When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret

Oct 29, 2016 Carole (Carole's Random Life) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, direct-from-publisher, romance, reviewed

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I picked this book up because I was in the mood for a nice romantic story and the cover is simply gorgeous. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. I can't say that anything that happened in the book was a surprise but I enjoyed it nonetheless. This is listed as being the third book in a series but I read it as a stand alone without any difficultly. Max and Juliet's story ended up being quite entertaining.

I really like the fact that t This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I picked this book up because I was in the mood for a nice romantic story and the cover is simply gorgeous. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. I can't say that anything that happened in the book was a surprise but I enjoyed it nonetheless. This is listed as being the third book in a series but I read it as a stand alone without any difficultly. Max and Juliet's story ended up being quite entertaining.

I really like the fact that this was a second chance romance simply because I haven't seen too many of those in historical romances. Juliet and Max had a bit of a scandal over a shared kiss years ago. The scandal left Max with a broken heart and pushed Juliet into a marriage with another man. This story picks up years later and Juliet is now a widow while Max has become the Marquess of Thayne. Both of their lives are very different than before and they now consider each other to be enemies.

I liked Juliet and Max a lot. Being a widow gave Juliet a bit more freedom that the typical heroine. She has been through some things that have left her stronger and she isn't afraid to reach for what she wants in life anymore. Juliet wants to win the bet that she made with Max. Max has also been through some changes. When he first knew Juliet, he was a second son that would not inherit a title. He ends up becoming a Marquess after a distant relative's death. He has not always been favored so he sees things a little differently.

I think that Max and Juliet mad a great couple. They were both a lot of fun and I really enjoyed all of their interactions. My favorite parts of the book were when they were together. I did like the chemistry between them and thought that the sexier parts of the book were well done. Of course, I knew from the first page that this pair would end up together but the journey was well worth it.

I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This was a fun and romantic read with some really interesting elements. I would not hesitate to pick up other books by Vivienne Lorret in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Avon Impulse.

Initial Thoughts
This was a quick romantic read. Nothing too surprising but entertaining nonetheless. ...more

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Feb 28, 2018 Becca rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

After several attempts with this author, I have decided she is just not my taste. She uses too many metaphors that bog down the story and make me struggle to get through it. I stopped at page 80.

I love this cover and I loved the blurb, but the writing style isn't for me.

Case in point:
1. This author has an obsession with bug metaphors. In her first Season's Original's book, it was a spider. In this one, she discussed bug larva under a leaf to describe the heroines feelings that burrowed into her ...more

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Oct 16, 2016 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

"Dearest foe,
Thank you for the cake. Since I never require silverware when eating such confections, I am returning that which you sent. Please feel free to find a better place to keep it. Should you require suggestions, I would be more than happy to direct you to stick the tines firmly into your posterior. Repeatedly.
Your most ardent enemy,
J."

As a young man, Maxwell Harwick only dreamed of two things: to emerge from the shadow of his older half brother by taking a seat in parliament and of th "Dearest foe,
Thank you for the cake. Since I never require silverware when eating such confections, I am returning that which you sent. Please feel free to find a better place to keep it. Should you require suggestions, I would be more than happy to direct you to stick the tines firmly into your posterior. Repeatedly.
Your most ardent enemy,
J."

As a young man, Maxwell Harwick only dreamed of two things: to emerge from the shadow of his older half brother by taking a seat in parliament and of the unattainable woman who would surely become his brother's wife. Juliet White has been nicknamed "The Goddess" by her admirers and "The Hollow Goddess" by those who envy her. Only Max seems to see that there is more to her than good looks and perfect manners. So when he learns that his brother intends to marry someone else and to announce his betrothal at a ball hosted by Juliet's parents, Max tries (and fails) to warn her, and ends up comforting a heartbroken Juliet. The two are discovered kissing, and all hell breaks loose. Yet when Max tries to do the right thing by settling a marriage between them the next morning, he discovers that the woman he loves has eloped with someone else...

Five years later, after Juliet's loathsome husband has died, they meet again, and sparks still fly - only now Max is intent on hating Juliet for crushing his heart.

I LOVED the first part of this book. It was heartbreaking, and hilarious, and the issues those two faced (Max's fear of being always overshadowed by his wastrel of a brother, and Juliet who has been so mistreated by her husband that she now believes herself to be nothing more than empty arm candy, until Max slowly helps her to rediscover her true self) were so sad... I have no idea why the author felt the need to add even more drama at the half-way mark to that in the form of Max's horrible brother.

The second half, sadly, left me rolling my eyes at all the forced drama, which I'm not a fan of... But still, it was definitely worth the wait -I needed to find out more about these two since their first fight in the first book-, and I'm glad I found another author I can't wait to read more from!

...more

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Oct 17, 2019 Addie H rated it liked it

2.75-3 stars

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Sep 30, 2016 AnnMarie rated it it was amazing

When a Marquess Loves a Woman is the third book in the 'Season's Original' series by Vivienne Lorret. The book can be read as a stand alone one, but as I have read the whole series and have loved every moment of it, I recommend that you read all the books, even if it's not in order of release.

This is Max and Juliet's story. Max has always been made to feel second best to his brother Bram. Especially when it comes to Juliet, who 5 years ago was hoping to become that season's original so that she When a Marquess Loves a Woman is the third book in the 'Season's Original' series by Vivienne Lorret. The book can be read as a stand alone one, but as I have read the whole series and have loved every moment of it, I recommend that you read all the books, even if it's not in order of release.

This is Max and Juliet's story. Max has always been made to feel second best to his brother Bram. Especially when it comes to Juliet, who 5 years ago was hoping to become that season's original so that she could have her pick of husband. Her pick would have been Bram. He would happily have married her if she had been the 'original' but she didn't get chosen, and he had no qualms about proposing to the woman who did earn the title. Max loves Juliet, and knowing that she would be devastated when she found out, he tried to see her prior to the ball when Bram's engagement announcement would be made. Unfortunately he wasn't able to save her that upset. He did however find her in the library to offer her a shoulder to cry on. They end up kissing, and getting caught doing so. Max is thrilled to be able to offer marriage to Juliet, as is the done thing, but he has to speak to her father to get his permission, and is told to leave the party but to come back in the morning when her father has had a chance to cool down. When he does return it's to find that Juliet has left, she has gone off with Lord Granworth, a friend of her father's and they are to be married. Max is heart broken, and angry. Juliet is angry too, having to get married because Max ruined her. She couldn't have married him, the reasons why will come to light when you read the book.

So that sets the scene for our book. Juliet is now widowed and moves back to London, she wants to buy the old family home so that she can live there and make a new start. But Max isn't about to let her move in just a few doors down from his family. He can't bear to see her every day because even after all this time he hasn't stopped loving her, and hasn't stopped being angry at her for running away. He's now wealthy in his own right, so he offers more money to the person selling the house, and the seller is happy to accept. Juliet is fuming when she finds out, and decides that the only way she will have a chance of getting the house is if she wins a wager with Max. If she correctly chooses the season's original he will have to sell her the house, but if he correctly chooses then she has to leave London.

Who will win the wager, and will the winner be happy with the outcome?

This book was a pleasure to read, and of course from the very beginning you can't help but hope that Max and Juliet will end up together without too much heartache happening first. Their love for each other is obvious to everybody but each other, so I for one couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened when they finally realised how the other person felt. I love a good 'will they, won't they' scenario. I was sad when I read about Juliet's married life, and why she had to marry Lord Grafton. When Max finds out, that scene is particularly moving too. This book makes you run the gamut of emotions, which to me, makes it a perfect book which I highly recommend.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Becky rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Giving up on this about halfway through. It’s not necessarily a terrible book, but for ME it has become an absolute chore to read. I don’t want to. I’m treating it like it’s something I have to do. I just want to start something else.

Max has grown up in his half brothers shadow. His brother is very much the golden child, able to do no wrong and garners all the family attention. Max has eyes for Juliet, who has eyes for his half brother. The whole first chapter is a mess, establishing the mixed Giving up on this about halfway through. It’s not necessarily a terrible book, but for ME it has become an absolute chore to read. I don’t want to. I’m treating it like it’s something I have to do. I just want to start something else.

Max has grown up in his half brothers shadow. His brother is very much the golden child, able to do no wrong and garners all the family attention. Max has eyes for Juliet, who has eyes for his half brother. The whole first chapter is a mess, establishing the mixed up family bonds but not how or why Max has any caring for Juliet. Max’s brother only wants the seasons original, which ends up being not Juliet. Max comforts Juliet when all this betrothel news breaks free and they are caught in a compromising position.

The book picks back up 5 years later. They are fully established enemies at this point, very snippy and tit for tat with every conversation. Juliet comes back to town, a widow, and is trying to buy her family home back. Which Max buys.

The book just wasn’t flowing well for me. I felt like I was always missing out on some piece of information, like what is going on? How did we get here? It picks up 5 years later and Juliet seems to be hanging out with Max’s mom quite frequently. Max and Juliet had already had one wager with each other when we jump into the story. They make another. I guess I would have more liked to have read a little of what happened during those 5 years. How did they come to talking again? What was their first meeting like after she was widowed? And who knows maybe the book does cover this and I didn’t get to it.

The reviews are actually really good on this book so I’m probably just in a mood. I don’t ever want to discourage someone from trying something (unless it has outright trigger spots in it) but it just wasn’t for me.

Ok at this point I’m going to get spoiler filled about why I quit. Please leave if spoilers aren’t something you want to read, or if you haven’t read the book and plan on it.

So they are basically enemies to lovers...too literally. Like they hate each other, yet have these thoughts in the back of their heads but not enough exploration or conversation to really establish these feelings. There wasn’t enough growth between then really and then the second time they are together and alone, they have sex. WHAT? Why? You (the heroine) hate this person, he bought your family house, and you just, do it?? And you’d think oh she’s a widow so she’s more experienced and not a naive virgin, but, another spoiler, she IS because her husband refused to touch her for 5 years. It’s just too unbelievable.

So I dunno maybe I’m just being harsh but I wasn’t into it. There were a few slightly funny parts. But there was too much I just didn’t like. I give up. ...more

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Nov 13, 2016 Bambi Unbridled rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, romance-historical, million-page-challenge, read-2016

This is my first read by Vivienne Lorret, despite having bought the earlier books in this series. I just haven't been able to fit them into my schedule yet... but accepting a review copy is always a way to get something cemented on my calendar. I quite liked her writing style, so I will hopefully work the other books into the calendar before too much longer. Despite not having read the earlier books, I felt like I was fine reading this third book. There may have been some character crossover, bu description

This is my first read by Vivienne Lorret, despite having bought the earlier books in this series. I just haven't been able to fit them into my schedule yet... but accepting a review copy is always a way to get something cemented on my calendar. I quite liked her writing style, so I will hopefully work the other books into the calendar before too much longer. Despite not having read the earlier books, I felt like I was fine reading this third book. There may have been some character crossover, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything that was required to follow the story.

This is a second chance romance where our H/h have become angst-filled enemies. Lady Juliet White was angling to become the Season's Original and marry the Marquess of Engle when she is found in a compromising position with his brother, Maxwell Hartwick. Between Juliet's fears and her father's debts, she seemingly takes the easy way out and flees to Bath to marry the older (and rich) Lord Granworth. Now widowed and gun shy after a humiliating marriage, Juliet has returned to London to find herself again. I had mixed feelings about Juliet, Lady Granworth. She was a little hot and cold for my normal tastes, but I ended up liking her in the end. I understood that her first husband was a piece of work, but I hated that she seemed to paint Max with the same brush sometimes. But other than that, she was a solid heroine. She was fashionable and flirty, with a side of vulnerability that was easy to relate to.

Maxwell Hartwick started off life as a neglected second son, in name if not by blood. Having his heart broken by Juliet only compounded the rejection and "not quite good enough" feelings that Max has lived with most of his life. Living in his older half-brother's shadow, Max made a sympathetic hero that definitely deserved inheriting the title of Marquess of Thayne from a distant relative. It's too bad that he became embittered after Juliet's rejection, because when she returns to London, he wants nothing more than to make her leave again. Despite his broken heart, it becomes apparent that Max is not quite as jaded as he wants to be. He is undeniably (still) drawn to Juliet and doesn't engage in any activity that would truly cause her harm. I hated that she was hot and cold with him because I was really wanted a happy ending for him.

I liked that this relationship was both enemies-to-lovers and second chance romance... I don't often seen those tropes combined, especially in historicals. These two had a combustible chemistry that they both denied, which led to them picking at one another and engaging in fun pranks and flirty banter. Max was more willing to forgive the past than Juliet, and I didn't quite understand all of her hangups. But in the end, I was glad I got to go on the journey with them.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received at no cost from the publisher, Avon.
...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Lisa Filipe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-author, avon-addict

And I will admit it....I cried AGAIN reading a Vivienne Lorret romance...

WHEN A MARQUESS LOVES A WOMAN is exactly what we have all been waiting for, and Vivienne couldn't have written it ANY better. Max and Juliet slowly let go of the enemy status and move quite nicely into the lover status...and OH MY was that first tryst HOTTTTT! Vivienne might not write smutty overly graphic sex scenes, but she knows how to make her scenes erotic in their own right. Oh my...(fans herself), Max and Juliet burn ...more

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Oct 08, 2016 Annie rated it really liked it

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, second-chance

totally my catnip but I can see where others wouldn't ~like it as much lol ...more

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Oct 17, 2016 Danielle rated it liked it

Review originally posted on http://www.joyfullyreviewed.net/revie... ...more

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Nov 12, 2016 SmartBitches rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-grade, historical-romance

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

If you like enemies-to-lovers romance, then you probably want to read When a Marquess Loves a Woman. It’s got all my prerequisites for a good Regency romance–loads of sexual tension, a heroine who owns her shit, and epic sass-battles. Also canoodling in libraries. Also a stock market crash. There’s a lot going on in this book.

Juliet’s sense of self-worth is so tied into her appearance, and is so damaged by the neglect of her parents and the abuse of her ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 Seffra rated it liked it

3 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed book one and two and Juliet and Max were building up since the first book and I was a bit excited for their story. I felt that their book was quite underwhelming in the sense that yes, they had that push-and-pull and then the whole jealousy thing with Lord Ellery. This book was also humorous but for some reason, I found it lacking. Lacking what, I don't really know? I didn't fall in love and I wasn't fully immersed into the story as I was the previous books.

I do like ...more

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Nov 14, 2016 Alex Morrison rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-give-it-to-me, historical-romance

This felt like Emma fan fiction if Mr. Knightley had realized his feelings a bit earlier. So, obviously, I quite enjoyed it! It's nothing spectacular but totally readable. The banter is fun, the characters are well drawn (better than Quinn's and Kleypas's recents, quite frankly), and it's a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday. ...more

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Dec 16, 2016 Jaci rated it really liked it

The third book in The Season's Original Series is a must read. Vivienne knows how to keep the reader captivated and reading late into the night. Max and Juliet's story was worth waiting for. I really loved the back and forth witty dialogue and the love scenes were steamy. Most of all I loved the way Max treated Juliet, he was always thoughtful, patient and the kind of handsome Gentleman that we all secretly wish for.
It was great to see how the characters in the first two books were doing and I c ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Els rated it liked it

I liked the first three books in this serie more.

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Dec 23, 2019 Aly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Maxwell Harwick and Juliet White were friends. Until the day they were caught in a compromising situation, after he tried to comfort her, when the man she thought she would marry (who happens to be his half-brother) choose an other bride. Afterwards, Max declare his intention to marry her but the next day, he learn that she eloped with a rich man. Why? That's what he wonder and what we'll finally discover (because we knew from book 1 that these two had an history) as we follow Max and Juliet 5 y ...more

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Dec 28, 2018 victoria.p rated it liked it

Shelves: romance

This was fine. It had a handful of lovely moments but overall it was...fine. (I was also annoyed by the way the author used "would have" when she should have used "had" instead, e.g., "if Juliet would have known how they'd react" instead of "if Juliet had known" (paraphrasing) - a good editor should have caught that.) ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 Julie added it

It was fine, a few skippable parts, but in order to truly enjoy this book, I probably should have read the first books in the series.

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Oct 12, 2016 Lisarenee rated it it was amazing

>>>>>My Synopsis (Review follows)<<<<<
Once upon a time Juliet White had hopes of making a grand match. She'd earned the moniker "goddess" for her beauty early on in her debut, but it quickly became paired with the term "hollow", as most never took the time to truly get to know her. But when Maxwell Harwick decided to make his feelings for her known, and the two were caught kissing, all her hopes were dashed. What Max didn't know, and not many did, was Juliet's father would never have approved of >>>>>My Synopsis (Review follows)<<<<<
Once upon a time Juliet White had hopes of making a grand match. She'd earned the moniker "goddess" for her beauty early on in her debut, but it quickly became paired with the term "hollow", as most never took the time to truly get to know her. But when Maxwell Harwick decided to make his feelings for her known, and the two were caught kissing, all her hopes were dashed. What Max didn't know, and not many did, was Juliet's father would never have approved of a match between her and the then poor and untitled Max, scandal or no. He father needed money. Her elopement the next morning to an older wealthy gentleman well past his prime had not been hers by choice. Now, five years later, Juliet is widowed, and the two who once considered each other friends are seemingly at war.

They say love and hate are but two sides of the same coin. Will love find a way or are they destined to remain enemies? Hell hath no fury as a lady scorned, but does that also apply to a Marquess?

>>>>>My Review <<<<<
This is the third book in the Season's Original series by Vivienne Lorret. It can be read out of order without the reader being lost, but if you're like me, you'll be wanting to read the whole series upon finishing this one. The thread that binds the series together is, of course, the ton nominating the person chosen to be that Season's "Original". The "Original" can be a male or a female whom the ton has deemed above approach and others try to mimic. If the title is bestowed upon a female, she can pretty much pick and choose who she wants to marry among the gentleman of the ton. She is, for all intents and purposes, the season's "it" girl.

'When a Marquess Loves a Woman' is one of those love/hate stories that stars two stubborn people and one huge misunderstanding. Neither feels compelled to explain what happened, and each is perhaps too afraid of the answers to ask what truly transpired. While these types of stories almost always leave me shaking my head, they also have a tendency to have me grinning from ear to ear as the two battle it out via words and deeds. That is exactly what Ms. Lorret does in this book, and it's what makes this novel such a delightfully delicious good read.

Juliet and Max are alike and different in so many ways. While Juliet is beautiful and well known. Max was relatively unknown in society until he came into his title. Both have insecurities and issues they need to work out. I liked how the feud over who will end up with Juliet's childhood home is being battled over essentially the same thing--neither wants to witness the other in the house raising a family with someone else. The verbal banter and taunts between these two were both charming and funny. While each feels they are justified in their anger, you can see immediately how this one was going to play out. The majority of the fun was in watching them come to the realization that is pretty much obvious to everyone but them--that they love each other.

The song that kept playing in my head as I was reading was Cake by the Ocean by DNCE. Once you read the story, you'll understand why. lol:

'Talk to me, baby
I'm going blind from this sweet, sweet craving, whoa
Let's lose our minds and go crazy crazy
Ah ya ya ya ya I keep on hoping we'll eat cake by the ocean
(...)
Hot damn
See you licking frosting from your own hands
Want another taste, I'm begging, "Yes, ma'am."
I'm tired of all this candy on the dry land, dry land, oh

Waste time with a masterpiece, don't waste time with a masterpiece (huh!)
You should be rolling with me, you should be rolling with me (ah)
You're a real life fantasy, you're a real life fantasy (huh!)
But you're moving so carefully; let's start living dangerously...'

I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. It was a fun, witty, and charming story that I highly enjoyed. The attraction between these two was highly combustible, and it was fun watching them come to the realization of just how they felt about each other. Wonderful characters that felt real and believable wrapped in a highly entertaining romance that had me chuckling and smiling in equal measures. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scored a FAN rating--the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice. I definitely recommend this one.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 26, 2016 Anna's Herding Cats rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, second-chance, 2016-accepted-request, historical, 2016-hcbs, 2016-pick-your-genre, known-each-other-forever, for-review, widower, london

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dU93kk

And so we have Max and Juliet...finally! Seriously yall. I was totally *flailing* about over these two! Lordy but I've been itching for When a Marquess Loves a Woman and getting that front row seat to the showdown between these two. And it was so dang fun.

So. Five things about When a Marques Loves a Woman...

1. Max and Juliet. They have one serious hate-on for each other. If there was a spork around? Oh yeah. It would be put t

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dU93kk

And so we have Max and Juliet...finally! Seriously yall. I was totally *flailing* about over these two! Lordy but I've been itching for When a Marquess Loves a Woman and getting that front row seat to the showdown between these two. And it was so dang fun.

So. Five things about When a Marques Loves a Woman...

1. Max and Juliet. They have one serious hate-on for each other. If there was a spork around? Oh yeah. It would be put to use, no doubt. There would be some historical sporkage. There really would. lol But is was seriously amazingly fun to watch them bicker and snark and tease and give each other hell. The banter was perfect and had me chuckling more than once as they faced off. The tension was excellent. Going from hostility and bitterness to all nicely sexual. Noms! But fairly light on actual heat. It worked for them, though.

2. I really liked them as well. Juliet's no simpering miss. She's dealt with some awful things in her past but doesn't let them get her down and stands up for herself. She gives as good as she gets. I enjoyed her. And Max. Whew! I was wondering what had him so ornery where she was concerned. And aw. I get it, Max. I get it. He was stubborn but a good guy under all his growly prickly bits.

3. There was a good support cast, too. Some I adored, some it was nice to see again, some that I wouldn't have minded a freak carriage accident taking out. It made for a fun read, though.

4. I really love Lorret's writing. This past year has been a struggle for me and getting good and hooked by a story but Lorret... as soon as I picked up book one from this series I was completely enamored. Her writing swept me away. I simply couldn't put the book down and that held true for the rest of the series as well.

5. Best. Honeymoon. Ever. Seriously every book lover's future mate needs to read this just for that. Perfection! (view spoiler)

All in all, When a Marquess Loves a Woman hit the spot. Lorret has officially landed on my Must Read author list. I can't wait for more!
...more

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Oct 13, 2016 The Book Junkie Reads . . . rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This Marquess had to wait but he got his Lady or could it be that the Lady got her man.y.

I have to admit that the prologue got me riled up. I wanted to skewer Juliet. I was heartbroken for Max. Five years later, things have a way of coming back and opening doors when least expected. On starts the banter, the witty humor, the brains to brawn, the high stakes wagers, the plotting and daring arrangements. Juliet and Max have been parted by five years and life but the love between the two has not di ...more

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Feb 10, 2022 Sarah Verity rated it really liked it

*𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒. 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 & 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖.*

*For your ease of reading, topics in my reviews are in 𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 letters. You can read the entire review or scroll to the sections you want.*

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘈 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯
𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 #3 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴
𝘣𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘵

𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄:
London
1825

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎:
Maxwell ("Max") Harwick
Marquess of Thayne
29 Years of age
Spurned by love and hurt by the one woman his heart wanted. Overlooked and treated ...more

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Dec 21, 2018 Liv rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-romance, romance, hr-favourites, enemies-to-lovers, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, love-love-love

this was such a fun, warm book!! it's tagged as enemies-to-lovers but in reality it was more of a friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers and the development was d e l i c i o u s
so,, one of the favourite tropes-check. next, it was a second chance romance, and the characters a) know each other EXTREMELY well, b) are allowed growth, c) everything happens organically and makes sense?? i am SHOCKED. and THRILLED.
also included: banter! a respectful hero, lady friendships! literally everyone knowing ...more

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Oct 06, 2016 Isha Coleman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads, edelweiss

For me the measure of a good book is never wanting to say goodbye. There are stories that just wrap around a reader to the point that the book becomes like an addiction. You never want to put it down. When a Marquess Loves a Woman was mine. Max and Juliet's relationship is all encompassing. Taking on many stages, it's intensity keeps drawing them back to each other. An enchantment built on something beautiful takes on a life of it's own ricocheting between a powerful love, a heated attraction or ...more

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Oct 06, 2016 Carol Bisig rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In Love With Mac!

What a wonderful story of second chances! Max, the second and untitled son, has been in love with Juliet for many years. However, to save her father from debtor's prison, she married a ruthless, vain man. Now she is back, a young beautiful widow, and Max absolutely hates her, to the point, they wager, and whoever wins has to leave London. Let's face it, this Author is known for sexual content, it was not too many to pass up, and the book is wonderful! I highly recommend! Thanks! ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Kelsey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, library, romance

I could have loved this so much more. Juliet and Max had been my favorite all along. But they took too damn long to ever communicate with each other and as such, too many misconceptions happened. A lot. Like annoyingly so.

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Nov 15, 2016 Jultri rated it liked it

Shelves: hate-to-love, in-love-with-another

Contrived plot with frustrating ping-pong action.

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Jul 24, 2019 Anna rated it it was ok

Shelves: junk-food

Similar to one of the books in Courtney Milan's Brothers Sinister series, this story didn't have quite the zip I expected from how from Lorret teased it in the earlier books. Particularly in The Debutante Is Mine, the tension between Max and Juliet really sizzled. But by the time we get to their story, the antipathy seemed more pretense than anything else. Though I had the most anticipation for this story, it's definitely not my favorite of the three full-length novels.

In terms of the series ov Similar to one of the books in Courtney Milan's Brothers Sinister series, this story didn't have quite the zip I expected from how from Lorret teased it in the earlier books. Particularly in The Debutante Is Mine, the tension between Max and Juliet really sizzled. But by the time we get to their story, the antipathy seemed more pretense than anything else. Though I had the most anticipation for this story, it's definitely not my favorite of the three full-length novels.

In terms of the series overall, I'd probably rank the stories thus:
1. Ivy and Northcliff (included in the otherwise mediocre, if not meh, collection All I Want for Christmas Is a Duke)
2. Adeline and Liam (This Earl is on Fire)
3. Tie: Lilah and Jack (The Debutante Is Mine) and Juliet and Max

And to get a little meta, this is definitely my least-favorite of the three Lorret series read so far. I can't decide whether I like the slightly inter-related Wallflower Weddings or Rakes of Fallow Hall better, but this series kept feeling like a slightly more adult version of all the worst high school excesses. I mostly read historical romances set in the Regency period, but somehow this take on London's social mores of the time irritated me more than usual.

Maybe part of the problem is that, on the one hand, reputation and appearance of virtue matter so much, yet on the other hand, nearly all heroines show a completely modern willingness to overlook such strictures when given a chance to consummate their relationship. At a minimum, I'd rather see them weigh the risks and costs more.

But it's also frustrating on the men's part, because they usually show more of a modern preoccupation with consent and mutuality (which matters, of course!) than with having the patience to wait until sex would be safer for the woman. After all, premarital sex carried far more risks for women of that time, which made it arguably even more selfish for a man to go ahead, however "thoughtful" his use of French letters or timely withdrawal. Of all the Regency-era romances I've read, the Brothers Sinister prequel The Governess Affair just perhaps does the greatest justice to the very significant stakes for women who had sex outside of marriage (whether by consent or force). ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Apsraj rated it really liked it

A quick and entertaining read.

I haven't been keeping up with the latest HR romance authors and I typically go for books written by the older authors I used to read back when I was in school. So when I read the novella that comes after this novel I really liked Vivienne Lorret's writing style so I thought I'd give this book a try. I love second chance romances and seeing how the romance plays out when the characters are a bit older is one of my favorite tropes.

Let me first tell you what I liked A quick and entertaining read.

I haven't been keeping up with the latest HR romance authors and I typically go for books written by the older authors I used to read back when I was in school. So when I read the novella that comes after this novel I really liked Vivienne Lorret's writing style so I thought I'd give this book a try. I love second chance romances and seeing how the romance plays out when the characters are a bit older is one of my favorite tropes.

Let me first tell you what I liked about this book:
1. The author put a lot of thought and effort into building up Juliet's character that it felt good and enlightening to read. She was described as "perfect" in beauty and like a "goddess" who doesn't display emotions. The story of her marriage with the much older Lord Granworth and her relationship with Max and of how she's able to let go of her internal fears is something that I found very profound and the author found a really unique way of telling it.
2.The characters were etched out perfectly. They were realistic and unique enough that they had their own quirks and small character traits that set them apart from the rest of the series' characters.
3. I loved how strong Juliet was and how loyal Max was.
4. Their dialogues were very entertaining to read. I had several LOL moments while reading this book.
5. I loved their chemistry with each other and how they ended up together at the end. The ending was the best part of the book for me.
6. The cake scene. It was just awesome.

Now onto the things that bothered me. Although this might be longer than the previous list, it still doesn't make the story bad.
1. We don't get to see Max's and Juliet first meeting after she returns back to town, which disappointed me so much! I was eager to see their reaction when they meet each other again after being apart for so long.
2. The story starts off suddenly with Max and Juliet talking about a wager. It was kind of difficult to know what was going on with them because the previous scene in this book is from five years ago when the scandal happened. The next chapter skips ahead to five years later and suddenly we are in the midst of a conversation about a wager between Max and Juliet. I guess it must've followed from the previous novels in the series but it was still jarring enough for me to wonder what's going on. I'd have liked a small confrontation scene between Max and Juliet in this story and how they came about on deciding the wager rather than having to read it in a previous novel(which I'm doing right now).
3. There were abrupt shifts in emotions during the middle of the book. The whole falling into bed with Max was very abrupt. Sometimes the book tended to meander a lot but at the end all of it made sense so I did like the book more towards the end when all the meandering pieces came together.

I'm going to read the other books in this series because I just loved being a part of this world and I loved Vivienne Lorret's writing style.

...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Rose Blue rated it really liked it

As reviewed at Roses are Blue: http://wp.me/p3QRh4-r1

Max Harwick grew up in the shadow of his older, titled brother, Bram, who was born from his mother's first marriage. Even his own father seemed to prefer his stepson, while Max went largely unnoticed. As the brothers grew into young men, Bram began looking for a bride. Among the contenders was Juliet White, a dear friend to Max, though he was secretly deeply in love with her. As with most other people, she preferred Bram. When Bram decides to As reviewed at Roses are Blue: http://wp.me/p3QRh4-r1

Max Harwick grew up in the shadow of his older, titled brother, Bram, who was born from his mother's first marriage. Even his own father seemed to prefer his stepson, while Max went largely unnoticed. As the brothers grew into young men, Bram began looking for a bride. Among the contenders was Juliet White, a dear friend to Max, though he was secretly deeply in love with her. As with most other people, she preferred Bram. When Bram decides to marry another, and plans to announce the engagement at a party at Juliet's own home, Max only thinks of her feelings, and tries to give her some advance warning. As Max tries to console Juliet, they share a kiss, and they are caught in the act. Though not titled or wealthy, Max happily offers to marry Juliet. Her father has other plans, and whisks her away from town and arranges a quick marriage to another man, leaving Max broken hearted, and determined never to forgive Juliet.

Over the years, Max unexpectedly inherits a title and accompanying wealth. The new Marquess Thayne finds that people no longer find him invisible. When the now widowed Juliet returns to town, intent on buying her family's previous home, Max is quick to buy the property ahead of her. Every encounter with Juliet brings back the feelings of hurt and bitterness to the forefront for Max. He hopes that she will leave again since she was unsuccessful in obtaining her family home. Instead, they agree to a silly wager as to who will be the next "Original." If Max wins, Juliet leaves town. If Juliet wins, she gets the house.

As Max and Juliet snipe and quibble, it's obvious that Max still harbors deep feelings for her that he's determined to conquer. While Juliet was never in love with Max years ago, she was affected by his kindness and his kiss, but chose to give in to fear and run away and follow her father's wishes. Through the first two books of this series, we've had glimpses of this couple and their adversarial relationship, and I was anxiously waiting for their story. I love Max and admire his character. I felt so bad for him growing up, it was especially painful to see his own father fawning over his stepson and favoring him over Max. Max's actions when Juliet returned somewhat surprised me, as they seemed out of character, but his hurt ran soul deep, and he was only trying to protect himself. I'm a little less sympathetic for Juliet. I understand that she was reeling because the man she was infatuated with chose another bride, but I can't admire her rushing off to marry a stranger, leaving a dear friend deeply hurt.

Max and Juliet have a bumpy road to finding happy ever after. While they wait for the outcome of their wager, the attraction that's lurking behind their public battles won't be denied. They begin an affair which, while steamy, is also fraught with doubts and insecurities. Can this star-crossed couple make it work? WHEN A MARQUESS LOVES A WOMAN is a sexy and delightful read that wraps up Max and Juliet's story most satisfyingly, and I highly recommend it.
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