What a stupendous read! Couldn’t put it down! An intrepid, smart and witty heroine, and a rakehell hero who is much more than his reputation.

”How wicked does one need to be to achieve the illusion of ruination.”

Lady Maryann Fitzwilliam is desperate to evade an unwanted marriage to the odious Lord Stamford and is willing to do just about anything, including something as wicked as compromising herself. The unwitting accomplice would be the scandalous rake, Nicolas St Ives, Marquess of Rothbury. However, she never expected him to notice one of London’s wallflowers, nor did she bargain for his electrifying effect on her.

”Now that something about her had captured his regard, Nicolas had an odd sense that he might never unsee her.”

Nicolas has been on a revenge quest for five years that has left room for little else, especially relationships. When he comes across the infinitely fascinating Lady Maryann and she links their names inexorably together, he finds himself almost helpless in the face of his compelling attraction to her. An attraction that puts her in the crosshairs of his enemies.

”You hold my stare so fiercely, an undeniable fire in your gaze…I want to touch that fire, and I can only do that by possessing you.”

God, this book! I absolutely adored it. It’s been a year since I’ve read this author and, honestly, I have to make more time for her because she is such a fabulous writer. Her writing is witty, hella hot and just right for this genre. Maryann and Nicolas have the most unholy chemistry between them. They were so incredibly sexy together. The tension between them was almost exquisite agony. He was wholly fascinated by her character and her beauty – with every encounter, she seeped deeper under his skin. The plot itself was fantastic, as we follow how Maryann and Nicolas are woven into the fabric of the story. I felt his torture and pain as he tried to do the right thing to keep her safe.

”You obliterate even my darkest thoughts and replace them with sunshine and want and hunger and dreams of things I’ve never thought about.”

The climax of the story was absolutely riveting. OH MY HEART! The sheer desperate romance of it had my heart palpitating like crazy! This really was a brilliant read and I can’t wait for the next book in this wonderful, well-written series. Top Read 2020.

This is the second book I read from this author and is definitely not going to be the last, even though I didn´t like this one that much.
Miss Maryann Fitzwilliam is a wallflower. Bookish and smart, she wants a chance to be happy with someone that could enjoy her opinions and cherish her. But her parents arrange for her to wed a man old enough to be her father. He is cruel and violent so Maryann is not going to accept this marriage without a fight.
Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury, has made his living reason to avenge the death of his sweetheart, Ariana, who suffer in the hands of some lords ten years ago. For the last five years he has destroyed most of them but the identity of the Black Dahlia remind unknown. And he thinks that Maryann´s brother could be the elusive lord.
When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of the Marquess of Rothbury, climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann anonymously claims that the bedchamber belonged to her, tarnishing her own reputation. But when Maryann’s parents hold fast to their arranged marriage plan, it’ll take a scandal of epic proportions for these two to get out of this together.
What I like most about this book is Nicolas. He is brave and honorable, even though he acts the irresponsible rake for the ton. He is really drawn to Maryann and tries to protect her all the way. Maryann is the kind of wallflower than seems more like a contemporary character to me. I love heroines with spirit but in this case I felt it was a bit much. She has opinions on everything and wants to be included in all the decisions but it’s hard for me to picture someone so liberal at that period of time. I hate her mum and in some moments also her brother. The dialogs between Maryaan and Nicolas are witty and entertaining. He keeps reaching her room during the night (I love that plot) but after the fifth time it was just absurd for me that no one realizes that he is using the kitchen door.
For me the end was really good, it was the part I enjoyed the most. The mystery was well developed. It was a bit too long for me and I wished it had steamier interactions between the main characters.
In my opinion, the story is a 3.5 starts, but I´ll give this one 4 stars because I think the writing is flawless. If you enjoy Historical Romance, you should give this book a chance.
.

Stacy Reid’s newest release, Her Wicked Marquess, was an anticipated release for me as I absolutely adored My Darling Duke. When provided the opportunity to read the second installment of the Sinful Wallflowers series, I gladly accepted!


Continuing the series theme of “Wallflowers becoming wicked,” Her Wicked Marquess follows known wallflower, Maryann Fitzwilliam as she must endure another dreaded season of husband-hunting. At 23, her chances of marital bliss have grown so slim that they are non-existence. To avoid spinsterhood, her parents take matters into their own hands and decide to play matchmaker. As a way to preserve her independence, she vows to become wicked by starting a sinful scandal with the most dangerous rake known to the ton, Nicholas St. Ives, Marquess of Rothbury


From the get-go, the narrative had me hooked. Maryann’s relationship with her brother, Crispin, made me smile. I adore loving familial bonds in romance, and this fit the bill perfectly. Maryann’s introduction was great as it provides a solid beginning to her journey from good-natured yet naive and slightly immature wallflower to mature, level-headed rakess. Maryann was a delight to follow! She was headstrong, witty, and physically powerful. Creating a well-balanced heroine who never errs into “I’m-Not-Like-Other-Girls” territory is one of Reid’s many talents. While she is a wallflower and considered plain by many, she judges others for their character, never looks. Even when explaining her disdain for a minor antagonist, who is considered “conventionally attractive,” she emphasizes that it is the person’s knack for bullying and torment that she despises. I also love that she does not shrink herself or her capabilities when interacting with Nicholas.

Nicholas was a bit of a conflicting hero for me. His revenge plot had merit as it involved a friend/former crush who had been traumatized by an attack and subsequently died. He is as loyal as they come, shown by his devotion to his friend and Maryann. However, there were moments where his overprotective behavior and tactics, such as hiring Bow Street Runners to basically stalk Maryann, felt overpowering and aggressive. His elusive nature does make him more intriguing. But I still felt like I didn’t truly know him outside of being devoted and protective.

I will say this, watching the development of this couple was the best part of this novel! They are a perfect fit while being adorably awkward in the beginning. Their battle of wit and strength made me root for them the entire time! Gosh, and the yearning! I would definitely call this a bit of a slow burn. Oh, it is worth it in the end. Due to their stubbornness and knack for independence, their passion is sizzling, crackling, and sparking!


My goodness, I loved every minute and page of this novel! I cannot wait for the next installment! The Sinful Wallflowers continue to brighten up my bookshelf. It is all thanks to the incomparable Stacy Reid!

Lady Maryann Fitzwilliam made the mistake of being too free and outspoken with her opinions in her first season and has now been labeled a wallflower. With no offers forthcoming several years later, her parents arrange a match for her with a man the same age as her own father. Maryann is determined to use her wits to escape the match.

When a scandal column chronicles Nicholas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury, climbing out of a debutante's window, Maryann sees an opportunity. She daringly claims the bedchamber in question was her own and counts on the gossipmongers to cast shadows onto her reputation in the hopes that her parents' choice of groom will cry off. She just has to make sure the marquess doesn't give her ruse away.

I wound up enjoying this but it did take awhile for me to get that point. For the first half or more, Maryann just frustrated me, especially when she kept making excuses for her parents' awful and hypocritical behavior towards her. I was also not expecting the revenge plotline and that definitely threw me off a bit. I loved the ending and its revelations, but I can't say more for fear of spoilers. I will say I liked the clandestine nature of the courtship between Nicholas and Maryann. Him sneaking into her rooms was quite romantic and allowed them to get to know each other on a deeper level, which made it believable that they fell in love fairly quickly. I did find the ending to be a bit abrupt and there were a lot of errors with titles and wrong words, even for an ARC, but hopefully these are fixed in the final copy. Overall, the storyline was original and the ending satisfying. I liked this much better than its predecessor and will look forward to the next book in the series.

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

When bookish Maryann Fitzwilliam finds out her father has promised her to a boorish, womanizer whom is her father’s compatriot, she decides that she would rather be ruined that married and miserable.

Without the means to ruin herself in truth, she plans to place a few well placed hints at her ruination with the notorious rake hell, the Marquess of Rothbury, where the busiest of gossips will find.

Her plan of ruination goes off splendidly… until she comes face to face with the vary rake she accuses of having an illicit tryst with … in her very own bedroom!?!?

Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury has cultivated his rake persona in order to exact revenge for a wrong he didn’t prevent… now a young wallflower has insinuated that they have had a tryst. He is compelled to meet this woman and soon finds that she is much more than the ton has given her credit for.

Soon Maryann and Rothbury find themselves helping each other in order to for each of them to meet their goal, freedom from society for Maryann and vengeance for Rothbury.

This was another captivating tale from author Stacy Reid. These wallflowers are daring and outgoing… the tom doesn’t know what they are missing! I could not put this down!

The angsty Rothbury is a broken hero after my own heart! Definitely book boyfriend material!

I look forward to the next wallflowers adventure!

While this book is the second in the Sinful Wallflowers series, this holds up strong as a standalone. I have read the previous book, My Darling Duke, and feel that while also an excellent book as well, you don’t have to read it before diving into this book.

Her Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid is scheduled to release December 29th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Entangled Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#HerWickedMarquess #StacyReid #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

I think I’ve found a new favorite historical romance author. This is my second book I’ve read from Stacy Reid and I am most definitely hooked.

Maryann Fitzwilliam is a wallflower that wants an escape; Nicolas St. Ives, Marquess of Rothbury wants revenge. It's this combination of circumstances that initially brings them together, and what a delightful first encounter it is! Their initial meeting is full of fun, and that sets the tone for the entirety of this humorous and often emotional love story.

Reid does an incredible job balancing humor and steam, and that’s probably my favorite aspect. Well, that and the ever-present conflict where you don't know if these characters will get their much-deserved HEA or not. Or perhaps its the angst that's my favorite part, or the incredible flirtation between these two characters. Or probably it's all of the above.

This tale isn't without it's fair share of emotion or heartbreak, though. Nicolas is on a quest for revenge concerning something that happened to his very dear friend many years ago. Revenge is the only thing that's driving him and, unfortunately, this also means he can't get close to anyone because his friends and lovers will ultimately become a target in this dangerous game. Maryann is certainly an unforeseen complication, albeit a rather attractive complication, and Nicolas undergoes many an internal conflict battling his feelings for her vs his need for revenge.

Historical romance is oftentimes very formulaic, expectedly so, and this series is no exception. Having said that though, Reid manages to throw a couple twists and turns in the mix, breathing quite a bit of the unexpected right alongside the expected and I love when authors shake things up and surprise readers. She managed to do that in the other book I read from her as well, and that’s one of the (many) reasons why she landed solidly oh my Favorite Authors shelf.

4.5 stars and I can't wait to read everything with Reid's name on the cover. For new readers -- this is the second in a series, but you can definitely start here. They can be read in any order and you won't miss out on any important details if you've not read the first one.

*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Loved, loved, loved, loved this so much. I went through every emotion reading this one. The beginning was fun/funny, pulling off a prank on the tons mean girl and our couples introduction to each other. Maryann and Nicholas have great banter.

Miss Maryann Fitzwilliam is not the usual lady of the ton. She has an opinion and she's not afraid to give it. This has made finding a husband impossible. Her parents have arranged for her to marry a man almost as old as her father. So she decides to do something sinful to get out of the arrangement.

The next morning when the scandal sheet reports seeing Nicolas Ives climbing out of the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does something unimaginable. She claims that the bedchamber belonged to her, hoping it is enough to end the unwanted union her family has pushed her into.

The Marquess of Rothbury has intentionally created the wicked reputation he presents to society in order to grow closer to men who hurt someone he loved. When he hears the rumor Maryann is spreading, his plan is to ignore her, even though he is drawn to her. Because the last thing he wants is for his enemies to think he has a weakness.

Thanks so much to Stacy Reid, Entangled, and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed much this novel. I especially enjoyed the banter between Nicolas and Maryann, and watching them turn into friends. I definitely saw chemistry between the two as they learned more about one another, and as they realized that neither of them was exactly the person they presented to the rest of the world.

And I really liked how despite their desires for one another, they refrained from acting upon it immediately. Yes, there are some pre-marital shenanigans that happen, but these things happen later on after the two have spent a good deal of time with one another playing chess, and in one instance learning how to pick a lock.

However, this was not the light-hearted romance that the blurb would lead you to believe.

In fact, the blurb doesn't even divulge the fact that there is another pl0t-line to this story. One that at times overshadows the romance, and could possibly be triggering for some readers. And that is Nicolas' revenge against the men who long ago harmed a girl he was in love with.

Now, I think it's worth mentioning that the reasons behind his thirst for revenge, while understandable to a point, are dark and brought up often. There also seemed to be some parts of Nicolas that were in contrast to the other. He makes it a point to repeatedly talk about how young he was when he told his first love they couldn't be together. He uses his age to justify asking her to wait for him to convince his parents of their match. But then he doesn't take the fact that the men who purported the heinous crimes against her were also the same age he was - not even the man who did not actually touch her, but also did nothing to stop the others. That not only cast doubt on his logic on the whole, but also when the big twist was revealed at the end, caused me no end of confusion. If one person was able to forgive another so easily, why couldn't Nicolas? There was also a scene involving Maryann, a shove and a carriage that when looked at on the whole seemed out of place.

On the whole, if you can overlook the dark aspects of this story, then I think a lot of people will enjoy it.

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

I'm stuck between a 3.5 and 4 rating. I liked the banter between the two and their meet cute was different from what we usually read but there was also just the little something special that was missing.
This starts out with a revenge prank, which is fine but I want to be shown the action provoking the prank because otherwise the character just comes off as mean. Which is tough to get behind.
I think besides a few instances of telling and not showing I enjoyed this historical romance. The romance reminded me a bit of Simon and Daphne in The Duke & I, if Daphne acted more like Eloise lol.

Lady Maryann Fitzwilliam and her friends have named themselves the sinful wallflowers. Even if society doesn't seem to notice them, the are determined to enjoy themselves. However Maryann's parents are insisting she marry a man she has no feelings for, so maybe by being sinful she can escape her fate.
Nicolas St.Ives, Marquess of Rothbury hides his real intentions behind the facade of a rake. He is pursuing vengeance again a group of men who caused irreparable harm to someone he loved.
This is a wonderful, sexy historical romance with interesting characters. It also has a big surprise at the end. Although it's part of a series you can read it on it's own but it will tempt you to buy the other books. Our wallflowers are very special ladies.
I loved it.

Miss Maryann Fitzwilliam is too witty and bookish for her own good. No gentleman of the ton will marry her, so her parents arrange for her to wed the Earl of Stamford, a man old enough to be her father. But Maryann is ready to use those wits to turn herself into a sinful wallflower. When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquis of Rothbury, climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does the unthinkable. She anonymously claims that the bedchamber belonged to none other than Miss Fitzwilliam, tarnishing her own reputation—and chances of the dastardly union her family secured for her. Now she just needs to convince the marquis to keep his silence. Turns out Nicolas allows for the scandal to perpetuate for his own reasons… But when Maryann’s parents hold fast to their arranged marriage plan, it’ll take a scandal of epic proportions for these two to get out of this together.
I love the author’s books & am always thrilled when there's a new one & she never ever disappoints. This is another very well written page turning read. The characters have plenty of depth & I loved both Maryann & Nicolas, the chemistry between them was electric & the sexual tension simmered but it was their verbal bantering, which raised this book over the parapet. As well as a lovely romance there's also the revenge Nicolas is seeking, this added an engrossing mystery to the book & there were a couple of twists & turns which I didn't see coming. I loved how Nicolas fell for Maryann & how protective & caring he was plus he really saw her & she also soon saw beneath his façade.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another intensely hot and extremely sensual romance by Stacy Reid. When Maryann meets Nicolas in the middle of a ball, she's seeking justice against the cruelest debutant in London. Nicolas knows about seeking justice. He's given it his full attention for ten years. He's the shadow you don't see and Maryann is disturbing his invisibility. From the first time he climbed into her room, passion and need took over. He doesn't want the distraction, but he can't stop thinking about her. As he gets closer to his last victims, one of them may destroy the life he wants with Maryann.
Explicit sex, one hot Marquess and a young lady who won't give up on happiness.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I loved reading Maryann and Nicholas’ amazing story in My Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid book two in her Sinful Wallflowers series. Maryann Fitzwilliam was raised to think for herself, form opinions, and say what she thinks; which was quite unusual for women of her time. No gentleman of the ton will marry her, so her parents arranged for her to wed a man who was old enough to be her father. Maryann was ready to try anything to avoid that marriage, even if she turned herself into a sinful wallflower. Reading a scandal sheet she sees a report that Nicholas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury, was seen climbing out a chamber window during a house party. Maryann does the most unimaginable thing, claiming that it was her bedchamber he climbed out of, ruining her own reputation. Her plan was to stop the arrangement her family secured for her. Now she just has to convince the marquess to keep his silence and agree with her. Nicholas has his own reasons for allowing the scandal Maryann set forth, to continue. With Maryann’s parents refusing to cancel the arranged marriage, Maryann and Nicholas work together to figure out a plan that would convince them otherwise. It just might take a scandal of epic proportions for these two to get out of this situation together.

I loved Nicholas and Maryann. Maryann was a strong, heroine with a plan who became a wallflower by refusing to belittle or bully others. Nicholas had a heart of gold, trying to right a wrong that occurred years prior to a female friend of his. After meeting Maryann Nicholas found excuses to visit her bedchamber and spend evenings talking, fencing, partaking of games; she fascinated him. Maryann enjoyed those evening with Nicholas, being able to be her true self. There were so many twists and turns in this story as Nicholas avenges his friend, what part Maryann’s brother played in the event, the number of members of the ton who cheated on their spouses or took advantage of the help; one almost needed a score card to keep up. The more time Nicholas and Maryann spent together, the more their feelings grew. The chemistry between them sizzled and they were magnetically pulled together by the attraction they shared.

Ms. Reid wrote an emotional love story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with emotions, sizzling chemistry, humor, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters giving Maryann and Nicholas a chance to have a forever love. I highly recommend My Wicked Marquess to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Love anything written and will will read anything by Stacy Reid; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

This was the second book in the series and in my opinion a little better than the first. I found the interactions between the two leads were charming and funny at times but the overall relationship very superficial. The revenge plot was very overpowering and not enough steam between them.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC and the opinions expressed here are all mine.

Raccoon and revenge

What a man driven by revenge to do when he reaches a turn in his quest ...

I was not certain to like or dislike Maryann until the last part, she is no blushing young miss but how naïve and sometimes silly she appeared, even forewarned she still runs straight into danger or refuses to listen, but it was also to laid to feet of her upbringing, the young ladies of the ton were not prepared to endure life’s strikes, only to be paraded. Why they learned it the hard way.
Like the hero Nicolas, she is quite an ambivalent personality, she is well-educated and can think by herself, she also learned skills not requested, even more, it would be seen as scandalous. But in some approaches, she is very blithe.
Yet it is also her innocence and vitality that entranced Nicolas, it puts her apart the other misses of the ton.
Nicolas is a man driven, he molded his last years to exact a revenge on behalf of an abused friend. He lives in guilt, certain his own actions or inactions led his first love to her perdition. Since, he has slowly hunted the men behind his friend’s downfall. Thus it is on his quest for Justice he encounters Maryann, herself on her way to punish a bully.
From there his interest is roused, she intrigues him, as hidden from the praying eyes, she shows a fiery and feisty nature.
Their friendship began with a little prank and evolve in a courtship when behind closed doors, they get to know one another, sharing their deepest secrets and unspoken hopes. But with danger lurking in the shadows and Nicolas closer to his goal he has never been, will their love withstand the weight of his retaliation.
4.25 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 : detailed foreplay and lovemaking scenes.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Entangled, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Wow! This was a wonderful read!!!

Maryann had me cheering for her within a few pages. For the era, she’s fighting for the chance to be free. Interestingly, she doesn’t desire a career as many historical romance heroines in recent years seem to do. All she wants is a large family within a marital relationship filled with love and that will allow her to be a partner, rather than an object of ownership. She was quite feisty and I loved how she enthralled Nicolas from the beginning due to her quirky ways.


Nicolas was one of the most alpha heroes I’ve read in awhile, and that’s comparing him to contemporary romances as well. Put him in a mafia romance and holy heck, he’d set the standard for a new type of hero. He had a steadfastness to him that had me lingering on every action he took and words he spoke in regards to Maryann. As the relationship between them grew his protectiveness of her grew exponentially. Nicolas had me swooning, and I don’t swoon easily.


While this has a great rhythm and pace to the story, the relationship slowly evolves giving these characters a chance to truly get to know one another and thereby fall in love in a believable manner. The initial steam is light but it continues to grow as the story develops. When the slow burn finally comes to its ultimate conclusion, the ending result was an inferno of passion.


This has several plot lines running through it with plenty of drama and a bit of angst. I was engaged from the first page as this author pulled me into the story and had me experiencing the highs and lows with Maryann and Nicolas. I laughed, gasped, cursed, and cried throughout the book before I closed it with a huge smile, delighted in an epilogue that gave me everything I needed.

Starring Miss Maryann Eleanor Fitzwilliam and Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury.

Trope: Revenge

This story is romance with intrigue thrown in the plot. A few twists that had me gasping!! Stacy Reid, once again, kept me glued to the pages. I loved every second I spent with this book!! Fantastic!!

This was angsty at its best!! Nicolas was moody and broody and absolutely delicious. He’s my favorite kind of intense hero. I may have melted every time he was on the page. I love how protective he was when it comes to Maryann... and that he’s willing to sacrifice anything for her. I’m pulling him outta the pages so he can be my book boyfriend!!

Maryann is a little spitfire who stands up for the underdog. Some of her antics had me laughing so hard. She is a worthy heroine for Nicolas. She is the sunshine in the darkness he chooses to dwell in... and she draws him out with her light. Totally loved her!!

Together, Nicolas and Maryann gave me all the feels. I really love that he calls her “raccoon” when she wants to be a “lioness”. “In jokes” between a couple is my jam!! They made me smile a heck of a lot!! Maryann and Nicolas are one of my favorite couples of 2020!! My heart is happy that these two found their HEA.

Another fantastic story by the wonderful Stacy Reid. She is beyond amazing and I can’t get enough of her stories. Honestly, one of my favorite authors of all time. She is firmly on my keeper shelf.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily review it and the comments are 100% my own.

My star rating: 5 stars
Ugly cried AF. Major book hangover. Characters and storyline were freaken amazeballs. Made me wanna hug the author for writing a book that gave me all the feels!! Will definitely be re-reading this story over and over and over again!!

First up a big big thank you for allowing me to read this one! Sadly, it didn't work out. I loved various things about it, but I am just not a fan of revenge stuff, there is talk about assault/rape which makes me HIGHLY comfortable, again, maybe trigger warnings somewhere would have been nice. It creeped me out when Nicolas just turned up AT NIGHT in her room. Which I found creepy in Twilight years ago and definitely still find creepy now. Especially given how his revenge plot is all about getting revenge for a lover who was assaulted, it just seems weird he would act this way.
Until I learned of the assault, until this whole thing, and if we don't count the revenge plot which I didn't like, the rest was just good. I love Maryann and find her fantastic and love her fiery spirit. I love Nicolas and how strong and mysterious he is. I loved their banter though it was very awkward. I loved the balls and I loved seeing Maryann prank another girl who was being a bully (snakes, yas).
I was even considering buying this book. But now? Nope. I don't do well with assault/rape/revenge plots.

Maryann Fitzwilliam was one adorable, quirky and bookish heroine. This one had me laughing, cheering and swooning!!!! Nicholas is one hot marquess and the steam was coming out of the pages of this book!!!!!