A PopSugar Best New Romance of NovemberA She Reads Fall Historical Romance PickA Bookclubz Recommended Read “Unique characters and emotional depth…a winner. Spencer gives you all the feels!”—Sabrina Jeffries“Brilliantly crafted…an irresistible cocktail of smart characterization, sophisticated sensuality, and sharp wit.” —Booklist STARRED REVIEW “Sparkling…impossible not to love.” —PopsugarFans … and sharp wit.”
—Booklist STARRED REVIEW
“Sparkling…impossible not to love.”
—Popsugar
Fans of Evie Dunmore, Sarah MacLean, and Eloisa James will delight in this innovative, empowering, and sexy story from acclaimed author Minerva Spencer. Join the Rebels of the Ton as they subvert Regency norms and expectations…and manage to find true love along the way.
The cure for a willful wife . . .
Drusilla Clare is full of opinions about why a woman shouldn’t marry. But that doesn’t stop the rush of desire she feels each time her best friend’s brother, notorious rake Gabriel Marlington, crosses her path. So imagine her dismay when she finds herself in the clutches of a scoundrel, only to be rescued by Gabriel himself. And when Gabriel’s heartless—and heart-pounding—proposal comes, it’s enough to make Dru’s formidable resolve crumble . . .
. . . is a smitten husband.
She’s sharp-tongued, exasperating—and due to one careless moment—about to become his wife. Still, something about Drusilla has Gabriel intrigued. First there’s the delicious flush of her skin every time she delivers a barb—and then the surprisingly sensual feel of her in his arms. Gabriel even finds himself challenged by her unusual philosophies. And when he discovers a clandestine rival for Dru’s affection, his temperature flares even hotter. But the real threat to their happiness is one neither of the newlyweds sees coming. If they’re to save their future—and their very lives—they’ll need to trust in each other and their growing love.
“Packed full of fiery exchanges and passionate embraces, this is for those who prefer their Regencies on the scandalous side.”
—Library Journal
“Strong, complex, and believable.”
—Publishers Weekly
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I recieved this book in a giveaway !
The following review is given freely!
My chicken lovin lady with the ever productive pen and paper[ or keyboard and pc??] has done it again!
Gabe and Dru are so …..Gabe and Dru!!
Loved this story , the characters, all the angst ,drama and emotion portrayed! Heck I even like the villian! And that says something about the way our author brings her “people” to life…and talk about sequels and sprouts off of those …Minerva, you could run with all these people and id read each one just to see where they go in their stories. This , in my opinion is what makes a try author a favorite for me and a true fan of his/her books!
I highly recommend this book to all ROMANCE lovers, i believe you’ll truly enjoy reading this and subsequent books to follow..after all, gotta know what Eva(Evil as Gabe calls her) has gotten herself into ( nice lead in, Minerva!!)
Minerva Spencer
Maybe 3.5 stars…WARNING THIS REVIEW MIGHT BE SPOILERISH
Drusilla “Dru” Clare is mistakenly caught up in a plot to call out Gabriel Marlington that results in them having to marry. Drusilla is best friends with his step-sister Lady Eva de Courtney and has harbored tender feeling for Gabriel for years. On the outside Dru is a sharp-tongued, non-nonsense feminist who has repeatedly voiced her distain for marriage and when she does speak to Gabriel, she is curt and tosses out veiled insults. But inside she is a lonely, insecure woman who doesn’t believe that Gabriel would ever be interested in a woman like her and is insulting to protect herself from being hurt. She is stunned when she realizes they will marry and is sure that she will be hurt when he breaks her heart.
Gabriel Marlington is the son of Mia, Marchioness of Exley, who was taken captive as a young woman and was a slave owned Sultan Abdul Hassan of Oran. After the sultan’s death and his brother Assad’s betrayal – Gabriel left the only home he ever knew and moved to England. He has done his best to acclimate to his new existence – giving up his family, culture and religion – and even giving up his loyalty to save others, but the cost was high and led to some startling discoveries. He is trying to figure out what to do with those discoveries, when it seems that someone in England has targeted him for vengeance. It is that vengeance that sees him married to Dru – a woman he can’t seem to figure out and who he desires beyond reason.
****WARNING – THE FOLLOWING MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH****
After reading the Outcast series and meeting Gabriel (Jibril) in those books, I was incredibly excited to learn the first book in this new series would feature him, but as it has happened before, the likeable character I met in the previous books was barely recognizable when the focus was on him – I don’t know, maybe he was always a selfish, arrogant prick and I chose not to acknowledge it in the previous books – but in any case – I was really put off by his attitude – he forbids Dru to see her friend after seeing the man holding her hand the day before they are to marry – then trots off to see his mistresses – yes, plural – house to “break up” and engages in kissing and cuddling with one of them that day and the other one another day – he tells Dru that they are his friends and she has to accept that they will continue to be a part of his life – I don’t know about you – but I would not be cool with my husband continuing to spend time with and being “friends” with two women that he had a long term sexual relationship with that only ended because he married – yeah – that doesn’t work for me. Then when he springs his “secret” on her – again, she is told she has to accept it and if she doesn’t like it – too bad. You would think that all that would make me feel sorry for Dru and pick her side against him – WRONG – she is a complete shrew for 80% of the book – she has a lot of internal dialogue that is in complete contradiction to what actually comes out of her mouth – but sadly, what comes out of her mouth makes it almost impossible to sympathize with her. She is not an evil person and if you base your opinions on her internal musings, she is relatable and actually quite nice – but her insecurities are crippling and make her seem like a witch for most of the book. It seems like the only thing going for these two is that they rock it in bed – other than that – I really no idea why they fell in love.
This is the first book in a new series and while it is loosely tied to the Outcast series, you can easily read this as a standalone title. Honestly, I didn’t love certain aspects of this book, but overall, it is a well written, nicely paced story with interesting characters, steamy love scenes, surprises, villains that surprise you, cameos with Adam and Mia, a HEA and I really did like the way the author portrayed Gabriel’s transition from Oran to England – the good and the bad. There were some title errors, but nothing too egregious and the ending of this book really made me want to read the next one!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.*
Another brilliant book by Minerva Spencer! She never lets her readers down. The book Synopsys is absolutely TRUE. And this is my unbiased ARC netgalley review
Notorious takes off from Dangerous of the Outcast series. GABRIEL Marlington is the son of Mia, Marchioness of Exley, (if you have missed her book, DANGEROUS, historical romance fans, need to grab it) and the Sultan of Oran where she was held as his captive then wife when she was 14 until she escaped him 16 years later and entered polite British society. She is the daughter of the powerful Duke of Carlisle, and brother to the bookish Marquess. After her marriage to the Adam de Courtney, the Marquess of Exley (who has a significant past as revealed in their book, Dangerous), together they rescue Gabriel, from Oran, who is heir to the throne of Oran, from his murderous step brother, and bring him to London. After 7 years in England, he is accepted by the London ton, albeit grudgingly because of his powerful connections. Gabriel is considered a libertine (and yes, he has two French mistresses, and they have a cozy relationship which is based on strong friendship which is in fact more endearing than raunchy). He has a close relationship with his mother, and his half siblings. The story has many great moments of familial togetherness, we see the role of his step sister Eva Exley, who is also the close friend of the heroine Drusilla (a lonely, intelligent, heiress, albeit one who is in constant turmoil with her appearance esp when compared to the handsome Gabriel, whom she loves, but cannot seem to express it). She is brilliant heroine, but most of the time she mocks herself and Gabriel to hide her insecurities and vulnerability. Due to the machinations of the Visel, (who has his own story coming up next with Eva) Gabriel and Drusilla marry and the journey of verbal sparring, a hidden child, french mistresses, Intrigue from past betrothal and betrayals, and the story takes off by Ms. Spencer’s vivid narrative and characters that just grow on you. It’s hard to put the book down, although I had to, and caught up after dinner and went to bed late.
There is Drusilla’s passion for philanthropy towards women and children. She strongly believes in women’s Independence, education, children and healthcare. Neatly woven in the narrative, is her mentor Mary Wollstonecraft and at one instance the authors brilliant witticisms shines through when she both evokes the best and worst of MW, when Gabriel cannot seem to get the last name right! Drusilla has her group of benefactors who run several homes for the improvement of women and children and amongst this group of devoted philanthropists nests the villain of the book….. there is a lot of good stuff in the book.
I am a huge fan of MS Spenser and her writing. She is not a frivolous author, who writes formulaic books. Her story telling is gripping because her characters are strong intellectuals who bind the narrative well. Go grab the book and enjoy!
Bon Appétit to great reading!
If you like historical romance with suspense, depth, and cute, wonderful characters, then this is definitely the book for you! This might be one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read to date honestly. The characters were so good together and their romance wasn’t just light fluff but had depth and such sweet moments and some drama. I especially loved Gabe’s relationship with his mother and sister. The characters had great chemistry and had great flirting battles. I loved them! Their romance was sweet and swoonworthy but still steamy. There was even some action and suspense which only added to this story. The writing was smooth and flowed perfectly and never lulled and I was captivated from the start. I really enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers/ best friend’s brother historical romance with all its action and swoonworthy romance and would definitely recommend this!
Notorious is the first book in the Rebels of the Ton series. It was well written and drew me in from the beginning. It was a typical marriage of convenience storyline, but the couple was in caught in a compromising position due to an enemy. Drusilla is the typical wallflower who is happy not being married but is forced into marrying the man she has loved since she met him. Gabriel is a player with a reputation, but Drusilla is his sister’s best friend, so they are forced to endure each other’s presence. Drusilla uses her sharp-tongue and wit to keep her desire for Gabriel hidden. Can they make a marriage between themselves work?
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
London 1817
A regency adventure that pulls out all the stops.
Drusilla, the heroine, has a strange way of dealing with Gabe, stepbrother to her friend Eva. She was constantly in is company since he escorted Eva. Unfortunately, the way she dealt with her attraction to him was to provoke and annoy him, because she knew he would never find her attractive so she lashed out.
Gabe had his own thoughts of Drusilla. She was only twenty one but dressed as an older matron. It was her superior attitude that irked him. But he was a rake and there was a secret or two he had that would come out when he took a wife.
A different journey to a happy ever after, with a marriage of convenience and a long road to these two show their true feelings and emotions!
Notorious by Minerva Spencer is about Drusilla and her best friends step brother Gabriel. Drusilla is smart, witty, and a very opinionated wallflower who doesn’t plan on marrying but finds herself entangled in a scandal with Gabriel so they marry. This story was very intricate, enthralling, and at some times heartbreaking. I really loved this book. It was my first from Minerva Spencer and definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait for Eva’s book!!!
If you like the following romance tropes, you might enjoy this book:
– Best friend’s brother
– Ugly duckling
– Enemies to lovers
– Compromised / forced to marry
Minerva Spencer is an extremely able Regency romance author. She tends to write highly developed plots and characters. Her books are exciting and addictive (as in, I read this 3-book series in one day, staying up until 4 a.m. to finish). Personally, I prefer organic, character-driven stories. While I enjoy her books, they don’t grab me emotionally. Still, this book is a good romp with a fast-paced plot.
The hero and heroine in this story are profoundly unlikable. Spencer is brilliant at redeeming unlikable characters, and she did so in this book. Yet what makes books memorable for me are the characters I love. I did not love these characters.
The following elements kept this from being a five-star book for me.
– The purpose of banter is to show that even if the two characters don’t like each other, there’s a compatibility of mind between them. The banter here didn’t strike me as witty or charming. Dru was toxic. In the beginning of the book, she doesn’t love Gabriel. She doesn’t even like him. She’s powerfully sexually attracted to him—but in fact she loathes him based on the gossip she hears and her own negative self-image. That may not be what the author wants us to believe, but that’s what Dru’s thoughts and behavior show.
– The feminism and multicultural aspects feel like a brittle glaze to me. It was a bit “the lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Gabriel’s upbringing as the son of a sultan would be part of his identity. Dru’s feminism would be part of her identity. It’s inauthentic (and IMO, a little distasteful) to show them performing their identities to the extent they do in this book.
Content warnings:
– The half-Arab, half-English hero is described as having auburn hair and green eyes.
– The feminist heroine is continually called a girl, despite being twenty-one years old.
– Ableist language: “lamely” to mean “weakly”; “leper” to mean “outcast”.
A lot going on but the story dragged for me in the middle.
NOTORIOUS – Rebels of the Ton Series Book 1
Minerva Spencer
Mnerva Spencer has a huge following for her previous novels and historical fiction writing and though this is the first book I have read from her, I can understand why she has such an awesome fan base of readers.
I found the writing witty, sexy and fun for a historical romance fiction that I have enjoyed and read through over a weekend. The pacing was great, and the characters I did enjoy reading about. The characters were from her other novels though I found it easy to jump into the story without the background information. I think this is a great start of a series set in the Victorian time period with lots of interesting characters that I enjoyed with Drusilla and Gabriel’s relationship and their undeniable chemistry. A fun enemies to lovers trope that is both angsty, sexy and swoony.
I really enjoyed this one and need to read more of Ms Spencer’s books.
Recommended: sure
For a feminist regency romance, for a bit of cultural/religious tension as well, a drawn-out enemies-to-lovers by force plot
Thoughts:
I haven’t read much of this genre, but this felt like a good introduction! It was a little more complex than I expected. I figured we would have the standard timeline:
– something “scandalous” happens and the only clear solution is… marry
– they end up really into each other and sparks fly
– maybe some kind of family drama or brief misunderstanding
– and then they’re happy again
I mean… that is mostly what happens. But! There was more to it that I enjoyed.
Drusilla’s feminist beliefs did seem kind of weak since she was oh so against marriage and then was totally okay with marriage to Gabriel. Her fickleness aside, I loved the references to Wollstonecraft, for example, and they made me positively giddy. After all, what’s a regency without a rebellious female lead bucking the status quo? Difficult women make history after all.
One element I certainly did not expect was the dive into Gabriel’s conflicts with his family history, culture, etc. His father having had a harem and his brother’s actions towards the family came into play fairly frequently to impact Dru & Gabriel’s relationship. Their conversations about it felt unusual in this period for London, but not in a bad way. I personally loved the addition.
And, okay, yes, the sexy scenes were nice and spicy. They just touched into explicit at some points, and you get a good solid five or six pages of one scene. Spencer managed to make the scenes read somewhat modern while maintaining their prudish societal expectations as a filter on their interactions as well.
Overall though, this was still a fun light read that didn’t really blow me away. I would totally recommend it for people looking for just that kind of book. In the end though, it probably won’t have specific details or moments lingering in my head for very long. (I actually had to go back to remember Gabriel’s name since finishing this book about a week ago. )
Thanks to Bookishfirst and Kensington for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book by this author and now I plan to look for more to devour! I couldn’t stop reading once I started because I loved the plot and the characters so much. Gabriel was so sexy and intuitive about his wife as he paid attention to her for the first time and Druscilla was open minded and open hearted as she accepted everything with grace even as she struggled internally. The plot in the background which was, of course, for money, was intriguing and in the end the bit with Eva was quite the twist. I look forward to seeing how that plays out.
Overall, I would say that the book was emotional in parts, funny in others, and intriguing throughout. I loved it! #notorious #netgalley
Notorious by Minerva Spencer was my introduction to her work. Spencer is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her novels. The set up for this book is super fun. Drusilla Clare is a wealthy, wallflower on the outskirts of society. Thankfully, she has a best friend, Eva, to attend balls with. Dru has been secretly pining for Eva’s brother, Gabriel.
If there weren’t super steamy scenes I would say this books into has all the potential of being a can’t put down YA novel!
Up until half way through the book, the story is very dense with background information of the first and secondary characters. There are these flashback scenes with a lot of dialogue within present day scenes. I was often playing catch up.
At the half way mark it picks up and smooths out. I couldn’t put the book down after the half way mark. We have a marriage of convo eve/rescue. I love that Gabriel is a main character who isn’t white with a super interesting back story. It is action packed with some mystery, nefarious deeds and blooming emotions.
I loved the characters and story enough that I’m very excited to read the next novel to see what Eva was up to in disguise!
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the Arc in exchange for a review. #netgalley #notorious #minervaspencer #kensington
No matter where you come from in life, if you aren’t part of the socially acceptable Ton, then you are not welcome. Drusilla Clare comes from money by way of her merchant father. Gabriel Marlington comes from a mixed background. If it weren’t for his grandfather who is a Duke, he would be personna non grata.. Drusilla and Eva, Gabe’s half-sister, are always getting into something. This time there are consequences. Trust will need to be earned. The banter between the two of them is off the charts. Love will lead the way. In the end, family is everything. Those you were born into, those that you marry into and those friends who become family.
The first book in a new series, Notorious is an engaging story full of interesting characters, revenge, secrets, surprises, and humor. Caught in a compromising situation, probably a setup, Gabriel Marington, a handsome rogue, and Drusilla Clare, a feisty Bluestocking and his sister’s best friend, are forced to marry. This is an interesting and engaging story. There are some misunderstandings Dru and Gabe have to work through, a plot for misguided revenge, and another to steal Dru. The chemistry between them is hot. Both villains are taken care of; one meets his end, and the other is missing. Where is Visel, and what is Eva up to? A good read. I recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed this book.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Drusilla Clare is fine with her wallflower status since marriage goes against her principles, but she can’t help her love for her best friend’s brother, Gabriel Marlington. She’s longed for him ever since they first met, but their open animosity is such that no one would ever suspect her true feelings. but when she’s caught alone with a scoundrel and finds her reputation ruined, it’s Gabriel who saves her with a businesslike offer of marriage Drusilla cannot bring herself to refuse.
Gabriel is less than thrilled at being forced into an unwanted marriage with the waspish Drusilla, but he does find himself unwittingly attracted to her. He’s surprised by her responsiveness to him and willingness to challenge his views and when a rival seems to vie for her attentions, Gabriel is even more shocked at his jealousy and possessiveness. Just as Dru and Gabe begin to find a rhythm together, their newfound accord is threatened by an unexpected danger, putting their lives at risk along with their fledgling love.
I’ve got some very mixed feelings about this book. At first, I really didn’t care for it and found both Drusilla and Gabriel to be unlikable in their own ways. She was too hateful and holier than thou, but at times Gabriel completely deserved it with his high-handedness and other woman drama. I’m happy Gabe at least never really cheated, as that would’ve been a dealbreaker for me, but he did have an on-page other woman scene and I didn’t care for that, although it did rather fit his character. Dru’s sharpness might’ve been a defense mechanism, but it got old fast for me, as did Gabe’s constantly telling her how things would be. I thought this would make her a more sympathetic character for me, but she’s so hateful even when he’s trying to extend the olive branch that I just couldn’t like her. These two somehow only communicated or worked well together in bed and I think that cheapened their relationship some. I would’ve liked to see more on page communication between them to make them more believable together. These two each made me want to shake them with their many false starts and failures at simple, basic communication, but I started to like them together when Dru began gaining some confidence and they finally started exhibiting some mature communication. The action near the end was enough to keep me engrossed, although it did end a bit abruptly. I wound up enjoying these two together but without really liking either of them. I found this book improved for me greatly after about the halfway point and I started enjoying the characters more. Now I’m interested to continue the series and find out what’s going on with Eva.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Regency-era romance, and Notorious was a fun dip back in the waters. This is my first Minerva Spencer book, and I enjoyed her writing. This book’s plot was not much different from the books I remember; a wallflower and a dashing rake must marry against their wishes but become attracted to each other during their marriage. The witty banter between the two main characters, Drusilla and Gabriel, was full of humor and sexual tension and kept the story moving along at a good pace. As expected, there is certain drama in the story that tries to tear the couple apart, but this pair fight to work out their differences. Both are strong-willed, Drusilla in particular, and must overcome their tendencies to withdraw.
In my opinion, the book is well-written, but I outgrew this type of story many years ago. As such, It is hard for me to rate, but I gave it three stars. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
a really wonderful read! interesting and complex characters and a wonderful storyline.
This is the first book that I have read from this author. I won a copy from Goodreads.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Miss Drusilla Clare is an heiress, but all alone except for an elderly aunt and her best friend, Lady Eva de Courtney. Drusilla is rather plain looking, is very opinionated and prickly, while Eva is beautiful, but her mother was insane. So the two of them find themselves wall flowers, and are quite content with their status. Drusilla has been in love with Eva’s half brother, Gabriel Marlington, for years, but since he is so handsome and charming, no one she thinks, who would ever be interested in her, she has verbal sparred with him instead. Gabriel was actually raised in Oran, in northwest Algeria, in a Barber tribe, where his father was the Sultan and his British mother part of his harem. After a coup, his mother escaped back to England and he followed her. For some reason, unknown to Gabriel, he has an enemy who wants to destroy him, and his machinations put Drusilla in a position where Gabriel must rescue her by marrying her. Why is Gabriel being targeted? Is Dru also in danger? Will their marriage of convenience grow into something more if they can get over their insecurities? These questions will all be answered. The only question that was never answered, is how Gabriel’s mother, now Lady Exley, ended up in the harem.
Skillfully written, the characters are ubique and the plot engaging. I look forward to reading the next book about Eva.
This book is incredible! It is romantic, adventurous, heart-stopping, and so much more! Whenever I picked up “Notorious”, I was whisked back in time to the Regency Era, and so enjoyed this unique book.
This is the first book in Minerva Spencer’s “Rebels of the Ton” series, and I hope there will be many more. She truly knows how to bring a story to life. Her attention to historical detail is spectacular, and I can only imagine the amount of research she must have put in to be able to bring forth various period details.
Drusilla (Dru) is such a strong, intelligent, and witty woman who knows what she does and does not want. She is truly a powerful heroine.
Gabriel is caring and strong. Though he often can come off as quite arrogant, he has a good heart, and knows when he must do the right thing.
When Drusilla and Gabriel are caught in what others perceive as a compromising situation (you will have to read to find out what really happened!), they know they must marry to avoid further potential for scandal. Neither one of these two people could ever have imagined what would ensue.
Both of these characters feel so real, and they have flaws. I feel like they do grow throughout, and come to compliment one another quite well. However, I think many of their discrepancies and problems could have been solved through communicating better with each other throughout, and not only admit their true feelings more deeply to themselves, but to one another as well.
If you enjoy historical romance and / or historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. It was hard to put down, and I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning to see what would happen next! There were quite a few twists and turns that made my mouth drop, and the story took many unexpected turns (no spoilers here!).
Thank you so much to Kensington Books for sending me an ARC of this book, I so enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.