4 stars

Infamous by Minerva Spencer is the third book in the Rebels of the Ton series. In this story, Celia Trent, a gorgeous Regency mean girl, plays an atrocious prank on her boyfriend, Lucian’s twin brother, Richard, a socially awkward insect enthusiast. Unfortunately, the prank goes wrong and ends up forcing Lucian into marrying another women named Phyillida. Celia is exposed after her prank and is expelled from society. Additionally, her father suffers financial ruin and Celia is forced to work as a servant.

Infamous focuses on how the prank affects all four characters after a 10 year period. The book goes back and forth between the two timelines. The reader slowly learns what happened to the characters and how it impacts them 10 years later. It becomes clear very quickly that not everything is as it seems. The author really did include some very surprising moments.

I loved the characters in this story. Celia was incredibly dislikeable at first, but her redemption arc was fantastic. Richard and Celia were great foils for each other. Although Celia and Richard were the main love story in this novel, I found myself enjoying the plot of Lucian and Phyillida a little more.

Although this book is part of a series, it is a great standalone story. I haven’t read the other two books, but it does not appear that the stories are connected. However, I really enjoyed this book and would like to go back and read the other two.

I was invited to read an ARC of Infamous by Minerva Spencer. #Infamous #NetGalley

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book!

It had been so long since I read Outrageous and this one was quite different so I was intrigued to start. The plot was interesting and so we’re the character dynamics.

There were also two love stories in this book. You thought it would mainly be about Richard and Celia, but we also got to see a different love story happen with Luce and Phil.

I thought this one had a sort of slow start, but once we learned more about everyone’s past I got very invested!

It was also fun to have a cameo of Eva and Godric

A thoroughly enjoyable story of redemption and love. Celia and Richard make for wonderful characters and I was quickly caught up in their journey. Minerva Spencer weaves her magic with Infamous, book 3 in the Rebels of the Ton series.

This was a most delightful read with engaging characters, two lovely romances, and a lesson for all of us – people are not always who/what they seem. I love it when I get two romances in a book – and both of these are really lovely. I almost said that one of them was a second chance romance, but I’m not sure that is true because they never had a chance at romance the first time.

Our first couple is Lucian and Phyllida (Phil) who had never even met prior to the night they were compelled to become betrothed. Lucian was planning to ask the woman he loved, Celia Trent, to marry him. He would be paying a visit to her father the following morning. Ah – such are the puny plans of men. Fate, however, is wiser than we are and sometimes steps in whether we wish her to or not. A very nasty trick, meant for someone else, goes awry and Phil and Lucian end up locked in a closet overnight – which, of course, necessitates marriage for them. Phyllida has lived with the insecurity of knowing she was not her husband’s chosen bride for the last ten years. She has pushed him away – and pushed him away – and pushed him away – and their marriage is definitely feeling the strain. After ten years and two children, Lucian is at his wit's end – until he gets some unsolicited advice from his bachelor brother, Richard.

Richard and Celia – what an unlikely pair – or are they? Richard was supposed to be the one on whom the nasty trick was to be played. Richard was supposed to be the one trapped in the closet with Phyllida because both of them were the recipients of the ‘bad girls’ scorn. When the trick is revealed, it seems the only person to pay a price – other than Lucian and Phyllida – is Celia. Not only does she lose Lucian – who was to be her salvation – she is cast out of society to begin a horrible ten years of suffering.

When the four of them are thrown together at a Christmas house party meant to celebrate Richard and Lucian’s sister’s wedding, tensions run very, very high. Phyllida’s insecurities rise to an incredible level, Richard is just Richard (you’ll love him), Lucian has fallen in love with his wife and doesn’t want Celia anywhere around, and Celia has no choice because she is now the paid companion to a very cranky old lady who insists they attend the house party.

It was utterly delightful to watch these four navigate the rocky road that is before them. Misconceptions are explored, forgiveness is given, a nasty viper of a villain is thwarted, and – well – love wins.

I loved this delightfully well-written, well-paced, very romantic read. I loved learning how Celia had grown and changed, and I loved seeing Phyllida blossom under Lucian’s care. Then, there is the BIG fall for our thoroughly analytical scientist, Richard. Richard doesn’t believe in love – until he falls and falls hard. I don’t think one romance really outshines the other, both are very different, and both are very romantic. I can definitely recommend this book and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

Infamous is the third installment in the Rebels of the tons series. I have to admit it's my first time reading a Minerva Spencee book but it won't be the last.
The Heroine in this book, Celia, is not perfect and angelic as Historical romance heroines tend to be and it's a breath of Fresh air,Celia was a Bully in the past. Minerva was able to write her redemption well. Richard is such a sweetheart. An interover who likes the company of insects more than humans. I loved the premise of the book and its excusion. The characters were complexe, the chemistry sizzling and the dialogue top notch. I loved how we got to view his brother's Lucien relationship as well.

Such a good read. I enjoyed it.

Infamous is the third book of a thrilling historical regency romance trilogy by S.M. LaViolette, writing under the pen name of Minerva Spencer. The first book, Notorious, hooked me on the genre. Before that, I hadn’t read many romance novels, nevermind Regency Romance. Now? I can’t get enough! The cover art for infamous is just as beautiful as the first two books, which is what originally made me start reading the series. They aren’t the traditional romance covers with half-naked men and swooning women. They are bright and bold, just like the stories within.

Lucien and Richard are identical twins, but they couldn’t be more different. Stylish, gregarious, and the most eligible bachelor in the ton, Lucien attracts all the girls, while his more studious, awkward brother, Richard - who is grateful he was born second - wants nothing to do with London Seasons. Both brothers fall for the same girl in 1818, the stunning Miss Celia Trent. The events at the Duke of Stanford’s Ball will change all of their lives, forever.

Infamous is a captivating book that kept me up all night. It’s full of delicious tension and I couldn’t put it down.

TW: sexual assault and off page rape

Richard is an interesting atypical Hero, he’s a twin, nerdy, brilliant, obsessed with beetles and also loves to sleep around. Celia is a beautiful ambitious mean girl who makes other people miserable because she’s miserable and she can.

Celia is manipulated by Sebastian, a man Richard hates. She tries to pull a prank on Richard with Sebastian’s encouragement and interference that ends up “entrapping” Richard’s twin Lucien into marriage with Phyllida, Celia’s punching bag. Lucien was planning on proposing to Celia the next day now he has to marry a woman he doesn’t know or like because they were trapped in a room together overnight. Richard was supposed to be who was stuck with Phyllida and forced to marry her but Celia’s plan didn’t work out. Celia is cast out of society once it’s discovered that she was who was behind the prank.

10 years later Celia is a servant for Ms Yancy. Ms.Yancy is invited to a wedding and makes Celia go too. The wedding is between Sebastian and Lucien and Richard’s little sister. Angst, deception, sex and bad communication abounds.

I absolutely hated Celia for the first 10 chapters of the book. Eventually she grew on me though. I still don’t feel like she’s fully redeemed herself in the end but it’s interesting for characters to not be solely good or bad.

I enjoyed the bits of Phil and Luce’s story interwoven however I felt like it could have been it’s own book.

Sebastian is an asshole and I don’t feel like his story was totally resolved. I don’t feel like he got quite enough of what he deserved.

I felt like this book did not fit as well in the series as the first 2 books and it could have almost been a standalone

I did enjoy the character development, I enjoyed the steam level. I do find some of Ms. Spencer’s storytelling repetitive. In all 3 books of this series the main characters had big secrets they kept from their prospective partners until almost the end, they all had horrible communication skills be the central conflict of the story. If the characters would have simply been honest with one another the conflict would dissolve. I will try more of her novels in the future but I don’t think this one will be on my re-read list.

Wow, what a read. This book will grab you and not let you go until the last page is read. It moves along at a great pace, has interesting and unique characters that you will fall in love with and a story that will not let you down. You will not be sorry that you read this and this book has to be on your TBR.

Ooh, I LOVED this story!! I’m a sucker for those „bullied“ and slow burning type of romances.

Usually I can’t empathise with characters who were arrogant and fell from grace but with this heroine I couldn’t help but wish for a HEA.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the conclusion to her situation was very surprising to me.

Ever since Bridgerton I also can’t stop picturing the clothes they’re wearing (and I read the Bridgerton series before they became a series); the show definitely helped in imagining what the clothes back then looked like (at least to an extend).

Thumbs up from me!

Goodness, I love this series! Infamous is the 3rd book in the Rebels of Ton series by Minerva Spencer. It follows a former mean girl, brought low by circumstances (and befriending the wrong people). I love how Spencer's characters are deeply flawed but you manage to like them anyway. It makes them more likable and human. This novel is just filled with all kinds of misunderstandings, a dastardly duke, and more romance than I think there even actually was in 1800s England. I also love that Spencer doesn't hold back on the passion of her characters either. A really fun story, the duke gets his comeuppance and I hope this series continues!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel.*

A different sort of romp! Celia's has a comeuppance and now she's got to face what she did- but from the position of servant of sorts rather than as a mean girl. And she's got to face Richard- who will turn out to be, well, no spoilers from me. It's a complicated tale of consequences. And, it's also the story of Phylidia and Lucian finding the love in their marriage. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

This is the third book in the Rebels of the Ton series and I liked it the best of the three so far. The author seems to be settling into her rhythm now and this one has a slightly unusual storyline which makes it more interesting.

The title refers to one of the main characters, Celia, who is known about town as Lady Infamous due to some of her actions. These become so disapproved of that she is obliged to drop out of sight and become a ladies companion. Eventually however she has to accompany her mistress to a large house party where she meets again all the other people who were involved in her downfall.

There are some excellent characters both good and bad. Richard who was the original victim has grown up from being a skinny nerd into a very good looking man who is well travelled, well educated and even famous - he is about to be knighted for his services to science. Of course this being a romance he has always loved Celia. Is there any way they can get over the past and be together?

This turned out to be a really enjoyable book and one that was hard to put down. Full marks again for the beautiful cover too!

I'm fairly new to the world of Minerva Spencer's characters, but I find they have personality and imperfections. I appreciated the development from mean girl to responsible adult for Celia and appreciated the slight awkward neediness of Richard. They're romance wasn't cute or fun, necessarily, but it was good. What I truly appreciated were the secondary storylines that very, very closely intersected with the main plotline - a good reminder about the echoed impact our actions have beyond ourselves. Overall, I found this to be an engaging, entertaining read - but I wouldn't necessarily remember the storyline without a quick review of the cover blurb to bring it all back.

My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

What goes around comes around, or so it would seem – ten years ago mean girl and diamond of the first water, Miss Celia Trent seemingly had the world at her feet and was just hours away from being proposed to by Lucien Redvers, the Earl of Davenport when a mean spirited prank she and her partner in crime, Sebastian, the Duke of Dowden, played against his twin – studious Richard, went awry, leaving Lucien wed to wallflower Phyllida “Phil” Singleton, Celia being dubbed Lady Infamous and becoming a pariah and Richard slipping away completely unscathed.

Now ten years later, Sebastian is set to marry Lucien and Richard’s sister, Miss Antonia ”Toni” Redvers and a lavish Christmas wedding/house party is being prepared at Lucien’s country estate. It is at the house party that they will all be reunited, much to just about everyone’s dismay – except Richard, who is looking forward to exploring the attraction he still feels towards Celia!

Celia has changed, life dealt her a bad hand and yes, she was nasty, but once you learn more of her past, you begin to understand why she acted the way she did – not that it made her actions acceptable, but who can’t understand youthful insecurity, peer pressure, and jealousy? Celia knows she was awful to Phil and expects the woman to gloat as Celia is now a paid companion. But that doesn’t happen, Phil struggles with her own insecurities and the appearance of Celia in her home brings things that have been simmering for years to a full boil!

I was not a fan of the first two books in this series and almost passed on this title – Thank Goodness I didn’t! OMG – I loved this book! It is well-written and nicely paced with the dual love stories perfectly balanced, and neither couple being slighted. Throw into the mix a couple of parrots, geriatric canines, a vindictive groom, an insect obsessed hero, a heroine with secrets, cameos from Hugh and Daphne, conversations that were years in the making, long overdue apologies, a bride who can plant a perfect roundhouse punch, some steamy love scenes and a lot of witty banter and you have a nearly perfect read complete with two HEAs and an epilogue! This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this uncorrected proof and would happily recommend it!

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

I found Infamous to start off a little slow but then it just took off with two stories in one!! This trilogy was wrapped up quite nicely. Celia and Richard story was so sweet and Luce and Phil’s story went so perfectly together.

First things first, I absolutely loved it!

Celia was a mean girl and she never denied it to herself. As the most beautiful girl of the season, she was ready to except a marriage proposal from Lucien, the Earl of Davenport. She disliked his less impressive, less handsome, obsessed with beattles twin who always seems comfortable with himself, even if he's clumsy and wears glasses and Phyllida Singleton an impoverished, plain looking wallflower. When a prank went wrong Lucien, and not Richard as intended, found himself locked with Phyllida and had to marry her. When Celia's part was discovered she was exiled from society. 10 years later, she's working as a lady companion to an elderly lady and has to go at a house party, celebrating the marriage of Rich and Luce's only sister's wedding to the Duke of Dowden (aka the villain).

This my first Minerva Spencer book, and I won't lie, I was obsessed! She did an excellent job while writing these characters, giving us small pieces at the time, but enough to make the puzzle of their lives.

The story of Luce and Phil, is one of the best secondary love stories out there. I'm a sucker of a good forced marrige story and it stole the show for me. Even though things looked somehow, it was evident that they were in love. I said "F*ck they're in love 😍" more times I could count. I also said "Oh, I love Hugh" as many times (there's already a book of him, I'm absolutely getting it 🤣)

I adored reading it, it's definitely on my top 10 2021 book list. I received an ARC from Net Galley and these are my honest opinions.

As a lover of Regancy romance, I will tell you that this author has been on my 'Gotcha-Read' shelf for awhile. I've just never gotten around to getting that far down the list. I really wish I had come around her sooner. What a delight!

I'm not a bodice-riper reader (try saying that 5 times fast😉) and I wouldn't say there is any ripping going on, but there is some loving if you get my meaning.

As woman who is used to being on top of society, Celia's fall from grace has been a lesson in humility and it's one she has learned well over the years. To survive, she has had to overcome her pride and arrogance to pull a shred of herself together again. But now her she must come face-to-face with the person that set her on the path to her own ruin. How will she face them? Will the past always haunt her? Will she ever be worthy of love?

This delightful story captured me from the beginning. I started reading this and only stopped when I was done. I love the story that M. Spencer weaves about this unlikely pair of characters and those around them, about the society that drives them, and the hidden desires and longings that plague them.

There is the glittery historical romance mask on the surface, just like most of this characters have to wear; and then there is the seedier more realistic world beneath that the author shows a though a glimpse behind closed doors or once the masks are removed. The juxtaposition really works and has me from the beginning. I am a fan

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion **

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Infamous is a refreshing, different, heart-wrenching love story of two couples and second chances. This story provides heartache, redemption, and all-encompassing love. Minerva Spencer delivers an intricate, lovingly written tale of how bad choices elementally change us for the worse, but most importantly, how we learn from them and create something extraordinary from the ashes.

This plot is quite intricate, and there is much left out of the blurb at the front of the book. I will simply say that the story focuses on four individuals whose lives are irrevocably altered after a nefarious trick goes horribly wrong. We start the story ten years past the aftermath of the fateful night that up-ended four lives. One couple, locked in a cold marriage, is trying to find their way back to each other. The other find each other after much pain and strife.

Celia is the center point of the entire tragedy. Pushed into being the antagonist by an evil man, she pays the consequences of her actions tenfold. Celia is a tragic figure, brought low after causing so many people pain. Celia is humbled and degraded again and again. Even though she created this disaster, no one deserves the pain she endured. After ten years of deprivation and degradation, Celia finds Richard, a man she ridiculed and rejected years ago. The couple instantly ignites the page with their attraction. Richard and Celia’s journey is a long one, fraught with consequences over the past. Lucien and Phyllida are the other couple, mired in ten years of a marriage full of misunderstanding and strife. Their journey back to one another is tenderly passionate. Both couples have a second chance at happiness if only they are brave enough to take that first step.

The writing coordinates the many moving parts of this story flawlessly. The story, which could have been muddled and mired, is instead uniquely written to cast a beautiful spotlight on these terribly flawed people who deserve a second chance at happiness and love. The story fell together perfectly, and the pace moved seamlessly for such an expansive storyline. This book grabbed my interest in the first chapter and demanded my attention until the last sentence. The author orchestrated a tale of tragedy, redemption, and love that I will not soon forget. I encourage you to take the chance on this hauntingly beautiful book; you won’t regret it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has two main characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. After reading this book I feel like I need to go back and read the earlier books in the series because it is fun to have characters return from previous books. There were parts of the book early in the house party that I wanted to skip to get to the meat of the story, for this reason I give it 4 stars.

When a long absentee from the ton uproar a party with her return …

Usually it is the bad boy who is reformed and the mean girl punished.
So it is for once nice to follow the bad girl find her own path to redeem herself.
Ceci a is not as bad but as she was left down by the man who should have protected her and lured by an other with a glimpse of what could be, she did what she thought to rescue herself, only it spiraled her down, dragging her down.
She had only been a tool for a man set on petty revenge, used and discarded. She paid a heavy price for having wanted to better herself.
To then have to patch up the pieces of her life at best, with her shame to be kept hidden.
Still as she revisits her past, not everything is black and white, she was an envious girl, desiring what others had, what ever the cost.
Richard was the target of the scheme involving Celia, but in fact he was rather the only o r left unscathed. He continued on his life and made a success of his researches. He had long ago rejected ton’s dictates so when his name was thrown into the mud, he never really minded. He followed his calling and is now rewarded with a knighthood. So when the girl he was all in ten years ago is back at his sister’s weeding party as a working woman, he does know how to deal with his past infatuation and his present attraction. Even if he feels there is more to her demure attitude.

But what is she to do when her secret is threatened and she is kind of blackmailed to abide to her tormenter edict to protect herself.

We also get an insight into Lucien’s marriage, Richard’s twin. When in appearance they are a success, behind closed door, they are unable to talk to the other. So we observe them keeping apart when longing to mend their way toward another.

My true disappointment is the villain, a much ugly being, never get his deserved comeuppance, he will walk back to his life with only a tap on the hand.
4 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes.

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