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Half Moon House #1.7

Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

It's warring nations, dueling philosophies and the battle of the sexes as American-born Miss Liberty Baylis takes on Simon Lansing, Viscount Brodham, in the fight for her friend's happiness. Brodham wants only to retire to the peace and quiet of his country estate, but he'll take on the cheeky American chit if that's what it takes to keep his nephew safe and happy. The war is on . . . but when banter and flirtation become weapons and kisses disrupt strategies, will Brodham and Liberty ever wish for the battles to end?

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

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About the author

Deb Marlowe

83 books449 followers
USA Today Bestseller Deb Marlowe loves History, England and Men in Boots. Clearly she was destined to write Historical Romance and Mystery.

A Golden Heart winner and Rita Finalist, Deb grew up in Pennsylvania with her nose in a book. Luckily, she'd read enough romances to recognize the true modern hero she met at a college Halloween party—even though he wore a tuxedo T-shirt instead of breeches and tall boots.

A proud geek, history buff and story addict, she loves to talk with readers and to create historical recipes in her modern kitchen. Check it out at Deb Marlowe's Historical Kitchen on her website.

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5 stars
38 (41%)
4 stars
28 (30%)
3 stars
22 (24%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
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1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Madison Warner Fairbanks.
3,803 reviews526 followers
February 11, 2024
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by Deb Marlowe
Half Moon House series #1.7. Historical romance novella. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Viscount Brodham, Simon Lansing, doesn’t trust Miss Liberty Baylis from America. He’s had years of experience in helping people keep secrets and avoiding scandal. So, of course, he’s going to help his nephew from the scandal of woman advertising her need to see Peter again. Liberty just wants to help Peter and Felicity be together and spinning Simon in circles is just entertaining enough to made the dull London season worth staying for.

Simon and Liberty are like fire and water, sparking off each other, and trying to get the best of the other. Within the means of society, of course. At least while they are in public. Who can resist a hedge maze? Sometimes talking needs to be done with kisses.
Appealing with a great wrap up.
Profile Image for WhiskeyintheJar.
1,544 reviews710 followers
May 31, 2014
A spunky American chit who only wants to help her friend and a tired worn out Englishman who only wants to protect his nephew from scandal make for a pretty fun read in this novella. This is third (book 1 and then another novella) in the Half Moon House series. I have not read the other books but did not feel lost in this one, although, I can tell there were aforementioned characters that others who had read previous books in the series would enjoy seeing.

Liberty, spunky American, is bored in staid uptight London and decides to help a new friend find her one true love. Liberty is the typical feisty regency heroine but thankfully, never crosses over into TSTL territory. Simon, tired worn out Englishman, has had a lifetime of helping to keep others away from scandal and is determined to keep his nephew from falling into ruin. As you can imagine, Liberty and Simon butt heads quite a lot. As you can probably also imagine, Liberty meddles her friend and herself into some romantic entanglements. (I also have a meddlesome friend, she has never meddled me an Englishman, tired worn out or not. I'll have to talk to her about this) There is some witty banter (tad mellow), mystery, and The Big Secret. However, since this is a novella expect this all to be fast paced and lacking in the depth and breadth columns.

This was my first Deb Marlowe book and I can definitely say I will be reading her again and will be going back and picking up book one. I like the feel of the series and honestly, any author who uses the phrase "stop skinny dipping in the scandal broth" deserves to be read.
Profile Image for Becca.
741 reviews122 followers
April 19, 2014
Deb Marlowe has a very clean writing style that I enjoy reading, but sometimes I don't understand her characters. I enjoyed A Slight Miscalculation, but this tale, while it started out enjoyable, confused me a bit at the end.

Liberty is an energetic American heiress who is bored with London society. Lord Brodham is a cynical English lord, who doubts the sincerity of others' feelings. They meet by chance to help another person and the sparks fly because of their different motives. This set up, while a bit contrived, was fun and I liked it. Then, the ending. While how their final meeting was arranged was really enjoyable, I did not understand the relevance of the "big secret." Heck, until the end, I did not know there was one to tell! It was unexpected and dark and seemed very jarring and probably could have been left out of the story. Lord Brodham's behavior could have been explained by something much simpler. Maybe because this was a novella, things weren't entirely fleshed out, but I think even in a longer story, this set up would have fallen flat for me. Despite this odd ending, the writing is still good (only a few typos), and I will look for more Half moon House stories. Marlowe has an interesting thread going with that and some of the characters sound interesting.

In a nutshell, this story had a cute set up and some fun, snappy dialogue, but the ending seemed a bit jarring for the rest of the tale, which was very light.
Profile Image for Susan.
4,866 reviews134 followers
July 13, 2017
Good quick read. Liberty is an American heiress visiting London with her parents. Accustomed to more activity and freedom, she is bored and frustrated by the lack of both. A series of advertisements in the newspaper intrigues her and leads her to a new friend. Felicity is a young lady who is trying to find the gentleman who came to her rescue a few weeks earlier. Liberty decides that helping her new friend is a perfect project for her. She runs into some trouble when the gentleman's uncle tries to keep the two apart.

Lord Brodham has spent a good deal of his adult life rescuing other people from their scandals or trying to prevent them in the first place. He's tired of seeing the worst of people and ready for some peace and quiet on his estate. But first, he has to untangle his nephew, Peter, from potential disaster.

There are sparks between Brodham and Liberty from the moment they meet. She is determined to do everything possible to help the young couple, while Brodham seems determined to keep them apart. They carry on a lighthearted battle, each trying to make their point. Underneath the battle is a simmering attraction to each other. Brodham is especially wary, as Liberty is definitely not the quiet and safe kind of woman he had been envisioning his life. Liberty had certainly not been looking for a stuffy Englishman. Their encounters are mostly fun and flirty as they try to top each other in their efforts. When one encounter turns more emotional than Brodham is comfortable with, he withdraws back to his safe and quiet life. He discovers that quiet and comfortable isn't all it's cracked up to be, and wonders if it's too late to make Liberty part of his life. I loved the ending, as Peter and Felicity return the favor and bring Brodham and Liberty back together. I loved seeing his walls come tumbling down as he opens his heart completely to Liberty.
Profile Image for L..
657 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2026
A delightful novella. A quick, easy read.
The story revolves around two couples, One, young, who fell in love at first sight. The other, older, who quickly establish a rivalry.
Liberty, an American visiting England, wants to help the young couple overcome controlling family members. Simon, wants to keep them apart and initially thinks the relationship should end then changes his mind because he feels they need more time to get to know each other.
There is a family secret at the center of the story that gets revealed and finally leads to happiness for both couples.
Deb Marlow usually writes good stories that I find highly entertaining.
469 reviews
May 12, 2026
Can a mysterious notice in a paper bring together an American lady and a former diplomat?

Liberty Baylis - who was born and raised in America (her father is a younger son of the nobility) sees a notice in the paper asking for a certain gentleman to get back in touch and be at a particular doorway. She decides to go to the meeting as the advertisement indicates a degree of desperation.

At the same time Simon Lansing - Viscount Brodham - discovers his nephew is being kept insensible on drugs by his valet having suffered an accident and cracked a bone in his leg. Having got Peter cleared up he discovers that Peter is the mysterious gentleman the young lady is searching for.

They make the meeting to discover not just Peter’s love but Liberty who has decided to champion the couple.

Initially Liberty and Simon appear to be working against each other but they each gradually come together.

This has been another charming short story in the Half Moon House series.
Profile Image for ButtonsMom2003.
4,073 reviews33 followers
November 15, 2024
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5

I’m not always fond of historical romances but I loved others by Deb Marlowe that I listened to so I decided to give this one a try and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The audio performance by Stevie Zimmerman was excellent. She did a great job of giving the various characters voices that were easy to distinguish.

I haven’t read any of the other Half Moon House books and I never felt lost listening to this one so I can safely recommend it even if you haven’t read any of the others. Liberty is a very strong female character and she sets out to help a friend and ends up encountering Simon who isn’t all that fond of her when they first meet.

I loved all of the back-and-forth banter between Simon and Liberty and was happy when they got their HEA.
1,297 reviews
June 24, 2023
Liberty is from American and she is visiting England when she spots some ads that are being placed in the paper. The ads are from a lovely woman trying to find the gentleman that helped her out of a very tough spot. There was a promise to meet but an injury gets in the way. Liberty is determined to find and help the young lady. All Simon wants is peace and quiet but that is interrupted when he figures out that his nephew is the gentleman in question. This puts Simon in the path of Liberty and her determination. There is a lot of bantering with attraction building between Simon and Liberty. There seems to be a mystery in Simon’s past that may be holding him back from Simon and making him hesitant to support his nephew’s relationship. Interesting story line that I wasn’t expecting.
Profile Image for Cherish.
429 reviews27 followers
January 24, 2017
I read this novella as an e-book and I found the really enjoyable to read. Liberty is a very intriguing character. I adored how she decided to help out Felicity.

I adored that she and Simon were battling. I wasn't sure who was going to win but it was very surpring.... in a very good way.

I had a lot of compassion for Simon too. I was quite moved when I found out the reason for his behaviour. He needed a long hug. :D

The ending was left a huge smile on my face too. I am looking forward to reading the next book of the Half Moon series. It's going to be interesting.
Profile Image for Tammy.
1,194 reviews9 followers
June 4, 2024
I am not usually a fan of historical romances. Deb Marlowe’s book Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is an exception. I very much enjoyed the characters and the plot. Liberty is a somewhat brash American who speaks her mind and Simon is a broody English Viscount. The two find themselves at odds over a situation involving Simon’s nephew and a girl Liberty has pledged to help. When they meet, mutual attraction simmers under their verbal sparring. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance featuring a feisty heroine and a broody hero who can’t seem to resist her.
1,195 reviews14 followers
March 19, 2019
This was another enjoyable Half Moon House story, this time involving American Heiress Liberty Bayless challenging an English Viscount and the rules of the ton. I love the way this series is written with strong women characters striving to find men who appreciate them. Although some characters recur, I haven't read these stories in any particular order, and so feel they can be enjoyed as stand alones.
Profile Image for Linda Lassman.
784 reviews8 followers
September 6, 2025
Deb Marlowe is one of my favourite authors and this book was well-written. Unfortunately, I didn't like either Liberty or Brodham and I found the competition between them weirdly overcomplicated and forced. It just didn't catch my imagination and I found it difficult to stay interested in the story.

I do look forward to see what she writes next, because I've read books she wrote after this one and this is definitely, for me, an unusual example of her talent.
Profile Image for Elaine.
4,747 reviews93 followers
May 23, 2024
A nice story. A quick read. Enjoyed it! 4☆
Profile Image for Amber Todd.
642 reviews7 followers
September 24, 2024
I haven't been reading a lot of historical romance recently so this book was the perfect one to jump back into it. I really enjoyed it! Liberty was a refreshing and spirited heroine. I thought the book was smartly written and I enjoyed it despite reading it as a standalone. I definitely will be revisiting the series!
Profile Image for Evelyn.
181 reviews5 followers
July 15, 2014
Liberty was bored. The daughter of the third son of Viscount Levy and a Boston heiress, Liberty had grown up in America. When her father chose to return to England to take his place in the aristocracy of London, her mother quickly found her place in the charitable and scholarly circles of society. Liberty, however, felt stifled by the rules of society that governed her new life.
“I’d love to do something more interesting than buying ribbons to match my bonnets,” she complained to her mother. Even riding had lost its allure as she was expected to ride leisurely in Hyde Park, instead of taking off for a thrilling ride in the country.
A series of advertisements in the Morning Post were suddenly the talk of the town. A young lady had met the man of her dreams, but she did not know his name or where to find him. Her attempts to meet with him again through the advertisements were unsuccessful, but a sympathetic Liberty suddenly found in them a project to keep her busy. She would find the unhappy young lady and work to reunite her with her mysterious “man in blue.” Little did she know that her “project” would bring with it romantic possibilities of her own.
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, the fourth book in the Half Moon House series by Deb Marlowe, is a delightful story of the escapades of Liberty as she tries to help her new friend Felicity find her young man in blue. Surprisingly, after finding the young man, Peter, and reuniting him with Felicity, Liberty finds herself attracted to Peter’s uncle, the Viscount Brodham, who seems determined to keep Felicity and Peter apart. Can Felicity justify her own growing feelings for the Viscount when his motives and actions are in direct competition with hers?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I found myself wishing it were a full novel instead of a novella. I loved the spirited character of Liberty and I felt I knew her well, but I didn’t feel that the other characters, especially Viscount Brodham, were as fully developed as they could have been had the book been longer. I would still recommend this book to readers, however, especially those who want a fun little book that can be read in one sitting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Annette.
1,768 reviews11 followers
May 31, 2016
Liberty Bayliss is an American young lady who is visiting London. She misses activity. At home she could do things and take on projects. In London, the expectation for a young lady is to spend her time visiting and shopping.

A project comes along. A young lady has put an ad in the paper attempting to reconnect with a young man who has stolen her heart.

When Liberty makes it possible for Felicity, the young lady, to reconnect with Peter, the young man, all seems to be going well.

But, Peter's uncle,Viscount Brodham, has other ideas. He has taken care of Peter for most of his life and he does not intend to allow anyone to hurt him. He wants for Peter what he wants for himself a safe and comfortable life.

The plot is well developed and entertaining. There is a happy ending and the journey which takes us there holds our interest.

The characters are entertaining. It turns out that safety is not necessarily everything one might think. Liberty and Brodham enter into a battle. There are challenges for each of them. The challenges make this a humorous story which is well worth the reader's time.

This is a novella that is a fun and quick read. Ms Marlowe has created a good story.
Profile Image for Patricia.
838 reviews
April 22, 2014
Mix America

Liberty comes from America....and as such, is somewhat at odds with English society. Mr. Brodham is a very reserved Englishman, who has made a career of keeping things tidy and covering scandal so his countrymen can look - shall we say, like proper "Englishmen"?
But Liberty is not just American. She is also one of those people who can't stand for unhappiness. And who befriends lost souls. (Probably brings home lost puppies and unclaimed kittens, too. In current times, her parents would have to forbid her going to the Animal Shelter, which would be a totally logical place for her to volunteer!) The direct result is not so much matchmaking as it is facilitation.
It's just that in the course of facilitating one love, she gets mixed up, and ends up in love.
Interlaced some mild humor, a tiny bit of intrigue, a "deep, dark secret" that must come out for happily ever after to be achieved....and, oh, yeah, Benjamin Skrewed, and you have Deb Marlowe's latest lovely love story - Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. An excellent way to while away a little bit of time. I would do Four and a half stars, but no half stars allowed.
Profile Image for Patty McKenna Van Hulle.
783 reviews9 followers
Read
August 27, 2014
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley because I love a feisty American heroine who fights with Society's rules. Liberty as bored, missing sunlight & need some job to busy herself with. Simon, Viscount Brodham, entered the political service to make a difference, but he was to good putting out other's garbage & cleaning up scandals. He is home & wants a quiet life, but 1st he has to slap his nephew upside his scandalous head. This romance said Liberty & Simon go to war & I was excited about reading it. I started getting into the laugh-a-minute story & my ARC copy stopped, just as Simon was going to give Peter the "Coming to Jesus" talk. I would love to actually read this book because it was hilariousness galore. Since I couldn't finish the book, I can't give it a score, but Ms. Marlowe does have an inner jokester with writing flair!

NetGalley Arc given for my honest review.
2 reviews
April 16, 2014
Great short read.

****
I love all Deb Marlowe books because like her I also love England and men in breeches and tall boots. Being a n.c. native I love to lose myself in recency England it reminds me of my granny with her southern charm and always reminding me to watch my manners and that young ladies do not do that.
Profile Image for Juliem.
88 reviews
April 16, 2014
Very nice, light and fun but with some emotional punch too. I loved how they met and how they mistook each other. I liked the setting with the maze and the ending was lovely. I hope there is more from the Half Moon house series coming, I want to know more about Hestia.
2,041 reviews13 followers
September 4, 2014
This book is a good read. It was amusing and the characters were likable. It is pretty well written and was a quick/fun one.

*I received this book for free through the Good Reads First Reads program.
Profile Image for Lori.
619 reviews8 followers
January 11, 2018
Happy Reading!

Deb Marlowe's novella Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is happy reading. Her characters, Peter and Felicity are sweet and in love, while SImon and Liberty are fun, quick witted and reading their story is happy reading!
Profile Image for Babs Wenk.
1,156 reviews5 followers
April 13, 2016
Delightful Romance for all ages

Cute and disarmingly delightful romance for a age groups no sex or vulgarity. Emotional happy games derived for fun. - Barbie
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews