COMPROMISING THE MARQUESS by Wendy Soliman

Publisher: Carina Press

Date published: 12/10/12

ISBN: 978-14268-9482-4

Historical Romance

E-book

Reviewed by Helen

Weblink: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/8795996E-0FEE-4C9B-8457-A2CAD51978E8/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=F34F373A-057F-4CEE-913B-4F8B3F4E80B0

Obtained via publisher

 

Leah Elliot sells society gossip to a newspaper to support herself and her ailing sister. When they move to the country to save money and for the sake of her sister’s health, Leah becomes aware the dashing Marquess of Denby may be involved in treason so she sets herself to uncover his secrets.

Hal Forster, Marquess of Denby is well aware the enterprising young lad is actually a woman. He’s also very attracted to her until he realizes she’s the one selling gossip to the newspapers and making his life very difficult. He has a traitor to catch and is likely to end up forced into a betrothal to a woman he doesn’t like.

I love historical romances, especially Regency romances, and I’ve been very favorably impressed with Carina Press books and a previous novel by this author, so was happy to review this book even though I found the title off-putting. No woman on earth could compromise a marquess in that era. Women had no legal rights at all and the worst thing that could possibly happen to a marquess would be having to travel overseas for a time. A near-penniless heroine like this one had no power over a nobleman whatsoever.

I almost stopped reading altogether early in the book when one character used the word bloody (totally forbidden in England from 1750-1920) and again when the heroine sat beside the hero at the dinner table. (Would never happen. Rules of precedence were rigidly adhered to.) 

The girl dressing up as a boy is somewhat overdone in historical romance, but Ms. Soliman handles it much more believably than some other authors have done. The characters are well drawn, fully fleshed out and authentic. They’re also most engaging drawing the reader into their lives. The basic plot is a good one and the various twists and turns in the narrative well handled.

There’s the usual handful of typos and misused words, but nothing too worrying. However, I really wish those few historical clangers had been fixed.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.