Marquess of Mayhem (Sins and Scoundrels Book Three)

The Marquess of Searle, Morgan, was presumed dead after he was detained and subsequently tortured by the forces of Napoleon. Although he’s managed to return to London, he’s bitter, scarred, and intent on taking vengeance on the man who betrayed him. The love interest, Leonora Forsythe, is a twenty-nine-year-old spinster with a deformed ankle who fears she will never find a man, and never fall in love. But that all changes when Morgan and Leonora meet and sparks fly. Too bad Morgan is only using Leonora for the revenge he so desperately craves… Or is the attraction he feels toward her genuine, and will he have to give up his quest for revenge for a chance at happiness and love? 

This story pulls the reader’s emotion from one end of the spectrum to the other. Sometimes it leaves one feeling sorry for the characters, sometimes ready to punch them in the face. Morgan is a tortured, complicated man, and he often sabotages himself. Leonora too, has been scarred by life, and has a tendency to think she deserves less than she really does. None of them are really easy to like, in particular, Morgan. If he had come clean sooner about his true intentions, then there would be a possibility of redemption for him. Because he waits as long as possible, it’s much harder to forgive him for what he did. The characters not being very likable makes the romance at times enjoyable and at times, frustrating.  Despite this, the writing is solid, pulling the reader in and transporting them back several centuries. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this one.

Majanka Verstraete