Notorious

Rebels of the Ton #1

by Minerva Spencer, Agathe Nabet (Translator)

The cure for a willful wife...

Drusilla Clare is full of opinions about why a woman shouldn't marry. But that doesn't stop the rush of desire she feels each time her best friend's brother, notorious rake Gabriel Marlington, crosses her path. So imagine her dismay when she finds herself in the clutches of a scoundrel, only to be rescued by Gabriel himself. And when Gabriel's heartless—and heart-pounding—proposal comes, it's enough to make Dru's formidable resolve crumble...

...is a smitten husband.

She's sharp-tongued, exasperating—and due to one careless moment—about to become his wife. Still, something about Drusilla has Gabriel intrigued. First there's the delicious flush of her skin every time she delivers a barb—and then the surprisingly sensual feel of her in his arms. Gabriel even finds himself challenged by her unusual philosophies. And when he discovers a clandestine rival for Dru's affection, his temperature flares even hotter. But the real threat to their happiness is one neither of the newlyweds sees coming. If they're to save their future—and their very lives—they'll need to trust in each other and their growing love.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2020

About the author

**I ONLY RATE BOOKS I REALLY ENJOYED**.

Before I began writing I spent time as a dock worker, a reader for the blind, a criminal prosecutor, and I taught American History on the college level for five years. My last job was running an 8-bedroom bed and breakfast, a subject I will never write about...

I like historical fiction because I enjoy escaping into the past when I relax. And I write romance because I love a happy ending and everything that happens along the way.

I came to writing late in life and I feel like I have to write fast to catch up! I work every day at a desk looking out over the Sangre de Cristo mountains, my free range birds, and my three flock protecting hounds Earl, Spot, and Rover.

When I'm not writing I'm playing with my animals, knitting, DIYing, crocheting, sewing, or watching old movies.

I also write historical romance and erotic romance under the name S.M. LaViolette and historical mystery under the name S.M. Goodwin.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this story…

This review is a wee bit spoilerish, please proceed with caution.

Now, normally I would cut my losses early with a story that doesn’t work for me. In this case, I had heard a lot about Minerva Spencer and her fabulous storytelling abilities, so persevered waiting for the fabulous to start happening. Unfortunately, I only read romance and this story was one of the least romantic I have read in a long time. At 92% I was still waiting for the fabulous to happen and HATED the Hero.

I think the main problem was that it was a little too historically accurate for my liking. Minerva Spencer seems to take glee in promoting a hero who is misogynistic, shallow, and has double standards. I was not impressed with the hero visiting his mistress (one of two) and kissing and cuddling her the day before his wedding. Then, he proceeded to shove his mistresses (who have now been promoted to ‘friends’) down his wife’s throat by visiting them regularly. If the author wanted me to see his growth from mistress to a loving relationship with his new wife, she failed. Their relationship was nothing more than the hero replacing his mistresses with a new one, titled ‘Wife’.

Then, we have the supposedly strong-minded heroine with unusual opinions … blah, blah, blah … equal rights … blah, blah, blah … feminism … blah, blah, blah … I just didn't feel it. I’m told that the heroine believed and followed Mary Wollstonecraft’s philosophies, but there was no proof besides 'talk' of meetings between likeminded individuals. At the first stumbling block, the heroine forgoes all that she stood for previously and succumbs to the sexual allure of her handsome husband. Again, this is probably historically accurate because women didn’t really get a choice back in the day. Why start with a description of this forward-thinking woman and not show her as one?

One of the biggest failings with this couple and their relationship is their lack of communication. The heroine expected the hero to read her mind. The hero didn’t think the heroine was entitled to his thoughts and opinions … unless they were directed to her failings and perceived disloyalty. It took way too long for this couple to have a genuine conversation.

If I don’t like the hero, there’s a pretty good chance that I won’t like the story. While there were some improvements with their communication by the end, it was just a little too late. Even when it was time for this couple to come together to fight the villain, it seemed they were still on different pages.

I liked that the hero was original with a mixed heritage, and we get to know a little about his history and the struggles he faced moving to London. The hero’s past was ugly and very different to his fellow Londoners. He made every effort to fit in and change his beliefs, the way he talked and dressed. While in some ways he was accepted, there were still many times that he was treated differently. Luckily for him, his mother was the daughter of a Duke, and that connection helped him in society. I’m not 100% sure of the historical accuracy in this part, but I imagined the author wasn’t too far off the mark.

Two stars for Notorious. While this story was lacking in romance and I struggled to see a happy ever after for the couple, there were parts that I found interesting.

To each, his own and all that jazz, don't judge this book on my opinion alone. Take the time to read what others say, and you may find Notorious works perfectly for you.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notorious by Minerva Spencer
1st in the Rebels of the Ton series. Historical romance. May be a spin-off of a different series.
Drusilla Clara thinks of herself as an independent woman and has no intention of marrying. But society demands and a compromising situation has her getting married to rake Gabriel Marlington. The two must reconcile their differing life styles and beliefs to have a happy and successful marriage union.

I hate when issues could simply be resolved if the hero and heroine just talked to each other. Most of this book had them at odds and taking to someone other than the spouse. I also had a problem with the double standards but realize it may have been historically accurate which is sad. Old fashioned but explicit sex scenes including the “Little death”.
Cliffhanger situation although the couple has mainly resolved their differences.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notorious is by one of my favorite historical romance authors, Minerva Spencer, so the fact that I didn't like this story is crushing for me.

I can't tell you how excited I was to read Notorious. I am a big fan of her "Outcasts" series (and I highly recommend reading Dangerous before starting this story because it acts as a prequel for Notorious), and I couldn't wait to read Gabriel's story. However, this book suffered the double whammy of lacking momentum and having zero communication between the main characters.

I struggled to like Drucilla, even from the start. She is snippy with Gabriel and expects him to read her mind when she gives no clues as to how she is feeling. Time and time again, opportunities to communicate pass her by without her engaging in them, and Gabriel was barely any better. There was so much sniping back and forth, and it wasn't much fun to read about. I also didn't enjoy the personality changes towards the end of the story. What about Drucilla's extreme feminism?

I also felt conflicted about how Gabriel's background was portrayed. I love that we got a non-white MC and there was discussion about his background, but I think the story felt biased towards his British, Caucasian side. There was an undertone of something there that I didn't enjoy.

Looking forward to the next book in the series, which I have a feeling I'll enjoy more. I know Minerva Spencer has it in her to wow me, as she has done time and time again, but this book wasn't it for me.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY NO TO THIS ONE

So... I was really excited about this one. The promise of a feminist heroine who had studied Wollstonecraft was so alluring! However, I was sorely let down. Even though the first chapter showed such promise, that was literally the only thing I liked about this book. The first chapter. That's it.

👍 What I Liked 👍

The first chapter: Honestly, the first chapter WAS SO GOOD! I am so sad the rest of the book could not carry on the good vibes from the first chapter. When Dru and Gabriel are introduced here in the first chapter it's obvious that there's friction between them, but it's entertaining, fun and filled with delightful banter. I wanted that vibe throughout the entire book. I didn't get it.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Characters: Dru and Gabriel are seriously some of the worst characters. They are so unlikable. They are mean, judgmental, hot tempered and not able to communicate. At times it even seemed like found pleasure in hurting each other which was just so sad. I literally almost cried at one point because I was so frustrated with how much I disliked these two. It was awful. And their animosity went on for far too long!

Feminism?: When we first meet Drusilla she is very vocal of her love for Mary Wollstonecraft and her thoughts on the rights of women. But, sadly, once Dru gets married, she seems to completely throw away all her feminist ideals and values. It was so annoying and so sad and made me dislike Dru even more!

Ending: I won't give this away. I'll just say... it was a mess, okay?

Romance?: Yeah, I don't know if I would even call this a romance novel, to be honest. Dru and Gabriel seem so toxic. This is not #relationshipgoals. And I especially disliked the constant back and forth, hot and cold thing going on here.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

DNF

The hero, who is biracial and the son of a former sultan of a made up country, is described as "rather exotic". It is 2020, and I'm no longer accepting novels that refer to non-white people as exotic (unless it happened in a way that called that out as stupid, which is not the case here FYI). Yes, it's historical, but we all know it's a fantasy version, and I don't need othering racism in my historical romance, thanks.

[♥ WishfulMiss ♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited to read Dru and Gabe's story after reading their tension filled intro in the sneak peak but sadly it took a turn I wasn't expecting.

I know many will enjoy reading the back and forth between these two (normally something I enjoy too) but for me this became a one sided romance with too many instances of double standards.

Dru has been in love with Gabe for years and Gabe honestly can't stand her, thinks she's irritating, her looks lacking and makes no secret that he would have preferred to marry another.

The constant reminder by both the heroine and the hero about not only the other woman he intended to marry but also the two mistresses was way more outside drama than I wanted, honestly. I like angst but the hurt and jealousy that is never fully put to rest was a definite downer.

Gabe, at first, was an interesting character but his actions towards Dru kept me from really falling for him as a hero. The fact that he resolved to respect her and treat her well one minute than immediately turn around and dismiss her or insult her (all while supposedly protecting his heart) was beyond frustrating.

It was hard to garner any sympathy for him when he expected Dru to accept his many faults (and there are many!) but wouldn't bend once for her. It was not a character flaw I like to see in my romance reads.

As for Dru, I expected a strong heroine that would stand her ground but in almost every situation, the author had her bending to Gabe's will instead. She was made, time and time again, to appease this man for no other reason than she loved his physical form (my opinion here) because other than his looks, there was not a lot of light shown on his "other" good qualities.

I thought I'd like the best friend but even she turned out to show her true colors when she lashed out to her supposed best friend by revealing that her newly wedded husband (of one day) wasn't actually at his club but instead was visiting his mistresses while she was left home alone. Her spitefulness was deliberate and causes a lot of angst for Dru. After that I didn't really care for her selfish character either.

Overall, this one lacked that warm fuzzy feeling a good romance invokes and although the writing style was good, the main characters, the choppy plot and the various secondary characters that bogged down the story made this one a pass for me.

* * *  ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

SAFETY INFO:
Ages : Both MCs are in their late 20s (h), early 30s (H)

Cheating : I was waffling between yes and no but honestly the more I think about it the more I felt it was cheating on Gabe's part. . .

Gabe is pretty hung up on the fact that he didn't get to marry the pretty heiress, the Kitten. Granted he claims he has accepted that his initial marriage plans aren't going to come to fruition but the fact that he has to constantly remind himself that he is "okay" with having to marry Dru instead of the OW rang very false to this reader. The fact that he never out and out puts this jealous and scorned OW in her place pissed me off too, tbh.

Then there is the case of his two mistresses. Gabe has been in a committed ménage relationship with his two mistresses for three years. He considers them not only his lovers but his close friends. The cheating ick factor comes in when he visits his mistresses to tell them he is getting married. He has already proposed to Dru and plans to marry her within the next few days. He accepts a long kiss from one mistress and even takes her in his lap and gets hard when she fondles him. To me, he's already engaged. So getting petted and aroused by OW is cheating in my book. Especially since he doesn't feel guilt or any remorse for enjoying the attentions of this OW while Dru is else where.

I personally don't like when the H/h in a romance feels physically attracted to other people and Gabe is always remembering OW and how he fantasized (with the Kitten) or remembering (with the mistresses) sexual scenarios before, during and after his marriage to Dru.

So while technically he never slept with anyone else after his marriage I also hated that he didn't immediately put up boundaries with OW either. Both emotionally or physically.

OM/OW drama : There is so much other woman drama it was honestly a struggle for me to read this one until the end.

The Kitten: This is the diamond of the first water (everything our heroine is not) who Gabe had set out to marry in the beginning of the book. Everyone, including Dru, knew that he was planning to proposed to this OW by the end of the season. She makes catty remarks in the couple of appearances that she makes and Dru ends up being catty right back while Gabe watches with amusement.

The Mistresses: These two ladies continue to be part of Gabe's inner circle even after his marriage to Dru. They were his exclusive lovers for 3 years and because of their role in raising Gabe's illegitimate son, going to be a constant for the rest of their lives.

Baby Mama: Gabe has a 6 year old son with . . . his ex-fiancé turned sister-in-law. This was before he came to England and before he met/married Dru. His besties/mistresses have been raising him for the last 3 years and will continue to be in their lives as Gabe makes it clear to Dru that he will be living with his son and since the boy has been raised by his mistresses, he will also be seeing them constantly as they are considered the boy's family.

Separation : None.

Push/Pull  : Yes from both sides. Gabe because he can't figure out if he is or isn't accepting of his forced marriage to Dru so lashes out like a temperamental child and Dru because she knows how Gabe feels and refuses to let him know how she really feels about him.

Main Pursuer of relationship Of the emotional relationship, Dru since she is the only one whose heart is involved. The sexual relationship was obviously Gabe. He didn't have any qualms about sleeping with his unwanted but suddenly attractive wife without any emotional strings.

Possible Triggers : OTT OW drama, shady hero, malleable heroine.

HEA/HFN : Ends on a HEA/ILU declaration

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by Minerva Spencer so thank you Netgalley and the publisher for introducing me to her Regency novels.

I am a big Georgette Heyer fan so I do look out for books which are influenced by her style. The plot of Notorious is fairly standard - the forced marriage and the misunderstandings, followed by some dangerous event which ends up bringing everyone to a happy ever after. I did feel the misunderstandings went on a little too long when basically the two main characters just needed to talk to each other, but they did eventually get resolved.

The book was well written. The settings were realistic and appropriate for the time as were people's attitudes to subjects such as equality for women. The ballroom scenes rang true as well with the author describing overheated, crowded rooms and sweaty bodies.

Three stars from me because I enjoyed the book but did not really become involved in it. However I will be looking out for more books to try by this author .

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

The narrative behind Gabriel’s character made me really uncomfortable. Being half Arab, Gabriel is one of the books only instances of diversity- yet, is constantly describes and portrayed as a “savage” and “brute”. Additionally, his Islamic background was poorly written and built upon stereotypes surrounding the religion. As a Muslim reader, I was so uncomfortable with how this was handled. Not only was it unnecessary, but it took away so much from the story.

All of this aside, the overall relationship between Dru and Gabe was awful. It felt so one sided for the majority of the book- for heavens sake, why did he wait so long to say “I love you”?! The entire time I felt as if Dru was the only one who would ever be in love. This isn’t helped by the fact that Gabe constantly says that Dru isn’t pretty but has a nice body- like what?! He learns to appreciate her looks later on in the book, but the transition is awkward.

Overall, this book had potential. The summary and plot was interesting, and the writing style was pleasant to read. However, I can not rate this book higher due to its horrible representation of Arabs and Muslims, and the terrible relationship dynamics.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (This rating may vary for others, some are cut off after one MC orgasms and fades to black for the other. The first scene is so good and so long though!)
Humor: Yes, I found quite a bit in here

Should I read in order?
This is book 1 of the series, but I do recommend reading at least Dangerous, which is book 1 of the Outcasts series. This will give you background on Gabriel’s mother and step father and also some character development for himself too. If you jump into this first, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by the all the characters and memories.

Basic plot
Drusilla has been in love with her best friends step sibling for years. He comes to her rescue when she’s compromised at a ball and they are forced into marriage.

Give this book a try if you want:
- Regency time period – This takes place in 1817 and we’re immersed in the London society whirl
- Best friend’s sibling trope – Drusilla and Eva are wallflowers together at many balls, Gabriel is her step brother
- Enemies to lovers feel – there’s a lot of banter and quarrelsome discussions between the two at first
- Full figured heroine – Drusilla is described as having voluptuous curves multiple times and a ‘generous’ figure, ‘tending towards plumpness’, and ‘not a small woman’ (and generally wears clothing unflattering to her body type)
- Jealous hero and heroine with plenty of other woman (OW) and other man (OM) drama
- Ruined heroine – Drusilla is compromised at the first ball in the book
- Wallflower and the rake trope - Could there be anything more pitiful than a homely wallflower yearning for an arresting, attractive Corinthian? The heroine has had 3 seasons and only one offer of marriage (she has a huge dowry) and the hero has been having sexual encounters since he was 14
- Unrequited love – heroine has loved the hero for a number of years
- A slow burn – there’s no kisses or touches until halfway through
- You’re all right with experiencing a few moments where you want to shake the characters and tell them to communicate!
- Moderate steam – 3 scenes but they are super explicit!

My thoughts:
Now, I can definitely see why this book is not for everyone. Just looking at the basis of the plot – involving jealousy and other woman/other man drama is a big turn off for a lot of people. And while I love jealousy in a novel, I don’t usually tolerant too much OW/OM crap. I didn’t find it bothered me in this one – probably because the main characters weren’t ‘in love’ with another character most of the book like some others with this trope.

As I read through reviews, it seems so many just hated this hero. I loved him. And I didn’t even think he was a jerk! So I’m not sure if I’m just that far into the rabbit hole of being in love with toxic male leads that I’m somewhat blind to it now or what.

I do think Drusilla’s character deserved a bit more...depth? She seemed like she had such a strong background and personality but when she gets married she becomes a bit of a self conscious, self doubting ninny and never really explores those feminist roots she had set down in the beginning. Maybe we will see more of her future in the other stories, but I was curious if she was going to continue her work in relation to following the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft.

But all that aside, I absolutely adored this story. I got sucked in quickly with their banter that I actually found funny, and I was curious how it was going to work out. I feel like so many enemies to lovers lack this now – its fight argue, kiss, argue, kiss, fight oh hey we love each other. I didn’t get that here, thank goodness! I got my favorite part of enemies to lovers – the sparring that builds tension. He genuinely thought Drusilla despised him but I thought he tried to make the best of the situation and went forward level headed. I thought he did a number of romantic things, including his proposal, his determination to protect her honor. I get many hate jealousy but I even found that romantic! I may have a different perspective of this element because I grew up on dubcon/noncon of the 80s so I was used to serious mistreatment of the heroine by the hero in regards to jealousy and I didn’t find that here. There were issues, yes, but I have felt those things myself and had similar reactions to Gabriel in previous relationships where you are wondering/assuming things that are happening in your relationship. The hurt that just rips your insides. The scariness of losing your relationship and the hurt that they don’t love you back.

I think maybe that’s what I enjoyed so much about this book. It just felt like the characters were very real. The flaws were real and rather ugly. And while I did want more growth from them overall, I feel like I definitely got to see their relationship and trust grow and blossom. And I really loved that aspect to it.

I adore Spencer’s intimate scenes. Like, these were the best I’ve read in awhile. I was utterly lost with Gabriel and Drusilla in the best way. My heart absolutely clenched for them.

I did have a few minor issues with the book. I think Spencer likes to spend a lot of time on some things that I’m ready to move forward from and not enough on other things (I felt like this with her Outcasts series too). The ending was pretty abrupt and the epilogue was basically the set up of the next story (I’m assuming we will see more of these characters throughout the series though).

Oh! And I never really got to hear how the meeting went with Drusilla and Gabriel’s mistresses! I am upset about that. The scene cut off and I was disappointed but I assumed it would be covered later and it wasn’t really except for a brief acknowledgment.

I actually liked the ending. I thought it was a nice twist with the heroine usually getting kidnapped and the hero having to rescue her. :)

There’s some problematic aspects to it –

Gabriel is half white, and has Arab heritage. This isn’t featured too much, other than some assumptions about him and his ‘darker coloring’. He definitely feels like a white character.

There’s a number of references to ‘exotic’ related to the hero’s North African heritage
Here:

His appearance, as well, was rather exotic, his bronze complexion standing out among the pale, pasty-faced crowd of young bucks.

And:

“You are an exotic creature, Gabriel. You might as well become accustomed to the amount of attention you attract,” his friend Byer had said when Gabriel once complaint about the erroneous gossip.

And:

The soap he used was unusual – a blend of spicy smells she could not identify. It evoked images of amber and exotic music and perfumed smoke.


There’s references to slavery – his own mother had been captured and kept in a harem. I will say I absolutely adored her remarks to Gabriel about his authority though – and that people could not say no to him.

Debauching one’s servants is the act of a weak and despicable man, Jibril. That girl might have knelt for you but remember that she cannot say no yo you. These people who serve our needs are like slaves.” Her face, which had always shown him nothing but love, had gone hard. “As I am a slave. And you are inflicting yourself on people who will not say no to you – never let yourself think otherwise – even when they may appear willing.”


Gabriel is described as a slaver due to assumptions about his people (by rumormongers) , but this is refuted by acknowledging his friendship with a man famous for his hatred of the slave trade. I think Spencer could have probably spent more time addressing this problem and building more into his character as standing up to slavery – since it’s brought up, it deserves to be explored. It does mention he fought to end his people’s dependence on slavery but it’s not a large part at all.


Content warnings:

Certain degree of unfaithfulness hero goes to say goodbye to his mistresses after meeting the heroine and knowing they will marry. He does get a hard on and there’s kisses but nothing follows through , death on page, kidnapping of a child, death of parents, talk of war


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

First kiss – 50%
First sex scene – 54% It’s long and glorious with fingering for her and an orgasm followed by missionary
Kiss – 74%
Sex scene – oral for her followed by the set up for penetration that then CUTS OUT AND I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT – 76% (some skimmed over scenes follow this one)
Another alluded to scene – 80%
Blow job followed by her on top sex – 83%

[Sabrina Jeffries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique characters and emotional depth make Spencer’s Notorious a winner. Spencer gives you all the feels!

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Could there be anything more pitiful than a homely wallflower yearning for an arresting, attractive Corinthian?

The first in the Rebels of the Ton series, Notorious pairs together Drusilla Clare, an heiress but the daughter of a tradesman and Gabriel Marlington, the son of an Englishwoman and the late sultan of Oran. Some of the names in the story may appear familiar, Gabriel's mother and stepfather starred in a previous series (Outcasts – Dangerous). I have not read that book and, in the beginning, I wondered if I missed some of Gabriel's background that was given in that book. We eventually get more of Gabriel's background regarding his family in Oran and what transpired there but it is more towards the end of the story and I felt placing it thus, gave the story some disjointed and pacing problems.

She behaved as though he were a savage libertine with no self-restraint. Restraint was probably her middle name---or perhaps it was Censorious.

I liked the beginning set-up with Drusilla's unrequited love for her friend Eva's stepbrother, Gabriel, and then they're forced marriage to save Drusilla's reputation. However, Drusilla is determined to keep her love for Gabriel a secret from him because she doesn't think there is anyway he could ever feel that way for her, in doing so, she is very caustic and quick to shut him out. They started off with some biting back and forth that felt like it could have some smoldering heat underneath but for the majority of the book, it kept getting dampened instead of building to flames. In the middle, Gabriel did reach out a couple times and try to build a friendship in their marriage but, even though Drusilla beat herself up over it right after, Drusilla kept being biting towards him. It is not until the latter half that we get her warming up and the author writes most of the thawing in very open door sex scenes.

But she could not tell him what she truly feared: that she would be married to a man she loved who would never love her.

The driving force to get these two together is a man named Lord Godric Visel, he hates Gabriel for some reason and creates the scene that has Gabriel offering for Drusilla's hand and a duel. After that scene, Visel hovers more on the edges, a murky danger for Gabriel and Drusilla but that storyline never truly develops as we get no reason for Visel's hate other than he might be “mad”. I would let this go more as the author alludes to racism being a possible reason but Visel looks to be lined up as the hero in the next in the series, and if that was his reason, I can't imagine readers enjoying his story. Visel also has a cousin that is friends with Drusilla that has some shady doings going on, works to help fill out the slight mystery and danger plot but I almost could have done with more scenes of Gabriel and Drusilla's growing friendship to romance more.

I found the way some of the story's plot threads and reveals of characters, Gabriel's past in Oran revealed more towards the end, helped to create some pacing issues; the middle and latter half dragged for me. Drusilla stayed caustic towards Gabriel for too long and their bedroom antics didn't make-up for an emotional connection I was missing. I'm curiously interested in Gabriel's friend Thomas Byer but, as I said, the next in the series seems to pair Gabriel's stepsister Eva with the villain of this story, Visel, which to the way he was portrayed here, I have questions.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah yes, the classic girl-likes-boy-but-doesn’t-know-how-to-show-it-so-she-bullies-him-like-middle-schooler-with-a-crush-and-then-oops-they-are-forced-into-marriage-but-oh-yeah-he-is-the-grandson-of-duke-but-also-raised-in-a-Middle-Eastern-harem-so-he-doesn’t-take-too-kindly-to-her-quoting-Mary-Wollstonecraft-all-the-time plot.

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book follows some of the younger generation featured in Ms. Spencer's Outcast series. Unfortunately, its principal characters are poorly drawn and unlikeable, and the story is underwhelming.

Threesomes, orphaned children, oversharing parents and their super sexy marriages, bluestockings, villains who aren't super evil - just sorta, avenging younger sisters...friends, this is a hot mess. The elements of a good story might be there... but they're lost in translation. The Outcast series also pushed the limits of plausibility, but Ms. Spencer made it work. Not so this time.

I forced myself to finish this one.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.

Drusilla Clare is fine with her wallflower status since marriage goes against her principles, but she can’t help her love for her best friend’s brother, Gabriel Marlington. She’s longed for him ever since they first met, but their open animosity is such that no one would ever suspect her true feelings. but when she’s caught alone with a scoundrel and finds her reputation ruined, it’s Gabriel who saves her with a businesslike offer of marriage Drusilla cannot bring herself to refuse.

Gabriel is less than thrilled at being forced into an unwanted marriage with the waspish Drusilla, but he does find himself unwittingly attracted to her. He’s surprised by her responsiveness to him and willingness to challenge his views and when a rival seems to vie for her attentions, Gabriel is even more shocked at his jealousy and possessiveness. Just as Dru and Gabe begin to find a rhythm together, their newfound accord is threatened by an unexpected danger, putting their lives at risk along with their fledgling love.

I’ve got some very mixed feelings about this book. At first, I really didn’t care for it and found both Drusilla and Gabriel to be unlikable in their own ways. She was too hateful and holier than thou, but at times Gabriel completely deserved it with his high-handedness and other woman drama. I’m happy Gabe at least never really cheated, as that would’ve been a dealbreaker for me, but he did have an on-page other woman scene and I didn’t care for that, although it did rather fit his character. Dru’s sharpness might’ve been a defense mechanism, but it got old fast for me, as did Gabe’s constantly telling her how things would be. I thought this would make her a more sympathetic character for me, but she’s so hateful even when he’s trying to extend the olive branch that I just couldn’t like her. These two somehow only communicated or worked well together in bed and I think that cheapened their relationship some. I would’ve liked to see more on page communication between them to make them more believable together. These two each made me want to shake them with their many false starts and failures at simple, basic communication, but I started to like them together when Dru began gaining some confidence and they finally started exhibiting some mature communication. The action near the end was enough to keep me engrossed, although it did end a bit abruptly. I wound up enjoying these two together but without really liking either of them. I found this book improved for me greatly after about the halfway point and I started enjoying the characters more. Now I’m interested to continue the series and find out what’s going on with Eva.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally not what I expected.
I thought this would be a period romance, and it kind of is.
It's also got a lot of drama and mystery.
I got book 3 from NetGalley so I will def read the next couple books.
Not sure I would have read books 1 and 2 if I hadn't requested the 3rd book (not knowing it was the 3rd book in a series).
Heather Wilds does a fantastic job narrating though, so I am stoked to have another book with her melodic voice.

[Jes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really quick read and I’m pleased to report that it will be the last thing I ever touch of Minerva Spencer’s catalogue. Jesus Christ.

I’m a little surprised that more reviewers wren’t critical of how this book handles a half-Arab hero. I think Spencer was trying to write a different take on a rake, maybe? Gabriel is the son of a sultan and grew up among his father’s harem. I guess that because he grew up in an exaggerated version of a culture that practiced polygamy, he’s a severe category of rake-dom? I’m not sure what she was going for. What I am sure is that it absolutely doesn’t land.

The book tries to sell Gabe as woke a few times— he has two bisexual mistresses with whom who was in a relationship who are raising his son. His acceptance of a gay relationship is super hollow. Especially considering that the author writes him in this super racist way where he’s a raging misogynist who’s only been partially tamed by his white, English mother. I was also pretty flabbergasted at the single brief reference to Islam— Dru asks Gabe if drinking goes against his religion and he doesn’t reply, other than to go “I’m surprised English people know anything about my culture”. Like the book tries to have some modern takes on race/religion when it writes prejudice toward Gabe but it also is deeply bigoted against him. It’s confusing.

Aside from that garbage, the book is just deeply underbaked. Dru is the focus of the book (until she’s not) and once the story shifts to Gabe and his drama, he treats her really cruelly. He suspects her of having a lover and goes against the promise he made not to inhibit her freedom in a really difficult scene. Never mind the fact that Gabriel himself has two lovers in the book, one of whom he kisses and flirts with the morning of his wedding to Dru. I don’t know. It was just a mess.

So yeah. Done with Minerva Spencer. I had hope for the other series I began of hers but that one was a flawed story with no racism or anything. I can’t deal with her knowing that she has books that are flawed and racist.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This is my first complete book by Minerva Spencer. She also writes under the pen name S.M. LaViolette. I have skimmed through a few of her books under that pen name. Actually, I attempted listening to the second book in this series a while back but I couldn't concentrate so I put that audiobook on hold for another time. Plus, the hero (Godric) in the second book is the antagonist in this book and the heroine (Eva) in the second book is Book 1's hero's (Gabriel's) stepsister, so I also felt that I was missing the necessary background and decided to read the series in order when I find the time to return to this series.

When I started reading this book, I felt like I missed the background of the hero (Gabriel) and his mother. The author kept drawing my attention to the love between the hero's mother and stepfather that I couldn't help but wonder if they have had their own book. Because rarely are the hero or heroine's parents both alive and in love with each other unless they were heroes and heroines in their own book. Welllll! It turns out that this series is a spin-off series of sorts (second generation, if you will). The hero's mother and stepfather were the hero and heroine in Dangerous.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Gabriel is of mixed race. He's the son of an Englishwoman and the sultan of Oran. I Googled the city and it's located in North Africa, specifically in Algeria. War and Algiers were also mentioned in the book so I assume that part is loosely based on history. *shrugs* We don't get Gabriel's full background until the second half of the book, which I thought might have been better placed in the first half of the book, but I think the author placed it in the second half so he can share something his background with his wife, Drucilla.

Gabriel's wife (heroine) is Drucilla Clare, an heiress, daughter of a merchant, and best friend of Gabriel's stepsister, Eva. She's loved Gabriel since she first laid eyes on him. It was an interesting meet-cute that we get to read during a brief flashback. Before they were forced to marry, she and Gabriel do not get along, but I think that's intentional on Dru's part.

The antagonist is the Earl of Visel, Godric Fleming, and the antihero in his own book, Outrageous. He seems to want to cause trouble for Gabriel for some reason. (I won't spoil it here.) He causes a scene at a ball between Gabriel and Dru at a ball and calls Gabriel out. Then he spreads rumors that he caught Gabe and Dru in a tryst at that same ball. Thus, Gabriel and Dru must marry to save her reputation.

Unrequited love and the angst that comes with it is one of my favorite tropes to read, but after a while, I got annoyed with Drucilla's musings about how Gabriel will never love her, how he had intended to propose to a much more beautiful lady until he was forced to marry Dru, how he must be carousing with his two mistresses when he's not home at night. Because she doesn't want to fall in love with him anymore, she shuts him out from time to time and that also annoyed me because it just causes more strain on their marriage.

On top of that, these two speculates that the other has a lover or lovers that they're meeting on the side. I was not looking forward to waiting for this misunderstanding to get drawn out, but, fortunately, Dru was able to clear up this misunderstanding and one other one in a few pages. What a relief! Thank you, Dru!

Their relationship got better after this conversation and they start having sex. Omg! It is so hot when Gabriel tells Dru what he plans to do to her! I did not know that I needed this until now but I need more heroes sex talking during sex! Ooof! *fans self*

The rising action and climax were fast-paced and exciting. I was on the edge of my seat! The epilogue ends on a reveal about Eva and the Earl of Visel that will continue in the next book. Overall, this wasn't a bad book for my first Minerva Spencer.

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: Notorious
Series: Rebels of the Ton #1
Author: Minerva Spencer
Release date: November 24, 2020
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: historical romance

Notorious was my first read by Minerva Spencer. It started out with real promise, but I soon realized that there were big character and plot issues that I couldn't get over. In the beginning chapters I was really enjoying the banter between the two characters and how the heroine's secret, unrequited love was hidden behind her animosity. She is an outspoken feminist who isn't ashamed of her belief system, but sadly, deep down, she has poor self-esteem that causes her to act irrationally. The hero initially seemed like the unattainable "golden boy" rake who valiantly saves the reputation of his sister's best friend and falls for her after marriage. Unfortunately, Gabriel would be a tough pill to swallow even as I neared the end of the book. All of the initial excitement I felt drained slowly away until I struggled to find genuine romance to savor between these two characters.

Eva marries Gabriel with mixed feelings. Although she's been secretly crushing over the man for some time, marriage was not something she ever dreamed of. She can't help but feel nervous and scared that she'll be spending a lifetime with someone who could never love her while she secretly pines away for them. It's worse than never having them, right? I did like that idea. But Eva's secret feelings and her poor opinion of herself led her to be waspish and secretive more than I would have liked. Lack of honesty and communication was the main barrier in their union, making them their own worst enemies. I'm not really a fan of drama/conflict caused by non-communication, so this was a problem for me.

Gabriel was even worse when it came to communication which is really saying something. The hero had a huge secret that he was keeping from his wife. This is not by any means something that should be brushed aside when it's discovered, but that's exactly what happened by both main characters (to my disgust.) Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that his behavior in hiding it showed that he didn't see her as his equal. The fact that the heroine is supposed to be a "feminist" and doesn't bat an eye over his demands and edicts when the truth is revealed shows how weak she truly is. I honestly could not understand her meek compliance in the situation she found herself in. Don't even get me started about his TWO former mistresses that are shoved in her face that she is just supposed to accept will remain in his life when in fact, he forbade her from seeing her own male FRIEND. Rules for thee, and not for me?

I gave this 2.5 stars because I really did enjoy a portion of the beginning of the book, so for that alone I couldn't quite dismiss the story. I did like the author's writing style which was simple and easy to engage with. However, I did feel a little lost about the hero's history which apparently began in her Outcast series. Towards the end of the book, the reader is given a detailed explanation, but typically this is something that we're given as an introduction. It shouldn't be assumed that we've all read the other series that the hero's family is featured in-I'm sure there were other people out there who were reading Ms. Spencer for the first time and needed that essential information to get a clearer picture of the hero. I ended the book with a fairly poor opinion of both the hero and heroine, so I'm sad to say that this romance wasn't very successful for me. Perhaps others will feel differently-I urge you to give it a chance if the synopsis sounds like something you would truly enjoy.

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[Lady Nilambari Reads HR · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

Quick Review
- This is my first Minerva Spencer, and I did not hate it, which is a feat on to itself, as I have been on a disappointing reading streak. So, yay about that.
- Ms Spencer's writing style is quite serious, but a good serious. It made sure that my interest in the story did not waver. The story was paced well and was quite intelligently penned. It was low on lightheartedness, I may have smiled once or twice, never chuckling, but I scowled quite a bit.
- The frame of intrigue was sound, but it was something that did not keep me on the edge of my seat. A few key aspects needed more definition, and certain things could have been curtailed.
- The plot was unique, it almost pushed the envelope of quintessential HR tropes, and I liked that a lot. It had many elements coming together, but that is precisely what made this story interesting.
- Unfortunately, those very elements failed to come to fruition or were left dangling and ended up giving out the unsatisfactory feeling of incompleteness. Example -
1. Gabriel's background is unclear unless you have read Dangerous
2. His work in Oran or the fight with Assad or the failed attempt at gaining the throne or his help to the English Admiralty, essentially everything about Gabriel
3. Visel's problem with Gabriel or his reasons behind instigating the scandal and involving Dru in it or his revenge quest, although I am hoping it will be clarified in the next book
4. Viscount Byer, an enigmatic fellow
5. Drusilla & Grabriel's friendly background, some flashbacks would have helped
6. No confrontation between Visel & Gabriel
7. The conversation between Dru & Gabe's mistresses, oh, I would have loved reading that
- The romance itself was lovely. Two very unlikely people coming together due to a scandal and finding their way forward had a believable quotient to it. There was a nice arc to them finding love even though Dru had been in love with him forever.
- I am very exacting of my heroines, and thus Dru bristled at me. I dislike punishing behaviour without a context which is precisely why she irritated me. Thankfully, her character development kicked in after the halfway mark, and she softened.
- Gabriel was an atypical hero with typical HR hero traits. But there is so much mystery around him that I am unclear on what to make of him.

I know this review sounds confusing, and that is because I am confused. What exactly is my takeaway from this story? I know I liked it, but I also know it lacked depth.

My Recommendation
This book is a brilliant marketing ploy to get you to read the previous series and the following book. And it has worked as that is exactly what I intend to do, if not out of curiosity then out of the need to know the complete thread as I have never once left any story unfinished, ever.

[Trisha (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2...

I loved this!!

While it was a typical historical romance with bits of feminism and lots of smut thrown in, this also tried to incorporate quite some amount of plot and while people might have loved this more for that, I honestly thought we could have done without it.

It was actually not that big of a deal; if it had been, I would have made a lot more fuss, believe me, and this would not have gotten 5 stars. And it did, so it didn't mess it up that bad.

I felt that we were given depth to characters that we did not need. For example, I didn't think we needed the whole guy who's trying to kill him for no discernible reason subplot and the kidnapping and subsequent drama subplot and the other subplots that I might have appreciated in romances for a bit of plot, but here seemed extra because the romance was that good.

I felt all that plot was forced, as if the book was trying to be too many things it wasn't or shouldn't be, because it ended up slightly overshadowing the romance. Which was supposed to be the primary genre for this.

The smut. Oh the smut. Where do I even start. I'm putting it all in spoiler tags, because I feel really weird writing this down. I was really flustered whole reading most of this, looking around myself and making sure no one was looking at my screen because this had some of the most extensive sex scenes I have ever read. And they were all unique and not the same thing repeated twenty times. And that was good. But this book is not for you if you can't deal with sex scenes. It cannot be skipped over, because it has some major character development points, and major plot points as well.

And that brings me to the best part of this book, the romance. I felt it was so good, that it didn't need all this stuffing.

We had the enemies to lovers trope, we had the forced marriage trope, we had the bucketful of angst that was awesomely done by the way and the secret kid trope too. All the aforementioned parameters are some of my favourite ingredients to a good romance.

I am intrigued about Eva, but not a lot? I didn't actually completely understand the love interest for that one, and that paragraph where he suddenly understands and has a revelation or something about how he isn't doing anything right felt really forced.

I loved it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes enemies to lovers, forced marriage, loads of angst, a secret kid, misunderstandings and well written historical romance( in my opinion).

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know what happens when someone accuses me of something I didn’t do? I open my mouth and defend myself. You know…. communicate? What I don’t do is stand around “gaping” and “gawking”. Which is pretty much all the heroine did. The author used the ol’ “no words would come” method until I wanted to pull my hair out.

The equalist/feminist/strong independent MC lost her spine and sharp wit whenever her douchy husband did or said something stupid. The first part of the book she was quick! I loved her…she might have been insecure, but she had a backbone and didn’t take shit off anyone…so why did the author do such a disservice to her and turn her into a gaping, gawking mouse? Disappointed because I do like this author. Still gets points for hot sex scenes and banter.

Oh and I hate the cover.

[niteskycs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

this was a really interesting read as we get a unique hero for the era in that he's a poc main character and had good tropes such as best friend's brother and lots of banter/animosity between the leads, however, i felt as though gabriel's non-white side could have been explored more since we didn't get too much information on that. also, I struggled to like minerva's character which made it hard for me to become attached to the couple.

still, this was a solid historical romance read, and the writing style captures you.

𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Hello Book Friends! I finished NOTORIOUS by Minerva Spencer in one day. I could not put it down. It is delightful, sexy, and full of tension. The characters are fun and à propos for this historical romance. I love the conflicts between Drusilla and Gabriel and how their relationship evolves in the book. I also love the diversity in the book. This is a quick read that is entertaining and uplifting.

#bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #notorious #minervaspencer #bookreview

[Mary Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one immediately after Dangerous because I fucking loved Jibril!
And I'm so happy to say I still love him with all of my heart!
I just had major issue with Drusilla being a massive bitch to Gabe because she didn't want him to know she was in love with him for five years since the moment they met.

Honestly I loved every secondary characters here, Maria and Giselle are my QUEENS! And it would be a lie if I say I wasn't disappointed for the story not being about Maria, Giselle and Gabe in a polyamorous relationship 😂
But I slowly got invested in the romance between Dru and Gabe is he started to fall for her.

The steam level was amazing! Minerva Spencer writes the best sex scenes!

I loved how the author represented Gabe's tough time to get adjusted in London's society after his life as Sultan's son in Oran.
I LOVED to see Adam and Mia thriving after six years of marriage and omg Gabe's bestie Byer!
I swear he's a spy for the crown or something!
I WILL BE FOREVER SALTY IF HE DOESN'T GET HIS OWN BOOK!

Now I'm dying to see what happens next!

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcasts and rebels!

An interesting plot dealing with the offspring from the Outcast series. Jibril or rather Gabriel Marlington as the son of the former Sultan of Oran, and Euphemia, the Marchioness of Exley, adds spice and adventure. Gabriel's step sister Eva's best friend Drusilla Clare has loved him forever in a silent suffering way, although Dru is anything but silent. An adherent of Mary Wolstenholme and an heiress, Dru funds houses for poor women and children and sees her future mapped out as an eccentric feminist(my term) doing good works. That is until her hand is forced into a marriage of convenience with Gabriel to avoid a scandal.
This (it seems) at the unwitting instigation of the mysterious Lord Visel, a new face in town, who seemingly harbors a focused intent and animus towards Gabriel. All very puzzling.
There's quite a few avenues of interest and various twists. At heart Gabriel is a character with two cultural divides encompassing his personality. The formative years of the Jibril persona of course looms large being the deposed sultan's heir, and all that entailed even at sixteen. To the ton Gabriel is an unpredictable creature, a somewhat barbarous, if not down right exotic, swoon worthy enigma. Druscilla gives him a run for his money being an articulate open thinker who gives as good as she gets and often surprises Jibril (Gabriel).
(We first met Jibril in 'Dangerous', the story of his mother Mia and Lord Exley--which I loved. Actually in my search to reinvestigate this group of people I took a trip down memory lane and reread the Outcast series. I find Gabriel's story not quite as gripping as that of his mother and her reluctant associates. Ha! However I really enjoyed Druscilla.)
I must admit there's a plethora of bedroom scenes which for me often overwhelmed the storyline. But then maybe that is the point as this is all about the marriage of convenience trope with some fascinating undercurrents.
How the two develop their relationship to one of trust and compatibility is an occasionally arduous journey ending on a note foretelling the next book in the series.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drusilla has been helplessly in love with her best friend Eva’s half-brother Gabriel for five years. But since he is a notorious rake and unbelievably handsome while she is more ordinary, she hides her feelings. She hides them so well that Gabriel thinks she dislikes him.

But when Gabriel’s enemy Lord Visel places Drusilla in a compromising position the only way to silence the gossip is for Gabriel and Drusilla to marry, despite Gabriel courting the beautiful Miss Kittredge and Drusilla following the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft who opposed marriage.

The young couple face numerous obstacles, including Gabe’s mistresses, Lord Visel, Eva, one of Drusilla’s admirers and their own feelings.

This was a fast-paced, sexy historical romance. My only criticism would be that some situations were set up and then nothing happened, I can tell from the teaser for the next book in the series that there is a reason for at least one of these but it was a bit disconcerting.

There is a lot of backstory, which I now see is because Gabriel’s mother had her own book Dangerous, however it was easy to read this as a stand-alone and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bumped for release.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTORIOUS - Rebels of the Ton Series Book 1
Minerva Spencer

Mnerva Spencer has a huge following for her previous novels and historical fiction writing and though this is the first book I have read from her, I can understand why she has such an awesome fan base of readers.

I found the writing witty, sexy and fun for a historical romance fiction that I have enjoyed and read through over a weekend. The pacing was great, and the characters I did enjoy reading about. The characters were from her other novels though I found it easy to jump into the story without the background information. I think this is a great start of a series set in the Victorian time period with lots of interesting characters that I enjoyed with Drusilla and Gabriel's relationship and their undeniable chemistry. A fun enemies to lovers trope that is both angsty, sexy and swoony.

I really enjoyed this one and need to read more of Ms Spencer's books.

[Beatriz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a 2,5 review rounded.
I didn't know the author and based on the synopsis and the first couple of chapters I confess I expected something different, more of a regency romp, instead this went deeper. That was not necessarily bad, but it was a bit misleading.
I really liked the heroine; she is an heiress, of commonbirth, and a marquess daughter's best friend (I was expecting this to feel misplaced, but it is explained well enough). Somewhat of a wallflower, Drusilla had a massive crush on her friend's step brother Gabriel and, thinking he would never care for her (he was courting someone else as the book begins) whenever they are together, she uses discussion and sarcasm as a shield; it all felt like nice witty banter to me, (even though the hero seems to think she hates him). When another man tries to abuse her, Gabriel goes to defend her, and instead they're tied in a compromising position, forced to be wed, and Gabriel forced into a duel with the duke who abused Drusilla.
Drusilla devotes much of her time and money to charitable work. Most of the time, when heroines of regency do this, it tends to feel cheap or unexplicable, but hers was well made. It was a shame only that, after marriage, this part of her was not showcased (but then again, there was a LOT going on)
Okay, that is done. Now I have to deal with it and talk about Gabriel I guess. Oh my God, he must have been the hero with the most stuff going on that I've ever seen. Gabriel (or Jibril) was the son and heir of the former sultan from Oran and a duke's daughter (who was abducted and forced into the marriage, after the sultan's passing, she later married a marquess and her story can be found in another book). In exile in England for the past five years, Gabriel let's go of his culture, his name and his language to adopt to his new life. He is very young (younger than most regency heroes at least), at 24. He is supposedly a bit of a rake, his name connected with much gossip as he is seen as somewhat exotic. He has two lovers in London, and his relationship/friendship with them is well shown. Normally, mistresses are mentioned, and not taken as a person, and I would have liked the gesture if there weren't SO much going on already.
okay, focus... As a foreigner, as a bastard (in the eyes of the ton), as the grandson of a duke and the step-son of a marquess, as someone connected to a child, Gabriel was so heavy... He understood and was driven by duty, acted like a jerk sometimes...but he was doing his best, I think.
As for their relationship - it was really sweet actually... The steamy scenes worked really well for me. They are both trying to make the best of their situation - Drusilla forced to be with someone she loves, but who does not love her and seems to keep visiting his mistresses even after married. And Gabriel, married to someone he thought hated him. Drusilla takes some things too personally (though she was mostly on the right side) and Gabriel's pride is not the best thing ever... but mostly it felt good. The only problem was, in order for the book to happen, that is, the problem that keeps them apart is ann utter LACK of communication, and it grew tiring...
I kept reading, the same way you would keep watching a trainwreck;
There was so much happenning - there was a duel, a lover, the mistresses, a kid, kidnapping, a villain, two villains, a spy, a mob of bandits, a clash of cultures, fight for power, ransom, betrayal, the prejudice (both for Gabriel's origin's and bastardy and for Drusilla's origin as a cit), the expectations that come from being forced into marriage - I said this before but there was SO MUCH going on, that the couple falling apart due to not sitting down and talking like human beings felt misplaced.
The last thing I want to talk about is a bit more sensitive. As probably expected from the fact that the hero was arab, from Oran in the middle of regency England, we need to talk about culture. Gabriel is often refered to as someone who is "good" because of his mother's (white) blood. From that can we infer that if not for that, his culture is "bad"? As a man said to have abused his mother and other women, I am not indulging Gabriel's father as someone who should have been acclaimed. Throughout the book, Drusilla defends Jibril when someone mention his 'barbaric' heritage, and Gabriel is written as someone proud of where he came from and sad to have to let it go. I don't think (or at least I hope not) that the author meant for it to be hurtful per se, but I believe the book could have thrived if other characters from Oran, from Gabriel's past, could have been shown, or at least mentioned, as examples of good people.
I kept thinking about the '9 to 5" movie from 1980. It's a feminist masterpiece and I adore it, but, in the end, the bad guy, the abuser, the villain, his punishment is to receive a promotion and work from Brazil (which he finds terrifying). I don't think anyone else noticed or cared. I don't think the writer thought twice about this, and wanted to make me feel bad. But, as a Brazillian, this hurt me somewhere south of my pride. I am not familiar with Oran culture, with their history, but it is important to remember someone is. Gabriel's representativeness is refreshing for the genre, but he is not much of a representative if white-washed and only seen as good as his mother's blood. These are waters to tread with care.

[Rainelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be different from books that I have read from Minerva Spencer. The characters I found quite entertaining. They brought great dialogue to the book. The plot was good. I was looking more for the Victorian history romance aspects from the book.
I would like to read details from the wedding. It’s was hard to push through reading Gabriel making out with his mistress the day before his wedding. I would like to have seen more romance scenes from Gabriel and Drusila. The book started out good with the banter between Drusila and Gabriel, but after Gabriel went to talk to his parents the book hit a slump. I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

[Tahiyah Syeda · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF (Only got to about Chapter 7)

Ok so since no one else seems to be talking about this, I'll say it. The level of not-so-thinly-veiled Islamophobia in this book is ASTOUNDING. Like I get that it's supposed to be historical, but constantly hearing about how the hero of the book expects all these wives and mistresses and treats women like objects because of his upbringing and religion WAS NOT FUN. The fact that he is also referred to as barbaric and savage because of his father didn't help either. Even the term Berber is not ok since the people refer to themselves as Amazigh and were only called Berber after the Romans coined the term in reference to the word barbaric.

Oh, also, can we mention how the character was described as being 'exotic' within the first few pages? Because also not fun. Especially since the only thing that seemed to be non-European about him was his skin tone. His facial features, GREEN EYES, dark RED HAIR, everything else was all caucasion, and the author just changed his colouring. Now let's bring up the double standards in which the hero thinks that it's ok for him to have not one, but two mistresses, but if the heroine holds another man's hand, then SHE is clearly the one in the wrong.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this book, and I've only read about a quarter of it. Just the constant references to how he has to completely renounce his religion, ethnicity, etc. in order to be considered a 'civilized Englishman' was too much for me. Maybe that's the point the author was trying to make, to showcase the historical and current injustices faced by Muslims in Europe. But given the fact that she made the hero himself so abominable makes me think that that isn't the case.

Needless to say, I hated this book. I have not felt such anger at the written word in a VERY long time, and I do not reccomend for anyone else to read it.