Review: Lord Bredon and the Bachelor’s Bible (The House of Lovell #2) by Mia Marlowe

Print Length:  pages

Publisher: Lyrical Press (April 30, 2019)

From Goodreads.com:  With the dowries of all the season’s debutantes exposed in its scandalous pages, The Bachelor’s Bible is a handy tool for an earl in need of an heiress . . .

Edward Lovell, newly minted earl, bears a weighty responsibility: to restore his family’s estate to its former grandeur. The task requires not simply a wife, but a wealthy one. Thanks to The Bachelor’s Bible, he already has a particular lady in mind. He has only to convince her sponsor that he will make a suitable husband. There’s just one complication: the sponsor is none other than the only woman he’s ever loved—and inexplicably lost. Now a young widow, Lady Anne Howard is more beautiful than ever . . .

Anne is not about to be taken for a fool a second time. When they last met, Edward was Lord Bredon, the man she adored—the man who destroyed her dreams of a happy future. Now he is pursuing the hand of the young lady Anne must keep safe from unscrupulous suitors. But who will protect Anne from the earl who still possesses her heart?. . .

 

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I remember the first book in this series, well to be more accurate I remember the characters. This story, like its predecessor doesn't really stand out from the other novels of this genre. In fact, I quite enjoyed the side story of Miss Finch and her potential romance than I did the one between Edward and Anne. 

In what I'm starting to think of as the "typical historical romance" trope, Edward and Anne loved each other deeply when they were younger, but Edward was more or less coerced by his father to embark on his grand tour, leaving Anne behind. Anne gets married, becomes widowed, and now has to deal with her bully of a stepson and his waspish wife. Trying to branch out on her own, she agrees to sponsor Miss Finch, in exchange for a substantial payment provided her charge makes a good match. 

Fast forward to "now" and Edward is in need of funds to keep his estate afloat. The kind of funds that are only accessible by marrying a woman with a substantial dowry. Unfortunately, he's still in love with Anne (who despite telling him she cannot marry him least he grow to resent her is all too happy to throw propriety to the wind and allow him liberties). The rest of the book muddles along well enough, there are a few interesting things that happen (such as I stated above Miss Finch and her potential romance). 

Towards the end of the novel, a new side story pops up, having to do with murder and mayhem and to be honest, if this theme had been present from the beginning in larger detail? I feel this book would have been much more interesting. 

Overall, I do believe this novel will appeal to fans of historical romance. 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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                 Lord Bredon and the Bachelor’s Bible is available from Amazon.com