Uninspired plot saved by endearing characters

I would like to thank Anne Gracie, Berkley/Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The charm of the characters saved this novel. The plot is lazy: A man with a gambling debt absconds with a young, naive heiress to Gretna Green to marry her and inherit her fortune, but some kind man she just happens to know just happens to be in the right place at the right time to save her. And though they are the soul of discretion, someone sees them sneaking around together and thinks they’re eloping, and they end up having to get married.

Thousands upon thousands of historical romances have a very similar plot. An author needs to put a twist on it to make it stand out. Unfortunately, not much makes this particular story unique. The villain is one-dimensional and a mere plot device; the only point to Lily getting kidnapped is bring Edward into the fold and create the scandal. Their marriage is the only repercussion, and the villain’s comeuppance was an afterthought at the very end. Honestly, the kidnapping was unnecessary; they should have just met at her brother’s wedding and gotten caught necking in a corner or something. But that would have made a short book even shorter. And it would have been even more cliche.

We spend an entire chapter with Lily getting marital advice from various relatives—which was probably meant to be more humorous than it was; I thought it was just kind of sad, honestly. The book was a commentary on the lack of value and power given to women in the nineteenth century; it made that point over and over and over again.

However, Gracie’s forte has always been her relatable, endearing, witty characters. Lily might have been a little too uneffected by the events in the novel, but she’s such a sweetie. I wanted to hang out with her and Rose and George so badly. She’d been insulted and degraded her entire life, yet she remained kind and optimistic. She reminded me of Mary Bennet from P&P, the only difference being she wasn’t the renowned beauty of the family, and she didn’t faint when Mary would have. I loved that she knew what she wanted and didn’t bend to the will of bullies; we saw her take her first baby steps as far as standing up for herself, and by the end she was a strong heroine who believed in herself. I liked her quite a bit.

Ned was one of those heroes whose greatest fault was caring too much. I enjoyed watching him fall in love with Lily and break free from the prison of guilt he’d locked himself in. He might have been a touch bland, and I wish he’d have had a couple more flaws, a little bit of a dark side that was legitimately dark and not just self-pity. Also, I found it strange that he was supposedly the best man at Lily’s brother’s wedding, yet when he and Ashendon interacted they seemed like mere acquaintances. It was as if Gracie merely claimed they were close friends to make the rescue a big easier to tell, but she didn’t plan to do anything with the relationship otherwise. But he was a decent hero.

I adored the secondary characters: Rose, George, Emm, Cal, Lord Galbraith. Even Aunt Agatha had a certain charm to her. She was abrasive and pompous, but she wanted the best for her family. I am SO intrigued by Rose’s curious silence in regards to men—what happened to her that Lily didn’t know about?—and I can’t wait to see what kind of man takes on George.

Gracie’s writing was skilled, smooth, and easy to read, even if that writing didn’t tell a particularly inspired story. I’ve loved all of her previous books, and I look forward to her future work.

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What’s it About? Lady Lily Rutherford dreams of marrying for love but when she finds herself in the middle of a disaster, she has no choice but to marry her rescuer and known rake, Edward Galbraith. Despite being forced to marry in order to avoid scandal, Lily is drawn to Edward and hopes to turn their marriage of convenience into a real one. Edward however doesn’t want a real marriage, he has secrets in his past that he’d rather not share with Lily so he keeps her at arm’s length until she finally leaves and runs to Edward’s childhood home, a place he hasn’t seen in years. Once there, Lily starts to piece together her husband’s secrets as she waits to see if he will come for her and face his past or leave her to live a separate life from him.



Overall reaction to the story? Anne Gracie really won me over with the first book in this series (Marry in Haste), Cal Rutherford’s story introduced his two half sisters, Rose and Lily. Lily’s come a long way in a short time but she is still that same smart, shy girl with a big heart.


I was a little nervous about reading Marry in Scandal though. I was afraid Lily would be dull and too much of a pushover as a heroine. She’s a clever woman now but at the same time she still had that fragile, naïve air of the little girl she once was. I liked grown up Lily because while she wasn’t as outspoken and mischievous as her sister Rose and definitely not wild like her niece Georgiana, Lily had a silent but no less determined personality. She didn’t scold, she didn’t nag, and she didn’t get hysterical even though at certain times it would have been totally justified. I loved her way of handling Edward who could be quite the bear from time to time. Lily never reacted in a shrewish way; instead she countered his attitude with patience, firmness, and compassion, the last of which is one of her defining qualities. I loved that about her, she was sweet but not a pushover.


Edward on the other hand was closed off, surly and very secretive but underneath that is a man with a heart as big as Lily’s. He just doesn’t handle loss very well. I actually do enjoy the grumpy heroes, the ones who have all but shut themselves off from the world and only exist without living. It makes it all the more satisfying when they fall in love. In Edward’s case I love that he was overwhelmed by Lily’s quiet presence in his life. He was befuddled by her even as he was attracted to her. Their romance was slow in progressing from infatuation to attraction and then to love but in the meantime Marry in Scandal grants the reader a chance to really get to know Edward and Lily and to reacquaint themselves with Lily’s unconventional family. Lily’s sister Rose and niece Georgiana are both older and still as feisty as ever. Rose is a lady with a sharp tongue and a fierce loyalty to her loved ones. Georgiana on the other hand may have the same fierce loyalty as Rose but she spent quite a bit of time running wild before she was discovered. She loves animals more than people (My kind of character), can ride and shoot like a man, and has rebellion swimming in her veins. I can’t wait for her to get her own story and I hope she retains that spirited attitude.


Marry in Scandal is its own story, Lily and Edward are for the most part, on their own away from Lily’s family so that they can get to know each other. The book is a standalone but I would highly recommend reading the series in order. I loved the first book and I loved this one as well.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Lily’s gentle spirit will win you over just like she did Edward.

Title: Marry in Scandal
Author: Anne Gracie
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Marry in Scandal" by Anne Gracie

My Thoughts...

This was quite a enjoyable unique historical romance read where I found these characters well developed, portrayed and believable giving the reader quite a engaging good read of some strong Regency England women. I liked how Lily and Edward were drawn together with her being 'intuitive, sweet, shy and smart, but however, illiterate lady of the noble birth [dyslexia] and him being a wounded soldier suffering with 'PTSD' and having much war guilt.

It was quite a read of how Lily is thrust into an engagement, then a marriage to a gallant war hero who had rescued her from a kidnapping attempt. By the end the read the reader is see the growth of these two relationship and their developed trust and camaraderie that will become between them as Lily moves to save Edward just as he is their to save her.

So, if you are looking for a delightful historical romance I would definitely recommend 'Marry in Scandal' by Anne Gracie.

Ashendon Court, Oxfordshire - 1811

Lord Ashendon, a widower, is the father of Lily and Rose. Their governess has given her notice declaring that Lily is illiterate. The cruel woman has taunted Lily telling her that she is ignorant. It is true that Lily has trouble with reading and math, but her sister, Rose, and her late mother did all they could to help her. Now, Lord Ashendon has been made aware of this problem and he is shocked. He decides to send both Lily and Rose to a school in Bath. He declares that no one will want to marry Lily.

London - 1818

Agatha, Lady Salter, is the aunt to Lily and Rose Rutherford and great-aunt to Georgiana. She tells them that the Duke of Everingham is bringing two friends to meet the girls and take them to the opera. Lily hates the opera and simply declines the invitation which infuriates her aunt. She informs the woman that she is going to a party with her brother and sister-in-law, Cal and Emm, also known as the Earl and Countess of Ashendon. While at the party, she sees a mean girl she knew from school, Sylvia Gorrie, and with her usual kindness, Lily agrees to introduce Sylvia to some people. When an urgent note arrives from her sister, Rose, Sylvia reads the note saying that Rose has sent a carriage for her and needs her immediately. The next thing she knows, Lily has been kidnapped and thrown in a carriage. After a horrendous trip in the carriage where she is drugged, she is rescued by Edward Galbraith, a friend of her brother, Cal. He endeavors to return her to London. When word leaks out that Lily had been seen with Edward out of town, he chooses to ask for her hand to stifle any rumors. But he does not love her so can they have a good marriage?

I truly enjoyed this book. It is full of all kinds of side stories that all tie together. Lily is a fabulous person and Edward is too. He is carrying some serious guilt that he needs to face and Lily is just the person to help him do so. Keep an eye on Georgiana. Her sense of humor is wonderful. “Look before you leap.” When you read the book, you will appreciate this phrase.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First time reading this author.

Lady Lily Rutherford is holding out for true love. Even though her not so nice Aunt is determined to marry her, her sister and niece off to cold, arrogant, titled men of the ton. But Lily dreams of true love.
She know she has some challenges that need to be overcome, as her dearest Aunt continues to point out. Lily can't read and as been disparaged by her Father and Aunt to be made to feel small and "stupid". But thankfully she has a great support system with her sisters and niece.

Edward Galbraith, is know as cold and aloof. He's aware that he's being pursued for his future title and has no wish to marry. He has baggage that just is too burdensome and troubling to bring into a marriage. Edward sister and Lily are friends.

Lily defies her dearest Aunt and attends an event to meet up with some past schoolmate. Unbeknownst to Lily a plan has been hatched to abduct and take her inheritance. But she finds a knight in shining armor in Edward. The two are put in a compromising situation (due to traveling together) and her reputation is in jeopardy. So again Edward, being a gentleman does the right thing and marries Lily.

And so the two begin learning about each other and they start developing feelings for each other. But insecurities come in to play as well as deep secrets and hurts that need to be revealed.

The writing at times was good, flow of the book in there first couple chapters anyway (though I did think it took a little to long to introduce Edward). But as I progress I found the flow to be stifled as characters seemed to disappear or drop off. Also some issues seemed unresolved, Auntie needed some closer. And then there was Sylvia that was unresolved in my book. I also found some of Lily's behavior a little to naive, like why meet someone who hands you a note that you can't really read?!?! And Edwards reveal could have been dealt with sooner in my opinion. Also the end seemed rush and clumsily put together.

I will try this author again, this one book was just not as promising as I hoped.
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Readers first met Lily Rutherford, heroine of Marry in Scandal (the second book in Anne Gracie’s Marriage of Convenience series), in Marry in Haste, where she was introduced as one of the two somewhat unruly sisters of its hero, Cal, Earl of Ashendon. Now eighteen years old, Lily, her sister, Rose and their niece, Georgiana (who is of an age with them) are all partaking of the London season under the chaperonage of their dragon of an Aunt Augusta, who orders them about, and bullies them (or tries to) into doing whatever she wants them to.

Being the quieter of the three, Lily is usually the main target for Aunt Augusta’s lectures and disparaging comments, many of which relate to the fact that Lily has never been able to learn to read or write, and was regarded by their late father as stupid. Lily’s ‘shortcoming’ is not widely known however, and given she is an heiress, their aunt holds out hope that there may be a man out there who is desperate enough to marry her. All Lily wants is someone who will love and care for her, and whom she can love and care for in return, yet Aunt Agatha insists on thrusting the trio of young ladies into the paths of the sorts of cold, ennui-laden, self-important gentlemen they dislike – and Lily’s refusal to attend the opera so she can meet a duke and two of his friends all but sends the older lady into apoplexy.

It’s unusual for Lily to stand up to their aunt so strongly, but she refuses to be cowed on this occasion. Agatha always makes her feel fat (naturally, Lily isn’t fat, but lusciously curved) and stupid, and she wants to escape from her aunt’s censure for a few hours; and besides, she has agreed to attend another event because she has promised to meet an old schoolmate there. Sadly for Lily however, her promise almost proves her undoing. At the function, she is introduced to the handsome and charming Victor Nixon – who proceeds to slip Lily a mickey, construct a weak excuse to get her outside and then bundle her into a carriage that immediately takes off at speed. Drugged, bound and confused, Lily doesn’t know what’s happening until she hears her captor and his companion bandying around words like ‘bride’ and ‘heiress’ – and realises they must be heading to Gretna Green.

Lily may be quiet and shy, but she discovers her backbone during the uncomfortable journey, and at last manages to escape, running headlong into the path of the coach containing Mr. Edward Galbraith, a notorious rake and friend of Cal’s, who immediately comes to her rescue. Nixon and his henchman are summarily dispatched and, having ascertained Lily’s identity, Edward determines to take her home.

The difficulty is going to be in keeping Lily’s identity and standing as an unmarried lady a secret while they are on the way back to London. Edward has no wish to be forced into marriage because society perceives Lily has been compromised – so they have to be incredibly careful to stop in out-of-the-way places where it’s unlikely anyone of their acquaintance will see them. Things go in their favour – until the very last leg of the journey when one of Aunt Agatha’s rivals sees Lily and starts spreading rumours of her ruin the moment she gets back to London.

When Edwards hears them, he’s furious. He doesn’t want to be married, but he can’t stand by and let an innocent young woman be falsely accused and publicly ruined. He likes Lily, admires her intelligence and pluck and is most definitely attracted to her lush body, but he knows she wants to marry for love and that’s the one thing he cannot give her. If, however, he offers for Lily but makes it clear from the start that love isn’t an option… then perhaps marriage isn’t completely out of the question.

Marry is Scandal doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s an easy, undemanding read featuring two attractive principals who have lots of lovely romantic chemistry, and I enjoyed it. Lily is the more well-drawn of the two protagonists and undergoes the most character growth; she has spent all her life hurting and lacking confidence because of her father’s rejection and belief that she must be stupid because she was unable to learn to read or write, and I was rooting for her as she learnt to stand up for herself and to fight for the man she loves. Edward is rather stereotypical; another of those marriage-shy bachelors with such deep hurt in his past that he believes himself unworthy of love or happiness, but for all that, he’s an attractive hero, and Ms. Gracie clearly shows the reader that he’s falling hard for Lily in spite of his determination to remain detached. She injects a little bit of mystery into the story courtesy of his flat refusal to return home, even though he loves the place and the grandfather who practically raised him – but his about-face and coming to terms with the past come rather too late in the story to feel anything other than rushed and glossed over.

There’s an engaging and well-characterised secondary cast in the story, and it’s refreshing to discover Edward’s grandfather is a decent, kind man who loves his grandson dearly rather than one of those ruthless, harsh and dictatorial father-figures so often found in the genre. The writing is smooth and laced with warmth and gentle humour, and in short, Marry in Scandal is sure to appeal to fans of the marriage-of-convenience trope and to anyone looking for a charming and sweetly sensual historical romance without too much overblown drama.

Marry in Scandal by Anne Gracie is book Two in the Marriage of Convenience series. This is the story of Lady Lily Rutherford and Edward Galbraith. I haven't yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Lily was holding out for a true courtship and true love but a mishap has her tied to Edward. Lily has a disability that made her wish for the true love part as to ease her life into a marriage. But moving forward Lily tries to find love with Edward but he won't open up to her and is standing on a marriage of convenience.
Edward knows of Lily's Innocent and of her friendship with his sister but with one kiss is all it takes to opens him to seeing her as more. Edward has past issues that he hasn't dealt with that make what Lily wants from him hard to give but he wants her.
Ms. Gracie knows who to write a book that takes you through so many emotions! I am just crazy about her books and this one did not disappoint!

Publisher's Description:

A shy heiress and a well-known rake face a scandal-forced marriage that might be true love in the latest irresistible romance from the national bestselling author of Marry in Haste.

Shy young heiress, Lady Lily Rutherford, is in no hurry to marry. She dreams of true love and a real courtship. But when disaster strikes, she finds herself facing a scandal-forced marriage to her rescuer, Edward Galbraith, a well known rake.

Despite his reputation Lily is drawn to the handsome Galbraith. In the gamble of her life, she agrees to marry him, hoping to turn a convenient marriage into a love match.

As heir to a title, Galbraith knows he must wed, so a convenient marriage suits him perfectly. But there is a darkness in his past, and secrets he refuses to share with his tender-hearted young bride. All Lily's efforts to get close to him fall on stony ground, and in desperation she retreats to his childhood home--the place he's avoided for nearly a decade.

Must Lily reconcile herself to a marriage without love? Or will Galbraith realize that this warm-hearted, loving girl is the key to healing the wounds of his past--and his heart?

My Thoughts:

I was impressed enough with this book to borrow a copy of book 1 from my local library.
The characters are simply delightful.
In the time of this story people had no notion that Lily's issue was a common learning disability. She wasn't stupid, just had a problem that is no longer misunderstood..
Lily's problem caused her a great deal of grief. Her father thought she was stupid and she did everything possible to dodge the fact that she couldn't read more than a few words.
Galbraith has problems of his own. After he saves Lily from her abductor he does everything possible to prevent a scandal. But one occurs anyway.
Now he is forced to ask for Lily's hand in marriage.
Lily wants nothing more than to marry for love. She is very attracted to Galbraith who is her brother's friend. She is certain that she loves him but are her feelings reciprocated.
I gave this delightful tale 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames.
What surely starts as lust for Galbraith is much more for Lily.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This book started fine but lost steam in the middle. I felt that way too much time was spent setting up the heroine’s secret (that she can’t read), and the hero’s secret (he felt guilty about the war), and they both spent too long hiding their feelings. The hero doesn't even show up until a third into the book!! That's a huge problem, the hero should be front and center from chapter one. Instead we got a lot of stuff about side characters in Lily's life, who I presume are being set up for future books, but that was at the expense of Ned's narrative. The "villain" wasn't realistic, like something out of a kid's movie.

Readers first met Lily Rutherford, heroine of Marry in Scandal (the second book in Anne Gracie’s Marriage of Convenience series), in Marry in Haste, where she was introduced as one of the two somewhat unruly sisters of its hero, Cal, Earl of Ashendon.  Now eighteen years old, Lily, her sister, Rose and their niece, Georgiana (who is of an age with them) are all partaking of the London season under the chaperonage of their dragon of an Aunt Augusta, who orders them about, and bullies them (or tries to) into doing whatever she wants them to.

Being the quieter of the three, Lily is usually the main target for Aunt Augusta’s lectures and disparaging comments, many of which relate to the fact that Lily has never been able to learn to read or write, and was regarded by their late father as stupid.  Lily’s ‘shortcoming’ is not widely known however, and given she is an heiress, their aunt holds out hope that there may be a man out there who is desperate enough to marry her.  All Lily wants is someone who will love and care for her, and whom she can love and care for in return, yet Aunt Agatha insists on thrusting the trio of young ladies into the paths of the sorts of cold, ennui-laden, self-important gentlemen they dislike - and Lily’s refusal to attend the opera so she can meet a duke and two of his friends all but sends the older lady into apoplexy.

It’s unusual for Lily to stand up to their aunt so strongly, but she refuses to be cowed on this occasion. Agatha always makes her feel fat (naturally, Lily isn’t fat, but lusciously curved) and stupid, and she wants to escape from her aunt’s censure for a few hours; and besides, she has agreed to attend another event because she has promised to meet an old schoolmate there.  Sadly for Lily however, her promise almost proves her undoing.  At the function, she is introduced to the handsome and charming Victor Nixon – who proceeds to slip Lily a mickey, construct a weak excuse to get her outside and then bundle her into a carriage that immediately takes off at speed.  Drugged, bound and confused, Lily doesn’t know what’s happening until she hears her captor and his companion bandying around words like ‘bride’ and ‘heiress’ – and realises they must be heading to Gretna Green.

Lily may be quiet and shy, but she discovers her backbone during the uncomfortable journey, and at last manages to escape, running headlong into the path of the coach containing Mr. Edward Galbraith, a notorious rake and friend of Cal’s, who immediately comes to her rescue.  Nixon and his henchman are summarily dispatched and, having ascertained Lily’s identity, Edward determines to take her home.

The difficulty is going to be in keeping Lily’s identity and standing as an unmarried lady a secret while they are on the way back to London.  Edward has no wish to be forced into marriage because society perceives Lily has been compromised – so they have to be incredibly careful to stop in out-of-the-way places where it’s unlikely anyone of their acquaintance will see them.  Things go in their favour – until the very last leg of the journey when one of Aunt Agatha’s rivals sees Lily and starts spreading rumours of her ruin the moment she gets back to London.

When Edwards hears them, he’s furious.  He doesn’t want to be married, but he can’t stand by and let an innocent young woman be falsely accused and publicly ruined.  He likes Lily, admires her intelligence and pluck and is most definitely attracted to her lush body, but he knows she wants to marry for love and that’s the one thing he cannot give her.  If, however, he offers for Lily but makes it clear from the start that love isn’t an option… then perhaps marriage isn’t completely out of the question.

Marry is Scandal doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s an easy, undemanding read featuring two attractive principals who have lots of lovely romantic chemistry, and I enjoyed it.  Lily is the more well-drawn of the two protagonists and undergoes the most character growth; she has spent all her life hurting and lacking confidence because of her father’s rejection and belief that she must be stupid because she was unable to learn to read or write, and I was rooting for her as she learnt to stand up for herself and to fight for the man she loves.  Edward is rather stereotypical; another of those marriage-shy bachelors with such deep hurt in his past that he believes himself unworthy of love or happiness, but for all that, he’s an attractive hero, and Ms. Gracie clearly shows the reader that he’s falling hard for Lily in spite of his determination to remain detached.  She injects a little bit of mystery into the story courtesy of his flat refusal to return home, even though he loves the place and the grandfather who practically raised him – but his about-face and coming to terms with the past come rather too late in the story to feel anything other than rushed and glossed over.

There’s an engaging and well-characterised secondary cast in the story, and it’s refreshing to discover Edward’s grandfather is a decent, kind man who loves his grandson dearly rather than one of those ruthless, harsh and dictatorial father-figures so often found in the genre.  The writing is smooth and laced with warmth and gentle humour, and in short, Marry in Scandal is sure to appeal to fans of the marriage-of-convenience trope and to anyone looking for a charming and sweetly sensual historical romance without too much overblown drama.

Buy it at: Amazon/iBooks/Nook/Kobo

Our Heroine. Lady Lily Rutherford (18) is an heiress, the daughter of an earl, and youngest of three siblings. Her brother (the new Earl) is the hero of Book 1, but if you haven't read it, don't worry; I hadn't and I don't think it took anything away from my enjoyment. She's the sweet, "meek," quiet one of the group (in addition to her siblings, there is her niece, Georgiana, or "George," who is actually older than her and hysterical as f***! Can't wait for her story). Lily doesn't know how to read or write (from the description, it seems like dyslexia), and she is very self-conscious about this and it really defines a lot about her and how her family treats her and is so protective. She's not as pretty as her sister, Rose, and George, and is the plumper, shier one of the trio.

I didn't fall in love with Lucy, but I did grow to like her a whole hell of a lot. She really grows in the book, and I appreciated that; I liked seeing her become stronger, stick up for herself, face things head-on, take what she wants, etc. It was definitely what I liked best about her character, and I can't really put my finger on what spark was missing for me. Somehow, she was just a bit too washed out or a bit too ... placid, is maybe the right word. She evolves a lot though, so I don't know if the impression was so strong at the beginning that that just stuck with me, or if Gracie was a bit inconsistent at times and the old Lucy came through too much.

Our Hero. Mr. Edward (Ned) Galbraith (27) is friends with Cal, Lily's brother, and was the best man at his wedding. He's basically alone in the world, except for his grandfather, whom he's incredibly fond of and who is extremely fond of him. His parents were pretty horrible, and at the age of 6 he went off to live with his grandfather in the country; his grandfather is Lord Galbraith, but I'm not sure what level his title is. He enlisted in the army when he was 18, much to his father and grandfather's dismay, and ever since leaving for the war, he has not returned to his childhood (his grandfather's) home. They're not estranged, he just won't go home, and it's a big mystery to us, the readers, as well as to everyone else, why that's the case.

I really liked Edward and thought he was a sweet hero. When we first meet him, he literally is a hero, because he saves Lily (after she has saved herself). His hang-ups could have easily been harped on too much, but Gracie managed that line very finely, so that he didn't come off as annoyingly tortured. His determination to not fall in love is the oldest trope in the book for our beloved romance heroes, but this was also well-managed. Yes, he's determined to not let Lily get too close, but it wasn't overboard. I did feel that the turnaround came a bit quick and rushed at the end, but oh well.

Summary. I really don't feel like this counts as a spoiler, because it happens at the very beginning and is really the core of the first half of the story (as always, the back cover summary is misleading and doesn't actually tell you much).

Short version? (view spoiler) Unfortunately, attempts to hush over her absence don't work, she and Edward's names become linked, her reputation is on the brink of being ruined, and so he offers and she accepts (despite her family's protestations). The rest of the book is their honeymoon, the beginning of their marriage, them working out some trust issues, and both coming to terms with their feelings for one another. Besides for the aforementioned huge ass prick, there is no real needless-mystery subplot, which makes for a nice change.

Reaction. I definitely enjoyed the book, the characters, and the relationship development. The chemistry was great and there were some lovely laugh-out-loud moments. As I already mentioned, I really appreciated Lily's character development; whereas Edward's development comes from accepting love into his life and coming to terms with the past, Lily's is much more internal, but lovely to watch. I also appreciated that for once, a heroine didn't feel the need to rush everything, and understood that marriage is for a long-ass time and if her husband doesn't feel a certain way at one point, it doesn't mean that that will always be the case.

For me, a 3.5-star romance rating means I'm glad I read it, but wouldn't reread, whereas a 4-star and above indicates it's worth rereads in the future. And this is where I'm torn, because I'm not sure if I will want to reread this. There was a little spark missing and some things that annoyed me, for instance Lily's naiveté and way-too-trusting nature, which sometimes almost bordered on TSTL, and her belief way too early that she might be in love with Edward. On the other hand, there were great aspects, as I've described above, which is what make the book worth reading in the first place ... Will have to come back to this to make a final decision.

Recommendations.
This book is much a marriage-to-avoid-scandal than marriage-of-convenience (I consider those two different things). Here are my favorite of the former:
• The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London — ⑤ my review
• Her Christmas Earl by Anna Campbell — ⑤ my review
• Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas — ④½ my review
• The Scoundrel's Honor by Christi Caldwell — ④½ my review
• The Lady Who Loved Him by Christi Caldwell — ④½ my review
My other Anne Gracie recommendation:
• The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie — ⑤ my review

*An ARC was provided to me by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review; certain quotes may be different in the finished book

Another winner from Anne Gracie. This story just grabs the reader with emotion packed scenes and dialog. There is a heroic intervention by Edward when he saves Lily from kidnappers. But in saving her life he may ruin her reputation. Can this battle-scarred man learn to love? Can loving a man be enough when he doesn’t love you back? This author can bring a story to life with action, adventure, and sensuality. This is a standalone novel in this series.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next one. In this book in the series we get to dive in deeper with Lily and the man that steals her heart. If you are looking for a good Marriage of Convenience series give this a shot.

This was my first book by Anne Gracie, but it won't be the last. Her writing was exquisite, and the secondary characters were almost as delightful as the lead couple. Marry in Scandal is the second book in the Marriage of Convenience series, but it was fine as a stand alone. The story of Lily and Edward was strong enough to carry the book without knowing all of the back story.
Lady Lily Rutherford is a young, beautiful heiress... with an awful secret. Born with a learning disability, she is unable to read or write. Dismissed and sent away to school by her callous father, Lily has learned to hide her disability, counting on her sister to cover for her and make up for her shortcomings. Despite a lifetime of being called overweight and stupid, Lily is a tenderhearted, intelligent young lady who dreams of someday marrying for love. Lily is no fool.... she knows her family name and fortune is the big attraction to any suitors that might want to pursue her. She has seen her brother's marriage of convenience turn into true love, though, and she hopes for the same future for herself.
Lily's future is put in jeopardy when a conniving vindictive school acquaintance involves her in a scheme to take over her inheritance. Lily is nothing if not resourceful, though, and she manages to escape from her abductor before he could force her into marriage. Her respite is short, though, and it's not long before her captor chases her down.
Enter Ned Galbraith.... renowned rake and eternal bachelor known for living in the moment without a commitment to any kind of future. When he encounters a bedraggled, injured Lily along the way to a house party, his protective instincts rise up. Even if he didn't know her, he would be appalled at the treatment this young woman has received. But it turns out he does know her.... he was best man at Lily's brother's wedding. He may be a ladies man of the worst degree, but he's a gentleman who knows right from wrong when it comes to the treatment of innocent young ladies. His friendship with Cal reinforces his determination to bring Lily back to safety.
During their journey back to London, Edward manages to keep Lily safe physically, but her reputation takes a hit when they are discovered traveling together. A marriage of convenience is forced upon them, which is more than fine with Lily. Her admiration of Edward at Cal's wedding turns into longing and lust the more she gets to know him. Edward tries to warn Lily that he cannot offer her love, but Lily remains hopeful.
I absolutely loved the way the author brought Edward around to recognizing his love for Lily. Even when he is determined to protect her tender heart from his callous one, he is vulnerable to her charms and can't keep himself away. Lily was a fantastic heroine and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.
I give Marry in Scandal 5 stars.

I LOVED this book. I want to read every single this this author has written!

Let me begin by saying two things. One, I have not read the first novel in this series (although I can only assume it has to do with Lily's brother's marriage to his wife Emmaline), and two there are so many little things that could have been added (or changed) to this story that would have made it just a little more enjoyable (at least for me).

The fact that I have not read book one should not be taken as a deterrent. The fact that I have not done so did not keep me from enjoying the characters as were presented in this novel. I had no problems understanding the characters, and their relationships as they pertained to the story.

The things I feel could have been done better? I wish the author would have allowed the reader to see more of Becky and her brother once they had arrived in London (did they get to see any sights? Did they fall in love with the city or long for their home?), it seemed as though once Edward and Lily arrived in London their companions just sort of disappeared. I wish we had gotten to see a "showdown" between Aunt Agatha and her "rival"; the old biddy who had spread gossip about Lily in the first place, and above all that I wish we had gotten to see what happened to Sylvia once and for all. She burned all of her bridges - quite badly - and I am desperate to know what happened to her once she realized she was well and truly screwed. But that is just me and I love a good comeuppance.

Strictly speaking about what we were given - I enjoyed this story for the most part. It was definitely a unique take on a couple different aspects (both the fact that Lily could not read as well as the survivor's guilt that Edward carried), I just wish these things had been given more of a spotlight (especially where Edward was concerned). There were some areas that seemed rushed, and some plots that seemed more as a way to tie up loose ends than to truly add to anything, but on the whole, I enjoyed this historical romance, and I feel others will as well. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Shy young heiress, Lady Lily Rutherford, is in no hurry to marry. She dreams of true love and a real courtship. But when disaster strikes, she finds herself facing a scandal-forced marriage to her rescuer, Edward Galbraith, a well known rake.

Despite his reputation Lily is drawn to the handsome Galbraith. In the gamble of her life, she agrees to marry him, hoping to turn a convenient marriage into a love match.

As heir to a title, Galbraith knows he must wed, so a convenient marriage suits him perfectly. But there is a darkness in his past, and secrets he refuses to share with his tender-hearted young bride. All Lily's efforts to get close to him fall on stony ground, and in desperation she retreats to his childhood home—the place he's avoided for nearly a decade.

Must Lily reconcile herself to a marriage without love? Or will Galbraith realize that this warm-hearted, loving girl is the key to healing the wounds of his past—and his heart?

Lily is an heiress and while a husband would be nice she definitely wants to marry for love. Her brother married for convenience, but that match turned into true love and after seeing love at work in her home, she definitely wants that for herself. Unfortunately there are others who have something else in mind. Lily is tricked into thinking her sister needs help and kidnapped by a man who only wants Lily for her money. She manages to escape and is saved by Lord Galbraith, a friend of her brothers. Despite all the machinations to keep Lily’s identity a secret it only took one person seeing her to ruin her reputation.

Galbraith is a rake (at least we are told he is, we see no evidence of this in the book) and as such, not the marrying kind. He is however the heir to a title so he knows he must marry eventually. When he realizes that Lily’s reputation has been compromised, although they did nothing but kiss, he offers for her. Galbraith tries everything he can to keep away from Lily because her softness draws him like a bee to honey. But he can’t let himself get in deep with the woman as he has serious secrets and guilt from his past.

I loved Lily in this book. She was clever and smart and tough. She put up with a whole hell of a lot in the first part of this book but she didn’t just sit back and let it happen. She saved herself and I was so proud of her! Her father had made her think she was an idiot because she couldn’t read (I’m assuming dyslexia) and that had been carried with her throughout the years. She had a good head on her shoulders. When it came to Galbraith I was happy that she stood up for what she wanted (him) and didn’t let him get away. I liked her strength of character.

Despite Galbraith supposedly being a rake he was actually quite a gentleman and honorable. He helped Lily when she needed it and made every effort to protect her. When he couldn’t he stepped up to the plate. He had some issues that were worked out in the book and they played a part in the making of his personality, but they got smoothed out in the end. He really was a good man and I liked him a lot.

Another great book from Anne Gracie! I’m not sure how I missed the first book in this series when it released but I did. Despite that I didn’t feel like I needed to read it in order to read this book. There were a few times that events from the previous book were mentioned that I didn’t understand, but they were so minor I wasn’t worried I was missing anything. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5


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Anne Gracie does it again. The book was fabulous and the cast of characters was excellent. Not often do you find a set of female characters in Regency England that have their own money and do not have to marry to secure their future. These strong women make the reader feel truly invested. This installment with Lily and Edward as leads gives an intuitive, shy, and smart female lead, Lily and a wounded warrior (PTSD), Edward. The two meet under extenuating circumstances and find their way to each other and truly compliment the other's shortcomings. I cannot recommend Gracie's series more highly.

I always say that you can tell how a book will read by the first few sentences. While that may not be true for every book ever written, in the case of Marry in Scandal, the Prologue was instantly attention-grabbing. I was immediately thrust into the hardship of Lady Lily, a sweet, kind, yet illiterate lady of the noble birth. At a very young age, she already knew she couldn't read - or rather, she just couldn't grasp the concept of reading or forming letters into words. And while Lily is shunned by her aunt and father, the Earl, her sister and cousin loves her no matter what.
Enter a zealous "friend" who whether knowingly or not, gets Lily into deep trouble without means of escape. Lilly is trapped and surely in dire trouble until a handsome Lord inadvertently intervenes and rescues her. Ned Gailbraith, an heir to a very rich grandfather remembers Lily from her brother's wedding and agrees to help her safely home.
Marry in Scandal is incredibly well written with wonderful pacing and detailed descriptions of the characters and England's scenery. This is my first book by Annie Grace and the author has a delectable way of getting you into the minds of the characters. Each character, minor and major all have a role to play and they play their roles brilliantly. The mean but well-intention aunt reminds you of all the hard pressed relatives out there who is always looking down at you and degrading you. The sister who loves you and supports you no matter what. The older brother who would do anything to protect you. And the friends who stand by you regardless of who you are or your station in life.
Although Lily can barely read, she keeps this huge secret from Gailbraith and anyone outside the immediate family. She is afraid ofcourse of being ridiculed as her father had felt when he cast her and her sister Rose out.
As a reader, you're taken through Lily's kidnapping from the beginning, to her journey throughout and her courtship with Gailbraith. Marry in Scancal was a fun read and definitely a book you can't stop reading until the end.
The only thing that bothered me about the book was Ned Gailbraith's title. Was was his official title? He was to receive the title passed down from his grandfather but we don't know what that title is supposed to be. Is he going to be an Earl? A Baron? A Duke? That part was very unclear and bugged me somewhat throughout the story.
Otherwise, don't let that hinder you from reading Marry in Scandal. There are some risque parts but the entire book is so fun to read indeed!
Thank you for the ARC!

Another non-secret of mine is I am obsessed with Anne Gracie! Her historical romances are an incredible breath of fresh air with their incredible female friendship positivity, family dynamics driven plot, and swoony romances. Marry in Scandal was no exception! I got the email for this eARC the DAY I was leaving for London and clearly the timing couldn't have been more perfect! As with Marry in Haste, this marriage of convenience was delicious. The chubby, forgotten sister of the Rutherford clan never expected anything in her love life but it didn't stop her from dreaming of it. Lily is a doll. Sweet, kind, intelligent, and full of grit. She is not one to take anything lying down and I loved that about her! The hero, Edward, sees Lily for exactly who she is and I looooooved him for it! He never saw any of her "flaws" that she sees. What I also loved about this book, and Anne Gracie in general, was the short-list of unnecessary conflict. There is conflict among the couple to be sure but it's never drawn out. My biggest gripe with recent historical romances is this idea they have to be pushing 400 pages and draw everything out, I can't stand that. This book and author never does that. The plot is tight, the romance is swoony, and the drama is realistic and concise. Love love love. If you're looking for a new historical romance author to fall in love with who feels like a breath of fresh air, Anne Gracie is your girl!