Thank you for approving my request for this book. Unfortunately, he last few books from this author have really lost their magic for me, and they don't feel authentic to the time period. I have lost interest in reading anything from this author.

This Regency read by Anna Bradley is oh so romantic with a little bit of spice. Well written and entertaining. A really wonderful read...

Responsible older sister Iris is determined to make a good match to help her family, and when titled Finn proposes, she thinks all her troubles are over. But then she overhears some truly shocking news about her betrothed and jilts him—only he refuses to let her go so easily.

It seems like Iris is occasionally headstrong for the sake of the plot in this entertaining novel, but overall it was a good read. She and Finn are well matched.

For the sake of propriety, and her younger sisters’ reputations, Iris Somerset has kept her rebellious streak locked away. But though she receives a proposal from Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington, Iris can’t marry a man she knows isn’t truly enamored with her. In fact, Iris no longer wants to be chosen—she wants to choose. Under the clandestine tutelage of “wicked widow” Lady Annabel Tallant, she’ll learn how to steer her own marriage prospects—and discover her secret appetites. What kind of debutante refuses a marquess? Finn is surprised, a little chastened—and thoroughly intrigued. This new, independent version of Iris is far more alluring than the polished socialite she used to be. Finn believed he needed a safe, quiet wife to curb his wilder impulses. But the more Iris surprises him, the more impossible it becomes to resist their deepest desires
I didn’t like this book. I couldn’t stand Finn at all. I actually felt a little sorry for Iris, but I didn’t see anything redeeming about Finn throughout the book, so in the end, it was hard to like her too. I’ve read this author’s books before and liked them, so this was a big disappointment.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

More or Less a Marchioness is the first book I've read from Anna Bradley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love reading books with strong heroines that gives the hero a chase! I recommend this book to all lovers of a strong female character and a loving hero

This is the first story in The Somerset Sisters series and as such it had to do a lot of exposition of numerous characters and I found that to be a bit too long.

As for our main characters, Iris and Finn, it took me almost the whole book to finally like them a bit. I mean, Finn's character was someone I had the most trouble with. He was such a jerk and not of redeemable kind. No wonder the heroine ditches him.

And until I saw some backbone in Iris, I thought she was just another dimwitted girl doing her family's bidding and a pushover for a man that is plainly a hypocrite and a scoundrel.

The redeeming quality in this story are the dialogue and the setting. The author does a great job in putting us in the middle of beautiful home parties and giving us some humorous scenes.

The premise of the series is well thought out but the execution I'm having trouble with and I am curios enough to invest time in reading the full series.

Melanie for b2b

Fantastic read! I look forward to the next book! Lord Huntinton is a bumbling idiot who took Iris way too much for franted until she overhears a conversation that made her decide to dump him and what follows is a merry chase by Lord Huntington who realised all too late what a treasure he had in Iris.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the start of a series by a new author for me. I actually really enjoyed this story. We have Iris who is everything a young English Lady should be and Finn a marchioness who knows what he wants. Iris overhears something that she shouldn’t and the story takes off from there. Iris decides that she now wants to be an independent woman and I liked that a lot. It looks to be a pretty good series and looking forward to the next one in the series.

This was my first book by Anna Bradley, and I loved it. It had everything I could want in a historical romance, especially engaging characters with great chemistry. I look forward to reading more by Bradley, and would definitely recommend this book.

This was a lovely story and I'm happy I had the opportunity to read it. I thought Iris was very stubborn as times when she shouldn't. I also hat the face that Violet didn't get to marry Lord Derrick. I hope she gets her happy ending.

I am new to this author but plan on reading more of her works. This story had me reading non stop.

While slow to start, Anna Bradley's "More or Less a Marchioness" presents an enjoyable romance that consists, first and foremost, of a young woman learning to respect herself, her own judgement, and her desires. Gratifyingly, Bradley accomplishes much of this without impressing 21st-century standards for female behavior on her characters. A welcome addition to the genre.

The Season has resulted as Iris Somerset expected, being betrothed to the sought after, Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington. After all, Iris has been the proper debutante following all the rules of The Ton. Why is it she can't shake the feeling there is something amiss with her fiancé?

Finn is doing his duty and being a typical society gentleman. He will marry, have an heir and continue through life with a biddable bride. It doesn't matter who the woman is as long as she is a docile sort. It didn't even bother him when it was a card game that decided which lady it would be. Until that is his betrothed found out after spying him with his former mistress.

Feeling as if she has been living a life that is not her own, Iris breaks her engagement and leaves London for a house party. Being invited himself, Finn decides to surprise the woman he suddenly notices.

Overall I enjoyed this story but I had to read it in its entirety to feel that way. A great deal of the book had me feeling as if the only reason Finn perused Iris was because of a wounded ego. I never really felt any other connection for him other than that until close to the end. It put me off that he kept saying his type was a dark voluptuous woman with brown eyes. This was the exact opposite of Iris and exactly like his former mistress. Then there was a love scene in which the couple reenacted an interaction with his mistress. I couldn't buy their connection while another woman's name was brought into their tryst even if he had no feelings for the former lover.
By the last quarter of the story the hero began to show more of who he truly was and at that point I could begin to see how they fit together.
I do love Anna Bradley's novels and will pick up Victoria's story the day it comes out.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~

More or Less a Marchioness is the first book in The Somerset Sisters by Anna Bradley.

Iris Somerset is in London, and for the sake of her younger sisters, she is looking for a husband. She’s an independent woman with a wild streak, but she must put her true character away and act the perfect young lady that any nobleman would want to marry.

Phineas Knight, Fin, the Marquess of Huntington is looking for a wife, somebody biddable, and quiet, and one not expecting love. There are two women who he would be content to marry, but as his friend is also looking to marry a biddable miss, they decide to wager on which of them would court which lady. Fin loses or thinks he does when it’s decided that he court Iris.

All goes swimmingly, and they soon are betrothed, but after overhearing a conversation between Fin and his mistress who he is telling that their arrangement is over, things come to light for Iris. She realises she can’t keep up the perfect persona and that it wouldn’t be fair to Fin, so she breaks the betrothal!

Of course, no sooner than the betrothal is broken than Fin starts to see Iris in a new light. When they are both invited to a house party he makes it his mission to keep her from getting involved with a scoundrel who is sniffing around her, and in doing so starts to realise that he really wants to marry Iris still. Can he convince her he is the right choice for her? Or will she convince him that she can’t be the woman he deserves as his Marchioness?

This was a heartwarming story, one that had me smiling a lot as our two main characters start to realise things about themselves and each other. Things including if nothing else a firm attraction to each other, one that leads to some very steamy, passionate yet loving scenes between the couple. They have a lot of obstacles to go through before they possibly have their happily ever after, but one thing that is never a problem for them is how much they lust for each other. It was a real pleasure reading Iris’ story, and I look forward to reading her sisters’ stories in the next books in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book

I loved Iris and Finn's story!

It's not often that a lady of this time would break her betrothal to a Marquess, but when Iris finds that her intended is indifferent to her, she does what is needed for her to be happy. Finn doesn't take the broken betrothal very well and does his best to change Iris's mind.

I loved watching these two banter back and forth as well as watching Iris come into her own. This was a wonderful start to a new series and I can't wait for the next one!

What’s it About? Rebellious Iris Somerset has locked away her real personality for the sake of her younger sisters’ reputations and as a result she becomes engaged to society’s most respectable man, Phineas Knight, Lord Huntington. At least on the surface, Finn is a respectable man which is why he is convinced he needs a safe, respectable wife. He thought he had found it in Iris until she suddenly breaks off their engagement because she refuses to marry a man who doesn’t love her. As Iris starts to reveal her real personality, Finn becomes intrigued and can’t help but want to know the real Iris, except she’s gone off to the country to stay with family. Since their broken engagement has yet to reach anyone else’s ears, Finn follows her, determined to figure out why the real Iris is much more interesting than the Iris he was engaged to.


Overall reaction to the story? More or Less a Marchioness was a lot of fun, not surprising since I’ve enjoyed all of Anna Bradley’s books thus far but Iris and Finn were special. Theirs wasn't an immediate connection but that's what made this book so much fun. I loved the way their romance played out and how they both had to change in order for it to be believable. It was fun and endearing from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see what is in store for the remaining Somerset sisters.

Describe the hero in five words: Stodgy. Respectable. Loyal. Protective. Caring.
Did you like him? Yes.
Why? Finn is so stuffy at the beginning, every inch the pompous aristocrat you’d expect him to be and at first I wasn’t so sure he was going to be anything else but after Iris ditches him it’s like he comes to life. He wasn’t pompous but reserved and a bit shy when it came to conversations with people he didn’t know very well. Sure, he had a more than healthy ego on him for most of the story; he honestly didn’t know why Iris would refuse to marry him, much less pass on the chance to become a marchioness! What I really liked about Finn though was the small part of him that was almost like a child. His childhood was so different from Iris and her sisters and as he got to know Iris more, it was like he became more vulnerable to his own feelings of neglect and emotional isolation. I was surprised at how much his vulnerability made him a character that a reader would want to protect, and of course, a great guy for Iris to fall for. After some self discovery of course.

Describe the heroine in five words: Stubborn. Vulnerable. Clever. Caring. Snarky.
Did you like her? Yes.
Why? Iris had me worried in the beginning because she was so compliant with what society wanted from her but then she broke off her engagement and became so much more interesting. Iris wasn't always 100% sure of what she was doing or what she wanted but she did know what she didn't want and that was more than enough to have her standing her ground. To me Iris was still discovering who she was as a young woman and I liked that she made mistakes while she grew as a character. Those imperfections made me like her even more. She didn't let Finn bully her but she wasn't cruel to him, just brutally honest sometimes which I liked a lot. She was a grown woman but still retained a bit of a child like enthusiasm for the simple things in life that was part of her appeal.

Let’s talk about the romance: There wasn't any kind of heat or attraction between Finn and Iris when they were engaged and that had me thinking that there was no way these two could be compatible but once again Anna Bradley proved me wrong. With Iris' change in demeanor she was suddenly a match for Finn but by the time he realized it she was telling him that she wasn't going to marry him after all. Finn's need to figure out where things went wrong lead him to follow Iris and that's really when the sparks started to fly. Since New Iris wasn't afraid to speak her mind, she would challenge him with her opinions and that interested Finn. I loved how the tension between them escalated into a very fiery attraction but also lead to some revealing and vulnerable moments between them. It wasn't just Iris that had a self revelation moment, Finn had his too and they both changed from the characters they were in the beginning to better versions of themselves at the end.

How about that supporting cast? The Somerset sisters are an interesting group, they each have distinctive personalities and I am super interested in Violet and Hyacinth. Violet seems to be even more direct than Iris and definitely more stubborn.

Click It or Skip It? Click It. Finn and Iris' romance is a bumpy one but not only is it worth the journey, both characters grow a lot in the process.

4.5 Stars

Phineas "Finn" Knight, Marquess Huntington, likes to be in control of all facets of his life. When he decides it's time to marry, he and two companions wager over which of them will court the most beautiful and wealthiest heiresses. Finn comes out second in the bet, so he begins a courtship of his second choice, Iris Somerset.

Iris is flattered by the attention from the wealthy and handsome marquess, and after a brief and proper courtship, they become engaged. Iris's happiness rapidly fades when it's soon clear that Finn shows no personal interest in Iris, and has no desire to kiss her, or display any type of affection. When Iris overhears a very painful conversation between Finn and his ex-mistress, one that details the wager and his lack of regard for her, she is crushed. This, plus his callous recent refusal to kiss Iris, gives her the courage to end the engagement. The catch of the season, Marquess Huntington, has been jilted.

Finn is stunned, and becomes determined that Iris will marry him. He makes plans to attend a house party that Iris will be attending, and begins his campaign. Though Iris is shocked to see Finn at the party, she is just as determined to hold her ground and not give in. Her acting the perfect and proper lady only brought her heartache, so, even though it may mean her ruin, she will not marry Finn.

Though Finn's initial purpose was to do the proper thing, and to keep Iris from being ruined or falling prey to a fortune hunter, he finds himself attracted to this new version of his former fiancée. While he thought he wanted a quiet, correct, and biddable wife, he comes to realize that he just wants Iris. Over the course of the party, they actually have conversations, not just the social chitchat that filled their previous meetings. They also discover a sizzling chemistry, fueled, no doubt, by Iris's reading material - some naughty books recommended by Anabel, a "wicked widow" attending the party.

I loved watching both Iris and Finn coming to realize new truths about themselves, and to grow and change. I cheered when Iris initially gave Finn his walking papers, as the man he was then deserved to be jilted. That action took great courage, as did her decision to be true to herself going forward. Although Finn was horrible at first, I confess that I love a hero who is all buttoned up and proper on the outside, but is hiding an inferno underneath. Finn's insistence on control and propriety stemmed from a painful childhood, and once he became aware of the reasons, he let down some of his walls, and I adored the new version of him.

MORE OR LESS A MARCHIONESS pushed all the right buttons for me. To really love a book, I have to feel emotionally involved, and the scene where Iris overheard Finn and his ex-mistress had me in tears. The romance built slowly and deliciously, and the passion was very hot. I savored every encounter between Iris and Finn, and his gesture of love at the book's end was another wonderful tear inducing moment. MORE OR LESS A MARCHIONESS is added to my 2018 favorites list, and is a book I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I started this book with the thought it would take me a few days to get through. But once I started, I couldn't put it down.
This is book 1 in the Sommerset Sister series. But even though it's book 1, the oldest 2 sisters are in Anna's first series, The Sutherland Scandals. But this book is a stand alone, as it doesn't even mention her other 2 sisters.
This story is about Iris. She is making her debut season and is considered a diamond of the first water. She becomes betrothed to a Marquess, Phineas Huntington.
But after overhearing a conversation in the garden between the Marquess and his former mistress, Iris decides to cry off the engagement.
Finn is shocked. Who would dare turn down a Marquess! But at the same time he looks at Iris in a totally new way.
This decision leads them to questioning, exploring and discovering who and what they are, not just as a person but as a couple.
Of course it's no smooth sailing. There are things said, other people get involved. But in the end they work it out together.
I loved the book! Well done, Anna Bradley! Can't wait for the next one.

Iris Somerset has received a marriage proposal from Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington. Iris doesn’t want to marry a man she knows isn’t truly enamored with her so she attempts to kiss him and he rebukes her. After this debacle of the kiss she unfortunately overhears an argument between Finn and his ex-mistress at a Garden Party. She finds she wasn’t his first choice as a bride, gambling for his future bride he lost the gaming wager and got her. Iris no longer wants to be chosen she wants to choose! Poor Finn is thrown for quite a loop to find he’s himself jilted. What kind of debutante refuses a marquess? This change in Iris is quite appealing to Finn, he’s always believed he needed a safe, quiet wife to curb his wilder impulses, now he’s set out to woo her to be his marchioness. Once Finn starts perusing Iris you can feel there is so much sizzling chemistry between the two, and a match of wills which makes for a great story.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.