ARC Review: The Virgin Who Bewitched Lord Lymington (The Swooning Virgins Society #4) by Anna Bradley
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Series: The Swooning Virgins Society #4
Author: Anna Bradley
Published November 2nd 2021 by Lyrical Press
Goodreads Synopsis
In the heart of Mayfair lies the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, where a secret society of extraordinary young women conspire to bring England’s wickedest aristocrats to justice...
In London's brothels and bawdy houses, sin and scandal run rampant. Yet as Emma Downing knows, far worse perils often lurk within the lavish homes of high society. Emma has been tasked with uncovering secrets at the Lymington family's country estate—the scene of a rash of mysterious disappearances. Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington, is no easy mark, and Emma fears he may see through both her disguise and her feigned indifference to his seductive charm...
Recently returned to England after a long absence, Samuel finds his family in chaos amid disquieting rumors floating about town. His young cousin has become a worthless rake, several housemaids have gone missing, and then there is Emma, who is clearly not the naïve debutante she pretends to be. Yet irresistibly attracted despite his mistrust, he joins her in a daring game of cat and mouse. For Emma will unearth the truth even if it brings ruin to Samuel's family—but the threat is as inescapable as their mutual desire...
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
As the final girl from the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, Emma Downing feels she owes Lady Clifford more than she can ever repay. After escaping a notorious brothel, she was cared for by the school, and now works to find the truth about what is happening to maids who are going missing from the estate of the Marquess of Lymington, recently returned from the Navy. When one of the maids turns up at the very brothel she used to be imprisoned in, Emma will have to face her fears and past enemies to discover if it is true that Lord Lymington's cousin, Lord Lovell, has played a role in the disappearances, and to do so, she masquerades by day as Lady Emma Crosby, a naive debutante new to town, to get close to the handsome Lord Lovell. But wherever he is, is his cousin, Lord Lymington, who seems to have an issue with Emma, and is thwarting her at every move. And when he realises she has also be involving herself in the investigation into his missing maids, he wants to put a stop to it, but is the old adage correct, and two heads are better than one?
It's a little sad that this is the end of this series. I've loved each book, and the characters have all been fantastic. In the previous books, we've seen parts of Emma, and she's always put on a brave face, and been a bit of a mystery, so I was really looking forward to her own story, and learning about why she was at the Clifford School. Her story was awful. She was put in the brothel when she was 15, and kept pure until the madam auctioned off her virginity to the highest bidder, and she became his plaything. But when he threatened her with a knife, she fought back, and fled after the death, to the safety of the Clifford School. She has the scars - both physically and mental - from her time there, and will do everything to help protect the girls, and get them out, if she can. To hear that woman are going missing, and the only one who may be able to help is at the same brothel, she has to go back, and that's when she first crosses paths with Lymington, who is waiting in the library while Lovell spends time in one of the boudoirs. I loved the chemistry between Lymington and Emma. He was gruff, and didn't like that she was getting close to Lovell, and when he realised he was jealous, he fought it, but by then it was too late. He also respected her, and trusted her, and it was really refreshing to see. They were the perfect match for each other, and as the mystery ramped up, it was wonderful to see them working together, and talking through their ideas - even if they disagreed with each other. Though I'm sad it's the end, the epilogue was more than I could've asked for, and really wrapped up the series. I can't wait for Anna's next book!
Dates Read:
August 24, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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