Notorious
Book 1 in the "Rebels of the Ton" series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This was a great start to Ms Spencer's new series. It had been a while since I had read book about unrequited love. It reminded me of some of my favorite historical romances in which the heroine has pining for the hero for a long time and he's oblivious to her feelings or at times her.
Drusilla has been in love with Gabriel for years. Since she is very aware that he can never reciprocate her feelings she kind of treats him bad. He on the other had enjoys bantering with her and has no clue of why she treats him that way.
Due to an unfortunate encounter for Dru in which her reputation is ruined in front of the ton Gabriel comes to her rescue. He offers his hand in marriage to protect her. She hesitates at first but he convinces her that it's what they got to do to save face. I love Dru's reaction to having to get married to the man who she has been in love with for a while. She's excited and scared at the same time. Her dream of being that close to him is coming true, but she never imagined it would be through marriage of convenience.
Gabriel is well known for having mistresses and being a rake and is because of this that Dru has to hide her feelings for him. He sees her as cold and she sees it as a while to protect her heart.
Much of the conflict between them was because they were not honest with each other or kept things that they knew would eventually come to light.
I gave it four stars and not five because they mostly didn't spend any time together out of the house and those times they did spend at balls or dinners we don't see them interact. Since it is only mentioned that they attended those places. They had very intense sexy scenes but I would of liked more romance.
There is a little bit of mystery and action towards the end. I do hope that we get to learn more about the "villain" in the second book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely romance. I loved meeting Gabriel (Jibril) and Drusilla as well as their families and friends. The book had it all – humor, seriousness, twists, turns, villains, prejudice, kidnappings, and, most of all, a lovely HEA.

Drusilla Clare is an outspoken, Wollstonecraft quoting, wallflower who has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s older step-brother since the first time she saw him five years earlier. Drusilla sees herself as unattractive and since she espouses Wollstonecraft’s views, she won’t marry. The man she loves is so handsome, so charming, such a rake – she knows he’d never, ever, actually ‘see’ her. So, she has developed a very, very, prickly personality around him – chastising him, berating him, sniping at him. Why not, she knows he thoroughly dislikes her.

Gabriel Marlington, grandson of a duke and step-son of a marquess – and also the son of a Sultan, is nothing the ton accepts – but given his connections, they can’t very well exclude him. Gabriel’s mother was kidnapped when she was very young and installed in the Sultan of Oran’s harem where she gave birth to Gabriel. As the heir to the sultanate, he was raised to expect to have many wives and to have everyone take his word as law. After a civil war with his half-brother, Gabriel left Oran to live with his mother – who had escaped. He often feels lost and out of place in this new land where people see his mixed-race as inferior. He misses his homeland, but he has decided to embrace his new home. He loves his mother, his step-father, and his new half-siblings – especially his step-sister Eva. It is too bad Eva’s best friend absolutely hates him and takes every opportunity to let him know it.

When Gabriel defends Drusilla and rescues her from a villain, the scene is quickly misconstrued and they end up having to marry. Each thinking the other loathes them, the marriage is off to a rocky start. Both of them do things and say things they shouldn’t because both are very volatile. Their biggest problem is the lack of communication. You’d think two very intelligent people would know how to communicate better than they do, but emotions just get in the way every time.

There is a villain out to cause trouble – maybe more than one – but the trouble that comes is unexpected. They’ll have to save themselves, their burgeoning relationship, and their family by working together.

I love that the HEA was several weeks in the making – it didn’t just happen at a single glance. The declaration scene was lovely and romantic. I loved watching Gabriel come to terms with his new life in England and learning to accept the new ways and new expectations. Gabe was so much more open to acceptance of new ways than I would have guessed from the beginning.

Now, I will tell you that Drusilla did get on my very last nerve during the first half of the book. She took offense at everything. She would take the most inoffensive comments and take it as a huge insult and go off on a rant. For that first half of the book, I was wishing she’d fall off the page and another heroine would magically be inserted. Up until then, it was beyond me how Gabriel could come to love her. Yes, Gabriel did some things he shouldn’t have, but nothing to the point of Drusilla though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Notorious by Minerva Spencer.

Minerva Spencer writes beautifully and her books are well-researched.

In this story, Gabriel and Drusilla end up having to get married when they're found in a compromising position. I found Drusilla a bit hard to like. She has made conclusions about Gabriel that interferes in their relationship. Gabriel is more likable. However, I felt there were some actions on his part that I found challenged his likability. I feel Gabriel and Drusilla could have avoided some of their issues if they'd communicated with each other and been honest.

There were some surprises with the secondary characters that I liked. I especially enjoyed the twist at the end which involves the couple that will be the protagonists of the next book.

Just eh. The love part of the story wasn't exciting. The premise sounded interesting, but I just couldn't seem to care about the main characters.

This is the first book in a new series, and as such I expected there to be a good amount of back-story. However, I feel like the back-story here was delivered a bit slap-dash, and as such the pacing was rather slow. The main characters of Gabriel & Drusilla were.....fine. I was much more interested in some of the minor characters, and I hope they'll get their own stories at some point.

Overall it was a decent read, although nothing terribly new or exciting. Not a bad pick if you're looking for something to spend a rainy day reading curled up on the couch with a warm cup of cocoa.

This might just be a 'me' issue, but I found it difficult to keep track of the different characters as so many are introduced so quickly. Overall, the book is sweet. I know it seems like I'm damning with faint praise, but I can't bring myself to be that excited about this book.

This read is sexy, witty and has just the right amount to tension. I thoroughly enjoyed it

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

I've been a fan of Minerva Spencer since her first book and this latest one does not disappoint! The heroine is an outcast much like the hero and their marriage on inconvenience quickly becomes a sexy battle of wills. This was a sexy, emotional, fun and compelling historical romance and I highly recommend it!

Drusilla Clare is plain-faced, sword-tongued, rich beyond reason, and a devout follower of Mary Wollstonecraft (Mary Shelley’s mother). As such, Dru prefers to spend her money organizing charities rather than purchasing pretty dress and does not wish to marry. She’s also been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s stepbrother from the day they met.

Gabriel Marlington was raised as a prince in his father’s palace back in Oran. Now that he has left everything and joined his mother in England, Gabe is a half-caste novelty mainly valued as a source of gossip. However, there some secrets not even the writers of scandal sheets know about.

Forced into a marriage of convenience by scandal (and Viscount Visel), Drusilla and Gabriel will have to learn to live with each other and their unusual lifestyle choices.


This an interesting take on regency romance. As the name of the series, Rebels of the Ton, implies, neither Drusilla nor Gabriel truly fit into upper-crust society despite their wealth. Dru is the orphaned heiress of a wealthy merchant. Not only is she from new money and therefore carries “the stink of the shop,” Dru also rejects popular notions of marriage, wealth, and gender roles. Most of her contemporaries see her as a prudish stick-in-the-mud with dangerous ideas. Gabe is a foreign-born rake who, though he is well-connected, does not consort with the right people or in the correct way. Though neither Dru nor Gabe fit in, they are at different ends of the spectrum. A big part of the conflict in the story stems from them trying to get along despite their very different values and world-views.


Although this is the first book in a new series, Rebels of the Ton is actually an extension of Minerva Spencer’s Outcast series. If you’re interested in exploring more of Spencer’s depiction of the Ton, I would recommend the following order:
*Barbarous [Hugh Redvers A.K.A. Lord Ramsey A.K.A. One-Eyed Standish A.K.A. The King’s Privateer (A.K.A. the guy who helped Gabriel’s mom return to England) and Daphne Redvers A.K.A. Lady Davenport]
*Dangerous [Adam de Courtney (Eva’s dad) and Euphemia “Mia” Marlington (Gabriel’s mom)]
*Scandalous [Martin Bouchard (One-Eyed Standish’s second mate) and Sarah Fisher]

I’m pretty sure Scandalous takes place during the same Season as Notorious

Wow! I am blown away by this book. I love everything about this book it is my new favorite! historical fiction at its best with characters & a story line that every reader will love.

I have never read Minerva Spencer's work prior to this, but I will say the characters were very interesting! It fell a bit flat for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

3.5 stars. A historical romance full of mystery and drama.

Dru is a wallflower, mainly because she can't avoid speaking her mind. Gabe is her best friend's step brother whom she is secretly in love with. To hide this, she utilizes her wit to it's extreme. Then she ends up taking a nap on a bench during a ball and he has to save her from an unsavory man. To avoid the scandal, they must get married. Their marriage starts off with all the sparks you might expect from this. And then there's the mystery associated with some other men...

I definitely enjoyed Dru, but I didn't love Gabe as he was quite rude to her. I understand the desire to be historically accurate, but I can't really root for a man who spends a lot of time telling his wife how he owns her and she must do whatever he says. I also don't like that the cover doesn't have a "voluptuous" woman on it, given that that's how Dru is always described.

Cute but not as exciting a read as expected. Very easy to get through--which was nice. A good read to go through quickly.

I adore this cover and heard a lot of good things about it. However after reading it did not live up the expectations that preceded it.

Drusilla has loved Gabriel for years, however, she treats him poorly whenever together so Gabriel thinks she hates him. When Drusilla finds herself in a compromising situation Gabriel is there to save her. All at once her dreams come true but she is also feels awful he has to now tie his life to her own.

Throughout 3/4 of the book all of the characters just felt angry and angsty, without a good mix of humor or banter. Dru was supposed to be a strong, independent woman but came across as angry and bitter. Gabe came across as angry and slightly tormented about his past (a past that we get bits and pieces of- would have loved to hear more since Gabe lived such a different childhood). Eva was supposed to be beautiful but not give a fig for social norms but she came across as annoying and just super inept but the ending hints thats not who she really is? confused.

I really wanted to like this read more but I felt it lacked details and more explanations to really pull it together. The last 1/4 of the book was quite interesting but even in the end things happen and they just move on without much discussion.

That being said the book does set up a very intriguing book two of the series.

DNF at 35%
Fans of old-school romance may enjoy this book, but it was decidedly not for me. The characters refuse to communicate with one another, instead insulting and belittling one another repeatedly. While I'm sure it will eventually work itself out, I could not continue reading more of it. I am also uncomfortable with the hero's backstory.

A Regency-era romance with some Jane Austen vibes mixed with more adult situations. There are pieces of Jane Austen’s Emma and Pride and Prejudice, especially with aspects of both main characters. The characters in this novel are from the author’s other “Outcasts” series, with Dangerous acting as a prequel for Notorious. I read this novel without any previous knowledge of the other novels so readers won’t have any problems understanding the main events occurring in this novel.

Drusilla Clare is in her early twenties and finds herself in the midst of the Season where endless balls and engagements are taking place as those without romantic partners are on the search for a mate and those with current partners participate in the social scene. She is similar to the character Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice with her sharper wit and her love of her best friend, Eva, who is similar to a sister to her. She is also similar to the character Emma as she does not currently have a huge interest in marrying, but enjoys the spectacle of watching those around her (although it’s not as if there are a ton of options in line to ask her even for a dance). Unlike in Emma where the main character doesn’t realize her romantic feelings for her friend that’s always around, in this case, Drusilla knows that she is in love with Eva’s step-brother Gabriel, who typically acts as their chaperone to events.

Gabriel Marlington is from Oran who has assimilated into English society. He’s well-liked among the ladies and gentlemen are wary of him. He is completely oblivious to Drusilla’s feelings toward him as she bickers with him and makes jabs to the point where he thinks she truly dislikes him. When Gabriel’s enemy, Lord Visel, finds himself in a compromising position with Drusilla, Gabriel finds the only way for them to remain in society is for Gabriel and Drusilla to marry. This premise sets up the rest of the story as the two of them navigate revealing more of themselves to each other and married life.

There are a lot of obstacles to overcome with Gabe’s numerous mistresses and his standards that there is no problem with men having them while married. He also has his romantic interest, Miss Kittridge, who was also interested in him, and they were courting this Season. Drusilla also has her own admirers and her determination to continue working with her charities. Not to mention Lord Visel continues to loom even after the two of them marry. Finally, there is the main obstacle as these two aren’t great at communicating with each other and it takes them a long time to even discuss anything with each other without clashing.

The writing style was super interesting as you would be in the middle of an event and then a flashback took place in the next paragraph which detailed the backstory that helps the reader understand the thought process behind the original point. The very first time it occurred, I was taken by surprise, but by the end it was just a part of the natural flow of the story and was easy to keep up with. The points of view change within the chapters, as well as at the start of each chapter, between our two main characters so the reader is able to gain a better insight into not only what each of them is thinking, but also the backstories and current events that each of them has/had gone through.

Both Gabe and Dru grew on me as characters as I wasn’t a huge fan of either in the beginning. Dru was just mean sometimes when it came to Gabe which is understandable when you’re constantly trying to hide your true self from him, but at some point you’d think she’d let her guard down at least a little way before it actually took place in the book. As for Gabe, he is fairly typical for the era when it comes to his reactions to Dru constantly pushing him away and he is trying to navigate everything going on outside of his marriage. They both navigate a marriage of convenience (one troupe that I greatly enjoy reading) as they approach it in proper style of their characters and try to make it work while staying true to their personalities. Their romance does develop slowly so it is a slow burn in a sense as you, as a reader, can get anxious for them to begin loving each other and expressing it. However, the pace fits well with the era and made sense for the novel.

The novel picks up really quickly towards the end when a huge event takes place that must be taken care of in a timely fashion. This portion, therefore, feels very rushed, and mainly serves as both a final conflict and also as a set-up for the next book. As a word of caution, some of the storylines are set-up in this story and won’t be concluded/continued until the next novel. This was a little frustrating to me, but it wasn’t completely unexpected as you know this is the start of a series before you even open it up to the first page. I honestly can’t wait for Outrageous, the following novel in the series, to see what happens next!

Overall, this novel was entertaining and enthralling as I find it hard to put down. The romance between the two feels a little off as their connection seems very sexual-based rather than a true bond. It’s there, but not as much as I would expect in this type of story. However, I loved reading their journey and I hope they are featured in future novels in the series so we can see how they continue to progress as a couple. There’s a lot to keep track of in this story, but it’s not impossible to keep track of and understand. I highly recommend this to any fans of the genre (and those wanting to give it a try)!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and chance to read. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**

This was just an ok book for me. Even though the authors writes beautifully, the story has been topd top øany times before in my opinion
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

This is my first book by this author and it definitely got me interested in the sequel. I'm new to the HR genre - COVID and its stressors have made me appreciate books with a guaranteed happy ending. So, take that into consideration when considering my review. If you're a long die-hard of the genre, you might feel differently or have more specific preferences.

This book started out slowly for me. Even though it was well-written and flowed nicely, I wasn't invested in the characters and didn't particularly like either of the leads. (Eva did interest me. I'm excited for her book.) To be honest, I almost DNFd this at around 16%. I'm so glad that I didn't! From then on, I couldn't put the book down. I ended up liking both the leads because of their flaws.

Pros:
Variety of characters/personalities
More complex characters than I'd originally thought
Bonus points for diversity in an HR book
Great side characters

Cons:
Slow beginning
Somewhat abrupt ending

One thing I appreciated - that you don't often get in HR books - was that the Gabriel didn't change quickly and didn't hold modern views. He was raised in a different society and had different ideals. I know this might turn some people off, but I hate it when authors fully portray Regency characters with 21 century-Western values. The world has changed in the last two hundred years. (Not to mention that Gabriel wasn't from Western society anyway.) We want to see growth in our characters but people slip up - which he kind of did.

I would have liked to have seen more of Dru's philanthropy work, but I know it's hard to find time to cover everything and still keep the book moving. It did create a somewhat abrupt shift in the beginning and I think that's one reason I had a hard time liking her. But, I quickly got over it as the focus quickly shifted to the main plot of the book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fun read. There were a few things that bugged me, but I became invested enough that they didn't matter. I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I love this cover! It is gorgeous and sassy, just like Drusilla (at least once the miscommunications were figured out in this book). It did put me off, right at first with the sniping between Gabriel and Drusilla during their interactions before the unfortunate incident that required them to get married. Drusilla in particular was very sharp tongued, almost hateful (even though she had been secretly in love with Gabriel for years). I liked them a lot better when they began to show their real feelings and gently teased each other instead and got along, despite the secret that Gabriel had been hiding. Lord Visel is a jerk for what he and his cohorts do to the lovely couple. I look forward to seeing his comeuppance in the next book in this series.

This was a fun little novel and I would not mind continuing the series to see the next "Rebel of the Ton".

I am new to this author, and very glad to have discovered her! Historical, regency-era romance with great characters. I look forward to recommending this to readers who enjoy books by Mary Balogh and Eloisa James.