Minerva Spencer has done the nearly impossible with this book — she has made a truly unlikable character the heroine, one who is redeemed and worth rooting for in Infamous. Celia Trent is a mean girl on steroids, a leader of the ton and nasty to everyone who isn't as "perfect" as she is. All of that goes up in smoke when a trick backfires and Celia becomes a companion and has a truly miserable life — fast forward 10 years, when poor Celia has to accompany her employer to a wedding. Not just any wedding, but one featuring the very crowd with which she used to run, including people she bullied. Her long-time tormentor is there, too, making this a nightmare. The sister of Richard and Lucian is marrying; Richard being a man who had a thing for Celia and Lucian the man she was playing a trick on, one that resulted in him marrying another woman. Into the room she ruled, comes Celia the companion and drab. It is a come-down, painful to watch and masterfully written by Minerva. How this is set right -- complete with two romances -- is a wonderful tale, These Rebels of the Town (this is the third in a series) are worth knowing. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

As with this author’s previous books, I couldn’t put this one down. Her heroes and heroines are wonderfully imperfect even as they learn from their mistakes. They are rich in character, and her descriptions of them and their actions leave the reader loving them even more. In this case, who couldn’t love Richard as he emerges from his brother’s shadow and the Duke’s bullying to become the preferred one? And Celia had plenty of time to reflect on the brothers and realize this fact. Even so, each of them received what they deserved, and that is the most satisfying part of the story.

In ''Infamous'' we have the story of two couples: Celia & Richard and Phyillida (Philli) & Lucien. Those who have read the previous series ''The Outcasts'' maybe remember Richard & Lucien as the twin sons of Lady Daphne Davenport, the protagonist of ''Barbarous''.

Once upon a time, Lucien was in love with Celia Trent, and decided to ask for her hand in marriage. Richard, for his part, was far more skeptical than his brother about love, and thought he was being rash. Although they were twins, Lucien and Richard always have been quite different, both in personality and physical appearance. Lucien was athletic and sociable, and Richard wore glasses, was less athletic and would rather spend his days studying entomology than interacting with people.

Celia was one of the prettiest and most popular girls of the season. However, to maintain her high social status, Celia became a ''friend'' with a group of socially influential people whose favorite hobby was ridiculing other people. So, to prevent her from becoming their target, Celia then resolved to make Richard and Phyillida their primary targets instead.

Due to certain events during a party, the lives of these four characters were drastically altered. Celia, once popular, ended up being ostracized by society and receiving the stigma of ''lady infamous''; Philli and Lucien were forced into a marriage of convenience; and Richard, who actually didn't have much change in his life, decided to travel the world and expand his studies on entomology.

Years later these four characters meet again, but with very different social roles than they had when they were younger, and that's when we start to know more about them, the journey each one of them had, and also how they fell in love.

Overall I really enjoyed ''Infamous''. So far, this is my favorite book in the series! Although Philli & Lucien have a very cute story together, for me it was Richard & Celia who picked my attention. I really liked that the author had made a ''redemption'' of the bad girl, considering that this role is mostly used with male characters. And Richard is definitely one of the most interesting good guy I've ever read.

Celia is no longer Lady Infamous, a woman once destined to marry well, but now working as a companion to an elderly woman. She is forced to attend a society wedding of a man, who set her up to fall severely in the eyes of the ton. At the event, she finds herself confronting a woman who she taunted and Richard, a young man who she ridiculed. However, Richard is now famous and gorgeous, and Celia finds herself thinking of him more than she should. Richard was once infatuated with Celia and upon meeting her again, is still fascinated by her. Yet Celia has a secret that she hides from everyone which could shatter any chance of happiness for them.
This is another great addition to the series ‘’Rebels of the Ton’. Both Celia and Richard are fascinating characters, with Celia’s strength shining through her humble nature. Despite her position after the ‘infamous’ event, she shows pride and an ability to show responsibility for her actions. Richard is intriguing as he almost appears to be looking at everyone from afar yet finds Celia someone not so easily studied. I also enjoyed the connection to his twin, Lucien and his wife, Phyllida, who have been married for ten years, yet find their union one fraught with misunderstandings and unsaid truths. Whilst two romances can at times be difficult to deliver with depth, Ms Spencer has cleverly intertwined their stories. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading of past characters in this series, adding greater complexity to the storyline. However, this book is still able to read as a standalone, but my question is ‘why would you not read more in this series?’
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Not one but two romances! Very well written with excellent historical details and an engaging plot that fitted the time period. There are very steamy sex scenes and a lot of sensual 'slow burn' scenes, leading up to them. I really loved this book. My thanks go to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the eARC. 4.5 stars.

Infamous is the third installment of Minerva Spencer's Rebels of the Ton series behind Notorious and Outrageous. It's actually 2 stories in one... Celia and Richard's story, and Lucian and Phyllida's. Ten years ago Celia was Lady Infamous...your classic mean girl. She tormented Phyllida and was the reason she and Lucian were forced into marriage but since then her life has changed drastically and she is working as a paid companion to an elderly lady...she also has a secret. Richard is Lucian's twin and is your classic geeky scientific hero. Bugs are his passion...until he sees Celia again. All 4 are thrown together for the wedding of Lucian's and Richard's sister. As I said...2 love stories....Celia and Richard getting the chance to fall in love with each other as adults, and Lucian and Phyllida, who after a 10 year marriage and 2 children, taking the time and making the effort to really learn about what the other wants. Both are compelling romances but...I have to confess...my heart was with Lucian and Phyllida. Ms Spencer has created a beautiful, sensual romance with multifaceted characters that was a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical romance.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Infamous is the third book in Minerva Spencer's Rebels of the Ton series.

Tropes: Class differences, second chance romance, twins

This book was like getting two stories in one, as there are dual romances that have near equal page time.

Celia was a "mean girl." Around the age of 18 she made some bad choices and fell into some situations that she was forced into, just to be able to survive. Her story unfolds in a bit of an info dump at the end, but the consequences of her actions are what keeps the plot moving forward.

Story one is Celia and Richard. I liked scholarly, entomologist, beetle guy, Rich.

Story two is Luce and Phyllida. I thought their second chance at love after being married for ten years already was the more compelling of the two romances. These are people who were forced into marriage (by the actions of Celia and Sebastian).

The villain of the story never really got what was coming to him, but I did enjoy that Celia, also poised to be a villain at the beginning, had a good story arch where her redemption was worthwhile.

The beginning started off a little clunky, but picked up in the middle. The end was satisfying, if not a bit rushed.

Content warning:

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Very sexy scenes, full, somewhat explicit scene with one of the heroes and his mistress (before hero meets heroine). Putting that out there because some don't like reading about the hero with any woman before the heroine.

Rape is also alluded to and discussed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

I have enjoyed this series so much and was very excited to read this installment.

Essentially., there are 2 love stories going on at the same time. You have a married couple whose marriage is in trouble and another couple with a 2nd chance type story line.

I hate to say it but I did not enjoy this book. It felt like walking through mud. There was a lot of backstory without a lot of information. There were a lot of holes in the story that appeared to be a plot device. Some comment was made about a past event and although there may be some explanation, you never get the full story.
I appreciated that the main characters circumstances are not criticized. Once she is cast out by the Tom, it would have been easy for the hero to have his dark moment at her expense but that doesn’t happen.
In previous books, the characters were interesting and dynamic. The most interesting thing about the characters in this book was that the men were twins and one studies bugs.

Once the reigning beauty of her social set, Celia Trent—whom the newspapers dubbed Lady Infamous—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. 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.
This is the third book in the series & my favourite. It’s easily read on its own. I just loved everything about this book, the characters are wonderful, the story flows effortlessly & we get two romances for the price of one. This was romance at its best, the author has surpassed herself. If you haven’t guessed I absolutely loved it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Not my favorite in the series so far, but it was still very enjoyable. It was a good redemption story.

I love this series, Rebels of the Ton. The time period setting in the 1800s is divine. The characters are multidimensional and very believable. I loved this and want to read the whole series now!

I highly enjoyed this book. It is my first by this author and certainly not my last. I adored this authors writing style and her way of describing her characters and everything. I highly recommend this book.

This book was SUCH a surprise! I’m usually very picky when it comes to my historical romances, but this book exceeded my expectations.

In summary: Celia, former mean girl, who is now basically destitute and with her reputation in shreds after a mean prank 10 years ago, is forced to attend a society wedding. She sees again the man she was supposed to marry — who wed a girl she incessantly taunted, and his brother, a gorgeous studious and wealthy man with enough wit and sensuality to turn her world around.

This book had four POVs, Celia’s, Richard’s (the LI), Lucien (the man Celia was supposed to marry), and his wife. We follow both couples through their different journeys. For Celia and Richard, it’s a heated, witty, and entangled affair, mingled with friendship, kindness and patience. She meets someone who’ll be always on her side, and he meets her match. For Lucien and Phillyda, it’s a timid courting and a realization of hidden feelings after 10 years married. They married because of Celia’s prank, so in many ways their path to happiness was a way for Celia to be pardoned after what happened.

The writing was incredible, and allowed me to be invested in every story, at all times. I never wanted to put the book down! The plot was very well done, and it was original enough that I truly did not know where it’d be going.

It was so fresh, and fun, and with such a good feminist message as well that I couldn’t help but root for all the girls/women in this book.

Even if you don’t normally read historical romances, trust me, you’ll love this one. It’s fast, romantic, steamy and original. It’s my first time reading this author but it certainly won’t be my last!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington, and Ms. Spencer for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I have not read any of Ms. Spencer's work previously, and I was a little nervous about entering the 'series' at book 3, but I am given to understand that this is more or less a standalone. And I'm here to tell you personally that I am setting out to find more of Ms. Spencer's books, immediately.

There are really two romances going on here. The first and foremost involves Celia, a woman who in her younger years was the Queen Bee of all mean girls. Celia has had a hard life since her sudden downfall, and has learned some very difficult and humbling lessons. The other involves Phyllida, one of the women whom Celia mistreated the most, in their youth. (Frankly I was almost as interested in the relationship between Phyllida and Celia, as the relationship between the ladies and their respective gentlemen!)

I love a second-chance romance (Phyllida) but I love a villain(ess) redemption story MORE. This one was absolutely up my alley. It's obvious that there is more to most of the characters than meets the eye, and that assumptions were made and prejudices formed that caused unnecessary pain for a long, long time. I would recommend this very highly to historical romance readers looking for some different character types than the usual beautiful ingenue/dashing lord combo. It would completely and totally satisfying if there was (a) a little more resolution for Steffi and (b) just a hair more punishment for Sebastian but overall this book was an absolutely delightful discovery. I'm so excited to have found a great new author :) [although my staggering TBR pile is not, ha ha.]

I enjoyed this book, Infamous by Minerva Spencer, but found it lacked some of the sparkle that I felt in her other books in this series. (I'm not a huge fan of the mean girl redeemed trope.) Celia made some really bad choices and fate came back to get her. It did seem like things piled on more than I felt was necessary, even for someone who made the choices she did, but then life can be cruel. Richard, our hero, always had a thing for her, even though she was initially after his brother, but he goes from ugly duckling into hot swan (swain?) and still thinks she's hot even though he knows he shouldn't desire her. Several years later Celia is working for a living to support her child, Richard is home from his travels, and they are thrown together. I liked the voyage Lucian and Phyllida went on to realize they were in fact in love and perfectly paired and wishes I could read more about their story. (And, it seems like the "fateful night' is talked about a lot, but you never get 100% of the details.) It was satisfying to see Richard's sister realize what a monster her fiance was and to kick him to the curb.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can I just say that if you are not reading these books, you are missing out? Historical romance, witty, funny, and just an overall great read.

This book was a little more serious than the previous, but still just as great. I love the strong, sassy female characters in all of Spencer's books of this series and this one is no exception. I also adore that book smart, completely oblivious, snarky yet fluffy teddy bear of the love interest.

Reformed, yet not soften mean girl is reintroduced into the world in which she was humiliated in. But ever the strong female MC, Celia did what she had to do to survive. In the end, she gets just what she deserves.

*Historical Romance
*Enemies to Lovers
*Touch her and die
*Strong female
*Spicy +++

Infamous is the third novel in the Rebels of the Ton series, where each novel can be read as a standalone. Unlike Notorious (#1) and Outrageous (#2), this novel expands the main “cast” by including the stories of two couples that are closely intertwined compared to the other two that did one. The story begins in 1818 at the Duke of Sanford’s ball where the four main characters and the fifth important one are all introduced. Readers are first introduced to twin brothers, Richard Redvers and Lucien Redvers, the Earl of Davenport. Lucien is courting Celia Trent with plans to propose, while Richard is attracted to Celia, but does not act on it for his brother’s sake. Celia is entangled with Sebastian Fanshawe, the Duke of Dowden. Their connection is left somewhat vague at the beginning, but becomes more apparent as the story moves forward. Last, there is Phyllida Singleton, who is Richard’s friend and sometimes dance partner. The story flashes forward ten years and all the characters are now in different places in their lives, but will be thrown together again.

Celia Trent is now Celia Pelham, a widow, who now works for Lady Yancy. She has been invited to attend the wedding event of Sebastian to the youngest member of the Redvers family, Antonia. As an employee, Celia has no choice but to attend, as well, when she accompanies Lady Yancy. Lucien is now married to Phyllida while Richard is happily single. With open-ended feelings left to the be resolved with Celia, the story becomes more complex among these six characters. The novel includes the perspectives of Richard, Celia, Lucien, and Phyllida as all of the relationships are explored. Through the story, the reasons for how each character got to each place in their current lives are discovered. Celia regrets her past, but she needs to find out if the ones she wronged will forgive her. I love how each character has their own emotional journeys and reasons for their thoughts/decisions. It was greatly enjoyable to read about all of them and it was difficult to choose which couple I enjoyed the most, as they were both very gratifying.

Even though there are multiple moving pieces in the novel, the author did an excellent job about seamlessly moving from one to the next. Each couple is going through their own journey to try to find their way together while attending Antonia and Sebastian’s lavish Christmas wedding/party with multiple other guests and events taking place. Even though Lucien and Richard were briefly introduced ten years earlier during Outrageous, I loved that the tie in between the novels. Eva and Godric, the main characters from Outrageous, also make brief cameos in this novel. I liked how the novels connected while still being independent to give readers the option to read the novels as a complete series or as standalones. Celia’s arc as a reformed mean girl who is trying to make amends from those she wronged was a very compelling tale. Not only did she jilt Lucien, she was cruel to Phyllida and Richard in her past. As a reader, I greatly enjoyed how Celia involved Lucien ending up with Phyllida and how Richard plays a role in the intricate web.

Overall, I love how the story became about two couples who are each struggling to be happy together. When I read the prologue where both brothers liked the same girl, the story could have become a love triangle story, so I appreciate that the author took it into a new direction. Everyone in the story is not who they initially seem with some hiding more of themselves. The secrets are revealed in their own time in a natural way that both made sense and did not overwhelm the reader with too much occurring at once. There are many heart-breaking moments in this story that are nicely balanced with lovely heart-warming ones. The novel is very captivating and was difficult to put down as I became invested in each subplot. The series continues to interest me and I cannot wait to read the next novel, Dangerous, which will feature Lady Euphemia Marlington and Adam de Courtney!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

If you have finished all the Bridgerton books and want more…then you should definitely give this one a try! The book is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Funny, steamy and you get two lovely romances for the price of one. The only thing that I disliked were the internal monologues the characters had.

The newest in the Rebels of the Ton series, I love how they all intertwine in the most delicious ways. This one follows Lady Infamous, aka Celia Trent, a young lady of meager means who did whatever she had to do to keep her dignity and take care of her own. And Richard, a nobleman who would rather study beetles than get married. In full transparency this one was less steamy than the prior two but I enjoyed their banter and the mystery behind Celia greatly.

I enjoyed this historical romance, the third in the Rebels of the Ton series.

The heroine, Celia, is known as Lady Infamous after a prank which ended in Lucien, her soon to be fiance, marrying another. Celia is penniless and was forced to go into service once her hoped-for engagement to Lucien fell through.

This book had an unusual plot involving two romance plotlines for twins Lucien and Richard. There was also a lot of backstory involving Celia’s bad behavior and life after the scandal. Because of this, I didn’t get enough of the main romance plot between Richard and Celia. I felt that Richard’s character wasn’t fully developed.

I did enjoy the humor, Celia’s character, and the steamy scenes in this book.

I have really enjoyed reading the entire series and can’t wait to see whose story is up next!

3.5 rounded up