The Marquess and the Maiden

Harriet Wheatley is a member of the Ladies of Virtue's who’s quest is to rehabilitate the gentlemen of the ton. So when it comes to selecting her own target, she knows who to choose: Oliver Weeks, Marquis of Davenport the most extravagant wastrel in all of London & the man who cruelly rejected her. Oliver & Harriet’s mothers are the best of friends & would love for their offspring to marry. When Oliver’s father dies leaving the family almost destitute the mothers think they dream will come true but Oliver rejects Harriet’s advance. Now six years later Oliver has amassed a fortune, he sees Harriet at a ball & is so drawn to her it he can think of nothing else but her. An interesting read whilst I took young women crime fighters with a pinch of salt I really enjoyed Oliver & Harriet’s romance. They are both lacking in confidence, Oliver because of an accident that has left him with a limp & Harriet because she sees herself as a short dumpy woman with too many curves. Their verbal spats are delightful, their attraction sizzles. The road to their HEA was interesting & in the end had me engrossed in their story. The book flows well, there’s still the mystery to solve as to who Lady X is but this is almost an aside. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I read the first book in this series and was excited to read this one. I was not disappointed and loved revisiting with this quirky group of ladies who formed the Ladies of Virtue with Harriet Wheatley, the heroine, being one of the founders. Harriet leads a campaign to rehabilitate the gentlemen of the ton in whatever their vice might be. She chooses, Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport to stop him from wasting money and give to charitable endeavors! Of course she and Oliver had a past that she could not forgive. Her mother had the idea that she and Oliver should marry because she had funds he desperately needed to repair his holdings that his father had gambled away. He rejected her badly because he was determined to restore the family wealth on his own. Now six years later, as Harriet tries to talk to him about his spending habits, he asks her to help him find a wife. What is up with that? Oliver was a wounded man due to having had a bad fall years ago and walked with a cane. As the two interacted, some surprising emotions come out for both of them and the game was on. I loved the interaction between these two. I just never knew what was going to happen next. This was really a very entertaining story and I cannot wait until the next in the series!! This can be read as a standalone.

I did not give it a 5 just because the ending was bit rushed. A good story though.