4 1/2 stars for me. A kiss brought back the past for Ellie. At this point, she just wanted to have her independency and financial freedom. I loved that she was out of the ordinary, well educated in numbers and business. Her plans to improve the Raven Club along with her secret activities made for a very interesting character. Hugh was so restless, and he was trying to find something that would give him something beyond just his title and its responsibilities. He was so protective of Ellie and observant and helped her when she needed it. I enjoyed how he did not stop her but grudgingly helped. Well worth the read.

I received a copy through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

I didn't particularly like the male main character, but I adored the female mc. I'm curious to read more books from this author, though.

How to Best a Marquess by Tina Gabrielle is Book 2 of The Raven Club Series and is Hugh and Ellie’s story. While this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Spot-on-spectacular!! Ms. Gabrielle has brought us a sinful and sexy read that sucks you in and makes you crave more. I love her writing and find her characters delightfully engaging while her storyline entertaining and her execution perfectly done!

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

Loved the characters and loved the storyline of this one!! Ellie had spunk and was a wonderful character to read along with. I'm happy with the way things turned out and REALLY happy that this book is a standalone as well. It's so nice to be able to pick up a story and not have to be confused about who is who.

This is an enjoyable read, but didn't have the depth of character that I was hoping for. I didn't think that the hero and heroine really developed at all as characters - this is a second-chance romance of sorts, picking up five years after the hero broke the heroine's heart at 18. They still have feelings for each other, but there wasn't enough depth there in terms of the changes they made that would mean they worked this time around. The heroine was as stubborn as ever, and the hero was a bit of a personality vacuum. In essence he needs to prove to her that he is a safe person, and win back her trust, and he does this by insisting on following her everywhere and lecturing her on her safety. At one point she comments that she will lose it if he says he 'has her best interests at heart' one more time, and I agreed - but shortly after this she agrees to marry him and the story ends. I found it difficult to believe in their relationship.

I also thought the book felt a little anachronistic both in terms of the language used and the disregard for societal norms (the heroine has a lot more social freedom than would be expected, and though I loved her drive to rescue battered women from their husbands, the way this was brought about didn't really make a lot of sense. It could have been set at any point in time with only minor tweaks, and I prefer a more overt historical setting. So overall, I'd say it's a fun read if you don't think too hard!

Sometimes the past comes back to bite. Ellie and Hugh have a history. He broke her heart which created the tough ass nails, no pushover woman she is today. Except, Hugh really likes that about her. There is so much chemistry. (So MUCH) A lot of wondering well, when? And posturing between the two.
I really enjoyed reading How to Best a Marquess.

I really enjoyed this story. The dance that the main characters go through to find a HEA is intertaining and captivating. The story holds your attentions and gives you every thing you want.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. how to beat a marquess was a good novel. hugh left Ellie years ago because his parents disapproved of her family and the scandal. now hugh is back and competing for the chance to buy ellie's brother club which she also wants to run. overall 4 stars.

My first from this author, but definitely not my last!

Ellie and Hugh have a past--he broke her heart five years ago, and now he's back, threatening the future she'd planned for herself, one where she takes over ownership of her brother's club (the Raven Club that the series is named for). So you've got a second chance romance here, with a healthy dollop of lovers-to-enemies-to-(hopefully!)-lovers again. Ellie and Hugh have all kinds of chemistry, so there's tons of will-they-won't-they-OMG-they-need-to-just-do-it-RIGHT-NOW for the first 50% or so.

Delicious!

Things get a little wonky in the last third or so--neither Hugh or Ellie seem to be able to learn their lesson (actually, neither really seems to even understand what the lesson they need to learn IS) and the HEA feels further away than ever at many points. Fortunately, they both manage to pull it together in the end, giving us a very satisfying ending and epilogue.

You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, but you'd better believe I'm going to go back and read it now!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This was a mother standalone in the Raven Club series.
This book finds Ellie ready to take over The Raven Club. It is exactly what she needs to keep helping abused women get away from their husbands. When the Duke of Marquess comes back to town things are not going to be exactly what she wants.
The Duke of Marquess will never forget Ellie from when they were younger and now he is in a competition with her to win her brother's club.
This book was a great read it has a lot of sexual tension as well as a great story line.


** Received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

3.5 Stars - This is a solid second chance romance, albeit with a few quirks.The H is a marquess who strives to do what he thinks is best for the woman in his life. The h loves the H, but his best intentions seem to always leave her worse off.

This is probably a very accurate depiction of the sort of high-handedness that abounded when women where seen solely as an acquisition who would bring an heir, spare and hopefully money to a marriage. The H is 100% well intentioned, yet he manages to dish out a mess of heartache for the woman he wants. Despite this, he does always show-up to rescue the h when she gets herself into a scrape.

The h is a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, she’s smart and very capable. On the other, she shows a complete disregard for her safety and a gross lack of forethought in regards to possible retaliations. She was a damsel in distress in few occasions. With just a few chapters remaining, I was in doubt about the H’s ability to redeem himself and the h’s ability to see reason.

Lo and behold, the last 2 or 3 chapters are the story’s saving grace. The author cleverly has the H go all-in and the h re-evaluate her options. The end result is a HEA that both characters that would be impossible.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this book. It had young love, heartbreak, secrets and redemption. However, I feel the premise of a woman taking over a gambling den, would be implausible for the time period.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
In amongst my troubles for recently published historical romances I read a new release and even though there were a lot of modern ideals I liked it enough to keep reading it so something was clearly compelling.
.
Our heroine’s brother has decided to sell his gaming club and our heroine wants it BAD. Only problem? (Other than her being a Lady in Victorian England of course) is there is another buyer..... It just so happens that this other buyer has a past with our heroine and to make things even more interesting they are to compete for the club- the person who makes the most money with changes to the club wins.
.
So if this weren’t set in Victorian London I would have no troubles with it, so I mainly blocked out the setting and it read well. The romance between the two main characters was hot and the hero was 100% respectful but I just lose it at the improbability of the storyline in the time period 🤷🏻‍♀️.

It's war!

Lady Ellie Swift and Hugh Vere, Marquess of Deveril are at sword point over who will take over her brother's gambling and boxing establishment, the Raven Club. (... and of course these two have a HISTORY!)
Unfortunately I'm a tad over women wanting to take over gambling dens of late, even if their reasons are commendable. I found the story somewhat hackneyed. Harsh I know but nothing much new and exciting jumped out at me.
Mainly my stars are for Ellie's efforts in helping battered wives, a laudable reason for wanting the club.
However,
Whatever happened to Violet Lasher, the courtesan, Violet Lasher? Where did she disappear to? Maybe she's the subject of a future novel?
Awful Hugh on his high horse, and Ellie's on again off again attitude drove me crazy.
The rounding out of the story was torturous, despite having all the tropes in place to make this brilliant.
I so wanted to like this but it just didn't spark for me.

A NetGalley ARC
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Hugh is now the Marquess and is looking to own the Raven Club to manage. Ellie also wants to become owner of the club. Her brother, the current owner, tells them they must have a competition to see who it will belong to. This sets up the premise of the book, where they are looking at each other’s strategies and trying to beat each other.

These two have a past, the reader finds out what High really meant early on.

I just didn’t like this book. It had an enemies to lovers feel, with their volatile history. But I didn’t like the hate, kiss, hate, kiss on Ellie’s part. I just really didn’t like either main character. Hugh kept her hanging on thinking the worst of him and not really doing much to prove it wasn’t true, while Ellie was just a mix of emotions that didn’t really make sense. I didn’t feel the tension or longing for them to be together like I want.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Raven Club series. Hugh is a marquess that is looking for a purpose in life and Ellie wants to run her brother’s club so that she can help women. So what happens when Ian the club Owen proposes a contest to see who should run the club it means war. I think it had a good premise but just wasn’t a fan of Ellie. She kept making all kinds of stupid choices. I just wasn’t in love with it.

I enjoyed this book. Ellie was absolutely wonderful. I loved her dedication to her beliefs. What confused me was Hugh and her dedication to him. Hugh was a butt for most of the book. While the reader knows that he only fake cheated on her in the past, she doesn't know that until the end. What's more, Hugh almost always delivers information in a condescending or patronizing way. While I loved Ellie, I cannot understand how she can like Hugh. While I'm glad we finally get an apology from him, I personally felt like it came too little too late. One small thing I enjoyed was the side plot about Grace and her pregnancy.

negative aspect of his personality and past. Ellie in turn learns to accept her stubbornness and also how to forgive.

I really enjoyed How to Best a Marquess, as I often found myself smiling and good humouredly rolling my eyes at their antics. Tina Gabrielle has created believable characters that work really well together and were a pleasure to read. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her future books!

RECOMMENDATIONS
I would recommenced this book to any historical romance fan looking for a fun and engaging couple. The pacing is great, the storyline is entertaining, and you will find yourself flying through the book as you chase the pairs happy ending.

Please note: I received a copy of How to Best a Marquess from NetGalley.

Tina Gabrielle's How to Best a Marquess is a splendid historical romance with a solid storyline. I finished the book in 2 days and didn't want it to end.

Once upon a time Ellie and Hugh were in love. Until he made the choice to “do the right thing” for her future and leave her by staging a very public humiliation. Doesn’t matter that he loved her deeply and only wanted what was best for her, he took that choice away from Ellie by making the decision himself. Now, years later, circumstances have changed – well, some things have Hugh is now in a place of power and he wants the Raven. Ellie now hates every man around her, with the exception of her brother perhaps. She refuses to marry, has her own hidden agenda as she secretly saves lives and Ellie wants the Raven. Unfortunately, her brother has decided to have a competition between the two people who want the club the most. Now, Hugh and Ellie have to work side by side while still proving that each is the better prospect as the new owner of the club. You can feel the sparks in the air and someone is going to get burned.

Immovable object? Meet Unstoppable Force. Otherwise known as Hugh and Ellie. I enjoyed HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS, I did but Hugh with his need to always be in control and take every decision away from Ellie – and Ellie’s stubbornness at times amused me, at other times frustrated me beyond words. Watching them deal with the chemistry and attraction that still exists between them, and seeing how right they could be for each other if each would only bend, just a bit was quite the journey. How they finally arrived at their happy ending was a delight, but oh the trip to get to that point was often filled with tensions, emotions, stubbornness, and a love that simply would not die. I would not hesitate to recommend their story but fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a rocky ride.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*