Series: Everleigh Sisters, #2
Traits & Tropes: titled hero; second chance; marriage of convenience; enemies to lovers
Publication Date: 02.09.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England, 1822
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4 stars
Winter Vance, the Marquess of Roth, didn’t particularly want a wife but he needed to unlock his inheritance to fund a worthy cause and she needed a husband. As the owner of a rather secretive and most assuredly improper club, he has a debauched reputation to uphold and leaves his wife behind in the country, even though he feels uneasy about it.
After three years of abandonment, Lady Isobel Vance is fed up with seeing her husband’s name in the scandal pages. She’s grown up and even become a coauthor of her own scandalous column educating ladies on subjects usually forbidden to them. She’s not the same girl Roth left behind and she’s eager to show him as much. She decides to beard the lion in his den and heads to London for the season to attempt a seduction of her husband. Unfortunately, she’s just as susceptible to him and they’re soon locked in a battle of wills to see who will cave first and she’s determined it won’t be her.
This story engrossed me, though it wasn’t totally issue free. The premise was well done and quite unique, but it left me with a few questions, mostly why Isobel endured such callous treatment for three years before deciding enough was enough. I also wish Winter had made more of a point of detailing his fidelity to Isobel, though thankfully it is at least made clear to the reader, otherwise I couldn’t have liked him at all. As it was, I never fully understood what his endgame was in pushing Isobel away and how he couldn’t see that he was doing to her exactly what he believed his father had done to his mother and which he so reviled the man for. Fortunately, Roth did come to his senses, but this came almost too late for me and I would’ve liked to see more groveling from him. Otherwise, I loved the dynamics between the other characters, especially Isobel and Clarissa, and I would’ve loved an extension of the scene between Oliver, Kendrick, and Winter in which they were finally openly communicating. Some of the modern language used here was a bit jarring, but I loved the naughty banter between Isobel, Clarissa, and the twins, and found it utterly charming. I loved Isobel as a heroine. She walks the line of being strong and knowing her own mind and her own worth without crossing over to being shrewish. She can take care of herself; she was unafraid to stake her claim, and she saved her man when he was in danger. This story pulled me in and made me feel Isobel’s emotions right along with her and I found it satisfying even though I do think Winter could’ve used a couple more swoon-inducing dialogues/apologies. I enjoyed this so much more than the first book in this series and I’m thrilled to finally have a strong, smart heroine I can really get behind.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3088930106
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/746664249
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