Review: Never Kiss a Notorious Marquess (Infamous Lords #3) by Renee Ann Miller

Print Length: 320 pages

Publisher: Zebra (April 30, 2019)

From Goodreads.com:  For James Trent, Lord Huntington, there's no escaping the question that labeled him The Murdering Marquess: was his wife's death a tragic accident or a cold-blooded crime? He's avoided London's gossipmongers since that terrible night, as guardian to his younger siblings on his Essex estate. But trouble finds him when a veiled temptress with secrets of her own falls—quite literally—into his arms.

Caroline Lawrence doesn't need a man to rescue her—the aspiring journalist anonymously advocates for women's rights in a radical London newspaper column. But when a suffragist's soapbox speech turns to pandemonium, Caroline is knocked on the head and reawakens in Trent Hall—with the notorious lord of the manor irresistibly close. If there is any truth to his tarnished past, she should denounce him with her powerful pen. Yet love has a way of revealing a man's true character.

 

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Although this is number three is the series, do not let that keep you from reading this one. Each novel in this series deals with a different "friend", making them stand alone novels that can be read and enjoyed independently of each other. 

For some reason, this book just didn't resonate with me the way the prior ones have. Caroline, for all of her forward thinking and wanting to be taken seriously comes across as annoying and childish. The fact that she would write a scandalous article slandering a man's reputation without first verifying whether what she spoke of was the truth or not, told more of who she really was than anything else. 

I adored James, and his family (right down to his cankerous old grandmother), and would love to see more of his family in future novels. To me, they were more of a highlight to this story than the romance, as that at times, became entirely too predictable. In fact, it seemed to follow the "historical romance" pattern almost right down the line. Two people forced together by circumstances beyond their control develop feelings for each other, but are separated. When reunited, they have to overcome "insert random plot here" in order to be together. Insert a jealous ex-lover, a wholly unsuitable suitor attempting to force the Heroine into marriage, and  one Marquess determined to do right, and you have just another historical romance novel.

Overall, I believe fans of historical romance will enjoy this story. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                      Never Kiss a Notorious Marquess is available from Amazon.com