Book Review: My Wicked Marquess by Constance Hall

Meagan Fenwick hasn't had a happy Christmas since the death of her parents. Any hopes of this season being different are dashed when her stepbrother Harold informs her that he's gambled away their estate - and her hand in marriage. Terribly shy, Meagan would rather die than wed Lord Barrett Rothchild, a complete stranger and a notorious rake . . . until she meets him and discovers she cannot refuse his charms.

Lord Barret Rothchild was on a secret mission for Her Majesty's Secret Service to trap Lord Harold Fenwick, a suspected member of a dangerous, underground organization. He was determined to succeed and what better way to keep an eye on Harold than by taking part in a sham marriage to his sister - a woman rumored to be so unattractive she hid herself away from society. But when Barret sees Meagan, he's astonished by her beauty. Bound by duty, but tempted by desire, he is now torn between playing the charade of his life . . . or surrendering to a passion that could make his Christmas and his nights merry all year round.

Review: Although I was never compelled to give up on this book I would definitely not say that it is one of my favorites either. The story sounds interesting, Lord Rothchild marries Miss Meagan Finwick in a fake ceremony in order to maintain a link to her brother Lord Harold only to discover that he very much loves his "wife" and cannot image a life without her. In truth I felt that the story was a bit too forced and some of the key elements of the story, such as the priest at their wedding being an actor as well as an actually priest, were just too convenient. I don't want to give too much away but most of the novel follows in this fashion.

And while I understand that it is a romance novel and typically this genre is regarded as somewhat of an escapist genre (ie light and fluffy) I prefer my novels to be a bit more substantial and natural for lack of a better term. Natural for me means that the story flows and there aren't too many coincidences that make the story so unbelievable that there is no longer any way to relate to the characters and their circumstances. I just didn't feel that this novel was as well written as it could have been and that is always a bit of a disappointment.

Details:

• Publisher: Zebra Books, 1999
• Pages: 398
• Author: Constance Hall

Plans: To be included in my historical romance bookbox

|