times it even seemed like found pleasure in hurting each other which was just so sad. I literally almost cried at one point because I was so frustrated with how much I disliked these two. It was awful. And their animosity went on for far too long!

Feminism?: When we first meet Drusilla she is very vocal of her love for Mary Wollstonecraft and her thoughts on the rights of women. But, sadly, once Dru gets married, she seems to completely throw away all her feminist ideals and values. It was so annoying and so sad and made me dislike Dru even more!

Ending: I won't give this away. I'll just say... it was a mess, okay?

Romance?: Yeah, I don't know if I would even call this a romance novel, to be honest. Dru and Gabriel seem so toxic. This is not #relationshipgoals. And I especially disliked the constant back and forth, hot and cold thing going on here.

Will she be able to put on pause her battle of wits to accept the outstretched hand her new spouse offers ...

It had been a while since I had read the author’s classic tale even if nothing is never classic in true meaning of the term with her.
But my last reads were all stories about broken nearly beyond repair characters, very moving but also unsettling tales. Tales I adored but needed time to process too.
So sometime it is good to sit down and enjoy the ride with a much easier read, well it was what I thought I had in my hands.

Wowowow, I have thrown my ideas all along the pages of my reading, but now I must put everything in order.
And while I was reading Gabriel and Drusilla’s journey toward their HEA, I had to consider the short span set for the 2/3 of this story.

Let just say I bit my teeth more than one time. I even caught some objects to throw at them.

This said, I am not sure I liked Drusilla, I dislike spiteful tongues, and lashing out to hide her attraction is not really for me the act of a strong mind.
Plus how can she love someone and says so disparaging or hurtful paroles.
The only offense was Gabriel did not really saw her as a woman, she was just his stepsister’s friend, especially in a time of grand changes in his life, she has nothing truly to appeal to him.
And for this slight, she began her course of throwing virtual daggers to his face.
After with all the quips and barbs they exchanged over the years, is it truly love or a mere infatuation as no one really know the other. They do not navigation the same sphere.
Also I was surprised that for a supposed clever woman preaching Wollstonecraft ideas, she is prudish and lacks of useful knowledge to help her fellow women .
Gabriel is a complex character, part his father’s son with a vey different view of marriage and women and also his mother’s son, honorable and caring. But he is no superhero and can’t read mind. So he is unable to understand Drusilla’s loathing of him is the manifestation of her inability to speak her feelings.
And while he is angered when he witnesses things he has every right to feel suspicious, when he rethinks the film of he events he is kind enough to try to find excuses for her behavior.
He is flawed with many misconceptions about women, but he is far more honest and straightforward than his poltron of a wife.

Oh how I was pulling my hair out at their impossibility to communicate, along the many times they could have cleared the path, for a woman supposed with wit, Drusilla let questionable ideas about her fidelity take hold, she let him believe she found him abhorrent or she had a love interest. She jumps at his throat and wonder why he snaps at her. She is the assailant for most of their talks. She is the one rejecting every time he takes a step forward. And it takes very few things to discountenance her, even when she is on guard. I so would have liked her to have more spine and a steelier core. I hated how she fell in any trap set to hurt/belittle/anger her and how she pushes him back at every turn.

After I needed to remind me the 2/3 of this book takes place over a few days, so the anger between those two has nearly no time to abate, they bit and strike one minute after another, then reflect on their actions and try to make amend but their temper gets the better of them again.
They can’t erase five years of fights in so short a time.
But once, they finally cool off and accept to not slight one another throat, they can be articulate and able to listen. From this moment, it is the smooth path in getting to know the other and discover there is more than meet the eyes.

4 stars for this full of anger story.
Now I am curious about the next installment as the villain of this one is to be featuring the next hero, how will the author redeem him.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I have extremely mixed feelings about Notorious. I did not even like Gabriel the first 75% of the book. He was unrecognizable from the person I had believed him to be previously. And, I am not sure how I felt about his relationship/secretiveness concerning Samir’s ‘aunts.’ (I don’t want a spoiler here). I understand how he was raised and how sensual his life is/was, but to forbid Drusilla from her perceived relationship, no – the goose and gander pertains here.

Drusilla did not help the situation, either. She could have helped prevent some of the misunderstanding, too. I would say a bit of respect and trust would have gone a long way toward healing their relationship earlier. But it would have not been as good a book had it ended quickly.

Once Drusilla and Gabriel began being honest with each other, I liked them both better. All in all, I liked Notorious once I looked past my own judgements, but I cannot say it is one I would read again and again. I do believe Minerva Spencer spins a good romance and gets you interested in what is coming in the next book.

Maybe 3.5 stars...WARNING THIS REVIEW MIGHT BE SPOILERISH

Drusilla “Dru” Clare is mistakenly caught up in a plot to call out Gabriel Marlington that results in them having to marry. Drusilla is best friends with his step-sister Lady Eva de Courtney and has harbored tender feeling for Gabriel for years. On the outside Dru is a sharp-tongued, non-nonsense feminist who has repeatedly voiced her distain for marriage and when she does speak to Gabriel, she is curt and tosses out veiled insults. But inside she is a lonely, insecure woman who doesn’t believe that Gabriel would ever be interested in a woman like her and is insulting to protect herself from being hurt. She is stunned when she realizes they will marry and is sure that she will be hurt when he breaks her heart.

Gabriel Marlington is the son of Mia, Marchioness of Exley, who was taken captive as a young woman and was a slave owned Sultan Abdul Hassan of Oran. After the sultan’s death and his brother Assad’s betrayal – Gabriel left the only home he ever knew and moved to England. He has done his best to acclimate to his new existence – giving up his family, culture and religion – and even giving up his loyalty to save others, but the cost was high and led to some startling discoveries. He is trying to figure out what to do with those discoveries, when it seems that someone in England has targeted him for vengeance. It is that vengeance that sees him married to Dru – a woman he can’t seem to figure out and who he desires beyond reason.

****WARNING – THE FOLLOWING MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH****

After reading the Outcast series and meeting Gabriel (Jibril) in those books, I was incredibly excited to learn the first book in this new series would feature him, but as it has happened before, the likeable character I met in the previous books was barely recognizable when the focus was on him – I don’t know, maybe he was always a selfish, arrogant prick and I chose not to acknowledge it in the previous books – but in any case – I was really put off by his attitude – he forbids Dru to see her friend after seeing the man holding her hand the day before they are to marry – then trots off to see his mistresses – yes, plural – house to “break up” and engages in kissing and cuddling with one of them that day and the other one another day – he tells Dru that they are his friends and she has to accept that they will continue to be a part of his life – I don’t know about you – but I would not be cool with my husband continuing to spend time with and being “friends” with two women that he had a long term sexual relationship with that only ended because he married – yeah – that doesn’t work for me. Then when he springs his “secret” on her – again, she is told she has to accept it and if she doesn’t like it – too bad. You would think that all that would make me feel sorry for Dru and pick her side against him – WRONG – she is a complete shrew for 80% of the book – she has a lot of internal dialogue that is in complete contradiction to what actually comes out of her mouth – but sadly, what comes out of her mouth makes it almost impossible to sympathize with her. She is not an evil person and if you base your opinions on her internal musings, she is relatable and actually quite nice – but her insecurities are crippling and make her seem like a witch for most of the book. It seems like the only thing going for these two is that they rock it in bed – other than that – I really no idea why they fell in love.

This is the first book in a new series and while it is loosely tied to the Outcast series, you can easily read this as a standalone title. Honestly, I didn’t love certain aspects of this book, but overall, it is a well written, nicely paced story with interesting characters, steamy love scenes, surprises, villains that surprise you, cameos with Adam and Mia, a HEA and I really did like the way the author portrayed Gabriel’s transition from Oran to England – the good and the bad. There were some title errors, but nothing too egregious and the ending of this book really made me want to read the next one!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.*

My first book by Minerva Spencer so thank you Netgalley and the publisher for introducing me to her Regency novels.

I am a big Georgette Heyer fan so I do look out for books which are influenced by her style. The plot of Notorious is fairly standard - the forced marriage and the misunderstandings, followed by some dangerous event which ends up bringing everyone to a happy ever after. I did feel the misunderstandings went on a little too long when basically the two main characters just needed to talk to each other, but they did eventually get resolved.

The book was well written. The settings were realistic and appropriate for the time as were people's attitudes to subjects such as equality for women. The ballroom scenes rang true as well with the author describing overheated, crowded rooms and sweaty bodies.

Three stars from me because I enjoyed the book but did not really become involved in it. However I will be looking out for more books to try by this author .

Drusilla and Gabriel story. From the start of the book there was already conflit between them. Drucilla was way to feisty for my liking. Because of their constant arguing it was difficult to see their connection. The chemistry between them was just not there. There are some steam moments here, always a plus. And the End of the story, surprise, it's a cliffhanger.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. The opinions expressed here are all mine.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date November 24, 2020.***

2 - 2.5 stars

Romance in general, especially historical / Regency period, is pretty much my favorite genre. This one just didn't do it for me. In general, the main male and female characters were very unlikable.

Drusilla Clare is sharp-tongued and full of opinions, especially when it comes to Gabriel Marlington. She has a rush of desire everytime she is around him but can't seem to say one nice thing. Gabriel finds himself intrigued by Drusilla. She challenges him by her philosophies and now they are husband and wife he likes her in his arms. Now newlyweds they must trust each other in order to save their future...and their lives.

First, let me say I love romance books. They are my jam. Notorious is a great romance book but I didn't feel a connection between them until about the last ⅓ of the book. The steaminess was for sure there and great but it took awhile to get there and even then I didn't quite see the attraction. Drusilla is supposed to be in love with Gabriel but can't seem to not bring him down everytime they talk, since day one. So of course Gabriel can barely like her and it takes a long time for him to finally figure out he does. Realistically the book could've been about 50 pages less.

The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 3 is because I ended this book still wanting more. I liked them together when they finally "got together" and I even liked them as individuals. It was a lot of "I feel this way but I can't tell him that" and that was frustrating. Plus there was a whole other side of the book I really liked that I won't go into detail as to not give any spoilers.