The Marquess's Stolen BrideI is a really enjoyable read. Bella Moxie has written a book full of suspense, intrigue, danger, with sizzling passion scenes and a journey for both Madeline and Hayden as they learn to trust and believe in one another. It's a Cinderella story with an evil stepmom and her comrade who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

I received a ARC copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Steamy Historical Romance

This is an entertaining historical romance about a lady in dire need of rescue. She has an evil stepmother wanting to sell her. Thank goodness for rakes and their bets. When Hayden made his daring rescue, he had no idea how his life would change. Could Madeline and Wyatt find love amid the madness, blackmail, and secrets? This author writes entertaining, steamy Regency romance. I enjoy the shorter length of her stories. I hope she keeps them coming.

This was a quick sweet read. I loved the main characters. My heart ached for Madeline and all she was made to go through at the hands of the people meant to protect her. Definitely recommended.
Thank you Bella Moxie, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

The rumour of a woman in distress is bound to get the Marquess of Hayden's attention, and if the Mad Earl does in fact have a hidden daughter, no one but him will rescue her. But as he climbs into her window, foxed and disoriented, he's more than shocked to discover the beautiful Madeline half dressed. And when her step mother and friends arrive to discover him in Madeline's bedroom, there's nothing to do but proclaim they are engaged, and that Madeline will be coming with him immediately. Soon he realises that Madeline had been a captive, and though he has 'stolen' her, he's her saviour.

I adored the romance in this book. Hayden was a little bit of a lush to start with, but he fell head over heels for Madeline, and would do anything for her. She had been treated awfully by her stepmother, the Countess, who had plotted with the vicious Foley - the one in the previous books - to sell Madeline off to the highest bidder, and allowed the vile men to manhandle her in her presence. Hayden was well and truly Madeline's saviour, and when she was embraced by his friends, it was joyous to see Madeline come out of her shell. Fantastic end to the series, and I'm glad Hayden got his happy ending finally.

Madeline has been locked away in her bedroom since she was little. Her father is mad and her step-mother hates her because she is the product of her husbands first wife. Being locked away and abused at the hands of her father and mother, she was very sheltered and not even able to read or write!

Hayden is an always getting in to trouble drinking and gambling. He was not close to his father at all and his step-mother seduced him and then blackmailed him for it! He has never had any interest in marriage or family.

On a drunken dare, Hayden climbs the tower to Madeline’s bedroom to see if the rumors about ‘the mad earls daughter being locked away’ were true. As soon as he sees her, he knows she is for him. He yearns to protect and care for her.

Madeline has just had a horrible night; her awful mother is having an auction to sell her daughter’s virginity! Madeline was brought before the men and stripped down so they could see her and touch her before the bidding! She was just returning to their room, resolved to runaway, when Hayden stumbles through her window! Literally like a knight in shining armor!

He offers to marry her and takes her away to his London home. He is so so protective and careful with her. She is clearly frightened, but Hayden’s sweet patience melts her into trusting him. They go through several trials as Hayden tries to get Madeline to open up about her past and trust him. But, in the end, their love makes everything okay.

This really was the sweetest fairy tale remake. Madeline was so afraid and Hayden was so patient with her. His overnight transformation in wanting to take care of her was heart wrenching and so endearing! Bella is fast becoming one of my favorite authors; I love the first two books in this series, but this one is by far my favorite!

Historical Romance, Ton Society, Beta/Cinnamon Roll Hero, Protective Hero, Possessive/Jealous Hero, Titled Hero, Abused Heroine, Damaged/Tortured Heroine. Virgin Heroine, Cinderella Trope, Rescue Romance, Carriage Steam, Dirty Talk, Auction/Gamble/Sold, Five Star, Four Steam

This is the third installment of the Dukes Gone Dirty series, and you can look forward to more scandal, steam, and romance! Madeline is treated as a prisoner in her own home and her father, known as the Mad Earl, locks her in a tower to protect her virtue. Madeline is but a rumor to the ton, and one drunken night, William, the Marquess of Hayden places a bet to see if the Mad Earl really does have a daughter and to find and rescue her. While he does find her and rescues her and makes her his bride, there are still villainous forces that threaten their union. Along with that, both have their insecurities and secrets they need to work through before they can settle into a happy marriage.
The story was well-paced, interesting, and entertaining and kept my interest till the end. An emotional and intriguing story with a unique plot, this was a great addition to the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

The Marquess’s Stolen Bride, by Bella Moxie. This was a very entertaining story. The writer did a good job of creating characters for an intriguing love story. The plot and the meaning behind the plot was very clear through the narrative and through the dialogue of the characters. The mission of Madeline and Hayden to bring trust to their relationship was fought hard.
This only made the book even better to read. The dialogue with Hayden when he’s in his romantic moods with Madeline will need more revisions. I couldn’t get close to believing in his love and adoration for Madeline. Maybe the words were too plain. Madeline’s dialogue was believable.
I would have liked to see her accomplish some goals that were personal to her, such as a charity or helping the staff more etc. I will say that the writer did an outstanding standing job of writing the intimate and erotic scenes with Hayden and Madeline. These scenes were very freaky! Until next time my fellow readers… read on!

The Marquess’s Stolen Bride by Bella Moxie is a racy encounter with a somewhat timid young woman called Madeline. Her step-mother was a horror and desperate for money so she determined to sell her step-daughter. In order to garner a greater price she arranged an auction. She brought Madeline to this auction, ordered that she remove her clothing, and allowed the men present to touch her. It was humiliating and painful. Meanwhile Wyatt Druthers, the Fifth Marquess of Hayden was in his cups and had decided to act on the rumor he’d heard that the crazy old earl had locked his beautiful daughter in the tower at his home. No one had ever seen her, but, drunk as he was, he decided this was the night. He was accompanied by his friend, Malcolm, who did not think it was a good idea to climb the tower, and said so vociferously, but to no avail. Haden fell the first time, but made it the second time and discovered that the rumor was true. When the stepmother arrived and demanded to know what he was doing, he replied he intended to marry her.

Hayden was a pretty good character. He really wasn’t intending to marry. He had been half-heartedly perusing the young ladies of the ton and had seen no one to his liking. But, he was a man of his word, and so he ventured forth. He had friends, thankfully, and they had wives and those interactions proved to be entertaining and informative. Of course, life was not easy in the first weeks of their marriage. Madeline was terrified and embarrassed. What if he found out? He would surely not want her any longer. The characterizations were good. Everything wasn’t hunky-dory and that made for a good read. To say the plot was different would be an understatement. Moxie has a way with plotting and all of hers are different. It was racy . . . racier than it needed to be, really, but fun.

I was invited to read the Marquess’s Stolen Bride by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #BellaMoxie #TheMarquesssStolenBride

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book three in the Duke's Gone Dirty series by Bella Moxie. Wyatt Druthers, the Marquess of Hayden, known just as Hayden, is a good friend to the previous heroes from earlier books in the series. He is known to be a heavy drinker and imprudent in his behaviour, often engaging in reckless wagers and the like when in his cups. He has heard of the so-called mythical daughter of a mad Earl and has taken a bet do discover if she exists or not, and if she does exist, then engage in a Quixotic mission to save her.

Accompanied by his friend, Malcolm, the Earl of Fallenmore, he invades the crumbling tower of the estate of the mad Earl of . Afterall, where else would a fair maiden be hidden away, except a tower?
However, it is not a myth. There is a fair maiden locked away in a tower and her name is Madeline, the daughter of the earl. She was locked away as she grew older to protect her virture by her paranoid father; but as her father became more ill, she was further isolated and abused by his countess, out of resentment and hatred towards Madeline, the earl's bastard daughter. As the Earl becomes more ill, the countess sends the heir, her son away, and plans to take advantage of her control over Madeline to secure her own wealth and independence. She becomes allies with Foley, a villain who has popped up before in the series, to plan to auction off Madeline's virtue to the highest bidder. Not only would the countess get a fortune selling off her virginity, but she gets the added satisfaction of seeing Madeline ruined and abused. Needless to say, the countess is an evil bitch from hell with bitterness and hatred overwhelming her soul.

The beginning of this story reads like a fairy tale. Madeline, isolated in her tower, sees and opportunity for escape before the auction and is planning on this, and trying to reach her half brother who could help her, when Hayden, after climbing the tower, and and falls through her window into her room. He is drunk, but still manages to save her from the countess, and takes her away. He takes her as his bride. She was kept pretty isolated by her family before, and is thus pretty ignorant and innocent, but because of her exposure to her family's maltreatment, and the countess had exposed her to potential buyers for the auction, she is traumatized and shamed by her past. This makes her very secretive, anxious, leery, and mistrustful. Hayden also has his reasons to be mistrustful as well, having had a cold, abusive father, and been abandoned by his mother, then mistreated and essentially sexually abused by his stepmother. But they do become enamoured of each other and have a start to what could be a lovely marriage.

Except Foley and the countess seek to take advantage of their new relationship and Hayden's wealth, threatening to blackmail and destroy Madeline's reputation by telling her secrets and painting her as a loose harlot unless she pays them. Madeline is afraid and keeps secrets from Hayden, something he will not tolerate, and this threatens their relationship. The countess also gets the extra satisfaction of destroying Madeline, so deep is her hatred of her.

But like any fairy tale, the fair maiden and her hero do get an HEA and the evil witch and her minions do get their just desserts as well. So this was a short but fun read, with some signature Bella Moxie sexiness and steam. I do wish there was a bit more detail involved in Foley's fall from grace, especially considering the grief he has caused in the past and that the countess got a more fitting punishment considering how evil she was and how long.

3.5 stars out of 5.

Madeline is the illegitimate daughter of the "Mad Earl". Madeline is physically and emotionally abused, especially by her "wicked stepmother". She is locked in a tower for years by her parents, never having the opportunity to learn to read or write, and is very naive.
William Hayden is determined to wed, and feels he has seen all the marriageable young ladies of the ton. He has heard a rumor the "Mad Earl" has a hidden daughter and William feels he must meet her and rescue her, if necessary. Thus in an inebriated state he climbs the tower to see if the rumors are true.
Madeline will need to learn to trust William to get their HEA.

Madeline is the illegitimate daughter of the Mad Earl. She has been kept a prisoner in her own home by her father and tormented by his wife. Cunning and cruel, her father's wife takes advantage of his declining health for her own greed. Wyatt Druthers, Marquess of Hayden, has had a little too much to drink and takes the bet to find out if there really is a daughter of the Mad Earl. Hayden's arrival saves Madeline from harm and he quickly marries her. An impulse that could be his salvation as well as hers, if they can only trust each other. This goes a little on the dark side for abusive behavior. Possible trigger.
Very steamy encounters between Madeline and Hayden.
Heat level 5
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I didn't like this story.
Spoiler alert.
This book started out so well. It had a good premise where a Lord reacues his princes. This princess was the illegitimate daughter of a mad earl, which was commendable because many times illegitimate children where given to the orphanage or workhouse and hardly survived. Our heroine was raised by her father and his wife. She also has a brother, who is legitimate and he is trying to get guardianship of her, so she must be young. She cannot read or write because she was just used as a way to torment her father who was paranoid that she would be kidnapped and spent most of her life in the nursery or in her room. As her father grew sicker, his wife was selling their possessions and bankrupting the earldom. Her brother was also trying to get control of that so that they wouldn't lose everything. Now, her father is so sick he is expected to pass away. His wife decides it is time to get rid of the heroine, and wants to have an auction for her. The heroine is paraded before very wealthy men, who paw all over her. She escapes to her bedroom and is trying to pack to run away. Her bedroom is in a tower. She hears something outside her open window, but disregards it as an animal. But a man, the hero, falls into her room. He is trying to come up with an escape plan, and the earl's wife finds them. The hero declares that they are to be married and the earl's wife makes him pay for the heroine. They leave and are married the next day. They are strangers and don't know each other. But does that matter to the hero? No, he still tries to seduce her knowing that she has been having a traumatic time of it. He doesn't know how bad it was, but he sees that she is very thin and a doctor called in states that she is suffering from malnutrition. This is because the earl's wife barely fed her. So why would someone try to have their sexual way with am emaciated,young girl? I say girl because she is young enough to need a guardian. The more I read this, the more is seems as if the hero is an older man, say in his 30's and he has been described as a wastrel for over 10 years. He also admits that he has had many women, but no virgins. As I read along, it seems more of a grooming situation rather than a romance. How can you fall so in love when you don't know the person and you are both keeping secrets from each other? And big secrets, not little ones? Other parts of this story were very well written, but I personally do not like it when the man has all the control and the woman has to bow down to him. He should be more concerned with helping her get an education than getting in her bed. But this is just my opinion. I give this 1 star and advise to read if it is your cup of tea.

I will be the first to admit this, I was really surprised by this book!

My only problem is the cover. I cannot imagine bringing this with me on the morning commute on the underground, I know all to well the looks of judgement the others on the train would give me after reading this novel haha. So digital format it shall be for me with this one (which is such a shame, I love a good paper format).

The story reaches the reader in such a way you could imagine this as though it were a movie or tv show like the Bridgertons. It has it's humor as well as its romance. I thought the pairing went together rather well too. I could "see" the chemistry, which is so important. Nowadays I think its becoming harder to write a novel that engages it's readers and keeps the 'fire' between the characters alive.

With echoes of a childhood fairytale, I enjoyed this retelling of The Woman in the Tower. Madeline is kept prisoner in a turret in her demented father's home and is further punished by her stepmother. She has experienced regular abuse but with her father's pending demise, the horrors in her life escalate. Planning her escape, she is astounded when a very inebriated Lord falls through her tower window, and even more so when he states that he has come to rescue her. Lord Hayden takes on a bet to discover the truth about the maiden in the tower, never expecting to end up stealing his bride away. Whilst the opening chapters of this novel are witty and entertaining, the reality of the horrors experienced by Madeline becomes very obvious and it takes time and patience to break through her barriers of mistrust. Fortunately, with the help of his stalwart friends, Hayden not only conquers Madeline's enemies but together they bring healing to both their lives. I received a copy of this lovely romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This was wholesome and sweet and so fast to read. The whole cast of characters were so vivid and fun. Although, my heart was aching for Madeline until the very end, learning of what she had to go through.

William, the Marquess of Hayden always follows through on a bet and his latest one is to find out if the so-called Mad Earl truly does have a daughter. And when he meets her, he feels an instant attraction. As the illegitimate child of the earl, Madeline has been hidden away from society. When William realises Madeline’s situation, he is determined to do his duty and marry her, to keep her safe. Yet, once they marry William begins to wonder if Madeline is telling him all her secrets. Madeline has not lived an easy life, and yet with Will, she begins to feel that she might have the life she has always dreamed of. She just needs to escape from her treacherous mother’s clutches.
A fast paced storyline which is full of romance and plenty of steam. It was good to see Madeline emerge from the shy young woman that she was when they met.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautiful story and a really sweet one!
If the rumors are true, and the so-called Mad Earl truly does have a daughter, then Marquess of Hayden will find her. Hidden away from society, the beautiful and mysterious Madeline seems more like a princess from a fairy tale than an illegitimate child of the infamous tyrant. When he learns that she’s a prisoner in her own home, it’s clear what he has to do. Or rather, it seemed clear when he’d been deep in his cups. Now it’s his duty to keep Madeline safe and the only way to do that is to marry her. They might even find happiness together—except the lady he’s married has secrets that threaten any trust they might have forged.
This is a short story full of sweet moments and emotional ones. Madeline is a lovely character. She’s been mistreated and abused by her family. The same night her father’s wife tries to auction her, prince charming arrives in her window proclaiming he’s there to save her. But everything goes south when they are found together. Hayden has trust issues and he must learn to trust this beautiful angel he rescued from a tower. The way he woos her and makes her feel comfortable and cherish is absolutely marvelous. I read this in one sitting and end it with a dreamy smile in my face.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

2.5 stars. This novella had potential but ultimately felt underdeveloped. The characters had a lot in their pasts (and in their present) that could have been fleshed out and brought full circle for an even more satisfying conclusion, but I recognize that this book's main interest is in the relationship between the leads and not in the close examination of their scars. There were times I wanted to shake the heroine, even though I understood exactly why she was so afraid to trust, but this was balanced by my own unshakeable trust in the hero, who had moments of doubt but who was so clearly on her side, I knew he'd come through for her. In a straight up melodrama, it was refreshing to find such a reliable hero. My thanks to NetGalley and to Dragonblade Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this romantic story!

Madeline is being used and abused by her greedy stepmother, and is in desperate need of being rescued. William, the Marquess of Hayden, is happy to follow up on a dare by determining once and for all if there really is a beautiful young woman trapped in the Mad Earl's tower bedroom. His timing is perfect, but now he's got a bigger problem on his hands - what to do with the captivating beauty who clearly can't stay another moment in her own home?

Their love story was so darn sweet, with Madeline learning what it means to be able to think for herself and adjust to having true freedom and Hayden learning to embrace the sense of purpose and responsibility that he'd always run from before. Sure, they have their difficulties - with Foley, that smarmy snake, still lurking around there's no end to the troubles that find them - but I really appreciated how they learned to trust each other over the voices of insecurity in their minds.

Hayden is the last in his set of four friends to find his forever love, and he does so with the help of all three couples from the earlier books. They each have their own history with the nefarious Foley so it was very satisfying to see justice finally served up well in that storyline.

Madeline and William have a terrific HEA, and I'm really looking forward to reading her brother's story when it becomes available. This is another winner from this exciting new author and I highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

William, the Marquis of Hayden might have his flaws, but he's never reneged on a bet. If the rumours are true, and the so-called Mad Earl truly does have a daughter, then Hayden will find her. When he learns that she’s a prisoner in her own home, a victim of the earl and his cruel bride, it’s clear what he has to do, or rather, it seemed clear when he’d been deep in his cups. Unfortunately, his botched attempt at a rescue leaves them both in more trouble than he’d imagined. But now it’s his duty to keep Madeline safe and the only way to do that is to marry.
The third book in the series & it’s easily read on its own but I did love that characters from pervious books made appearances. A well written book with strong characters & a well paced story. I loved both Hayden & Madeline & I loved how they both learned to trust. I loved how Madeline grew & gained confidence from a recluse to a strong woman. Hayden was gorgeous & he fell hard & fat for Madeline but respected her wishes & didn’t push. The villains were horrid but did get their comeuppances. A quick but good read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read