Clever and beautiful Emma Downing is a member of the Swooning Virgins Society, a group of young and brave women set to bring the corrupt members of the aristocracy to justice. She owes a great debt of gratitude to Lady Clifford, the founder of the Society, who helped her escape a life of shame and suffering by bringing her to her Clifford Charity School and she’d hate to let her down… So she pours herself into the task of investigating the disappearance of two young maids and the alleged involvement of a rakish member of the aristocracy. What Emma is definitively not looking for is love, because love doesn’t exist and even if it did, she wouldn’t deserve it…
Lord Samuel Lymington has just come back from serving in the Navy, finding his dear cousin in big trouble. He really has to help him get his life straight and having the seductive Emma in his way is a big nuisance… Especially when he is the one who’s being bewitched by her.
Anna Bradley is firmly in my top ten list of authors and this book was a real treat, full of intrigue, mystery and most of all Romance with the capital R. The chemistry between Emma and Samuel is over the top and sparks fly when they verbally spar as well as when they kiss passionately. Both characters are wonderfully brought to life by the writing talent of the author and the reader can’t help feeling for sweet and brave Emma and suffering with her until her deserved HEA. Definitively a page-turner
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The virgin who bewitched Lord Lymington is the 4th and last volume in The swooning virgins society series by Anna Bradley. I read all the previous books and I loved them. It could have been the same with this one if not for an element not well handled by the author.
Each book can be read separately. The heroines are bound together by Lady Clifford’s School but the intrigues are different.

TVWBLL is the story of Emma Downing and Samuel Fitzroy, the Marquess of Lymington. It starts some time after the end of The virgin who humbled Lord Haslemere. For those who read it, we know that Emma was not there but nobody knew why.
We learn that she’s investigating the Lymington’s family. Indeed, two of their young housemaids have disappeared and a third one is now a courtesan in London after being ruined and abandoned by her lover. One person would be behind these three affairs. Lady Clifford and Emma already have a suspect and Emma’s assignment is to prove his innocence or his guilt.
That’s why she pretends to be Lady Crosby’s granddaughter. The latter is a great High Society member and one of Lady Clifford’s School benefactors. Not only does she know about the investigation, she also accepted to help Emma.

Our heroes meet at Almack. Emma’s reactions were very funny when she sees this place for the first time. The attraction between Samuel and our heroine is immediate.

Unfortunately, the suspense’s side bothered me because of some details not well handled, in my opinion :
- too many sensual scenes which take place when the heroes should be more focused on the danger, whether for them or for other important characters
- a secondary character disapears and I really would have liked to know about him. Of course, we never see him but his role is very important for the heroine
- lack of justice against Madame Marchand, a very unlikeable secondary character.
I won’t tell anymore here to avoid spoilers. And maybe some readers will have a different opinion. I will just say that I had an idea about the villain and I was right. 😊 On the other hand, I was surprised by the revelations.

I loved the romance. The hero is a grouch-kind-of-guy who loves his solitude and don’t like people, even less frivolities. He was in the army and just returned to London. He also wants to reconcile with his cousin who is mad at Samuel because he left him. Plus, he had some bad relations during Samuel’s absence and our hero wants to take over the reins of the situation.

Emma has a difficult past. About that, I have to say, again, that the title of the series and of this book don ‘t match at all with our heroine’s reality. Really, it’s a pity the publisher decided to use the word « virgin » when it was easy to find another one.
This didn’t keep me from loving the evolution of the story. The heroes are perfect together and their love story is beautiful.

I loved some secondary characters, especially Lady Crosby and Lady Flora, who are very nice. However, I had a problem with Lord Lovell, Samuel’s cousin. It seems the author wanted to make him a romantic guy – maybe I’m wrong… Unfortunately, his first appearance doesn’t make him a man whose heart has been broken. Despite the rest of the book, I couldn’t forget where he was in the first chapter.

To conclude, TVWBLL is a good volume in the series but it could have been better if the writer haven’t forgotten some elements in the intrigue. In any case, the book offers a great romance, as well as a beautiful conclusion and epilogue in the series. I highly recommend it.

Dark doings within the ton!

1790, Fifteen year old Emma Downing found her way to the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls. Her arrival was disconcerting, with “great gouts of blood” staining her dress, but as Lady Amanda Clifford noted, Emma had survived the abuse she suffered at Madame Manchard’s brothel. “That made her extraordinary. No, more than that. It made her a miracle.” The School for Wayward Girls is dedicated to bringing justice for young woman abused at the hands of the aristocracy. Now Emma will join their ranks.
Five years later, 1795, Emma is on the hunt for a nobleman who is abusing courtesans at that same establishment, the Pink Pearl.
Emma is concerned about two missing servant girls who’d disappeared from Lymington House, “and now the third, Caroline Francis, is pointing her accusing finger at Lord Lovell.” A charming young rakeshell who managed to keep the worst of bad company whilst his cousin Samuel deployed as a Captain with the Royal Navy during the war. Is Lovell capable of the level of debauchery hinted at?
Now that he’s home, Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington is trying to help Lovell change his ways. He’s also concerned about missing servant girls and wants to talk to Caroline Francis. Sam and Emma are at Madam’s on the same night unbeknownst to Emma .
Samuel and Emma’s paths cross frequently in their seperate investigations. Samuel knows Emma is more than she seems. Emma knows Samuel is astute and dangerous. It doesn’t help that both of them feel a strong pull of attraction. These two are at daggers drawn but maybe they should join forces, stand back to back, and turn their knives outwards towards the true culprit, when they track that person down.
Intrigue and romance. A powerful combination. I must say I loved the chemistry between Sam and Emma! I loved Emma’s repartee, so unsuitable for the debutante she’s supposed to be. But then she is an “original”.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Loved this book! I’m not sure if this actually the last book in the series but it was a great ending if it is the last book.

I love Emma and how strong she is. She has her past demons but is determined to find out what happened to the missing servants of Lymington house which leads her to her main suspect, Lord Lovell. Lovell is the cousin of our hero Samuel, Lord Lymington who is trying to get his cousin onto the path of marriage and out of trouble. Samuel and Emma butt heads a bit but I absolutely loved their romance and build up.

The mystery and plot was really great as well. I didn’t know who was behind the missing girls but I was excited to find out.

Here is my Daniel Brixton’s appreciation moment. He really loves and looks after the Clifford girls and he is one of the best adoptive father figures they could have.

I think this book could be read as standalone because there are no spoilers for the other books besides the epilogue but it doesn’t hurt to start from the beginning (which I failed to do, I need to read book 1 still).

I need to check out other Anna Bradley books ASAP!

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book has several relationships that are worthy of reading about. I loved watching Samuel and Emma play cat and mouse as they fell in love, but I also loved seeing the relationship between Samuel and Lovell change and grow as the story continued. The characters in this book are all interesting and will keep you on your toes as they help each other while also hindering their efforts. Definitely a good read.

I'm not sure if I've read Anna Bradley before, this might be my first book of hers. I stumbled upon an opportunity to review this book and decided to give it a shot. I have not read the other books in the series (though I have since gone back to start reading Book 1). The title of the series is quite misleading, which I must say I kind of like, as sometimes the simpering, terrified virgins in Regency stories get a bit cliche. The protagonist in this story, Emma, has on the contrary been through a lot in her life. She is driven to find out why maids are disappearing from the residence of an esteemed lord, whom she suspects of foul play. His cousin, Samuel, Lord Lymington, is an adversary for whom she had not planned. He sees her for whom she truly is, which at times scares and intrigues her.
**Light Spoilers Ahead**
As she becomes more embroiled in the missing maids plot, she begins to doubt the guilt of Samuel's cousin - and starts to wonder how and when Samuel became so important to her. He, of course, finds out she lied to him for the benefit of her investigation, and is nearly as incensed that she thought his cousin capable of murder. Can he begin to appreciate why she lied, and can she bring herself to trust a lord? Can they overcome the obstacles their different stations in life?
As you can probably tell, this book really moved me and I'm excited to have discovered a new (to me) author. I highly recommend this book!
I received a free copy of this book but the opinions expressed above are mine and were not influenced by anyone else.

This is book 4 in the Swooning Virgins series.
This is the story of Emma and Samuel, Lord Lymington.
Three maids have gone missing from Lymington House. The initial suspect is Lord Lovett, Lymington's cousin. Emma is investigating these mysterious disappearances. The person who seems to be constantly getting in her way is Lymington. The battle between them is constant, as well as the sparks that fly. Eventually they decide to work together. So let the adventure begin.
I enjoyed this book. I loved not only the main characters but also the secondary ones. Lovett and Flora as well as the 2 grandmother's contributed greatly to the story.
Well written.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the latest in the series but it is not necessary to read the books in order to enjoy them.
This series has been great and this book does not disappoint.
Emma is to find out who has been murdering servant girls and her only lead is Lord Lovell. The only probable is Samuel, who keeps interfering.
I loved the mystery of who the killer was but I liked the story between Emma and Samuel more.
I liked them as separate characters but their interactions are what made the book.
Can't wait to read the next book by Anna Bradley.

Suspense, deception, brothels and temptation..

So far, Emma and Samuel are my favorite couple in the series, but I'm not big into the suspense portion.
I did enjoy the matching of wits and wills between Emma and Samuel.
Samuel left and in doing so, created a huge mess.
Emma is trying to right wrongs.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It held my interest and I wanted to find out what would happen. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Wonderful Anna Bradley doesn't disappoint with the fourth book in the (not so) Swooning Virgin's society. We have an absorbing slow burn, enemies to lovers, secret identity, romantic suspense historical to enjoy and it was so good. Yes there were a couple of anomalies that were not completely resolved, but the rest was so good I can forgive them

Emma Dowling is another recued orphan at Lady Clifford's school for girls. Auctioned off at Madam Marchand's brothel, the Pink Pearl, she eventually fought back, and injured her so called 'protector'. She still bears the scars both physical and mental. When she hears the tale of a former maid from Lord Lymington's country estate, who was seduced by an aristocrat, abused and then deposited on the steps of The Pink Pearl, she also hears about the disappearance of the two maids who were seduced before Caroline. Emma is determined to find out what happened to them. She hatches a plot with Lady Clifford and her friend Lady Crosby to pose as Lady Crosby's grand daughter (who lives on the continent).

When Lord Lymington, Samuel Fitzroy returns to England to take up his responsibilities after the death of his uncle, things are much changed after 8 years in the Navy. His dear cousin Lord Lovell Lancelot Banning is now the subject of gossip and rumour because of his rakish ways, and he is estranged from his true love Lady Flora. Sam arrives to find Lady Emma trying to engage Lovell's interest, as he is the main suspect in the disappearances as far as Emma is concerned. Sam is keen to deflect Emma's attention as he knows that Lovell is still in love with Lady Flora. This sets them off to be slightly antagonistic towards each other.

Three housemaids have disappeared from his estate in mysterious circumstances, and Lord Lymington is trying to, discreetly, find out what happened to them. When following the trail of the disappearances, Sam finds Lady Emma turning up in places an innocent debutante ought not to be, he is intensely suspicious of her, despite also being attracted to her.

He insists on sticking as close to Emma as possible, and his suspicions continue to mount up, but when Emma is in danger, he doesn't hesitate to help her. As they join forces to solve the mystery and uncover the villain, Sam's gruff demeanour is covering up unwitting jealousy, and when he finally succumbs it was a pleasure to read.

I loved this, Emma was brave, wounded and vulnerable, but also strong and capable. The mystery was interesting, and i was rooting all the way through for the villain to get his comeuppance. The banter and chemistry between Emma and Sam was entertaining and exciting, and the romance was pretty intense and steamy when it got going.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This historical romance is nothing short of captivating! Engaging from the start with intriguing characters that are more than what they seem. The connection between these main characters...have an intensity that will have readers being held captive until the satisfying ending you crave. I couldn’t get enough of Emma and Samuel and I loved every minute of it!

Emma Downing was very good at pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She knew things that no innocent virgin should know. Like how to entice with a glance and lure with a smile. It was all part of her allure that would help her in her pursuit to catch a murderer. Undercover as a member of a secret society of young women, who conspired to bring England’s wicked aristocrats to justice. Emma now must follow the clues and find out what happened to the housemaids that disappeared and who was the guilty party. But she didn’t count on him.

Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington has been gone for years, only to return to find his family in chaos, with rumors circulating through the ton about his cousin, Lord Lovell and his wicked, rakish behavior. As he tries to rectify his cousin’s reputation and get him on a path back with his true love, he tries to gather information about the disappearances of the housemaids from his family estate. But at every turn he is bewitched by the beautiful and alluring Lady Emma.

The interactions been them will hold you captive, making you yearn for more. Full of danger and deception, secrets and intrigue. A connection that will leave you breathless. This was full of unspent lust and unfulfilled need. I had a smile on my face the entire time. I laughed and swooned and worried! Brilliantly written. The sizzling chemistry between Samuel and Emma was off the charts!! You could almost feel the sizzle.

Received an early copy and this is my honest review.

In London’s brothels and bawdy houses, sin and scandal run rampant. Yet as Emma Downing knows, far worse perils often lurk within the lavish homes of high society. Emma has been tasked with uncovering secrets at the Lymington family’s country estate, the scene of a rash of mysterious disappearances. Samuel Fitzroy, Marquis of Lymington, is no easy mark, and Emma fears he may see through both her disguise and her feigned indifference to his seductive charm. Recently returned to England after a long absence, Samuel finds his family in chaos amid disquieting rumours floating about town. His young cousin Lancelot Lovell, has become a worthless rake, several housemaids have gone missing, and then there is Emma, who is clearly not the naïve debutante she pretends to be.
This is the fourth book in the series & whilst it could be read on its own the series is very good & I do like to start at the beginning. The story flowed well & the characters had depth. I really liked both Samuel & Emma & thoroughly enjoyed their road a HEA. I loved the epilogue, which rounded off the series beautifully. However I was left with some questions unanswered, which droped this lovely story from five stars to four
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I think this is the last book in the series.

This book is about Emma Downing, a former courtesan turned investigator. She’s trying to find 2 maids who disappeared from Lymington House. The third maid escaped to London and works at the same brothel Emma used to work at.

Lady Crosby wants to help, so she takes Emma under her wing and turns her into her granddaughter Lady Emma Crosby. She is introduced at the beginning of the season and is turning heads with her beauty. But she can’t fool everyone, especially Lord Samuel Lymington.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy of The Virgin who bewitched Lord Lymington by Anna Bradley.

The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington is the fourth book in The Swooning Virgins Society series by Anna Bradley. A steamy historical romance that is sure to take your breath away. Overall, it was a lovely read, and I am going to read the previous books.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I had read the first book in the series but this one was difficult for me. Still I must say that the writing style is quite good, the conversations between the hero and the heroine are quite funny even if there were neither sensual nor romantic sparks between them for the first half of the book, they worked as duo. There are a lot of lies and unspoken things between them that lead to turns and twists in the novel. They mistrust each other when they could have teamed up but because of the misconceptions they don’t, which is both funny and frustrating. Anyway there’s a reason, at least for Emma not to trust Samuel, but an honest conversation would have led them to work together and solve the problem that lies before them.

Also the mystery plot is bigger than the romance plot. There’s nothing between them for the first half of the book, however as it develops the plot gets better and better. I really did like the second half of the book.

I think that I should have read books 2 and 3 in this series. I read book 1 last year which I enjoyed it very much but I don’t remember anything that might lead to the subplots in this novel other than the girl being rescued by Lady Clifford. The key must be in both book 2 and 3 or at least in book 3, because I’m missing information and I think the reader was supposed to have read those books to really understand the story as a whole.

Emma Downing keeps secrets. Al fifteen she had her virginity sold in The Pink Pearl brothel but once in the room with the man who bought her there was a lot of blood, not all of it hers, and she was rescued by Lady Clifford and taken to her charity school for young ladies (like the heroines in the previous books). Now 5 years later Emma goes by the name of Lady Emma Crosby, a young debutante who lives with her grandmother while her father is away traveling. Of course it is all a ruse, she’s on a mission to find the man who is behind the abducting, selling and murdering of several girls, all of them employed as maids at Lymington house. Her main suspect, Lord Lovell.

Lord Lymington has been away from home for 8 years. He bought a commission in the Royal Navy when his father died. It was his uncle who gladly ran Lymington House on his behalf, but now he’s dead so Samuel had to return. When he comes back home he finds out that his cousin, lord Lovell, is the worst of rogues and his aunt, Lovell’s mother, is not only looking the other way but acting very proud of her son, and very rudely towards the rest of the people. Samuel is set on seeing his cousin Lovell married to a childhood friend, and apparently he knows nothing of the girls that went missing from his own home.

One night Samuel follows his cousin to The Pink Pearl brothel where one of the girls missing apparently works, Lovell is very interested in this woman. Once inside the bawdy house, Samuel gets near the library where a cultured female voice is speaking to one of the girls who work there. They are speaking of the woman Lovell is interested in and Samuel tries to listen to them. A night later he hears the same female voice at Almack’s and it belongs to lady Emma Crosby, a young and innocent debutante.

This is the beginning and the setting of the novel which is a very slow burn enemies to lovers with a spy/undercover mystery subplot. It takes a while for Samuel and Emma to meet and when they do they play cat and mice all the time. But I don’t feel any spark between them. Perhaps it is because by the time they have a proper conversation I was still trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. It’s a bit confusing at the beginning. Samuel’s part was straightforward enough, even if we’re not given all the details and secrets he keeps… but Emma’s side was a bit more complicated, we’re given bits here and there and I’d understand that she did keep secrets but the character is not very well portrayed, we’re not given enough information. It was a bit frustrating because the story was progressing well and I should have read the book in one sitting, but I had to go slower than normal because I just didn’t understand what was going on.

I loved Samuel more than I loved Emma. He was grumpy and broody but he demonstrates time and again how far he would go to help his cousin, whom he loves like a younger brother. And he really wants to find and help the girls that went missing. As for Emma although I could understand her motives and her mistrust towards others, especially Samuel, the lack of vocalization of her thoughts and her worrying was frustrating. She isn’t shy, she is like an animal that has been hurt.

Emma is investigating the disappearance of several young women from the home of an aristocrat. The prime suspect is the cousin of Samuel, Lord Lymington. Emma poses as a noblewoman in her first season, attracting Samuel's interest. As the two become more entwined in each other's lives, the secrets that first drew them together threaten to tear them apart. With danger closing in, can they learn to trust and keep each other safe?

I've read about 500 books over the past year, and this series is easily my favorite historical romance series. I saved up this book to read on my birthday as a gift to myself. Like the others in the series, LORD LYMINGTON can be read as a standalone, but you may as well start at the beginning and read them all.

Emma is strong, smart, charming, clever, and resourceful. Samuel is the one man who can see beyond her façade to the heart of the woman beneath. She fascinates him, but he knows there's more to her story than she's showing. It's clear from the beginning that these two are a worthy pair, but circumstances give them reason to distrust each other. They're both keeping secrets and harboring deep wounds from the past. Yet the passion between them is undeniable.

The suspense plot is full of twists and kept me guessing. The intrigue didn't overwhelm the romance but complemented it. The fact that I dislike romantic suspense in general but loved this series says a lot about Anna Bradley's deft character development and vibrant writing style. She left the door open for another book in the series, and I'm hoping there will be more.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington by Anna Bradley is the fourth book in the Swooning Virgins Society….even though none of the women swoon. In this novel the main character of Emma Downing is a strong woman who as a member of the Clifford Charity School is determined to do her part. The women from this school have all undertaken a journey to take down some of the most detestable, wickedest men.

Emma is pretending to be the granddaughter of a society lady in order to find a killer of servants. She is investigating the missing servants from the Lymington Manor. It was suggested that Lord Lovell was a person of interest, so Emma is trying to worm her way into the family.

And then she meets Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington. He is suspicious, blunt, and takes no questions. He wants Emma to back off from his brother and Emma finds Samuel interesting - very interesting! The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington by Anna Bradley is a fun HOT read.

This series focuses on a woman who takes in women who need help and they help others. This story is the most heartbreaking of the series. Emma has a horrible thing happen to her that makes her see other women’s problems with a lot of sympathy. Unfortunately, Samuel is also chasing the same villain. But unbeknownst to him, Emma is keeping a secret, many secrets but only because she feels she cannot trust him or his family. Well, what do you think happens? Samuel is not the “run all over me” kind of guy. He is whipsmart and will not let up on Emma. Their slow burn romance goes well with this story. I love their romance. It was sweet, tender and caring. Who is the villain? Well, it is not who I thought. Well done, Anna. I do have a question, is Lady Clifford’s daughter going to get a story (why the Swooning Virgins Society started).

A really good murder mystery romance that is beautifully written and was really difficult to put down once I started reading it. This entire series was good and although you can read it as a standalone, I would recommend reading this entire series. I loved Emma and Samuel’s characters and their journey to a HEA.

There are two problems I have with this book. First of all, is the title which makes no sense as the heroine is not a virgin. My humble request to authors and publishers is that please do not use clickbait titles for the heck of it. This series is so good that the books would shine regardless of false advertising.

The second one is that the end felt a little rushed without addressing some important issues of Emma’s background and her false identity.

Other than that I really loved the book and story and would definitely recommend it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*