Say Yes to the Marquess
Ratings25
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings25
Average rating3.7
Your presence is requested at romantic Twill Castle for the wedding of Miss Clio Whitmore and . . . and . . . ? After eight years of waiting for Piers Brandon, the wandering Marquess of Granville, to set a wedding date, Clio Whitmore has had enough. She's inherited a castle, scraped together some pride, and made plans to break her engagement. Not if Rafe Brandon can help it. A ruthless prizefighter and notorious rake, Rafe is determined that Clio will marry his brother—even if he has to plan the dratted wedding himself. So how does a hardened fighter cure a reluctant bride's cold feet? He starts with flowers. Ladies can't have too many flowers. Or harps. Or cakes. He lets her know she'll make a beautiful, desirable bride— and tries not to picture her as his. He doesn't kiss her. If he kisses her, he definitely doesn't kiss her again. When all else fails, he puts her in a stunning gown and vows not to be nearby when the gown comes off. And no matter what—he doesn't fall in disastrous, hopeless love with the one woman he can never call his own.
Series
4 primary booksCastles Ever After is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2014 with contributions by Tessa Dare.
Reviews with the most likes.
Absolutely delightful! I love that the happy ending didn't involve a baby (or multiple babies, like these sometimes do. Clio is a great heroine and I really like Phoebe as well. And not for nothing, but a couple of the sex scenes were some of the best I've read in a long time.
My second romance title from Tessa Dare but I remain impressed by them, despite their sleazy covers. I can't say it's entirely free of tropes and genre cliches, but she side-steps most of them and turns the typical romance expectations around on its head, which I'm very much down for. True, some of the plot elements may be a little anachronistic as Dare evidently writes with a modern point of view, but I'd rather be reading this than badly handled gender stereotypes.
I've really liked all of Tessa Dare's heroines so far. From the bushy-haired and plain-looking Izzy Goodnight in the first title of the Castles Ever After series, to the non-svelte and fiercely self-reliant Clio Whitmore in this one. They don't fit into the marble statue standard of beauty that typically describes what most romance heroines are, but I like them all the more for it.
Some side characters that I also really liked in this novel are Clio's sister, Phoebe, with all her eccentricities and genius, Ellingworth the bulldog, and Montague/Bruiser with his ridiculous quizzing glass. They all added little quirks and touches of humour that actually worked. I love how Dare's works don't take themselves too seriously and that makes them such a fun, light-hearted read. I'll certainly be reading more from her, and from this series!
