Confessions from an Arranged Marriage (The Burgundy Club, #4) by Miranda Neville

Dec 27, 2012 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, historical, romance

Silly title notwithstanding, I really enjoyed Confessions From an Arranged Marriage, fourth in The Burgundy Club series by Miranda Neville. I've read book 3, but I suspect some of the characters in this story are from earlier books in the series.

Minerva Montrose is a young woman with political ambitions. She hopes to make a match with a man of similar tastes, a man who will help carry out her ideas of reform. The last man she has in mind is carefree dolt - and ducal heir - Lord Blakeney. But wh...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Cherise rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh my goodness, this is the only book I have read that made me seriously wanted to throw it at something or stomp on it, I absolutely detest the heroine. I mean I get it she's very clever and is very into politics, but seriously she's also portrayed (at least to me) as a self serving, manipulative, abrasive and thoroughly unlikable person (I felt so bad for the hero when after 4 attempts I finally finished the book and read their so-called HEA).

I read this book due to its having a refreshingly "...more Oh my goodness, this is the only book I have read that made me seriously wanted to throw it at something or stomp on it, I absolutely detest the heroine. I mean I get it she's very clever and is very into politics, but seriously she's also portrayed (at least to me) as a self serving, manipulative, abrasive and thoroughly unlikable person (I felt so bad for the hero when after 4 attempts I finally finished the book and read their so-called HEA).

I read this book due to its having a refreshingly "dumb" hero, but I absolutely hated the fact that it seemed the hero was "remade" at the end by the heroine, I cannot see how one can have a HEA when you basically have to change to be another person and give up things you like and wish to do to suit your partner. (Granted, the author did explain why he did that, but I cannot help but think that a large part of that is due to the heroine, that doesn't even care that there's a lot more to being an aristocrat than influencing the politics (like if she's SOOO into helping people and the greater good, shouldn't she start off by going on visits on the estates and see who needs help like other heroines of aristocratic classes do?) I just am totally revolted this power-hungry, selfish chit.

There are tons of clever heroines about, and I am totally delighted in reading those witty dialogues (amanda quick's heroines are all blue-stockings with smart mouths) The best one in my opinion Jessica from Lord of Scoundrels, this girl is just not smart, you actually see her Machiavelli machinations quite a lot(including manipulating the hero to think and say things), but I'm totally cheering for her because she has the hero's well-being in mind and you can see that she cares a lot for him. But here I don't even see any love shown (except for politics) and to be frank it would seem that the heroine here are happy with her lot halfway through because she figured she can still be a great hostess via her marriage to the hero (like the hero accused).

The hero is actually a very sweet character, and I totally feel his pain, but with such a bulldozer female in the book, he is shown as weak and wimpy. Just a very disappointing book. (less)

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Oct 24, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Confessions from An Arranged Marriage ของมิแรนดา เนวิลล์

เรื่องนี้หากจะถือเป็นเล่มที่สี่ในชุด The Burgundy Club ก็ย่อมได้นะคะ เพราะแม้ทั้งพระเอกนางเอกจะไม่ใช่สมาชิกในสมาคมแห่งนี้ แต่พระเอกนางเอกก็เป็นญาติผู้พี่ของพระเอก และน้องสาวของนางเอกเล่มสอง (The Dangerous Viscount)

มิเนอวา มอนท์โทรสรู้ดีว่า เธอต้องการผู้ชายแบบไหนมาเป็นสามี หญิงสาวผู้ซึ่งใส่ใจในเรื่องแวดวงการเมืองมาตั้งแต่เด็กตั้งเป้าหมายถึงชายในอุดมคติไว้แล้ว เธอต้องการสมาชิกในรัฐสภา เขาจะต้องมีความเห็นที่ตรงกับเธอ และจะต้องเป็นส่วนหนึ่งในแผ...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Cherie Jensen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Started and finished in one day. Yes, I had other things to do. I only got laundry done because I kept going back to read.

The cover says that Minerva and Blake are caught in a very compromising position. Indeed! She has gone to the library to lay down after taking a dose of her "powders" for an oncoming migraine. Blake finds her lying down and mistakes her for the lady his friend has an assignation with and decides to take her first (they have a history together). Minerva is asleep and because o...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Chucha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family-problems, girl-power, good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy, married-couples, mistress, rich-boy-poor-girl, regency

I have never seen a more ambitious lady in all my regency readings than Minerva Montrose - she can be annoying most of the times. Probably, I grew up reading these Old-London tales with brave women (mostly) rather than radical ones.

My heart goes to Blake - granting, he was an a** in the first chapters, but when all cards were put on the table, my opinion changed. I understand why he would like to keep these secrets to himself and the extend of what he can do to have it that way. The circumstanc...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Booklover, Indianapolis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, u-k-historicals-1700s-1800s

(June) Huh - read the whole book - thought something felt familiar - discovered I'd read another in this series (The Amorous Education of Celia Seton). I liked that book ok, definitely enjoyed this one more. (and I don't recall Minerva or Blake in the other book at all - guess I forget more details than I thought!) Other reviews complained about this book being too political - I disagree. I hate politics, would run screaming from a book about historical politics - but while politics definitely p...more

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May 22, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I *adored* this book. Oh, it made my heart hurt along the way, but the ending was more than satisfying.

This was a most unusual Regency. On the surface, it looks like a plot that's been done to death: fiery, intelligent, reformer female lead; rakish, handsome, sports-mad, wastrel male lead; history of despising each other, the inevitable accidental compromising position and BOOM, they are forced to wed. In the stereotypical version of this plot, they'd fall wildly, passionately in love with the p...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but just couldn't. My problem was with the heroine, Minerva. The book points out that there is about a 10 year age difference between Minerva, and the hero, Blake. Minerva wants to be a political hostess, the power behind. She wants reform in the time period, and is will to do just about anything to support her cause. As a former political-wannabe when I was 19, Minerva missed some of the most important points of politics--the undercurrents. I one scene, her i...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Kendra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/HMO7n1

Review:

Blake has always been viewed as lazy and irresponsible. A seeming disappointment to his parents, and a poor option as a replacement for his powerful father. But Blake has allowed these assumptions to occur and has taken steps to see that such stereotypes remain. Blake has a secret. A shortcoming of sorts and he would rather the public view him as lazy than the idiot he thinks himsel...more For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/HMO7n1

Review:

Blake has always been viewed as lazy and irresponsible. A seeming disappointment to his parents, and a poor option as a replacement for his powerful father. But Blake has allowed these assumptions to occur and has taken steps to see that such stereotypes remain. Blake has a secret. A shortcoming of sorts and he would rather the public view him as lazy than the idiot he thinks himself to be.

Minerva has had political aspirations for some time. She is highly intelligent and dreams of having a voice of her own in the future. He goal, when she encounters Blake at the ball given in her honor, is to secure a proposal from a future-husband who can lead the way to making her dreams come true. Unfortunately, a chance encounter with Blake, paired with mistaken identity seals her fate in exactly the opposite direction she wanted to head in – or was it?

Blake and Minerva – a couple that, against all odds, actually ends up making sense. A couple those, if first impressions are to be believed, were a phenomenal example of opposites. I have to admit, I initially did not hold very high hopes for this couple. They seemed so m ismatched that I had trouble seeing them as a couple, let alone a powerful couple in the ton with vast amounts of influence. Minerva seemed too intelligent for Blake and he didn’t seem to stand a chance of being able to manage such a spirited woman with near unattainable dreams for her future. But first impressions, in this case, were completely off the mark. Blake ends up an entirely different individual than the reader is introduced to. Minerva as well, seems somewhat cold and standoffish as a female MC, but ends up exhibiting raging passion within many aspects of her life – specifically anything she sets her mind to and anyone she cares for. I feel that the excerpt I chose is a good example of just how difficult a match the two seem to be. And in contrast, the dialogue highlight I chose - one of my favorite in the book - I chose because it shows so much about the characters. Those that can read between the lines can see Minerva’s competitive spirit as well as her political ambitions and Blake’s humor paired with a suggestion that there is more to him than presented on the surface.

This is the first book I have read from Ms. Neville and the fourth in this series (The Burgundy Club). While I believe reading the preceding books would have helped endear me to the characters sooner, I also believe that I was granted a favor in reading this book first with these particular characters. I read a review recently of this book in which the reader was concerned about the characters because of their descriptions in previous books. Good point. Given this bit of information, I may not have been interested in these characters enough to read their story. I suppose it all depends of the type of character you prefer. For me, skeptical as I was as I began this book, I am glad that I read it first. This is actually saying quite a lot coming from a person who, whenever possible, is anal about reading in order.

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed with the intimate scenes. Rather strong language was presented fairly early in the book, making me believe that the scenes would be steamy and somewhat dirty (dirty in the “my cheeks are burning, but I am loving every minute of it” kind of way). Sadly, they were not. Don’t get me wrong. The scenes were well written and entertaining. And I very much enjoyed “watching” the passion grow between Blake and Minerva, but I felt they could have been just a bit steamier.

Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with Confessions From An Arranged Marriage. I liked the secondary characters enough to further explore their stories and have added them to my TBR list. Minerva, while initially perceived as overly intelligent and mismatched to Blake ends up being quite a lot of fun in her escapades. And Blake, with his sense of humor and points of weakness that shake his confidence, which he effectively shields everyone from – everyone except the astute Minerva – makes him a much more likeable character once the reader understands his motivations. And while these characters are not my preferred type, I found that I enjoyed the transformation from first impressions to the essence that truly was Blake and Minerva.

(Digital ARC provided by author for review.)(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Nakeesha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 is my initial reaction -my last page buzz. I really only had two issues with this book, which I'll detail later because I really, really liked this story.

I loved the characters Min and Blake. They were very well-drawn with powerful character arcs; the plot was thoroughly engrossing, so well-paced and fulfilling, but I just have to take a moment and gush at Neville's craft-woman-ship.

I really enjoy the way Neville arranges her paragraphs. They're like a Platonic argument which begin "if this th...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Tasmia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ebooks, genre-romance-2012, rom-2012-06

I feel a bit weird about this book, so this is going to be an entirely disjointed, stream-of-consciousness review. At the beginning I didn't like the lead characters and thought the story would be tiresome (partially because of the ridiculousness of the premise that forces them together), but by the end I was completely entranced by both aspects of the book. It's a rather staid story, actually, featuring an emphasis on politics and aristocratic life that is relatively unusual but not, I imagine,...more I feel a bit weird about this book, so this is going to be an entirely disjointed, stream-of-consciousness review. At the beginning I didn't like the lead characters and thought the story would be tiresome (partially because of the ridiculousness of the premise that forces them together), but by the end I was completely entranced by both aspects of the book. It's a rather staid story, actually, featuring an emphasis on politics and aristocratic life that is relatively unusual but not, I imagine, broadly appealing. The hero's big secret was obvious to me from the beginning, probably because I've seen it before, and so the drama that was supposed to derive from that didn't much interest me. The heroine was...very romance novel heroine-y, in that not very compellingly human, but definitely heroine-ish way. But she is a perfectly adequate heroine, and the hero has his moments of gloriousness. There are a lot of setting changes and enough detail to give the impression of lush depth, but the plot is not over elaborate. There's one scene presented for laughs as well as titillation that made me think that inventiveness isn't really a necessary quality when trying to get your lead couple to take each other to bed, but I suppose that comes down to a matter of taste. Neville does an excellent job of providing historical context and detail and generally conveying you to a different time and place, but I do have minor misgivings about her free and easy interchanging of titles for last names. That kind of mistake stands out as carelessness, given the top-notch quality of everything else related to setting the tone. About the politics - I confused myself into thinking this was a Victorian rather than Regency tale because of the references to Reform, but considering Neville's endnote, I think it was an interesting choice of date. The title is utterly misleading and inapt; the marriage isn't arranged so much as forced by circumstance, which is a rather important distinction, and nothing in how the story's delivered lends itself to the description of "confessions." I think this title might go with a really excellent story, but a different one with different characters. It doesn't even begin to hint at the uniqueness (or at least unusualness) of Minerva and Blake, and it doesn't tell you much about their rocky story. Oh, and the ending features a cliche twist that, though it fits with the story, kind of took away from the success of the book overall for me. I guess it felt like Neville was just trying to get it wrapped up in the easiest way she could. I suppose that also indicates the lack of a strict, directed plot - the novel isn't one continuous strand of narrative so much as a patchwork of the phases of the leads' relationship. But even keeping all this in mind, I ultimately found the book engrossing, entertaining, and satisfying, and something about Neville's writing has me convinced she's a cut above most historical romance novelists, so this book gets four stars and a definite recommendation as a good read :)(less)

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May 23, 2012 Jerelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-romance

Confessions of an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville.
This is the fourth book in the Burgundy Club series. I have been burned out a bit on Regency romances, but I'd read the first books in the series and found this one available in the digital catalogue at my local library.

It is the story of the Marquis Blakeney and Miss Minerva Montrose, whose ambition in life is to become one of the great political hostesses of the era. The Marquis is the quintessential air headed sportsman, who is very very...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Anissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, holiday-getaway-and-vacation-reads, romance-and-erotica, series

This is the first book I've read by Miranda Neville & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't usually read series out of order but I saw this recommended to me on Amazon & bought it straight away, not realizing it was the fifth in a series. It's no matter though, the story of Minnie/Blake stands very well on its own.

Minnie is a woman who pines for political power & influence & Blake is born into the very thing but wants nothing to do with any of it. She's a voracious & opinionated...more This is the first book I've read by Miranda Neville & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't usually read series out of order but I saw this recommended to me on Amazon & bought it straight away, not realizing it was the fifth in a series. It's no matter though, the story of Minnie/Blake stands very well on its own.

Minnie is a woman who pines for political power & influence & Blake is born into the very thing but wants nothing to do with any of it. She's a voracious & opinionated reader & he's of the sporty end & prefers to be with his horses. A funny if not cliched turn (her epic migraines are never mentioned again in this book) causes their paths to cross in such a way that marriage is the only choice to avert scandal & that's where the story really takes off. It's quite clear early on that Blake isn't the slacker Minnie (& most others) regards him as. He has a secret that he's been keeping for years & will go to most any length to continue to keep.

It was very easy to feel for Blake as the story unfolded & while I wanted him to fess up to Minnie, I could understand why he was so reticent. Huntley, our resident extortionist, was reason enough to make anyone wary of divulging a secret ever again in life. For Minnie's part, she was very informed & smart in a good many ways but she was just as stunted when it came to reading people or having any clue about why Blake was the way he was. I suppose that could make Minnie seem inconsiderate & put some readers off, but I liked it because it was clear that she too was flawed. It was as though she couldn't conceive of people relating to the world of books & reading in any other way than she did, so watching her grow over the course of the story was interesting. I did feel badly for both of them often as they stumbled along in the story. Also, I was worried when Blake became Hampton because I kept thinking that as he was relying on his secretaries (or anyone other than Amanda) to give him summaries of all things before he signed all things political, he could be signing anything (much like the IOU Huntley had him sign before). His vulnerability made me anxious & I wanted someone, anyone, to tell Minnie before something drastic happened! In the end, that wasn't the drastic event I needed to worry myself over but the one that presented itself was handled well, even if it was a bit predictable.

The romance between Minnie/Blake was very well done & believable & not overwrought & sappy. I appreciated that. It was nice to watch them evolve as people & as a couple & I cheered for them. Their having genuine affection for one another was sweet but I most enjoyed that they had mutual respect & felt protective & supportive of each other. I'm a huge historical fiction fan so I was probably a bit predisposed to enjoy this & I would read others in the series. (less)

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Jun 16, 2012 steph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012, enjoyable, library-la-county, romance, romance-regency, books-with-earls-dukes-viscounts

I picked this up on a whim last week because it was new (No, really. 9 times out of ten the small library by my house has only old and well worn paperbacks and sometimes it's icky) but I'm glad I did because this book was good. Minerva Montrose and Lord Blakeney have known each other since they were children, their family country homes are within 3 miles of each other. Although with a ten year age difference and the fact that Blake will someday be a Duke, their paths haven't really crossed. Unti...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very good and entertaining book. Confessions from an Arranged Marriage, was written true to the historical time period. It was very romantic and extremely well written.

Lord Blakeney is the heir to a very powerful and political Dukedom, but their is a problem, he is dyslexic. It is the early 1800's and he can't read. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to be a member of the aristocracy and not be able to read. The aristocracy always pried themselves as being above and better th...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Lisarenee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Surveying the room, his glance came to rest on her. His lips twisted into a derisive half smile and their eyes met in mutual displeasure. He shoved his back away from the wall and ambled over to her.
"Our dance, I believe, Miss Montrose." He hadn't changed one bit.
Minerva felt a strong desire to slap his arrogant face. "Lord Blakeney," she said with the merest hint of a curtsey. I believe 'our dance' was over half an hour ago."
"This one will do just as well."

Miss Minerva Montrose had a plan...more Surveying the room, his glance came to rest on her. His lips twisted into a derisive half smile and their eyes met in mutual displeasure. He shoved his back away from the wall and ambled over to her.
"Our dance, I believe, Miss Montrose." He hadn't changed one bit.
Minerva felt a strong desire to slap his arrogant face. "Lord Blakeney," she said with the merest hint of a curtsey. I believe 'our dance' was over half an hour ago."
"This one will do just as well."

Miss Minerva Montrose had a plan and it was a good one. She wanted to be close to a man who would wield political power and be his helpmate. She knew her politics and had hand picked the man she felt would be the best candidate for what she was looking for in a husband and his name was Thomas Parkes. She'd selected him based upon newspaper articles which discussed his "budding" political career. She'd managed to capture his attention and hoped he'd offer for her soon and that they could be wed before the end of the season, but that was before Lord Blakeney ruined everything...

Lord Blakeney was a scoundrel. His parents, the Duke and Duchess of Hampton, had hoped his self imposed two year exile to a country estate had curbed his wild ways and gotten him to grow up. Upon arriving back to London, however, it became clear it hadn't as he seemed to pick up his bad habits where he had left off. Tonight he managed to be late to the opening of the ball his parents were hosting. The Duke and Duchess were presenting Miss Minerva Montrose to the ton for her first season. He and Ms. Montrose were acquainted and shared a mutual aversion for each other. He had no intention of spending any more time than necessary with the "ambitious miss"'. He only wanted to get back to his newly acquired mistress. In a strange twist of fate, of his own making, he changed everything when he accidentally mistook her sleeping form for that of another. When the two were found in a compromising position, he'd ruined her in the eyes of the ton and thereby sealed and intertwined their fates. The two would have to wed.

I truly enjoyed this book. Minerva was such a fun character and I liked her from the very beginning. She was an ambitious woman living in the wrong time. A time when women were not thought to be good for much more than breeding, needlepoint, and looking pretty. Can you even imagine being intellectually equivalent or superior to a man only to have your opinions scoffed at because of your gender? Minerva had hoped to find a loophole to her circumstances by marrying someone who would admire her for her brains and not just her beauty. When scandal forced her to marry a man who looked to be the exact opposite of what she wanted, she thought her hopes and aspirations were dashed.

Lord Blakeney (aka Blake) was thought to be a lazy handsome devil who was undeserving of his future position as a Duke. What nobody, but a select few, knew was that he had a secret. He attempted to hide his reading difficulty by feigning disinterest. In a time when learning disabilities, like dyslexia, were still unknown, he struggled with both reading and writing. He'd always felt a bit of a failure and was embarrassed by it.

At first I really disliked Blake. His resentment of his father's treatment of him for not being able to learn manifested into a rift between the two that seemed insurmountable. His plans for vengeance, which involved Minerva, were unfair. She entered the marriage in good faith and had no clue why he acted the way he did. Luckily, he later redeemed himself in my eyes, and I ended up adoring him. While it took some time, the two slowly began to like each other and then things quickly heated up between the two.

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. I enjoyed all the turmoil and misunderstandings. I liked how the drama that was unfolding was set against the backdrop of a politically charged period in time, a period of reform. The contrasts between Minerva being both vulnerable yet strong and innocent yet wise were fun. The story gives us a lovely glimpse of the woman she'll become and the marriage she and Blake will share. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Mina De Caro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Many thanks to Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for providing me with a free copy of this book.
I would have loved to rate this HRN five stars, because I liked it and I believe the premises for a riveting romance were there. Yet, despite the great potential provided by the interesting main characters and their issues, the first half of the book falls short of all the very things that make a romance novel appealing: the romantic tension is lacking, the characters too tame. At some point the storyli...more Many thanks to Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for providing me with a free copy of this book.
I would have loved to rate this HRN five stars, because I liked it and I believe the premises for a riveting romance were there. Yet, despite the great potential provided by the interesting main characters and their issues, the first half of the book falls short of all the very things that make a romance novel appealing: the romantic tension is lacking, the characters too tame. At some point the storyline is heavily loaded with historical references and although I appreciate a certain accuracy and consistency in my readings, the “historical element” with all those details about politics and elections were just too much for my “romance-reader” frame of mind.
Luckily, halfway into the novel something clicks in the right way and the storyline stirs in the right direction, giving depth and intensity to a love story that would have been otherwise very shallow. The second half of the book definitely deserves five stars and redeems all the shortcomings of the first part: the steamy love scenes are emotionally charged and extremely sweet. What started as an arranged marriage between two people who loathed each other turns slowly but relentlessly into a heavenly love-match.
Minerva Montrose is a young and pretty debutante at her first season, a typical English rose with an unusual interest in politics. Her highest ambition, in fact, is to marry a young and brilliant politician and help him advance in his parliamentarian career. And instead she gets involved in a scandal that will force her to accept the marriage proposal of a dissolute (and extremely handsome) marquess she utterly detests, Lord Blakeney. The feelings of dislike are mutual, at least in the beginning.
Although it wouldn’t be fair to judge a book from the first one hundred pages, at an early stage the storyline doesn’t captivate me, emotional depth is lacking and h/h are rather shallow. But don’t worry, things will totally change. The readers’ patience will be rewarded. An interesting as well as original twist will stir great emotion and sympathy towards our characters, especially the male hero: from this moment on the romantic tension will be much more palpable, rather sizzling and heartwarming.
Lord Blakeney (a soon to be duke) has a well-guarded secret: he is dyslexic, a condition not recognized or treated at that time. He is barely literate, he is unable to read and he can hardly write. His inadequacy makes it impossible for him to engage in any of the educated and elevated activities (involvement in politics or discussions about literature, knowledge of dead languages or fluency in French and German) a man of his station should be able to perform. In order to hide his inability, he spends his young and adult years building the reputation of a lazy, shallow and impertinent aristocratic. He rather and successfully engages in sports, outdoor activities or less intellectual tasks such as the running of his father’s estate. In the eyes of society (and what hurts him the most, in the eyes of his wife Minerva) he has only good looks and no brain.
His dyslexia causes major trust and self-confidence issues and prevents him from showing his real self (he’s not just a pretty face, Blake is a good, pleasant and practical man). His sense of being inferior holds him from establishing deep and confident relations with people, especially with Minerva who on the contrary is highly educated and extremely bright. Despite his lacks, Blake emerges as a very human and endearing character, certainly not fluent and articulate, but extremely sweet and capable of true and deep feelings . Even Minerva, initially all ambition and superficiality (due also to her very young age, she is barely twenty), will redeem herself showing a more vulnerable and loving aspect of her headstrong personality. She will understand her husband’s condition, support him in his effort to fill his father’s shoes as a duke and a political leader, and get to love him for what he is, with passion and pride.
The second half of the book definitely unfolds in a much more romantic and delightfully sexy way.

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Mar 10, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although it looks like I got on board this ship a day late and a dollar short (this is apparently #4 in the series) my enjoyment of this story didn't suffer from that fact. I liked the h/h and, for the most part, I enjoyed how they came together as a couple. I loved how she handled his secret. I loved how much he appreciated her knowledge and determination to make a difference. I totally bought that they were a team and their chemistry was perfect. It is sometimes hard to see a couple consumed b...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, 2012-challenge, appealing-characteristic-story, historical, part-of-a-series, romance

Lord Blakeney has just returned to England after being away for two years. His reputation was always bad. And now that he's back, it's not really getting any better. He's supposed to open a ball with Minerva Montrose on the occasion of her debut. But he's nowhere to be found. Until later. When, trying to play a trick on his friend, Blake compromises Minerva. Like, a lot. A LOT. So, the only thing they can do is get married.
But can a young, progressive, politically-minded young woman really stand...more

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Jan 23, 2013 TValve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

Her writing is delightful, and delightfully intelligent, but this isn't a strong a book as The Amorous Education of Miss Celia Seaton. The gradual way the hero and heroine get to know and trust each other is satisfying, as is their evolution from bickering to respect to love. And I loved the glimpse into 18th century English politics. It was also a breath of fresh air to see a dukedom not just as an empty title, but with all the political weight and baggage it often carried with it. Great stuff....more

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Apr 21, 2012 Meredith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brits, historical-fiction, romance, 2012

Originally published on The Librarian Next Door:

Miss Minerva Montrose has high ambitions for her future. She has every intention of marrying a respectable gentleman with political aspirations, a man she will then help along in his career. With one eye on the office of Prime Minister and the other on the latest political reform pamphlet, Minerva has no time for a wastrel like Lord Blakeney. Though he may be handsome, Blakeney has no intention of settling down and marrying a proper young lady, not...more
Originally published on The Librarian Next Door:

Miss Minerva Montrose has high ambitions for her future. She has every intention of marrying a respectable gentleman with political aspirations, a man she will then help along in his career. With one eye on the office of Prime Minister and the other on the latest political reform pamphlet, Minerva has no time for a wastrel like Lord Blakeney. Though he may be handsome, Blakeney has no intention of settling down and marrying a proper young lady, not when mistresses to be had and games to be played. But when Blake accidentally confuses Minerva for another woman and the two are caught in a scandalous embrace, they find themselves forced into an arranged marriage neither wants. Though Blake and Minerva slowly start to get to know each other, Blake still has a big secret, one he’s desperate to keep and there will be a battle of wills as Minerva fights to win her way into his trust.

Miranda Neville is another author I’ve been introduced to, thanks to The Ballroom Blog, and like the other talented author ladies, she writes heartfelt, emotional, well-developed historical romances. Confessions of an Arranged Marriage is actually the fourth book in Neville’s Burgundy Club series, though it is the first in the series that I’ve read (what can I say – I’m a sucker for arranged marriage stories). Thankfully, this novel clearly stands on its on and you don’t have to read the previous books to understand and appreciate Minerva and Blake’s story. Characters from the previous books do show up, however, so rest assured, I’ll be going back to read the first three.

Minerva and Blake’s relationship is so satisfying and rewarding because of their initial mutual dislike. Each finds the other frustrating and it’s so much fun to watch them learn to rethink their assumptions and discover whole new sides to the other person. Like Tessa Dare’s own Minerva, Neville’s Minerva is unconventional and unique. She is highly ambitious and deeply interested in the political process, especially with regards to political reforms. Neville does an excellent job of fleshing out the political realities of the early 1800′s and detailing the role the aristocracy played in influencing elections and political power plays. It’s a fascinating look at Parliamentary government without being dull, since Blake is around to keep things entertaining.

Though I liked Minerva quite a bit, it is Blake who captured my interest and empathy. Though outwardly a rake who seems to have not a care in the world, Blake hides a lot of himself from the world, terrified that his secret will be discovered and he’ll be ruined. So instead, he plays the role others have forced upon him, never truly admitting how much he wishes he could be truthful. It’s heartbreaking to watch Blake struggle so much for his father’s approval and feel like he will always come up short. Neville writes about Blake’s secret with sensitivity and realism; though in today’s world it might not be a big deal, I truly believed that Blake thought it would bring about his ruin. (And yes, I’m being deliberately vague because I don’t want to spoil anything).

With Confessions of an Arranged Marriage, Miranda Neville takes a familiar story – the man and woman forced to marry because of scandal – and gives it new life with her exploration of Regency politics and the relationship between Blake and Minerva. The result is a novel that goes beyond simple romance and a couple who finds out that the last person they wished to marry just might be the very best person for them. Once again, The Ballroom Blog steered me towards a new author who is quickly becoming another favorite.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Minh rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Miranda Neville finally lost me with this novel. Usually Arranged Marriages are a massive weakness of mine, along with the willfully intelligent female this is a one-two punch that I adore. but the biggest plothole in this novel to me is the fact that I can't fathom why on earth Minerva Montrose would fall in love with Blakeney.

A female with political ambitions who finds herself in a compromising position and married to a man who very intelligence she doubts (this is all explained with dyslexia...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

Once the reader gets past the eye-rolling scene that mandates that Minerva (our heroine) and Blake (our hero)MUST get married, the book settles down to be a nice story of two fairly likable people falling in love whilst overcoming obstacles. Ms Neville is a good author, with a very good grasp of the period (early 1820's). I don't mind politics, so I was interested in the background.
Blake and Minerva have appeared in earlier books by this author. Blake, especially, did not show to good advantage...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: galleys-arcs

Confessions of an Arranged Marriage

Due to a drunken mistake of epic proportions, Lord Blakeney thinks that a sleeping Minerva is someone else and finds himself with his head underneath the skirts of the wrong female. Now he is going to have to marry Minerva Montrose. The very last thing either of them wants to do it to marry each other. Blake, in Minerva’s mind, is a wastrel and a bit of an unintelligent dolt; Minerva, according to Blake is an annoying chit who has high ambitions for anyone she...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Tima rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Minerva thinks Lord Blakney is the dumbest man she's ever met. He isn't any more impressed with her. Quite by accident Minerva finds herself married to him, now a Duke of Hampton.

This book is not your typical romance. It does have a sweet love story written within it. But mostly it's about politics in early England, blackmail and secrets. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. She was able to write story that was captivating and entertaining. It gave me a peak into politics and kept me...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Lucina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-historical-romance

3.5

Der Anfang war wirklich gut, danach wurde es aber viel zu kompliziert. Die beiden hätten ihre Beziehung auch schneller lösen können. Richtig glauben konnte ich am Ende übrigens nicht, dass die beiden sich lieben, es kam zu überraschend. Man konnte einfach nicht sehen, wann sich die Gefühle entwickelt haben sollen... Interessant war aber auch das Fehlen von Dramatik. Es läuft irgendwie doch alles recht glatt ab, wenn man von den typischen "Ich rede einfach nicht mit dir über meine Probleme"-Pr...more

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Apr 20, 2012 SidneyKay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-regency

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A standard Romanceville arranged marriage? Not really.

I love marriage-in-trouble romance stories! And, I've had a hankering for one. Confessions from An Arranged Marriage hit the spot. A lot of the time, this story reminded me of some of the older traditional romances, the ones before Mary Balogh, by such authors as Mira Stable, Rachelle Edwards, Margaret Sebastian, Iona Charles, Freda Michael, and Sandra Heath - only this one had sex in it.

What made me think of older romances was our hero, Blak...more A standard Romanceville arranged marriage? Not really.

I love marriage-in-trouble romance stories! And, I've had a hankering for one. Confessions from An Arranged Marriage hit the spot. A lot of the time, this story reminded me of some of the older traditional romances, the ones before Mary Balogh, by such authors as Mira Stable, Rachelle Edwards, Margaret Sebastian, Iona Charles, Freda Michael, and Sandra Heath - only this one had sex in it.

What made me think of older romances was our hero, Blake. He has a mistress you see. So what, you say. A lot of heroes have mistresses. Yes, yes, my dears, but this hero does not drop the mistress as soon as the heroine appears. I find it interesting that in more current romance novels, the hero has been celibate for a year or so when the heroine first steps into his line of vision and he can never think of another woman for the rest of the story. So, it didn't bother me that Blake doesn't dump his mistress right away. In fact, I found it more realistic than the no-sex-in a year routine. And, it was a nice change, added a little bit more tension.

Unlike a lot of the more modern historical romances, you don't necessarily like this couple. Both Minerva and Blake were interesting characters and they both came with some baggage. It was very fascinating watching all that baggage unravel.

Let's start with Minerva. Minerva has political aspirations. Or as much aspirations as a woman of that time period could have. She wants to be the great hostess for her husband. She wants to be the woman behind the great man, maybe even the woman behind the next prime minister. So, she's ambitious and she wants an ambitious man. Now, did it throw me a little that she was only 19? Not really, I think that some women in that time period had influence in the political arena. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire comes to mind, although, she may have been a little older than 19. I also try to remember my 19-year-old political mind and I believe I was pretty involved in the whole process. I was also a little idealistic, just like Minerva's character. So, I bought her political neediness. And, you could also see her immaturity peeping through in her snobbery and inability to accept the flaws of others.

And, let me tell you Blake had a lot of flaws. He is handsome (this is a flaw for Minerva), loved by most women, loves horses, loves to drink...he's an all round ne'er-do-well. He does his bad-boy-rake routine with gusto.

By the way, these two people don't like each other. At. All. And, it's not one of those pretend dislikes, while all the time secretly lusting...no-siree. He thinks she's boring, selfish, and tedious and she thinks he's a womanizing horse-mad idiot. They were made for each other.

Things happen, they are forced to marry, he has a secret, she misunderstands. All those things which happen in other books; however, the way Ms. Neville slowly has this couple solve all their problems was a treat. It wasn't a quick fix, and there were times I wanted to yell "tell her now," but I liked the pacing of Ms. Neville's story and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

When the story was over, these two people love each other and I was pretty sure that their marriage would last. My biggest complaint with the story was the political doo-dah (I have lost my youthful zeal) and the long explanation over what bill was being passed and why. I like Blake, could feel my eyes glazing over. Overall, I would recommend this story. Confessions from an Arranged Marriage takes its time slowly building the romance, and I savored every minute of it.
KaysBlog (less)

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May 02, 2013 Lynne Tull rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-romance

The first and the last books of this series were the best. In between was okay, but not in the 'really liked it' category. I am overlooking Blake holding onto his 'secret' until the last few pages of this book. If I think about it, the 'secret' was hovering around in the first book and came to a conclusion in the last book. While I sympathize with Blake for holding it close, I think he could have shared it a little bit earlier in this book...at least to his wife. No, I am not going to share the...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Lord Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 10-or-more-year-age-gap, era-regency, genre-historical-romance, heroes-that-cry, marriage-of-convenience, place-france, romance, place-england, dyslexia

This was definitely my least favorite of the series. I really can't say I particularly liked either the hero or the heroine. I get that the heroine loved politics, but as someone that generally ignores them, the maneuverings didn't really interest me. The hero seemed somewhat immature, despite everyone's claims that he'd grown. (Or maybe I'm just carrying over my dislike of him from The Dangerous Viscount.) Yes, yes, he has problems, he's insecure, whatever. I just didn't like him much.

So while...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Minerva is different than the regular young miss coming out to the ton. She is beautiful and knows her manners, but instead of frivolity, her interests lie in politics. Her dream is to marry a man with political aspirations and help him effect change. But those hopes were dashed when Lord Blakeney confused her for another woman at a party. As she slept off a migraine in the library, he drunkenly thought she was someone else and put his head up her dress. Of course, that was the moment other peop...more Minerva is different than the regular young miss coming out to the ton. She is beautiful and knows her manners, but instead of frivolity, her interests lie in politics. Her dream is to marry a man with political aspirations and help him effect change. But those hopes were dashed when Lord Blakeney confused her for another woman at a party. As she slept off a migraine in the library, he drunkenly thought she was someone else and put his head up her dress. Of course, that was the moment other people began to walk in the room.

The couple is forced to marry to avoid scandal and neither is happy about it. Blake just wants to live a life free of constraints...a life that includes his sexy and worldly mistress. And though he is next in line to the Dukedom and is devilishly handsome, Minerva can think of nothing but the fact that Blake is notoriously stupid. What the reader learns quickly, is that Blake is not really stupid, but likely dyslexic. He's never been able to read well and cultivated the image of a lazy rake to hide behind. He is terribly ashamed of his shortcomings and he knows that his academic wife would reject him further if she ever knew the truth.

It was very hard for me to like Minerva. Even though she is not wealthy or of high station, she is so very snobby that it's nearly unbearable. She is constantly ruminating about how stupid Blake is and she is completely self-absorbed with her political machinations. Blake was an ok hero, but I never really felt like he got his due. He never really gets over the belief that he is anything more than the brawn in their relationship and that was a shame. It took him a really long time to share his secret --and I don't blame him one bit.

Tying into Minerva's whole reformist yearnings, there is a lot of political weaving in the book. And there is a little blackmail scheme and a dab of danger at the end. But the story really focuses on the mismatched pairing of Blake and Minerva. I can see why she eventually falls for him, but I'm not so sure why he ever falls for her.

This is the fourth book in the Burgandy Club series and it made frequent references to the events of The Dangerous Viscount, which I have not read. Things are explained fairly well, but I was very aware that the books were tied together. This could be read as a standalone, but I feel like it would be better for those who have a history with the series. 3 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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Confessions from an Arranged Marriage (The Burgundy Club #4)

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