ARC Review: Marry in Scarlet (Marriage of Convenience #4) by Anne Gracie
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Series: Marriage of Convenience #4
Author: Anne Gracie
Published May 26th 2020 by Berkley
Goodreads Synopsis
A marriage born of passion and scandal turns into something more from the bestselling author of Marry in Secret.
When a duke denied...
The proud and arrogant Duke of Everingham is determined to secure a marriage of convenience with heiress Lady Georgiana Rutherford. He's the biggest prize on the London marriage mart, pursued by young unmarried ladies and their match-making mamas, as well as married women with a wandering eye. He can have any woman he wants. Or so he thinks...
...Hunts an independent lady...
Lady Georgiana Rutherford—irreverent and unconventional—has no plans to marry. Having grown up poor, Lady George has no intention of giving up her fortune to become dependent on the dubious and unreliable goodwill of a man. Especially a man as insufferable as the Duke of Everingham, whose kisses stirs unwelcome and unsettling emotions...
...Sparks are sure to fly
The more she defies him, the more the duke wants her, until an argument at a ball spirals into a passionate embrace. Caught in a compromising position, the duke announces their betrothal. George is furious, and when gossip claims she deliberately entrapped the duke—when she was the one who was trapped—she marches down the aisle in a scarlet wedding dress. But the unlikely bride and groom may have found love in the most improbable of places—a marriage of convenience.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lady Georgiana Rutherford has only recently discovered her family, and the fact that her absentee father was an earl. Now brought to London, she's considered strange and weird by the Ton, as she would rather be called George, and is more at home on the back of her horse, Sultan, or with her dog. She has absolutely no intention to marry, and whenever a suitor comes calling, she sends them packing. Hart, the Duke of Everingham, was jilted by her aunt at the altar recently, and he's dealing with the fall out. When he meets George at some society parties, he is intrigued, especially when she defies him again and again. He decides he wants her, and she seems to enjoy his kisses too. When they are discovered in an embrace by half of the Ton, he immediately announces their betrothal, and George is furious. She's adamantly against it, but relents when she realises that it will give her some security, and also, to stop all of the gossiping about her being a Jezebel. To openly defy the polite society, she wears a scarlet dress for her wedding, proving she's not someone to listen to convention. As George and Hart go into the country for their honeymoon, and to deal with an issue that's arisen with one of Hart's wards, she realises that the feelings she's been developing are more than just lust, and she has actually fallen for him. Does he reciprocate her feelings, or will she be left alone, as per their marriage agreement?
I loved George - she was such a feisty and headstrong character. Her upbringing had been awful, with only her nursemaid, and pseudo mother, to care for her, and she absolutely no idea that she was a Lady, nor that she had a family who cared for her until she was grown, and somewhat stuck in her ways. When she met her family, she didn't immediately take to them, but it's clear throughout this book that she loves them, and would do anything for them. Her great aunt Agatha, is manipulative, and wants everything done her way, but George fights back, and with the help of Aunt Dotty, they have a lot of fun. When she found herself in the situation of being compromised, and the gossiping and hatred from the Ton, she took it on the chin, but we could see, when she was being vulnerable, that it was bothering her, and I loved how she decided to sort of fight back by wearing the red dress, and Hart's response to that before the wedding breakfast.
The relationship between George and Hart started slowly, but it was good to see them develop from somewhat enemies - not majorly, but they definitely disliked each other - to lusting for one another, and then finally love. Both were strong personalities, and neither wanted to give way without a fight, which is why the scene when they discuss their marriage settlement is one of my favourites. It was all give and take, with compromises being made to suit both parties. The scenes where they were being true with themselves, and showing vulnerabilities was sweet, and I really adored their time in the country, especially with the subplot of Philip and Danny being added into the mix. I've just learnt that this is book 4 in a series, all about George's family, and I think I'll try and get copies of the others so I can see more of their stories - especially Emm and Cal's relationship. This is definitely an author I'll try again.
Dates Read:
Rating
4 Stars
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