Sunday, August 13, 2017

Review: How to Marry a Marquess by Stacy Reid

How to Marry a Marquess by Stacy Reid
Series: Wedded by Scandal, Book 3
Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781973859536
Release Date: August 14, 2017
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Stacy Reid Reading Order

Lady Evie Chesterfield is a darling of the ton who refuses to become engaged. She's been desperately in love with her brother's friend, Richard Maitland, Marquess of Westfall, since forever. But the dark, dangerous marquess only sees her as a friend and refuses to marry any woman. When circumstances change and Evie has no choice but to take a husband, she decides to convince London's most notorious gentleman to marry her by seducing the scoundrel.

Richard Maitland decided long ago that he wanted nothing to do with love. So when the gorgeous, off-limits Evie asks him for lessons in seduction, Richard knows he's playing with fire. Despite Richard's determination to protect her from his dastardly reputation, he is tested at every turn by his need for the infuriating, but enticing, Lady Evie. Before too long he is faced with making an impossible choice…

Since reading the first Wedded by Scandal book, Accidentally Compromising the Duke, I have been on tenterhooks for Evie and Westfall’s story. Stacy Reid did not disappoint. How to Marry a Marquess has it all: bright dialogue, meltingly sensual scenes, and a romance you can root for. I adored it.

What I liked best about Evie and Westfall’s relationship is that it is six years in the making. Ms. Reid takes readers on a journey that starts with a less than glamorous (but quite funny) initial meeting. Even though they’re immediately attracted to one another, the two of them are friends for years before the main story develops. I loved the chemistry Evie and Westfall had both as friends and lovers. The sexual tension was utterly delicious and their dialogue brightened up the page and made How to Marry a Marquess practically speed by.

While it’s clear to everyone that Evie and Westfall would make a great match, things aren’t so easy for them. Westfall’s life took a turn when he found and rescued his illegitimate daughter, Emily. Emily changed Westfall’s outlook on life and his patience for the hypocrisy of high society is limited. The fact that he loves his daughter and the other children he adopted made me melt, but his actions have made him a pariah in society. While he doesn’t care that his name has been dragged through the mud, he’s so protective of Evie that he won’t give them a chance because he doesn’t believe that the darling of society could be an outcast. Westfall’s passion for social reform made me love him, but I did want to shake him a time or two because he makes assumptions about Evie and what she does or does not think. Neither he nor Evie are perfect and that means that – even though they both have hearts of gold – they don’t always say or do the right thing. But even when they screw up, they mean well and Ms. Reid shows us why each acts the way they do. And all the ups and downs are totally worth it because their happily ever after is wonderfully romantic.

How to Marry a Marquess is the third Wedded by Scandal book, but it can easily be read as a standalone. As happened Accidentally Compromising the Duke, I made the mistake of trying to read this story on my lunch break, which was a terrible plan. Ms. Reid’s writing is so entertaining that if you have to put the story down, you’re counting the hours until you can get back to it. I love a good friends-to-lovers story and Evie and Westfall’s is simply fantastic.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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