Her Pretentious Marquess by Marie Higgins is the story about two main characters, Nic and Tabitha. When they met, Tabitha was a servant and Nic was the Marquess. Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding that made Tabitha hate Nic with a passion. Later they met in a different town, stirring the past affection they had for each other, but Tabitha was determined not to allow that. So much was happening all around them with Nic impersonating his cousin, the clergyman, to catch a thief. Although there's love between them, there are so many secrets and decisions to be made if they decide to pursue this love. Find out more in this book, Her Pretentious Marquess by Marie Higgins.

In addition to a love story, the author has incorporated mystery and suspense, as there's the aspect of murder and theft. The dialogues felt true and with no profanity involved. I like the characters, as they've been well developed. I especially like Nic and the clergyman; the family bond between them is incredible.

Although I liked the mystery and suspense, being a romance fan, I didn't like the murder aspect, but some readers might like it.

I rate this book, Her Pretentious Marquess by Marie Higgins, 4 out of 5 stars.

I recommend it to readers who like historical fiction books that narrate a love story with a touch of mystery.

A romance between a Marquess and a lady gets a second chance when they accidently meet at a village. Except the marquess is under cover trying to solve some thefts and murders and the lady is now a true lady recognized as the illegitimate sister of a Duke.

This book was nothing exceptional, the plot line was quite predictable. It was clean with a few ardent kisses

The Worthington family in this historical romance series are certainly an entertaining group. Our heroine is a newly discovered member of the family. She is still coming to terms with her new station in life. She needs time away from them all to learn who she is now.
Our hero is trying to help his cousin by swapping places with him. Although the two cousins look similar, they couldn't be more different in personality. Will he be able to keep his secret when an acquaintance turns up?
We get plenty of giggles and adventures in this story. There is also a mystery to solve and danger to face.
I think this is the final book in the series, unless anyone else is discovered.
Great fun.

Life is anything but boring in the village of North Devon, when Lord Hawthorne swaps places with his cousin in order to flush out a thief. With the blame being laid at Reverend Woodland's door for the missing church property, Dominic dons his cousin's persona, leaving Frederick to investigate at night, which is when the robberies take place. Dominic is therefore shocked to see Miss Tabitha Paget, who is visiting her aunt, especially as they previously parted on such bad terms. The hurt in Tabitha's eyes tells Dominic that he owes her a heartfelt apology for her previous actions, but she is not at all willing to hear him out. However, Dominic is pulled into the affairs of village life, firstly when he saves a drowning child, and then when a murder is discovered. Things become even more weird when Dominic realizes that a persistent villager has set her cap for him, and he is determined to bring the ruse to an end as soon as possible. Things get worse before they get better, and by that time, almost irreparable damage has been done. Fortunately, the novel comes to a good conclusion, and most people are happy at the outcome. I received a copy of this entertaining book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A delightful story surrounding a mystery of theft. A Lord impersonates his vicar cousin seeking truths and runs into someone who knows him from the past. Past mistakes must be justified, secrets told and forgiveness provided. She is a maid, so besides the deceit, accusations, twists and turns there is a class difference to deal with. This is book nine of the series which can be read as a standalone. The total Worthington legacy is worth reading at any age as it's sweet and closed.

Her Pretentious Marquess by Marie Higgins earns a solid 3-star rating as a romance novel that fits comfortably within the Worthington Legacy series. The story delivers enjoyable elements typical of historical romance with a charming hero and engaging banter, making it a pleasant, light read for fans of the genre.

However, the novel falls short of standing out due to some predictable plot points and a lack of deeper character complexity. While the interactions are entertaining, the romance occasionally feels formulaic and doesn’t fully break new ground, which may leave readers craving more substance or originality. The pacing works fine, but moments that might have heightened emotional stakes don’t quite land as powerfully as expected.

Overall, Her Pretentious Marquess is a competent addition to Marie Higgins’ series that fans will appreciate but newcomers might find somewhat conventional.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy to review.

He is beyond pretentious....

Dominick "Nic" is beyond arrogant, a self proclaimed rogue and rake who has switched places with his clergyman cousin (ne is far from holy). Nic is arrogant, shallow and not that bright. He accused Tabitha Paget of murder, even though he has a major Jones for her. He's an idiot. Tabitha deserved a better man, His cousin, Frederick for example, would have been a superior match and did not accuse her of murder.

Enduring and exciting romance with a theft mystery rolled into one HEA. The mystery ending will be a surprise for readers. The growing connection between the two main characters must survive old wounds and new adventures (theft, murder, kidnapping).

for this book we are bought to Tabitha again. she has been in the previous books in the series but id say you can come to this new if you want to and follow it fine. the series is a nice one to follow though. Tabitha is definitely our heroine. shes strong and not about to let her guard or walls down anytime soon. especially not for anyone such a Nic for example. oh yes that is until he shows up right there in her life once again. but why is he in disguise as his cousin? turns out hes doing a favour and trying to find out who is stealing from the church by being undercover. but being undercover doesn't hide that twinkle, nor his behaviour. but there connection isn't halted by simply pretending to be someone else. and there love for each other is loud and clear for both of them. but they both have reasons why this cant and wont happen. why they cant let their love happen. cant they?
a clean and enjoyable read. and if this genre is your thing then you will definitely like this book. Marie brings a deft lightness and wit to her books that you instantly recognise as her own and i enjoy them every single time.

First I would like to say thank you to Marie Higgins, Dragonblade Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a cop of Her Pretentious Marquess. I would like to start off by saying that I am very familiar with the historical romance genre and while I generally love the elements a different time period brings to a romance story, I must say this book was difficult to read even with the setting. I loved that this book was an easy vacation read that you can pick up and finish in a day with a lighthearted story. My main issue with this book was that the characters had very little relatability about them. The fmc character felt more like a plot device than a person in some instances, and the tension felt like a more drawn out miscommunication troupe that wasn't pleasant to continue. I felt that while the premise was very promising, the execution felt lackluster.

4 stars

Tabitha has known our hero Dominic/Nic in the previous books. In that one she was an impoverished maid and he accused her of murder. They meet again whilst Nic is helping his cousin solve the mystery of who has stolen from Fredericks' church. Nic has had to grow a beard and dress in clerical garb but it has disguised his flirting or twinkle in his eyes.

Tabitha's big sercret is scandalous in the day but not her fault and unbeknown to Nic is supported by his friends. There is quite a bit of angst and tooing and froing. I didn't solve the mystery but quite an enjoyable story.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I have only read one book in this series and it was an early one which I do not recall including any of the characters included here. That being said, I do not think that affected by ability to follow along or understand what was going on in this book. Although, I did end up wishing I had read the book which first introduced Tabitha and Nic. I did enjoy following Tabitha and Nic's relationship as it developed. The only times I did not like Nic were when Tabitha was trying to establish boundaries and he pretty much ignored her and made attempts to seduce her. Nothing says you respect someone by ignoring what they want because you think you know better. And after all that pushing he did with her throughout the story, the one time he actually needed to push back against her refusal to give them a chance he pretty much just ran away. The plan between Nic and Frederick did not seem fully developed and in the end only worked out because the villain thought Tabitha had caught the attention of the vicar. Speaking of the villain, there was a moment early on when I thought there was something suspicious about them but the way everything played out was still a surprise.

Her Pretentious Marquess is a cute historical romance, which I'm a sucker for. Follows the typical tropes and is a delightful read! Thank you for the opportunity to read & review.

Thank you NetGalley. Tabitha comes to visit her great aunt and there is the marquess in disguise as his cousin. The cousin is a clergyman and she know the marquess as a rogue. She was a maid the last time he saw her. Now she doesn't need to work as a maid and she doesn't want him to know why. The cousin is trying to find out who has been stealing from the church and he is investigating. Tabitha meets Nic to find out why his is acting as a clergyman. He is surprised she knows who he is. He realizes he love her. She loves him but they cannot marry with her a maid and him a marquess.

A cute, clean regency romance. Enjoyable, but middle of the road for me. Nothing really stands out, somewhat lacking in substance, and overall likely going to be forgettable, but it was a good time while it lasted.
This was #9 in the series and I haven't read the books before it, but it stands on its own well. 3✨
I was provided a free copy by Netgalley and Dragonblade publishing in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate the opportunity and offer my thanks.

For once, the cover matches the story, for they are both equally stunning. What a lovely little book! With Christian themes and one of the sweetest romances I have ever read, Her Pretentious Marquess has everything any hopeless romantic could ever wish for. Dominic and Tabitha will forever live in my heart. Absolutely one of my new favorite novels!