This just might be my favorite book from Diana Quincy yet. We had seen glimpses of Brandon in the first two books, but his plotting and unexpected moves right at the beginning of the book had me reading like I don't even have kids. Between him hiding in plain sight and the unexpected twists and turns in her life, I could not stop.

Brandon disguises himself as a footman in the home of London's most famous mapmaker in order to uncover the secret behind a piece of his land that has been stolen. What he finds in the Fleming home is so much more than he AND Rose expect. Their connection and the twists and turns in this story are to die for. If you love stories with steam and tension, books with unexpected tropes and twists - you need this one now.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

This is the 3rd book in the Clandestine Affairs series and while you don't need to read the previous two, it's fun to see where the characters are at and they help the couple along the way. You have to suspend your disbelief a tiny bit reading this book, but that's ok. Zany is fun.

The Marquess of Brandon is undercover at a mapmakers home pretending to be a footman to discover how his land was stolen from him when said mapmaker drew his neighbor's property and neglected to abide by the already established boarder markers. Unbeknownst to him, the mapmakers wife, Rose, is the actual talent in the marriage. She's the one that has been making the incredibly popular maps.

(As an aside, Rose has an idea to put some maps of local towns on tea towels and sell them in the couple's map store and all I could think about is the little embroidered map towels your find in souvenir shops these days. I thought it was cute.)

The couple have a terrible marriage full of deceit. The Marquess and Rose slowly fall for each other, while he is still posing as the handsome footman. There's lots of little twists and turns and it was fun to visit characters from previous books. This is a story of truth, lies, love and family. I really enjoyed it.

This is a first time read for me by this author and I enjoyed it. It is the third installment of the Clandestine Affairs series and after reading this I would definitely like to go back and read the previous books. The storyline is a bit unique in that the heroine is already married and her husband is well and still alive. The twist is that he is a most despicable villain. Rose inherited her uncle's cartography business and is most successful at it. But she is under the control of her dastardly husband, Roger, who takes all the credit for her work. This is just one of many things that is wrong about her marriage. Alexander Worthington, Marquess of Brandon, is trying to uncover a plot to cheat him out of his property, based on a recent map that was created. He decides to disguise himself as a footman and is hired into Roger's employ to look after Rose's needs. Rose and Alex become fast friends, and it doesn't take long for their feelings to develop into something more. This book was a delight to read and had romance, intrigue, and mystery and some fun, humorous moments as well, especially given that a marquess was trying to pass himself off as a footman! The characters were wonderful and Ms. Quincy did a nice job of bringing them to life and having their emotions and feelings really come through. I had such great fun reading this book, I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Quincy's books in the future!

I received a complimentary copy from Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Diana Quincy did it again and now she is becoming one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her books are so beautifully written and her characters are so strong and lovely.
After a short appearance from the marquess of Brandon in The Viscount Made Me Do It, The Marquess Makes His Move turned into one of my most anticipated books of 2022 and I'm glad to write that it did not disappoint, it was AWESOME, definitely a page turner. I love having a diverse characters in a historical and all the arab food described.
I love that the Clandestine Affairs series is about strong working women that defy the standards of the society at the time (my personal catnip).

The Marquess Makes His Move is a delightful story about Rose, the best mapmaker in England, who goes from a life of conformism to having to make her own way in a society that makes it difficult due to her situation. So, with the help of a footman who is actually the Marquess of Brandon, she finds love and a way to finally have credit for her work.

Diana Quincy—The Marquess Makes His Move

So, The Marquess Makes His Move is the third book in the Clandestine Affairs Series by Diana Quincy. I SCREAMED when NetGalley approved me and then holed up with my Kindle until it was finished (hello, 2:34 am). See, I absolutely adored the first book in the series, Her Night with the Duke, and really liked the second one, The Viscount Made Me Do It. If you’ve read my previous reviews, or checked out my blog, you’ll know that I am a woman of color who just started reading historical romance novels. I knew there wouldn’t be a ton of characters who looked like me and I am always delighted when I find significant characters of color. Diana Quincy’s heroines in the first two books (and the hero in this one) are of Middle Eastern descent. Diana Quincy is an excellent writer, and her books are engaging, fun, interesting, and can make you laugh.

I suggest you read the first two books. As this is a review of an ARC, I won’t be spoiling anything, but I think it’s essential that you read the first two books so you can meet Delilah (Leela) and Hanna, who are the hero’s sister and cousin, respectively. You’ve met Alexander, Marquess of Brandon, in the previous books. Leela mentions him a lot in her book (the first), so you learn more about his background and upbringing, and you even meet him in a delightful scene in that first book when that hero, Elliott Townsend, the Duke of Huntington, mistakes him for an presumptuous servant (foreshadowing for this book?). You meet him again in his cousin’s book, when he saves Hanna’s career. I knew I wanted a book with him in it! Not really a spoiler, but you’ll see Leela and Hanna in this book a few times, and I perked up when they showed up on scene. They’re really two excellently-written characters!

That’s not saying Alex isn’t well-written. I fell completely in love with him in just a few pages. The author lets us into his head and reveals what he’s thinking and feeling, which I liked. And Rose was also well-written and smart. I liked her.

Okay, so the gist (which you will find on the publisher’s site, so do not think I am spoiling anything) is that Rose Fleming is London’s premier mapmaker, but nobody knows it because she’s a woman and is letting her husband take the credit. Someone in the Fleming mapmaking business has cheated Alexander Worthington, the Marquess of Brandon, out of his land, so he’s cosplaying a footman to get retribution. That puts these two on a collision course.

So the best part: I really did not anticipate a few of the plot twists, so when the reveals occurred, I went “oh wow!” I think that’s saying a lot about the book. I was never bored, and kept reading because I knew there were a couple facts that were just beyond my reach and I wanted to find out more.

What I also like is that the minor characters are interesting and fleshed out. You don’t always get that in books and I found myself invested in those characters. Kudos to the author for that. It is awesome when the minor characters are three-dimensional.

The physical part isn’t as spicy/detailed as the other stories, just an FYI.

The epilogue left me a little wanting. It was unlike the epilogues in the previous books, which gave us a peek into the future. In this book, it really just felt like Chapter 27 and I didn’t feel like it was wrapped up as tightly. Still, I really enjoyed the book and here’s hoping we at least get a novella or two with Leela and Alex’s awesomely fun cousins or a book about baby Maryam!

Solid 3-3/4, which rounds up to 4 easily.

Oh, before I forget, the cover was pretty great. I love the colors and the hero and heroine depicted definitely fit with the novel’s descriptions. The cover definitely gets an A. If you’ve read my previous reviews, you’ll know that I will call out covers if they seem silly or totally miss the author’s described vision. This one was lovely.

Mistakes (this is an ARC, so they may be fixed before official publication): at Location 2149, it has “wretched” instead of “retched.”

This was the 3rd book of the series and while I really enjoyed the 1st two books, this one was okay. It had a good love story but maybe too much drama for me.

I absolutely adored the premise of this book! It gave me insight as to how the ton reacted to foreigners and how their society punished the wrong person. The Heroine of the story is a feisty mapmaker being used by a husband not worthy to be called that. The hero is biracial trying to revenge how the ton treated his parents. I love how the hero was willing to stand his ground when faced with prejudice and still used his influence and his title to help others. I especially loved how a Marquee learned to be a footman- that was hilarious. I enjoyed everything about this book and could not put it down!

I was excited for this book because I loved the heroine in book 1, and I wanted to know more about her brother, who is the Marquess here. I liked that he is reclusive by choice, but not really damaged. He and the heroine have a funny meet cute on their way to all the plot. Sometimes it felt like there was a little too much plot, and some of it was a little too easy to guess - for example, the heroine starts off married, and will obviously need to not be married for the story to progress.

That said - I liked Rose as a heroine quite a lot. I liked the mapmaking storyline and how clear it is that she struggles to hide her talents - she's never really meek, even though her choices could be perceived that way. I also liked that Diana Quincy kind of furthered how she's talking about Arabs in Regency England by including Rose in that number and allowing her Lebanese heritage to make her feel at home, even if she is not quite so publicly Arab as Brandon or his sister Leela. (And of course, each time Leela returns, it's a delight.

Thanks to Avon for an ARC!

Thank you to Avon for the ARC to read and review.

Brandon is a marquess of mixed heritage. Rose is a female cartographer in and era when women did not pursue careers. Brandon disguises himself as a footman, and does a poor job of being a footman, to uncover how and why a map of his property was misdrawn.

My ability to suspend belief that a high ranking member of the ton would disguise himself as a servant was severely pushed to the limit. Rose was not as strong a character as I would have liked either.

This was a joy to read after a batch if baf apples!! Thus surprised me, because I was worried that this was a book on cheating/homicide after reading the synopsis. The heroine is married to her husband of 8 years and hired her a footman. The hero is an earl who had his land mapped out and his water rights were drawn right off the map and given to his suspicious neighbor. He decides to go to London, infiltrate the cartagrapher's office and destroy the company using the proof that his water rights were stolen. But how to do this deed? The hero decides to get hired on as a footman. So, he sets the plan in motion and meets the man's wife. And he is attracted to her and wonders what she sees in the dodgy character. He follows her and helps her. He is lucky that he doesn't go out in society. His mother was Arabian and tried to keep her children away from prejudice. He also learns that the cartographer's wife is also part Arab.
This book is written very well. The author just picks the reader up and plants them into the story. This story has romance and addresses some spousal abuse and fraud, but it just has the best ending. I recommend this story and give it 5 stars.

Alex is a mystery to us and the people in this book. He uses this to his advantage to prove that his family has been cheated out of land. Rose is key to figuring it all out and doesn't realize it. She also has been lied to however not only about the land.
The Marquess Makes HIs Moves, is full of many twist and turns. The mysteries are slowly revealed and kept me intrigued.

I loved how the action of this book started immediately with Alex and Rose meeting each other in the street. I loved the ongoing joke about Rose's terrible hats. And I loved the humor in Alex being a terrible footman. This story was interesting to read, with both Rose and Alex hiding secrets from the world and each other. I liked how they got along so easily and well, even with the secrets looming between them. And I loved the interactions Alex had with his sister and cousin (our heroines from the previous two books in this series). I basically couldn't put it down until I had finished the book! Definitely recommend.

I just love this series and the new book does not disappoint! I wasn't sure how Quincy would bring Brandon, the brooding Marquess, to life, but this exceeded my expectations. The portrayal of Brandon as the worst footman in the world was great (seriously, he did _no_ prep for the job?) and as always, Brandon's middle eastern family brought some lovely notes to the mix as well as some familial hilarity.

This series brings some much needed historically accurate diversity to Regencies but don't read it because of that. Read it because it's well written and fresh! Recommended!

Note: This is third in a series. You can read them out of order, but you will get more out of this series if you start with the first Her Night with the Duke.

This book started slow and then quickly got absolutely bananas. No one writes nuanced, historically complex romances quite like Diana Quincy. Both the hero and the heroine in this one are Arab-British, and the heroine is married at the beginning of the book! There's a fun little revenge plot, some fascinating map making, and overall some really sweet, soft romance. Wee get to revisit our old favorites from this series, as well as really fall in love with these two.

A thoroughly unique and enjoyable Regency romance.

If you like Courtney Milan, I implore you to pick this one up.

CW: racism, Orientalism, gun on page, pregnancy

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

I absolutely adored this book and Diana Quincy is climbing up quickly to be one of my favorite romance authors. She manages to infuse her heroines with real warmth, depth, and complexity without falling into some of the perils of Mary Sues or completely outlandish characters. It helps that the heroes of her books also have their own inner lives and issues that feel all too relevant.

Rose and Alex were no exception and their dynamic romance was so great. It was bolstered by the ever moving plot that had twists and turns that I could never predict. My only critique was that the ending felt like it went on a little too long with the main conflict with Rose resolved when there was still a bit more of the book to get through. Overall, I loved it.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful story. I will admit that at first I was not to sure about the concept of the book. I wondered how the lose ends would be tied up. How would it work?
Alex and Rose's love story was an adventure. I truly enjoyed the easy friendship that was built. The enlightenment of self that happened for each of them. Their HEA was one that was a slow build and felt genuine throughout. A must read.

Rose Fleming is a mapmaker. But in high society, her love of maps and her vocation are not acceptable.

The Marquess of Brandon is of mixed-heritage, but he won't let that rob him of his inherited land. When he sets out to confront the mapmaker whose map cuts off access to a much-needed water source, he finds more than he anticipates.

Nicely-plotted, with some hunger-inducing descriptions of food.

This was a quick read, and yet it felt like parts of the plot dragged a little bit. I felt like I had to wait forever for Alex and Rose to get together...I know the Roger drama was the main conflict in the plot, but I really wanted it to go a little quicker so Rose and Alex's story could really move forward. That said, I always enjoy historical romances with diverse characters, and the plot was entertaining enough for me to finish. While this was far from closed dorr, I would've liked a little more steam (which the other Diana Quincy I've read did very well).

I have been putting this author's books on my Staff Recommend shelf space and patrons have come and told me how much they love them! Quincy is one of my favorites!
This romance is darker than the other two in the series. Some of storyline was predictable, however it didn't detract it.
I loved both the main character and her LI.

The Marquess of Brandon, Alex Whittaker, is out for revenge after a certain mapmaker conspired with his neighbor to cheat him out of his and his tenants’ water rights at his country estate and properties. The ton has looked down him and his mixed race heritage his entire life, but no one will not get away with cheating him. Especially not Roger Fleming, the mapmaker himself.

Unbeknownst to Brandon, Rose Fleming is the actual artist and mastermind behind the R Fleming signature. Having grown up under the tutelage of her uncle, Rose learned all the tips and tricks of a master mapmaker. After the death of her uncle, she married Roger Fleming, his apprentice, as a way to keep the business going and to also have the ability to continue to charge fair prices for her masterful maps. What Rose was not expecting was how she would not only be thrust into the shadows, but that Roger would also lay waste to her hopes and dreams of a family.

When Brandon poses as a footman for the Flemings, Rose is taken with him and he with her. They quickly become friends and feelings begin to develop between them. Alex sees how sweet and smart Rose is and it infuriates him how little regard her cheat of a husband has for her. Rose sees Alex as more than just a footman; she sees him as the companion she so requires. However, when their secrets come to the surface, will need for vengeance outweigh the heavy longing in their hearts?

This book was absolutely lovely! It is a little slow at first, but it drastically picks up pace. Honestly, this is one of those rare HRs where the plot and the content overshadow the sexy parts and you just want to get through them to see where Rose and Alex end up! The characters throughout the book are excellently thought out, with Alex’s hot, broody nature on full display and Rose’s own emotional turmoil is pulpable. The charactersthat are written to be abysmal truly meet the mark as well. I had a lot of fun reading this one. It was an easy and adventurous novel full of action, romance, intrigue, and a few laugh out loud moments.

I can only assume that the rest of the Clandestine Affairs trilogy is as good as this one was. Keep an eye out on the AlwaysLostInWords.blog for more!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for this fair and honest review.