ARC Review: The Marriage List (The Worthingtons #8) by Ella Quinn
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Series: The Worthingtons #8
Author: Ella Quinn
Published December 27th 2022 by Zebra Books
Goodreads Synopsis
By popular demand, USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn returns Regency England’s beloved extended family, The Worthingtons, for the first in a sparkling new spin-off series! Determined to tame the marriage market on their own terms and make advantageous love matches, three confident sisters draw up a list of qualities they expect their new beaus to meet. But as they are about to discover, people are hardly ever perfect and the road to love is far more thrilling and interesting than they could ever have imagined…
As part of a large, rambunctious family, Lady Eleanor Carpenter has gained some knowledge of what makes a successful marriage. She’s even compiled a list of essential qualifications in a potential husband. John, the Marquis of Montagu, seems of good character (check), with money enough to support a family (check). But what of the many other requirements on her list?
Montagu, meanwhile, believes the key to a comfortable life lies in marrying someone quiet and docile. Yet the one lady who captivates him could hardly be more different to what he envisioned. Lady Eleanor is as opinionated as she is lovely, determined to improve working conditions for coal miners, even at risk to her own safety.
From evenings at Almack’s to carriage rides in Hyde Park, this Season will contain many pleasures—and a few surprises that compel both John and Eleanor to rethink their expectations. For one thing is certain: love will not be defined by any list . . .
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
In The Marriage Game, Lady Eleanor Carpenter and her sisters are embarking on their debut Season. Because of her large family, Eleanor knows what she wants in a husband, and won't settle for anything less, creating a marriage list with all of her requirements. So when she meets John, the Marquis of Montagu, who seems to fit each item, can she allow herself to fall for him, and trust he is the man for her?
So, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I thought it was the start of a brand new series. Though it 'technically' is a new series, it's part of a larger family of books, with both The Worthingtons and The Lords of London series playing a role in this book. As soon as it started, I could already see that it was going to be a difficult book. I've read a lot of series with companion books, and have never really struggled to get my head around who each of the characters were, but there's too many side characters here to keep straight. I had both a eARC and audiogalley of this book, so read it using both mediums - on my commute and during breaks at work and home. I didn't really like the narrator of the audiobook, and felt like I was getting distracted by other things while listening to the book. Nothing really gripped my attention, not even the parts with Dobbins which were supposed to be the action. After I finished the book, I had a quick check on GR, and apparently I've read another of Ella's books, and the couple in that one are seen in The Marriage Game - that didn't register while reading at all! I'm sorry to say I'm disappointed, and that Eleanor and John's love story was not engaging enough for me to really care if they ended up together or not. Looking at NetGalley, I have two other books of Ella's unread, and I'll read them to clear them, but I won't be looking for any more of her books in future. Not a book for me!
Dates Read:
January 5-7, 2022
Rating
2 Stars
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