The only woman for Oliver won't give him the time of day. They have a past that she may never forgive him for. Harriet will never forget what Oliver said to her many years ago.
People change whether its for better or worse and these two are going see this first hand. The question is can they resist the pull.



** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

A delightful historical romance with a lot to love about it. Harriet is a strong female lead whose growth from the prologue to the actual story makes for an interesting novel. It helps that the POV switches between the leads so that the reader is able to truly see her evolution. She is such a fascinating, dynamic, and engaging character, it’s hard not to like her.

The hero is another story. While the author should be commended for inclusion of both a overweight heroine and a disabled hero, the hero is harder to like. This is mainly due to multiple strikes against him. First, he is a childhood acquaintance of the hero who treats her poorly (for which she hates him for) but ultimately ends up desiring her. Second, he was once “burned” by a woman, because if his acquired disability, which scars him and turns him off of love. This is such an old tired trope that women everywhere are rolling their eyes. It honestly makes the hero look whiny and pathetic rather than damaged. Third, it takes him a long time to treat the heroine well despite having no qualms with repeatedly sleeping with her.

The story itself is interesting and entertaining. The heroine's extracurricular activities are a highlight, giving the story a little something extra. The author has a nice style that flows smoothly. The novel is shorter at approximately 230 pages but the reader will have no trouble eating up every word.

This second book in Lords of Vice series is just as good as the first one. What I liked the most about it were hero and heroine who were not your usual fare when it comes to romance couples.

Both were flawed and yet just perfect for one another.

The story is well written with plenty of funny moments and secondary characters that are just as entertaining and intriguing as our main couple.

If you’re ready for some lite reading, I think you’ll like this story.

Melanie for b2b

Where to begin on The Marquess and the Maiden, I mean I'm kind of all over the place with my thoughts on this story. I did like the story, and I also liked Harriet and Oliver. However, during the story Harriet started to get on my nerves about her insecurities, I can completely understand where they were coming from. Oliver hurt her pretty bad when he was trying to get his life back together and his state of mind wasn't thinking marriage. He was callous towards Harriet, so I could understand why she had a hard time believing Oliver would ever want a girl like her. However, Harriet closed herself off from everyone in a sense. It takes a lot for her to believe that Oliver wants her, she had her friends trying to convince her that he might actually want her. Even though I like Oliver, what he did to Harriet was callous, and he never thought of the repercussion of his actions. He had to work twice as hard to prove to Harriet. Trust me that takes a LONG time.

I liked this story, because we have to characters that are not perfect. They both have flaws, and they both have a hard time seeing the beauty. Oliver is described as a handsome man, and he works very hard. However, society sees him as a monster. He was a gruff recluse for sometime. While Harriet is a bright spot who is a little more curvaceous than the ideal society girl. She does get picked on for that, like Oliver gets talked about his back about his limp. The Marquess and the Maiden is a decent story. Harriet did drive me a little nuts at times with her insecurities, and I did enjoy Oliver trying to prove that he wanted her.

Copy provided by Entangled via NetGalley
Rating 3 1/2 Stars

This is book 2 in the Lord's of Choice series. The story is about Harriet and Oliver.
Harriet is a member of the Ladies of Virtue society. She is independent and a spinster firmly on the shelf.
Oliver, Marquess of Davenport, has been left disabled by a bad fall. He has also been jilted because of his disability.
When their parents try to match them up, Oliver is downright rude to Harriet, saying he would never marry her.
6 years later, Oliver is looking for a wife. The only person who interests him is Harriet.
Harriet wants nothing to do with Oliver after the way he had treated her before. And so the wooing begins.
I loved this story. It had me absorbed right from the beginning.
The only complaint I have is that it left to many lose ends. I would have liked to see his ex get her due. And I would have liked to know if Lady X pushed Harriet down the stairs.
I hope the answers may come in the next book.
I look forward to it!

THE MARQUESS AND THE MAIDEN by ROBYN DEHART is book 2 in her "Lord's Vice" series, but cam br read as a stand alone. A steady paved, quick and fun read. Well written although. I wanted to learn more of the Ladies of Virtue a mysterious, crime fighting team composed of women, including Harriet, our heroine.  Follow, Harriet Wheatley, one of the Ladies of Virtue and Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport, on their adventure to love, and finding a HEA. Ms. Dehart has a way with her character conceptions, her development, her execution of the romance, mystery with a bit of humor and wit.

I did feel, the ending was a bit abrupt,  and left a few unanswered questions, hopefully, leading into the next book. Overall, a really great book with charming characters and an enjoyable and entertaining storyline.  #NetGalley,#TheMarquessandtheMaiden

"I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however,  these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review."

Rating: 4

Heat rating: Mild 

Reviewer: AprilR

Both the protagonists of this book are rather unique in their own different ways. Yes, Harriet is the well-dowered daughter of a duke… but she’s also very short and endowed with an over-abundance of curves, making her decidedly unfashionable among tall, willowy beauties. And Oliver is a tall, handsome, wealthy marquess… with a disability. A disastrous fall left him with a severe limp and unable to walk without a cane, or dance. His intended bride married another without a backward glance and, angry at the world, he pushed away those who would have helped. Including Harriet.

That was six years before the events of this story. Now Oliver’s mother is pushing him to take a wife to ensure the line of succession to his title, so he reluctantly re-enters society. And who should be the first person he notices but Harriet, still as sweet as ever… and still as alluring, with her curves he just wants to lose himself in.

Of course, he was an ass to her back then. And the problem I have with this romance is that Oliver really hasn’t learned from his mistakes. He’s still an ass. Harriet’s absolutely right when she describes him as embodying greed, out of the seven deadly sins, and accuses him of just taking what he wants without regard for others.

There is a prevalent trope, found particularly in historical romance because it lends particularly well to marriage of convenience scenarios, where the hero claims to the heroine that he doesn’t know how to love and will never love her. This usually occurs right after she has allowed him some extremely intimate liberties, showing her complete trust in him, and despite evidence to the contrary because of a loving relationship with someone else (mother or sister, usually). And frankly, it’s massively aggravating to me. It’s as though the author is trying to give her hero an air of Mr Darcy - aloof, unattainable - but has forgotten that Darcy opened himself up to rejection by professing himself passionately in love with Elizabeth Bennet before he had any notion of her true feelings.

I adored Harriet and liked the fact that Oliver had a physical disability the narrative didn’t shy away from or gloss over, but I also wished he wasn’t such an ass. I wanted more resolution of the storyline with his ex at least, and the lack of closure to the investigation of Lady X was too obviously a setup for the next book. This one ended way too abruptly, and with the presence of that annoying trope, I’m afraid I can’t give this one any more than two stars.

Will you always be drawn to the one you love?

Harriet Wheatley is a strong, independent, and very determined woman who cares not a wit about being on the marriage market one year too many. She is not the perfect in size, shape, or temperament however for the love match Harriet craves she will have found bliss. What Harriet does know is Oliver Weeks, The Marquess of Davenport is the last man she wants to wind up with even though their needs do align. He may need a wife and she a husband but neither of them is in any way attracted to the other so walk away and let it be. The problem is they both are attracted in many ways to the other but Oliver decides that moving on is the best decision and he of course is always correct.

After six years and many adventures later, they are reunited and Oliver realizes that the woman he is destined to marry has always been Harriet but the problem is Harriet is not interested. Alex spent years in self absorbed life recovering from an injury, a broken relationship, and rebuilding the family coffers now that he finds his love it turns out she has not found another but herself and Harriet likes the person she has become. Harriet works as a Lady of Virtue and by day they do good deeds and by night they fix the ills that is the streets of London. Harriet is a respected member of the group who knows how to never cross the line of sensibility and put anyone in danger but she will not let the group fall apart either. When an interruption in the good deeds is a wall, Harriet decides to use it to her advantage and engages Oliver in a match of wits to see who can get the other what they want faster. While Harriet knows that love is the only thing that will entice her into marriage and that Oliver is incapable of such an emotion, Harriet feels safe with her flirtation and arrangement to utilize one of Oliver’s properties while she finds him a wife. What Harriet is unaware of is that Oliver is going to make her his wife and this scheme is going to play out in his favor, or will it?

Harriet and Oliver tangle one too many times with a whisper of indiscretion, a kiss as sweet as candy, and a touch just hot enough to burn the skin. When Oliver traps Harriet into marriage she swears to never allow him to hurt her and that is the last thing on Oliver’s mind. He may not know how to love but he will forever cherish his wife and make sure she wants for nothing. He may have a handicap but it is not one in the how to pleasure a woman department and if he cannot convince Harriet that relationships do not need love to survive, he will go down trying. The funny thing with great plans is they do tend to blow up in your face and with Oliver that turns out to be an amazing and surprising turn of events for the heart.

Robyn DeHart has the author gift of character conception, development, fulfillment and romance. She twirls the reader around into the story until every one of us wants to stay and never leave these people we have come to cherish in our lives. Thank you, Ms. DeHart for your great talent and amazing love of romance.

I read the first book in this series and was excited to read this one. I was not disappointed and loved revisiting with this quirky group of ladies who formed the Ladies of Virtue with Harriet Wheatley, the heroine, being one of the founders. Harriet leads a campaign to rehabilitate the gentlemen of the ton in whatever their vice might be. She chooses, Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport to stop him from wasting money and give to charitable endeavors! Of course she and Oliver had a past that she could not forgive. Her mother had the idea that she and Oliver should marry because she had funds he desperately needed to repair his holdings that his father had gambled away. He rejected her badly because he was determined to restore the family wealth on his own. Now six years later, as Harriet tries to talk to him about his spending habits, he asks her to help him find a wife.
What is up with that? Oliver was a wounded man due to having had a bad fall years ago and walked with a cane. As the two interacted, some surprising emotions come out for both of them and the game was on.
I loved the interaction between these two. I just never knew what was going to happen next. This was really a very entertaining story and I cannot wait until the next in the series!! This can be read as a standalone.

The Marquess and the Maiden by Robyn DeHart is book Two in the Lords of Vice. This is the story of Harriet Wheatley and Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport. I have read the previous book but feel you can make this one a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Oliver inherited a title and lands that were in debit so he didn't want to take on a wife even for her money so he turned down Harriet. Now years later Oliver has been away from the town society but has built his inheritance up. Harriet and her friends have gone forward to make a secret group to reform the gentlemen of the town. Harriet and Oliver come to a deal of sorts that will benefit them both but their feelings start to direct what they both end up with.
Enjoyed this book.

Just imagine a group of young women, the Ladies of Virtue, who are determined to “rehabilitate” the gentlemen of the ton! One of their founder members, Harriet Wheatley, is a headstrong, determined young lady and the man she’s determined to rehabilitate is the Marquess of Davenport, Oliver Weeks, the man who told her he wouldn’t marry her six years ago, not even if her substantial dowry would help him restore the bankrupt estate he’d inherited.

Now Oliver has restored his family fortunes his mother suggests it is time for him to marry. He agrees but acknowledges he needs help. . . . from Harriet! Will she even attempt to help him find a wife? They need to come to an agreement first but once their terms are agreed little does she know that he’s already determined who he wants to marry - her! Now he has the biggest obstacle to overcome - how to convince her after his previous hurtful attitude and comments.

This is a Regency romance with a very strong heroine who doesn’t believe herself to be attractive and a hero who lacks confidence in himself because of the limp he acquired in an accident. Their interactions, the attitudes of their peers and the continuing mystery regarding Lady X make this an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys Regency romances.

I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

I loved it! It's a great story about two people who never really understand each other and always end up misinterpreting each other's intentions. But in the end they realize that it doesn't really matter as long as they have love, it's more than enough.

Harriett and Oliver are perfect for each other. They got their chance to get married but it was not the right time. Oliver didn't want to marry someone simply because he needed financial assistance. And Harriett was too shy, she herself wasn't ready to marry a broody lord like him. However, Oliver ended up hurting her pride and she decided not to trust a man ever again. Now, after uears Oliver is finally contemplating marriage seriously and all he can think about is Harriett. Unfortunately, she doesn't trust him at all and he must convince her before it's too late for them

A great historical fiction that I'd definitely recommend to all historical fans. It has exactly the right amount of humor and romance to keep readers entertained.

I fell in love with Oliver and Harriet. I loved that Harriet is a strong woman not destined to just fall for a handsome face. Ms DeHart does a great job of making you feel like you are there right along with the characters in this book. I could not put it down.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Lady Harriet and Lord Oliver Davenport. Lady Harriet is a curvy little gal, what in her day men referred to as a “pocket venus”. She feels different from the taller, more lithe debutantes in her social circle. Oliver has had his own share of troubles, which he has worked diligently to overcome.
The two had a less than pleasant meeting six years before due to the influence of their matchmaking mothers, which failed dismally.
Time has passed, both have grown, and quite a bit has changed. Harriet has a secret interest that has increased her confidence and Oliver cannot help but notice.
The two are set on separate courses until Oliver decides he will have what he wants at any cost. But will it mean Harriet will win or lose?
This is the first book I have read by this author. It contains an unsolved mystery, and I hope to read the next in this series as that and the additional characters were entertaining as well. I recommend this to readers of historical romance who like a little mystery and heat with their hea.

Robyn DeHart’s historical romances come highly recommended, so I was looking forward to trying one of her titles for myself and after reading The Marquess and The Maiden, I was certainly not disappointed. An enthralling romantic read packed with sensuality, emotion and drama, The Marquess and The Maiden is a fabulous historical guaranteed to dazzle readers everywhere!

Harriet Wheatley was determined to rehabilitate the gentleman of the Ton. Appalled by their excessive spending, cavalier attitude to life and incessant passion for hedonistic pleasure, Harriet had masterminded the Ladies of Virtue’s quest to show the gentleman of the Ton the error of their ways and teach them how to be compassionate, responsible and sensible members of society. Harriet knew that this job was going to be anything but easy. She was going to be coming up against men for whom the word no is simply not in their vocabulary. These men can have anything they want by merely clicking their fingers, however, despite all of these obstacles standing in her way, Harriet will not be deterred and she has already chosen the next candidate for rehabilitation: Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport, who also happens to be the most extravagant wastrel in all of London!

Oliver spends money like it’s going out of fashion! A man who loves nothing more than to indulge his every whim, he is not exactly surprised when Harriet comes to take him to task about his opulent lifestyle and excessive spending. Determined to find Oliver a bride and take him down a peg or two in the process, Harriet cannot wait to make him reform his rakish ways, however, little did she realise when she set out on her quest, that she was going to encounter a huge challenge which she hadn’t previously predicted: a red-hot attraction to the man who has invaded her thoughts and stormed her heart: Oliver!

Oliver has his own reasons for overspending, but when Harriet is adamant that she will not listen to any excuses, he comes up with a perfect plan that will make her sit up and take notice: seduction! Only what neither Oliver and Harriet had counted on was on falling head over heels in love with one another?

Has Oliver finally found his perfect match? Or will Harriet keep insisting that she wants to keep their relationship purely professional?

Robyn DeHart spins a story that sparkles with enthralling romance, heartfelt charm, searing emotional drama and delightful humor. The Marquess and The Maiden is a wonderful historical page-turner that pits a sexy and charismatic hero against a strong, determined and feisty heroine. An enchanting romantic read that I simply couldn’t bear to put down, The Marquess and the Maiden is a brilliant read from a very gifted writer: Robyn DeHart!

It’s an entertaining and a nice read.

Childhood acquaintances because their mothers are friends, Oliver and Harriet are seen as the perfect answer to each other’s problems. She’s a spinster and he’s inherited a title that is penniless thanks to his lousy dad. The only problem is that he doesn’t want a Harriet’s money to fix his problem and he doesn’t want a wife, any wife. Yet, his refusal sounds a lot like Harriet, in particular is what he object to. That will come back to bite him.

Six years later, he's wealthy, ready for a wife and as it turns out, the more he learns about Harriet, the more he wants her. She’s not having it, but they strike a deal. A place for her to train in exchange for matchmaking services. What follows is a nice look at how love and affection grow, and that sometimes men are the ones who lay a trap to force a marriage. of course, love ultimately rules the day.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the Lord’s of Vice series. I just really hate the men in this series. They are such a let down for me. In this one we have a Marquess who is injured and has a huge chip on his shoulder. I just couldn’t stand it. I really wanted to give this author another shot but her men characters leave a lot to be desired.

I enjoyed Harriet and Oliver's story. I really liked that there was no complicated mystery or frustrating plot that ate up most of the story. It was a straight forward love story of a hero trying to woo and conquer his lady love.

I love the chemistry that these two had. How our hero made their encounters sizzle and our heroine, while trying very hard to fight it, gave as good as she got. The supporting characters were also not complicated and provided a good background. Oliver and Harriet's good intentional mother's made you smile.

All in all, it was a good read with a very strong chemistry and some steamy encounters.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Marquess and the Maiden by Robyn DeHart is the second book in her Lords of Vice series but each book is written to be a stand-alone. The Entangled:Scandalous imprint of which this novella is under features Alpha Heroes, Confident and Unconventional Heroines and lots of sexual tension. Five years ago Oliver Weeks, Marquess of Davenport was broke, permanently injured, and had recently been dumped by the woman he planned to marry. So when his mother and her best friend propose that he marry, the best friends daughter Lady Harriet Wheatley whom he’s known all his life, as her dowry will bail him out of the financial trouble created by his father, he very bluntly says no. Present day he’s restored the family fortune on his own and is ready to marry, Harriet catches his eye as really the only woman he wants, but too bad for him because she’s having none of it. Quite Steamy. Publishing Date September 10, 2018 #TheMarquessandtheMaiden #NetGalley

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Oliver, the Marquess of Davenport, and Lady Harriet are society misfits, who realize they are just right for each other. The road to their happily ever after is not an easy one though.

Oliver inherited a bankrupt estate and was working hard to save it. An accident while working on repairs at the estate leaves him with a weak leg and a limp, which causes his faithless fiance to jilt him. His and Harriet's mother plan a bit of matchmaking as Harriet has a generous dowry that would help restore the Davenport estate.

While Oliver finds Harriet attractive, he does not want to marry for money and rejects the match. Harriet is the petite and curvy daughter of a duke, who hasn't found a match after two Seasons. She was amenable to the match with Oliver since she finds him attractive, and his limp doesn't bother her. When he rejects her, she vows to only consider marrying for love or not at all.

Fast forward six years, and Oliver has restored his estates and finances after some successful investments. His mother counsels him to marry, and he agrees to find a wife. He and Harriet encounter each other again at a ball, and the fireworks begin, as she hasn't forgotten his rejection. Oliver's attraction is rekindled, and he realizes that no one will do for him but Harriet. He professes his desire to Harriet but, while attracted to him, she wants love or nothing at all. Oliver claims he doesn't believe in love but is blind to his own feelings.

Although I noted some historical anachronisms and errors with titles, the book kept my interest and was enjoyable. Overall, DeHart develops a steamy romance between Oliver and Harriet. He courts Harriet with a bouquet full of hidden meaning, and his sketches of her convince Harriet that Oliver really sees and desires her. Kudos to DeHart for giving us an imperfect couple who find perfection in each other.