Review: The Improper Bride by Lily Maxton

Title: The Improper Bride, Sisters of Scandal

Author: Lily Maxton

Publisher: Entangled Scandalous, Entangled Publishing

Pages: 165

Date of Publication: January 25th, 2015

Rating: 5/5

My Review:

This is a delightful historic romance with a determined Marquess, seriously injured in a fire, finally seeing his housekeeper, Cassandra, as a person, rather than someone fulfilling a role. To prevent him succumbing to melancholy, his surgeon asks Cassandra to give him something to do as he recovers. After he agrees to teach her to read and speak German, he finds that his near death experience has opened his eyes to life, love and attitudes – especially with the help of his feisty housekeeper!

The characters are brilliant exponents of the English class system prevalent at the time in which the story is set. The much ingrained etiquette rules would make any close relationship between the two totally scandalous and they both know that. How the author portrays their changing relationship and events is totally engaging.

This is a truly enjoyable regency romance, a delectable tale of upstairs/downstairs love that is enthralling, with great banter, changing perspectives and attitudes and an amazing tale to get lost in. It is a sweet, well written, novel that I have no hesitation in highly recommending to anyone who. like me. enjoys this genre! I’ll certainly be looking out for more by this talented author in future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

Synopsis:

Cold, arrogant, and demanding Lord Henry Eldridge, Marquess of Riverton, would never dally with a mere servant. But when Henry is injured in a horrible fire, his pretty housekeeper Cassandra nurses him back to health, throwing them together day and night. As he slowly heals from his burns, their friendship blossoms, and the class walls between them start to crumble. Cassandra is surprised by glimpses of a kind and thoughtful man beneath her employer’s hard façade—and even more surprised when she develops tender feelings for him. But anything between lord and servant is impossible…and besides, as a widow, she knows love only leads to heartbreak.

Henry is changing, as well. His close brush with death has opened his eyes to his self-imposed emotional isolation…and has urgently reminded him of his duty to marry a well-bred lady and produce an heir. Determined to do right by his family name, he immediately begins searching for a suitable bride. But Cassandra is the only woman who is never far from his mind or his heart. Contrary to everything he’s been taught to believe, he realizes his lovely housekeeper might just be his perfect match. Now, if only he could convince everyone else of that. Especially Cassandra…

This book is available from a variety of sources including

amazon.co.uk           amazon.com          barnes and noble