Love, Betrayal, and Secrets

If Marcus loves Mariel, why does he not seek her out for three years? Marcus has some deep scars—scars no one can see. Mariel proposes a pretend betrothal so she can save face. However, it turns out that true love is not so easily discarded. As she gets close to Marcus once more, what secrets does Mariel discover about the man she loves? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like historical romance with wounded heroes, secrets, and dangerous villains.

A good, very spicy, story about overcoming fears and trauma. Lots of PTSD triggers but a lovely story of getting past those struggles with someone you love.

Such a great plot! Mariel and Marcus are just so lovable. I don't if you are planning for a sequel... but I would like to know more about this characters. I hope to read more from you!

The man Lady Mariel has never stopped loving isn't dead, but alive and living in England for two years. It's been three years since she learned of his death. She promised to wait until his return from the war, but with his death she had to marry to help her family. Now a widow, all she wants is to know why he didn't tell her of his return. Marcus is the new Viscount of Blackmore. He has no plans to marry because of his experience in the war. For appearances they plan a fake betrothal, but passion gives him hope. It all may fall apart when someone from his past wants him dead. This book has angst and pain, but many passionate encounters very important to the plot. The last Mabry sister to find happiness, this maybe the end of the series, though there is one man who deserves a happy ending.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This is Book 3 of the Marrying a Mabry series. I have really been enjoying the series so far and this latest addition also did not disappoint. Mariel and Marcus were engaged before he went off to war and died, or so everyone believed. Turns out he's been hiding for the last three years and now with his brother's death, he is the new Viscount of Blackmore and is forced to come out into society. When Mariel finds out, she confronts Marcus, but he has changed and is no longer the lively man he used to be but a mere shell of himself. Marcus still deeply loves her, but war has changed him and he believes he is no longer good enough for her. To save face with the ton , she asks him to pretend to resume their betrothal temporarily, and despite feeling unworthy of her, he cannot turn her away. He grows deeper in love with her by the day, and Mariel cannot deny her feelings either. But once his secrets are revealed, will Mariel still be with him?
A captivating and well-crafted story that kept my interest all the way through. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed following their story. A great addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Revealing the Viscount by Lexi Post, part of the Marrying a Mabry series, is a second chance romance that explores the rekindling of love, hidden truths, and personal growth. Lady Mariel Mabry Beaumont and Marcus Stratton, the new Viscount of Blackmore, are reunited after believing each other to be dead. Their tumultuous past, trauma from the war, and societal expectations set the stage for a complex and emotionally charged love story. The book cleverly incorporates a fake betrothal, adding an element of danger and deceit, while highlighting the strong bond between the Mabry sisters. While some readers may find the reliance on flashbacks and Mariel's previous marriage portrayal less appealing, the story offers a well-crafted narrative that explores the themes of love, loss, and the healing power of second chances.

Mariel was extremely naive, even given the time period. Marcus came off a bit self-centered though actually wasn't. All-in-all a good, quick read.
Thank you Lexi Post, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book 3 of the series and about sister Mariel. She and Marcus Stratten were engaged when they were younger, until he, a younger son who joined the military, went to war and was shortly after reported as dead. Mariel's heart was broken, and knowing that she could help her family in their financial ruin, martyred herself in marriage to an older, wealthy peer. This story is a second chance love story that is brought about by a cascade of miscommunication and misunderstandings causing lost chances, and also about trauma and PTSD.

In the present day for Mariel and Marcus, Mariel has been widowed, after failing to give her husband an heir. She has no intentions of marrying again, having lost the love of her life, but also finding that her experience of marriage was distasteful to say the least. She is outraged to find that not only is her former betrothed is not only NOT dead, as was reported, but is now the new Viscount, following the death of his brother, and returned to living on the estate adjoining her family's. So he had been alive for years and failed to return to her and honour their promises to each other.

Marcus, likewise, was severely injured in war, and left for dead by his compatriots, after he witnessed terrible acts against civilians on their part and was prepared to report them. Luckily, before he was able t0 succumb to his injuries, he was found by a Frenchwoman who was willing and able to offer him safety and care until he healed. By the time he was healed, he found out that his love, Mariel, had quickly turned around and married someone else, leaving him to think that she did not love him as he thought.

This story works through Marcus and Mariel's various misunderstandings to reveal their continued love for each other, but also now they have to navigate new issues, including Mariel's distaste and misunderstanding of what marriage entails after what she went through with her former husband, and Marcus overcoming the trauma of what he witnessed in his time in the army, namely his own soldiers engaging in rape of local women. He is also still on the hunt for those involved, as they are a threat and danger to him and those he holds dear in the present. These act as impediments to Mariel and Marcus finding a life together. Marcus does not want to prevent Mariel from finding happiness in family and motherhood, and is concerned his mental trauma leaves him unable to do so, and Mariel believes, from her experiences with her husband, that she is barren and unable to give Marcus the heir his viscountcy would need.

In this, Joanna Mabry, nee Huntington, helps, by giving her sister the Illustrated Pleasures of Seduction.

A good book can always help, after all.

A fair amount of angst because of misunderstanding and miscommunication. An interesting take on PTSD, with Marcus and his experiences, and a bit of adventure and risk with his continued conflict and hunt for one of the perpetrators. I always love a second chance love story.

4 stars out of 5

Mariel Mabry loved Marcus Stratton but when he leaves for the war and dies, she marries to help her family. However, Marcus doesn't die, but he doesn't return to England. However, when Marcus's brother and father die, he must return to England to take up the mantel of Viscount. Mariel finds out and is mad! He never once reached out to say he was still alive. Marcus is angry as every mother in the area is throwing their daughter of marriageable age at him.

Will Mariel be angry with Marcus? Will Marcus explain why he never reached out? Will they be able to rekindle the love that they had?

This was a lovely finish to the Mabry family covering some tough topics around having children. I really enjoyed these characters. I specifically liked the inclusions of horses, as I am a horse lover. I would recommend this story to those looking for angst as well as love, and to finish the Mabry sister stories.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Dragonblade publishing and Lexi Post for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review

When Lady Mariel discovers her formerly betrothed is alive after 3 years she is rightfully outraged. When Lord Blackmore finally meets up with Lady Mariel he is outraged that she went and got married while he was "dead". These 2 had a lot to work out and I found the reason for Marcus hiding that he was alive to not be very good. He was also an absolute jerk when it came to the reason Mariel got married so fast. Of course there was an HEA but I didn't think Marcus deserved one for the way he treated someone he supposedly loved so much.

Oh I do love the Mabry sisters. "Revealing the Viscount" is the third installment in Lexi Post's series loosely based off of the sisters in Little Women. But while the first two books are good and I recommend them, they are not necessary to fully enjoy this one.

Eldest sister Mariel has long been the one who sacrifices for her family, including by marrying a much older man after being told that her fiance has been killed in the war. The older man is fine in the day but a tyrant at night, and when Mariel is quickly widowed, she quickly decides she will not marry again. But then comes the unexpected, and rather hurtful, reemergence of Marcus, her not-quite-dead first love.

Marcus, of course, has baggage of his own, having witnessed war atrocities and then being shot and left for dead. He comes back with wounds both visible and hidden, and while he still loves Mariel, he feels betrayed by her quick marriage and does not think he would make her a proper husband anyway. Yet the duo enter into a fake betrothal to save her from gossip and him from marriage-minded mamas. And feelings that never really left begin to flourish again.

I mostly really liked this book. My biggest issue is the lack of communication all the way through, Mariel never talks to her sisters about her marriage, the sisters apparently never tell her how enjoyable sex and intimacy can be, Mariel doesn't tell Marcus her true feelings, Marcus also doesn't share his true feelings or the nature of his supposed injury. The lack of communication between the sisters seemed the least convincing. Given the closeness and unique nature of the Marbry sisters, I would imagine lots of sharing over tea rather than Joanna provided Mariel an instruction book to read on her own.

That said, the love story between Marcus and Mariel rings true, and it is less than surprising when each of them separately tries to find a way to make their engagement real. The steamy scenes are good, and the conclusion to the villain story plays a role commensurate to its importance in the story. I hope to see Anthony's story next.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

I enjoyed the sisterhood in this retelling of Little Women. I liked the intrigue and adventure mixed in with the romance. It featured one of my favorite tropes, fake dating/courting. I’m interested now in the other sisters’ stories. It makes me happy to read about the main couple’s second chance happily ever after.

However, this book seemed longer than needed, and some of the obstacles felt tedious and unnecessary. I would’ve liked some more information about their past and wished to see more strong characterization of Mariel. Overall, I enjoyed this read and want to continue the series!

This such a goooood read, honestly. The way that they were betrothed, he went to war, was considered dead, she married to save her family, become a widow, then he returned home, lost his father and brother, becoming the viscount, she finds out and asks him why he didn’t made their engagement valid…
It has a lot of misunderstanding between them, which usually I don’t like, but this time since trauma plays a big part between them it works fine. It definitely makes me wants to read the other sisters stories

Revealing the Viscount. Can I get a whoo, whoo?! This book is one of those stories where everyone rooted for our romantic couple to thrive among the constraints of the nobility and family. I enjoyed reading all the characters, but it was the main couple Mariel and Marcus the kept me entertained. The two characters brings romance and a little spice to keep the story burning.
Mariel and Marcus work hard at finding their way to each other. I thought that the path that they found themselves on, starting out as friends was beautifully written. It made the story more compelling and enjoyable for me. Marcus, being a broken man with secrets from the past is another part of the story that keeps the pages turning. His character was described wonderfully for how I imagined Mariels savior.
Mariel’s character is a gem. She is described as a refined woman, but she saved her naughty side for Marcus. Mariel new what she was doing while taking those riding lessons. This story is a romantic read filled with some lovely treats. I give this story two snaps and a, twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
#Revealing the Viscount #LexiPost #Netgally #DragonBlade #Goodreads #Bookbub

Lady Mariel Mabry Beaumont learns her former fiancé is alive and has not contacted her since his return. Marcus Stratton, the new Viscount of Blackmore has come home after being dead for three years. Mariel has married and been widowed since he has declared dead in the war. When Marcus is finally able to return to his old life he finds she has married another and feels betrayed. They both need to realize she married for money after he was declared dead.
Mariel asked him to pretend they are betrothed again so save face to the ton. Marcus feels he can't marry since he suffered his injuries during the war. He is also hunting one of his men he thought was dead and needs to be charged with war crimes.
Great read

Lady Mariel Maybury Beaumont is relieved her former betrothed is still alive but furious with him for hiding away. Our heroine is the eldest of three sisters and has always put the needs of her family above her own.

Marcus Stratton is the new Viscount of Blackmore . This means he now has to face the world again . Our hero struggles to overcome the nightmares from what happened in the war.

This historical romance is part of a series that involves the three sisters. Each woman has her own story that you can read alone, but the series should be read in order. Our sisters are very unusual for their era in history. I have loved each of them and the men they claim. There is danger, excitement and wonderful love stories in all of the books. You will be caught on the first page until the last.

Great fun.

A miss...

There was so much going for this book, unfortunately, one thing made it a miss for me.

Mariel is a widow, who was engaged before having to marry a much older man to save her family from financial ruin. At twenty two, she met and became engaged to Marcus, her next door neighbor. He goes off to war and is declared dead, she marries a man who hurts her in bed. Mariel is awesome. DId she deserve her husband? No. Did she deserve Marcus who hid from her and let her think she was dead? No.

Marcus is a coward and hides from his family. But is forced back into society because he's now a viscount. He's got performance issues since he witnessed something during the war. Spoiler alert. He knows he has performance issues because he tried to bed a ton of courtesans in France. No. Just no. ew. No.
So now he assumes he can't go through with the act and keep oushes Mariel away despite them pretending to be engaged, again, so Mariel can break up with him. Marcus could have been better. At twenty two, he was supposed to be super experienced (ew) and again, he attempted to bed a ton of prostitutes in France, after he met Mariel, who at that time thought he was dead. Just no.

So much potential, but I need a decent male lead, not one who has a dysfunction while he's trying to get it on with courtesans. I guess the only saving grace was he couldn;'t do the deed but not for lack of trying? I have no problem with his dysfunction and the story would have been such a strong story had he not tried to bed a ton of prostitutes.

Heartache and pain dominate the first chapters of this romance as Lady Mariel confronts the man she once thought she would marry, but who had kept the fact that he was alive and in hiding, rather than being among the numerous dead in the wake of the war against Napoleon. Lord Marcus initially tries to give the impression that he has no feelings for Mariel, but seeing his token around her neck provokes him to learn more about the choices she made. Entering into a fake betrothal initially seems to solve both their problems, until Mariel and Marcus come to the realization that the youthful feelings they had for one another are as strong as they ever were. In spite of everything that has happened, they still intuitively know that they can put their trust in each other. Marcus has enemies that have to be dealt with and as the truth emerges, the couple discovers new and hidden depths to their relationship. However, before they can begin their lives together, they first have one almost insurmountable situation to resolve. Once again the Mabry sisters pull together, giving them the future they deserve. The novel comes to a happy and romantic conclusion. Although part of a series, this book is a standalone, but it is worth reading all the novels in sequence to appreciate them. I received a copy of this romance as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

“Revealing the Viscount” written by Lexi Post is the first novel I have read by this author. Viscount Marcus has returned from the war against Napoleon a broken man. Marcus witnessed atrocities committed by his own men, was severely shot and left for dead, and struggled to survive. His name was included on the death rolls . After learning of his death, his fiancée and love of his life, Mariel, married to financially save her family and enable her sisters to marry well. Four years later Mariel is a widow, while Marcus has emerged from hiding to take up the duties of his title. Mariel seeks out Marcus for answers and is met by a vastly changed man who claims he cannot marry her but doesn’t explain that he can no longer perform husbandly duties to give Mariel the children she desires. They eventually agree to a fake engagement so Mariel can throw him over, this allows Mariel to save face with the ton. I had a difficult time getting into the story and felt it was moving slowly. Marcus wants Mariel to be happy with someone else who can give her children but doesn’t stop to think what would really make her happy. Then he flip flops into wanting to teach her pleasure after realizing her aged husband didn’t treat her properly in the bedroom. Then Mariel jumps to the idea that Marcus won’t marry her because of her alleged inability to bare children and Marcus, being a Viscount, needs an heir and a wife who can give him one. Yet, they don’t have an honest conversation and their fake engagement was bringing them closer together instead of farther apart. Through all this, there is a specter of a antagonist hovering in the background. Overall, I thought the plot was good but it could’ve been better. Marcus seemed very wishy washy. His character should’ve been stronger and more forthright. Hiding from Mariel for so long essentially made him a coward, no matter what his reasons were. As for Mariel, she was not a stupid woman but some of the scenes made her out to be an airhead (you had to be totally naked to procreate…really?). Cobby should have been more of an active presence and/or threat earlier in the story. Mariel and her family should’ve been made aware of him and why, even a more sensitive reason of why. Well, after trying to decide whether to give this story three or four stars, I chose three because the plot should’ve been strengthened, the story needed better pacing, the characters were underdeveloped, and I almost gave up on it altogether two or three times. The story includes many open door sex scenes for those who need to know when deciding to read the story. In all fairness, I will try another of Lexi Post’s novels in the same genre to see if this story was an anomaly or a trend. I was given this novel by NetGallery, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Moving and heart wrecking plot of two people who have fallen in love but are separated when one is thought deceased. Years later they have an opportunity for a second chance. Will they be able to re-establish their love? You will only know if you read this beautiful story. There is danger for them, steam and great banter between the two. You may shed a few tears as this really is a moving story.