Love is worth a little scandal. Owen Hadley needs a wife. Preferably a wealthy one. Alas, there aren’t a great number of heiresses willing to marry a rogue of no particular fortune—luckily, if there is ever a gentleman capable of melting a lady’s chilly heart, it’s Owen. Milly has had enough of the marriage mart. If matrimony means giving up her freedom for a foppish husband, then society can … husband, then society can take their idea of marital bliss and toss it. But when the ton’s most notorious rogue mistakenly makes his way into her bedchambers, Milly finds herself unexpectedly and unwillingly at the altar . . .
Yet the more time she spends with her new husband, the more Milly starts to wonder if the marriage she never wanted may be the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Now it’s up to Owen to convince Milly that what started as a mistake is anything but—and that every night with him will be more wonderfully scandalous than the last.more
When I first met Owen in the book, I did not like his marrying for money & some of his antics but as the book progressed, we got to know the real reasons & I softened towards him. Even though he did compromise a young heiress (which was bad); it was the wrong lady & ended up being her older sister. After the marriage & spending time getting to know each other, Owen wanted to have love in his marriage & he really did care for Milly – now if he could just convince her to have a real marriage. This was full of emotional feels but in the end it left me happy & smiling for their romantic HEA. I highly recommend this series to all historical romance readers.
A GENTLEMEN NEVER SURRENDERS by Lauren Smith is a great Recency Romance. Book 2 in her “Sins and Scandals” series, but can be read as a stand a lone. I would suggest reading Book 1, but not necessary to enjoy this book.
Well written with engaging and a bit troublesome characters. The plot is interesting, compelling. A bit unpredictable, and very enjoyable. Can a marriage of convenience become a marriage of Love?
A story of love, redemption, and finding a HEA. I was hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed watching the H/H come to love each other after such a rocky start. Ms. Smith did a wonderful job telling this story. She brought the reader to a better understanding of the H/H in a way that was captivating and compelling. A must read for Recency Romance lovers. Another great read by tthe marvelous Lauren Smith!
I received a complimentary copy, however, all opinions are my own.
Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer by: AprilR
Lauren Smith has a gift for taking the misfortunes of social class from long ago and making them relevant, as she turns on the charm with her wise words and humorous spirit. A Gentleman Never Surrenders is a breath of fresh air. A little more scandal, a bit less danger and a whole lot of heart. Owen and Milly are more than just a scandal, they are a sensation.
Love is worth a little scandal.
Owen Hadley needs a wealthy wife to help restore his estate. Alas, there aren’t a great number of heiresses willing to marry a rogue
Mildred Pepperwirth, Milly has had enough of the marriage mart. If matrimony means giving up her freedom for a foppish husband, then society can take their idea of marital bliss and toss it. But when the ton’s most notorious rogue mistakenly makes his way into her bedchambers, Milly finds herself unexpectedly and unwillingly at the altar.
The more time Owen & Milly spend together the more they find they enjoy each other’s company. Their banter is so entertaining & one of the author’s strengths, which put her books above the crowd.
Another well-written enthralling novel from the author. Ms Smith is an automatic read for me & I love her books & this book lived up to my expectations, the characterisation is as always very good, the plot is straightforward but very well paced. I found it very hard to put down. Milly is a strong character but also quite vulnerable, Owen is a rogue but a gentle, caring side is revealed. Another must read series & I look forward to the third book in the series.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Sins and Scandals Book 2
A Gentleman who inherits a bankrupt estate has only one choice, he must marry an heiress. A young lady with a large dowry knows that she is only being pursued by fortune hunters. This is the story of a man who has tried to court young ladies honorably, but his reputation precedes him and no heiress will have anything to do with him. Owen Hadley doesn’t have a choice anymore, he will have to compromise an heiress and get caught to save his beloved home.
The lady he chooses happens to be the younger sister of Mildred Pepperwirth. Milly is an heiress who has perfected the art of being cold and unapproachable. She doesn’t flirt, dance or do anything that would cause a fortune hunter to pursue her. The result is that men don’t bother trying to court her, which is fine with her. She has big plans and they don’t include marrying a man who just wants her money.
When she finds out that Owen Hadley is going to be at the house party where her younger sister Rowena will make her debut in Society, she is on alert. She knows that Owen is a rake and fortune hunter and will protect her little sister and do anything she has to to keep Owen away from Rowena.
Owen has a plan, he will find out what room Rowena is staying in, crawl into her bed and wait to be discovered. He knows that is the only way he can achieve his goal of restoring his home to its former glory. Only he picks the wrong room and winds up in Milly’s bed. They have to marry and the adventure begins.
Milly is enraged that she has to marry Owen and will fight him all the way. Owen wants to have a happy marriage and will do all he can to make Milly not regret their marriage.
I absolutely loved this book. I actually listened to the Audiobook and then read the Kindle edition, just to make sure I didn’t miss any of Lauren’s wonderful story. She is an amazing talent who makes her characters marvelously lovable, complex and lifelike. A truly lovely story that will pull you into Owen’s and Milly’s journey through the ups and downs of a marriage that will test their hearts and hopefully bring them the joy of a HAE.
I recommend this book, Lauren is an author not to be missed.
‘A Gentleman Never Surrenders’ by Lauren Smith is Book Two in The “Sins and Scandals” series. This is the story of Owen Hadley and Mildred ‘Milly’ Pepperwirth. I have read the previous book “An Earl by Any Other Name” but feel this can easily be a standalone book.
Owen has been away fighting a war but is now back finding that his Cotswold Estate and other things are in dire need of his attention. But more importantly he needs the money to bring everything up to date and to do so quickly he thinks to marry a heiress. But without a Title he has slim chance of find a bride. Owen had tried to kiss Ivy Leighton but his friend Leopold Graham stopped him. (Ivy and Leopold were met in the first book) but now Graham has offered him a chance to meet Rowena Pepperwirth who will be coming to a house party. Owen agrees to meet Rowena and hopes that she not as cold as her older sister Milly.
Milly wants a love like her parents and also one that the husband loves her mind and body…not just needs money. So she has taken to be cold toward men so that they aren’t encouraged to think of her as a easy money target. But when Owen and Milly are caught in a compromising position they will have to marry.
Love watching their story come together and each finding what they thought at first of each other wasn’t who they actually were!
Milly has decided that she may as well stay a spinster because she didn’t want any husband of hers to have total control over her.
Owen decided that in order to restore his home to its former beauty and state he would have to marry for money and proceeds to try and compromise a young lady so that he can do so, but, acting on wrong information he compromises the wrong person and soon finds himself married to someone who isn’t very happy with her current circumstances.
Of course they fall in love. This wouldn’t be a historical romance if they didn’t, but what goes on in this story make for great entertainment.
I cried and I laughed while reading and just found the book totally delightful, so I am giving it a ‘highly recommended’ and hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
If you read An Earl by Any Other Name, the first book in the Sins and Scandals series, you’ll remember Owen Hadley, he is trying to find a wife to help restore his family home to it’s former glory.
Owen is determined to marry even if it has to look as if he has been in an compromising position with a woman, with her virtue at stake she will be forced to marry. Unscrupulous, yes very much so, but…. while Owen has one woman in mind it turns out that he unknowing walks into the path of another and has to marry her, I would say that the fates were with both Owen and Milly at this point of time.
Lauren Smith is my go to author for Historical Romances for many reasons, because, as she proves yet again with this wonderful story, she has a gift for transporting you back in time and making you feel as if you are really there. This has been a fun series to read and I look forward to the next book A Scottish Lord for Christmas, Rowena Pepperwirth and Quinn MacCauley, which is due out in early December.
Great characters with compelling stories populate this delightfully entertaining series of novellas by Lauren Smith. I highly recommend reading the series in order, but you can certainly read this as a stand-alone. In the first book, we met Leopold Graham, Lord Hampton who needed to marry for money. It was his intention to propose to Millie, the daughter of a very rich Viscount while she was attending his house party. But then – love got in the way and Leo married Ivy.
In that book, we also met Owen Hadley, a gentleman who was desperate to marry for money. He tried to compromise Ivy so he could marry her, but he was unsuccessful. He and Leo came to blows and Owen left the house party. I tell you all of this so you’ll understand when I tell you that I thoroughly disliked Owen and thought he was totally irredeemable. In this book, he is somewhat redeemed – in my eyes. I say somewhat redeemed because I don’t like what he did and thought it was very selfish. I know he was desperate, but – well – I still didn’t like what he did – but if he hadn’t, then there wouldn’t be a story now would there. He does end up with his HEA and you’ll find he isn’t who you thought he was.
Leo finds Owen in London after Owen had left the house party on bad terms with Leo. They make amends and Leo invites Owen to another house party. Owen is desperate at this point and the only way he can save his estate is to marry a wealthy heiress. Owen is determined to choose one of the unmarried ladies attending the house party and compromise her so they have to marry. He settles on Rowena, who is Millie’s sister. Rowena is very beautiful but young and this is her first season. After everyone has gone to bed, Owen sneaks down the hall and into what he thought was Rowena’s room – only to find Millie in the bed fast asleep. Before he can retreat, they are discovered by Millie’s mother and a maid. So, Millie and Owen are forced to marry to avoid scandal.
Millie actually wants to marry, but fears she’ll never find anyone in England who would meet her criteria. You see – she wants someone who not only loves her but treats her as an equal partner in the marriage rather than as just another piece of chattel he owns. So, Millie has built up a persona that she displays in public. She is very cold and condescending, especially to the men who approach her. She has actually consigned herself to spinsterhood because she’s sure no man will treat her as she wishes to be treated. So, she feels that Owen is a monster and that her life is ruined when she is forced to marry him.
In his heart, Owen really wants a wife that is an equal partner in all things and he is beside himself with guilt at the way he acquired his bride. He plans to do all he can to woo his wife and get her to fall in love with him.
This is a lovely story of redemption and a growing relationship filled with trust, respect, and love. We learn that there is a different side to each of the characters we met and disliked in the first book. I love that they get their HEA together. Now – can’t wait for Rowena’s story in book 3.
“I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”