Drawn to the Marquess

Brimming with passion, intrigue, and tenderness, Bronwen Evans’s latest is spectacular! A perfectly brilliant page-turning romance.

Though I have quite a number of this author’s books, this is the first I’ve read by her. I was worried about starting with the second book in a series, but this stood alone just fine. (Though it made me SO want to go back and read the first book!) I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I thought Stephen and Pen were great characters. Stephen was losing his sight, as had his father. He wanted to enjoy the beauty of the world…especially a woman in the throes of passion…before he was totally robbed of sight. Pen was the widow of an abuser, and her brother-in-law was trying to get people to believe she killed her husband so he could take possession of her home and wealth. She believes Stephen can help her to prove she didn’t kill her husband. Thus begins a steamy romance filled with untold secrets.

Though it annoyed me that Pen kept secrets from Stephen even after they fell in love-dammit, just tell the man!-I still loved the two of them together. It was beautiful to see two broken people find love with each other. Steamy sex, secrets and an exciting conclusion make this book a must-read.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

*** 3.5 Stars ***
What a lovely surprise to find that this book wasn’t dark and intense – as most of this author’s books are. The book is well written and moves steadily along. We had cameo visits from Alex and Hestia from the first book in the series, Addicted To The Duke, and it was lovely to catch up with them and their son Christopher. The two main characters in this book are flawed, filled with secrets and are afraid of love. It is nice to see them find their HEA. While the book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Lady Penelope “Pen” Fisherton is in a bit of a precarious position at the moment and she needs an investigator to clear her name. Her husband, Lord Carmichael, was a vile man who was into some really nasty smuggling and her brother-in-law, Lord Rotham, wants to implicate her in Carmichael’s death. That would allow Rotham to inherit all of her property and wealth – and she would be charged with murder. Pen has done her research and has decided that Lord Clevedon is just the man she needs to help her. Through her research, she learned that Clevedon wants, very badly, to win a painting that is coming up at auction. It is her plan to outbid him at the auction and then offer him the painting in return for clearing her name.

Stephen Hornsby, the Marquess of Clevedon, is a rake, a spy and a lover of beauty in all its forms – especially the female one. Stephen is also slowly going blind just as his father did before him. He’s seen all of the doctors and they all say the same thing. It is a disease that runs in families and since the symptoms have presented themselves, he will continue to lose his sight. If he is lucky, he won’t go totally blind, but that doesn’t give him any hope. He is already to the point where he can only see what is directly in front of him and he is almost totally blind when the light is low. His plan is to see and appreciate all of the beauty he can while he can still see it and then, to take the same route his father did when he totally loses his sight. There is a painting by a relatively uncollected painter coming up for auction and it is the best painting of a sunrise he has ever seen, so he must have it. Imagine his surprise when there is a beautiful woman trying to outbid him! Well, there was no way she was going to win, he’d pay whatever he had to in order to get the painting.

With her first plan thwarted, Pen decides to intrigue him – and she certainly succeeds there. When he visits her at her home to gift her with the painting, she tells him about her plot with the painting and asks for his help. He agrees – if she will allow him to try to seduce her. The story is off and running after that. The investigation soon turns up some of the vile things her husband was guilty of, but finding proof was more difficult. As they investigated, they became closer and closer and decided that love might actually be an option after all. There are many fits and starts to their romance and it almost comes totally undone, but it was nice to see their well-earned HEA.

There were some inconsistencies and title errors, etc. but I assume those will be repaired prior to the release of the book. I guess the real reason for the 3.5 star rating is that I had a hard time buying the plot. It didn’t make any sense that Pen would request Stephen’s help without telling him the truth. I mean, he was a spy for the crown and was a good investigator, did she honestly think he wouldn’t unearth her big secret? I also never understood the thing with the local magistrate – it was left unresolved. Was the magistrate corrupt, just doing a poor job or trying to cover up something? I also would have liked to see Stephen sit down and talk with his mother about his father’s suicide.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-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.”

Widowed a year before, Lady Penelope Fisherton had thought that she would finally be at peace. Unfortunately, her brother-in-law Lord Rotham now wants her accused of her late husband’s death. She had found the man who could help her in her quest for proving her innocence: Stephen Hornsby, Marquess of Clevedon. Knowing of his penchant for art, she intends to outwit him at an auction. She knew he was a consummate rake, which she could exploit to her advantage, but she wasn’t prepared for her attraction to the man. However, Stephen was even more stunned at her beauty than she was at his. Stephen is slowly losing his eyesight, and upon being told what she wants from him, he agrees to help her on the condition that she accepts to let him try to seduce her.

Even though I love Bronwen Evans, I was a tad apprehensive at the blurb, sensing a overly predatory male, and I was very pleased that I was proved wrong in the very first pages. Stephen is an unrepentant rake, but he does behave honourably. I loved that Penelope and Stephen were surprisingly evenly matched on about everything: both witty and clever, he was truly a man of his word and didn’t push her; she merely let herself acknowledge her lust for him. I wasn’t sure if I agreed with his view on his illness, but this was dealt with beautifully; he was stubborn, but not irritatingly so.

There isn’t anything really specific that brought my rating down, apart from Penelope’s utter stupidity at not telling Stephen a vital piece of information; he was furious, and rightly so. It was more several little things that, in the end, added up. The slower pace didn’t bother me until the second half of the book, where there were a few unnecessary repetitions which slowed down the narrative a tad; there were several inconsistencies; a couple of facts of dubious historical accuracy; some incongruous vocabulary choices and a few questionable verb tenses. As I said, it was nothing major, but it did put a damper on my enthusiasm for what is an otherwise excellent romance, which progressed very smoothly and realistically. I also loved how well Stephen’s vision problem was handled and how it led to character growth on both sides and interesting conversations between several of the characters, amongst them Jonathan who was just wonderful. In spite of my misgivings, DRAWN TO THE MARQUESS is a very interesting book, and as always I will be looking forward to Ms. Evans’ future endeavours because she never fails to engage me, to unsettle me sometimes, and to push the envelope where historical romance is concerned.

OMG!! I totally love this book! Drawn To The Marquess is an amazing read by Bronwen Evans. Ms. Evans has delivered this historical romance junkie’s fix for the week with this well-written book. Penelope needs help to prove she didn’t murder her degenerate husband. Stephen is the man she’s picked to do the job. Their story is filled with drama, sizzle, bits of humor, action and suspense. I loved this book from start to finish and look forward to my next Bronwen Evans book. Drawn To The Marquess is book 2 of the Imperfect Lords Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this historical romance. I especially enjoyed the two main characters. Stephan indeed had an inner turmoil and was glad to see he was able to move forward and was able to find happiness. I felt this romance story was a bit different from the many that I have read.

Passion. Intrigue. Saucy banter. Bronwen Evans has penned another must-read romance that gives the perfect hot peek into the Regency era. I couldn’t put this scorching page-turner down!

Stephen Hornsby, the Marquess of Clevedon, who is trying to complete all his tasks while still having his sight, sets his sites on Lady Penelope Fisherton. These two must find a way to heal to find their future. This author pens Regency world that allows the reader to feel for the characters throughout their journey. Second book in the Imperfect Lords book.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Good story about two secret-filled people who are afraid to love. Lady Penelope is in a tight spot. She has recently been widowed, and in a bid to steal her inheritance, her brother-in-law is attempting to prove that she murdered her husband. Lord Carmichael had been a cruel and abusive man, with a sideline in the kidnapping and smuggling of young girls. Pen has done her research and decided that war hero and former spy, Lord Clevedon, is the perfect man to help her. She has decided to bid on a painting that he wants in order to trade it for his help in clearing her name.

Stephen is a well-known rake and a connoisseur of beautiful things – especially beautiful women. He is also going blind and is desperate to commit to memory as many beautiful sights as he can before his sight is completely gone. He is surprised when a gorgeous woman attempts to outbid him on a painting he wants but is resolved to pay whatever necessary to buy that painting. He is also intrigued by the woman and determined to meet her.

I liked the first meeting between them. Pen is straightforward with Stephen about why she bid on the painting. She needs his help, and that was to be her hook to gain his assistance. He is attracted to Pen and agrees to help her if she allows him to try to seduce her. Pen has no intention of allowing him to succeed. She has been burned by passion before, allowing attraction to draw her into her marriage to Carmichael. She refuses to allow any man to have that kind of power over her ever again. She quickly discovers that she is not as immune to Stephen as she thought she was. Stephen also realizes that his feelings for Pen are more than just physical. But he has sworn never to marry, as he won’t be a burden to any woman, nor will he risk passing the risk of blindness on to a child of his. It doesn’t take long for the intelligent and observant Pen to discover Stephen’s secret.

I liked the development of the relationship between Pen and Stephen. Pen is very good at showing Stephen that losing his sight doesn’t mean that his life is over. I liked how she showed Stephen his importance to those around him. At the same time, Stephen brings passion and desire into Pen’s life, opening her up to feeling again. I enjoyed the banter between them as each worked to advance their own plans. Neither one had any plans to marry, but they didn’t count on the feelings that grew between them. I loved seeing Pen chip away at Stephen’s fears, showing him his strengths would not be affected by his loss of vision. At the same time, Stephen showed Pen that opening herself up to the chance of love could get her everything her heart desired. All they had to do was see that what they needed was each other. But there are still obstacles to overcome before they can have that future they each hope for. The ending was good with all secrets finally out in the open. The epilogue was pretty sweet, and I liked seeing Pen and Stephen a couple of years down the road.

The suspense of the story was good. There were questions about the death of Lord Carmichael and those questions spawned other questions about what was really going on. The revelations about Carmichael’s activities opened up several possibilities of who would want him dead. There was also the problem that Pen had kept some very important information from Stephen, information that could change everything. The final confrontation was intense, with Pen in extreme danger. I was glued to the pages as it all played out. I loved Pen’s cleverness and Stephen’s determination and how, together, they brought an end to Carmichael’s evil.

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Stephen Hornsby, the Marquess of Clevedon, is a handsome rake, wealthy, charming and unknown to others, slowly losing his sight. When he was 14, his father had shot himself after having lost his sight, leaving the welfare of his mother and sisters on his young shoulders. He has vowed to never marry or have children, in order not to inflict the ailment on any child. He has traveled the world and sought beauty to cherish memories when he can no longer see.

Beautiful widow, Lady Penelope Fisherton, daughter of a duke and sister of the present Duke of Sandringham, needs his help, to prove her innocent of the death of her husband who fell off a cliff when drunk. When she was eighteen, being cajoled by her father to marry a Prussian prince twice her age, she had eloped with David Carmichael, believing he was in love with her, but finding out after the wedding that it was her property, money and title that he wanted. He was a horrid man and the only one who questions the death is his older brother, who wants her property and has accused her of murder. She needs someone who is honest, has experience in investigation and is not afraid or can be bought off by Lord Rotham, her ex-brother-in-law.

Stephen agrees to help her, if she agrees to let him try to seduce her. After the 6 horrible years with her husband, she never plans to marry, although she would have liked to have had children. She agrees as she is no longer the “stupid” girl she was at eighteen, believing she can stay immune to seduction. But if she is seduced by the right man? And will he risk feeling for a woman, despite the possible loss of his sight?

This is the first book that I have read from this author, but now I am intrigued enough to read more. The characters are masterfully developed and the scenario unusual. One of those books that you don’t want to put down until the end.