Although I haven't read any other book in this series, I did enjoy this one and it can be read as a stand-alone book. It was hard to like Celia throughout the book and I think she took the coward's way out at the end with the letter, but Richard was a great character.

A little too formulaic. Bitchy debutante gets her comeuppance and reforms but is now destitute and working (!!!!) for a living. Meets people from her former life. The best part was actually how the people in the forced marriage finally worked out their problems. Okay, but I skimmed a lot to get to the HEA. Not a good indication of a story that holds my attention. Can't really recommend. Minerva Spencer has written better books. Read those. #Infamous #NetGalley

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Infamous is a third book in the Rebels of the ton series and currently my favourite.
I was not really impressed with the second book Outrageous, so I feel like this book was a redemption book.
Light and fun read.I am looking forward for more to come.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Minerva Spencer does not disappoint. I have become a fan over that last year and anything by her becomes an instant read.
I was a little hesitant since Celia starts off as a bully but her growth was tremendous.
I loved Celia's evolution and her relationship with Richard.
I also love the bonus love story between Richard's brother and his wife.
Wonderful book. Look forward to the next book.

Richard and Lucien (Lord Davenport) Redvers might be twins but they couldn't be more different. Lucien, the elder, is charming, well-built, devastatingly handsome. Richard is slighter, wears glasses, is still a little bit spotty, and has a fascination with beetles and bugs. Lucien is about to make an offer for the hand of society beauty, and all-round mean girl, Celia Trent, not knowing that his twin is also in lust with Celia, despite her caustic tongue and spiteful comments. Then at the Duke of Stanford's ball Celia crosses a line, egged on by Sebastian, Duke of Dowden, who has a hatred of Richard Redvers, and earns herself the dubious title Lady Infamous.

A decade later, Richard is a well-travelled, single man, still obsessed by beetles, but grown into his looks and filled out in the body. Lucien is married with two children, and Celia is acting as a ladies companion to Lady Yancy. Their paths might never had crossed again if Richard's younger sister Antonia hadn't been getting married, to Sebastian of all people, and Lady Yancy was invited as the friend of Sebastian's aunt, Lady Morton.

Bringing all the protagonists from that night together for the first time in a decade at Lord and Lady Davenport's country house for a Christmas wedding was bound to create waves. Secrets unfold and Richard and Celia have a chance at love, if Sebastian doesn't sabotage things.

I loved this, disgraced bad girl, nerd turned hot, second chance romance, smokin' hot lovin' and a baddie so evil he makes you want to hiss every time he's on the page. Also, we get to see some of my favourite characters from The Outcasts series.

My only quibble was that Celia's story had some strong similarities to that of Daphne Davenport. I made a similar comment about the final book in The Outcasts series, there were too many similarities between the three heroes' backstories and I had an overwhelming feeling of deja vu, this is less obvious but still striking to someone who only read The Outcast series last year.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Once the reigning beauty of her social set, Celia has fallen on hard times and is practically destitute, her reputation in shreds. When Celia is forced to attend a society wedding as a companion to an elderly guest, she must confront the clique she once commanded; the gentleman she'd once hoped to marry—who is now wed to a girl Celia relentlessly taunted; and the powerful man who ruined her life a decade before—and is threatening to do so again...

A hero transformed...
Then there is Richard, the studious boy Celia used to ridicule, who is now gorgeous, wealthy, and more-than-a-little famous. As a youth, Richard was infatuated with Celia. He still seems intrigued, but Celia has acquired a shocking secret along with her hard-won humility. Will it put an end to the love blossoming between them? Does she have the courage to find out?

I love the other books by this author and this book is no exception. Lots of great, fierce and funny banter in this book. Celia isn't an easy character to love or to redeem but I love her by the end of the book. The mean girls/bully concept has been done many times but this was done so well. Funny, sweet and moving all at the same time. Another exceptionally wonderful book in this series.

'thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC.

I wanted to love this book for the premise alone, and Minerva Spencer did NOT disappoint. While the "incomparable beauty come down in the world" is hardly a new trope, our heroine Celia wasn't known for her kindness, and more than one person celebrated her fall from grace. Ten years later, she has no choice but to attend the wedding of her former nemesis, and finds an unlikely hero in the man she once make a mockery of before the ton. Spencer does a marvelous job of flipping and twisting some of the best romance tropes for characters who have both depth and heart, and enough self-awareness to recognize their own shortcomings. A little bit Mean Girls, and a little bit Cinderella, this open-door romance has a lot to like for fans of heroines who rescue themselves and find love along the way.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

She was known as a mean lady but now circumstances have changed and she finds herself in financial needs as well as her reputation in tatters. She has to attending a society wedding escorted by an elderly gentleman as she face her peers whom she taunted and the man who she had hoped to marry who is now engaged to another girl whom she was mean to.

Also there is a studious boy who she was unkind to but he was infatuated with her and now he has grown up to be handsome and well off. Will the two find love despite her knowing a secret that could tear them apart? Can their relationship survive on love?

It is a tale of redemption and love.

Thank you net galley for approving this title. I made it to chapter 2 before I determined the content of this novel not for me. The explicit sexual references and language are not for me. I had hopes for this novel as the description was intriguing.

I adore this series and this was another fantastic installment. I always like seeing the mean girl get her comeuppance and this was no exception...and really did like Celia by the end. I love Spencer's writing style as well as her storylines. Great read.

INFAMOUS is an UGLY DUCKING story with the hero being an awkward young man who grows into an interesting, GORGEOUS, well-traveled, intelligent man. Richard Redvers primary tormentor in those awkward years was Celia who was beautiful and self-assured and the center of the 'mean girls. But Celia has paid a high price for her behavior and the next time she meets Richard their roles are reversed.

A incredibly emotional story of redemption and finding a new path when past sins come back to haunt, INFAMOUS is filled with angst, regrets, attraction, possibilities and triumph. . . and love. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves an 'old school', lush historical romance. Minerva Spencer never disappoints!

INFAMOUS is a story of twins with a twist –so much fun to watch the development of the two relationships that began much earlier (and not well) through challenges to a very happy ending. Another great Minerva Spencer historical romance!”

INFAMOUS is a tale of actions and consequences, of emotional growth and redemption and of facing your past and moving forward against all challenges – to find love. Lushly written, sexy as all get out and so very emotionally satisfying, it’s a quintessential Minerva Spencer historical romance and I highly recommend it.

This book forces you to look closely at whether people really can change. The focus of the book is on Celia Trent and the after effects of mean spirited trick. Celia is what I would describe as a textbook, grade A, mean girl. When she was younger Celia's family was on the very edge of not being respectable and in a very precarious financial position. Celia handled that by asserting herself as more powerful than those around her - and punishing those she felt were getting more than they deserved or threatened her superiority in any way. One night changes everything - Celia, as part of a scheme involving the biggest, meanest bully of the story simultaneously ends her own chance of marrying an earl and irrevocably alters the lives of two other people.

In addition to Celia, we also focus in on Richard. Richard is a neurodiverse, scientific, basically total nerd hero. When we first meet him he hasn't truly filled out or grown into his body yet. He is socially awkward - but doesn't really care. He's definitely more forward thinking about many things than other men of his era. When we see Richard again he has grown in to himself fully and has really spent the last ten years. He and Celia are a fascinating couple - in that Celia was very unkind to Richard in the past (he didn't really care - but her attitude and behavior still happened) and

The story also follows Lucien (Richard's twin brother) and Philandia his sister-in-law - who married as a result of that life altering event. Poor Lucien and Phil - I just wanted to hug them and sit them down with a couples therapist.

I loved that the book took such an honest look at this topic - can you rehabilitate a character like Celia? can you rebuild a marriage founded on a shaky foundation? Can people really change? and do they?

This book talks pretty extensively about the results of bullying - so if that is triggering for you - read with caution. But know. that this book also - for me at least - reinforces that life truth: Be kind, because others are fighting a battle you know nothing about.

I received it as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own. Also - don't mind me - I'll just be over here reading all the author's backlist....

Infamous is a historical romance with a premise that I haven't come across before but one that I've thought of, so I was kind of excited to have some real angsty fun: What happens if a Queen Bee of the ton finds herself in reduced circumstances and then must meet up again with one of the boys she tortured? So much potential, but so many tiny little things took me out of the story. Like right at the beginning the hero was supposed to be awkward, stoic, and brilliant while his twin was the opposite. Yet said hero--who was very young in the opening--had already had tons of lovers? Ugh. Yeah, no. Meh. Instead of wonderful angsty, I mostly experienced annoyance...

<spoilers>

The thing is, I'm finally realizing that Minerva Spencer writes like Spinal Tap volume set to 11 married to Days of Our Lives, which got divorced from a 90s Topaz novel with that naked guy with dark flowing hair who wasn't Fabio on every cover: Why make the heroine not just a Queen Bee but the mean girl FORCED to do this because her father is HORRIBLE and a TERRIBLE ton leader is MAKING her do this so he'll help her make a connection BUT REALLY he wants to destroy her etc etc etc. It's so over the top, and too much, way too much is thrown in. I just realized I don't even know why the evil ton guy was that way (and never is explained one iota why the hero's much younger little sister gets engaged to ETG -- #plot device). It's just not my cup of tea.

That said, there was an ok (but also over the top and slightly annoying) secondary romance, and for some people this all might be exactly your cup of tea. If so, sip up! I give it 3 stars.

Netgalley provided an ARC for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

A light yet enjoyable read for anyone who wants to detach for a bit and set foot into another world unlike their own. Minerva Spencer sets a scene you feel you know intimately.

I have just started to read this wonderful book. I’m so caught in the character of Ms Celia Trent. Only Ms Spencer can make a mean girl, so tragic and feisty.

I think each book by Ms Spencer is the best until the next one comes along. Infamous is a hard contested and worthy best book of the three, in the Rebels of the Ton series, although I enjoyed them all. The story of Celia Trent and the twins Lucien and Richard of Lord and lady Ramsey is utterly wonderful and engrossing. The author has woven the lives of the twins, Celia and her mean gals squad from her boarding school days and their target Ms Phyllida Singleton is so fulfilling to the reader and never a dull page.

As maligned as Celia Trent is, now widowed and a companion, her story is narrated in flashback, the reader can’t help but root for her.

The story revolves around both the twins although Richard is the main protagonist, Lucien’s story, who is the older twin and the Earl of Davenport, is equally engrossing. Celia Trent is a pawn in the hands if the devious Duke of Dowden, Sebastian has a deep hatred for Richard Redvers (Ms Spencer very smoothly reveals the reason for the deep hatred of a very devious boy now a vicious adult); and he coolly uses Celia to play havoc with the lives of the twins and in the process Celia Trent is maligned and losses her credibility and is ostracized by the ton.

The main story starts a décade after their initial meetings and the lives of the twins and their new relationship forms the basis of the story. There are many moments when the reader can feel the desolate life of Celia as she is now, her life has gone down the path of misery, yet her strength in herself and her taking responsibility for her stupid machinations makes her a heroine well worth a small ovation.

The story is sound and incredibly poignant in some chapters. I had to read the book twice before I got down to writing the review; it was quite an emotional roller coaster and I did not wish to rush. Grab a copy for sure. Cant help but root for a young gal who had tough luck throughout her young life, but continues her hard fought trudge with dignity and finally finds redemption and happiness.

Such a great book. Hooked right from the beginning. I really had to idea who was going to end up married/together. I have a hard time following a book with alot of characters. This book is full of characters. Each person was so well written I had no problem following along!

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of the previous books in this series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I requested this instantly upon seeing it available. Unfortunately it became clear to me early on that this enjoyment wasn't to be repeated. I may try to finish this novel at some point but at this moment, it is not for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.