Cecilia Gilchrist started out life living on the streets trying to find ways to care for herself. She was rescued by Lady Amanda of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls. There she was housed and educated. One thing these young ladies do is take jobs in homes where an aristocrat may be accused of something. There, they try to learn what really happened.

Kent - 1795

Cecilia has been sent to the home of Gideon Rhys, the Marquess of Darlington who is suspected of having murdered his wife. Darlington Castle is quite large and Cecilia is to work as a house maid. Right away, Cecilia gets on the man’s bad side so she has to work hard to keep her job.

Gideon’s wife died along with her stillborn baby. She had been ill for some time and people think that Gideon may have poisoned her. The townspeople say that the lady's ghost wanders around the woods of the castle.

But now, Gideon realizes that he needs to marry again and has selected the lovely Miss Fanny Honeywell. When she and her obnoxious mother arrive at the castle to prepare for the wedding, Fanny sees the ghost and leaves in terror.

By now, Cecilia has become the nursemaid to 4-year-old Isabelle, Gideon’s niece whose mother left. A lovely child, Gideon adores her and Cecelia is quite good with her. As Cecelia turns to investigating on her own to find out about the ghost, she gets to know Gideon better and an attraction sparks. Now, Gideon is worried that something bad may happen to Cecilia.

Will they find out why a ghost is appearing because they don’t believe in ghosts. Who is trying to scare them all?

This was a nice gothic story with lots of chills and spooky scenes. I was confused at the first part of the story because I had not read the first book. I feel that a better introduction and more information on the Clifford School would have reduced my confusion. I liked Gideon and Isabelle, but Seraphina was my favorite “character.” Clever romance.

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

Whimsical, mysterious and gothic!

Cecilia Gilchrist, young denizen of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls is installed as a housemaid for Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, at his castle. He's said to have murdered his wife. Cecilia's task is to uncover the truth of the matter. Promotion to role of governess to his niece, four year old Arabella, brings Cecilia closer to her goal. Cecilia finds a whole lot more than she expected, and in doing so faces danger and comes into her own.
Another super read from Bradley.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Just as its predecessor, this book is a wonderfully crafted and unique historical romance. It wasn't as fast-paced as The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray but that was honestly part of the beauty of this book.

While I don't really like reading sunshine heroines that often, I fell in love with Cecilia as a character. She is the sunshine and the hopeless romantic of Lady Clifford's girl. I loved reading the moments in the previous book when she would reassure Sophia that everyone deserves a great story and that she is the main character of her own. I commemorate Bradley's take on badass women. Cecilia is a sweet woman who sees the good in everyone, but she is still an undercover agent. So many times "badass" women in fiction tend to be cold-hearted, "masculine", and ruthless women. Bradley proves to us that women can be kind, sweet, romantic, and hopeful dreamer while still being a force to be reckoned with. Cecilia shows kindness and compassion is a strength and not a weakness. I thank Bradey for putting forth this narrative in fiction.

This had it all, an undercover mission, a ghost, a mysterious death, a murderer to catch, a mysterious and sexy single-dad kinda Lord, a great heroine, and a slow burn romance. Watching these two fall in love as secrets and plots are uncovered kept me on my toes. Both had their fair share of secrets and plots brewing, Bradley unpacked the story wonderfully. I loved the slow-burning romance between Gideon and Cecilia. Bradley's description of Gideon's grief and how it affected him was intriguing, stirring, and beautifully done. Cecilia challenged Gideon with her kindness, she helped him out of his grief.

I will say the plot leading up to the reveal of the bad guy was more interesting than the reveal itself. As some reviewers have stated, the reveal felt like a [insert bad guy here] kind of moment rather than it being the most flushed out reveal. I felt the reveal of the bad guy in the last book was similar but there were two "bad guys" that were revealed in the previous one. One of them was done wonderfully while the other came out of nowhere (as we barely saw that character enough to suspect them of the crime, we only had a small clue given to us in the beginning). But I honestly can overlook this.

This series is the perfect mix of Kerrigan Byrne's grit and emotion and your regular light, fun historical romance. Long story short, this book and this series are perfect for readers looking for a beautifully written gothic romance with an engaging plot. I implore you to read this book and this series.

- 4.5 stars -
(rounded up to 5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley, Lyrical Press, and Anna Bradley for a copy of an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cecilia goes undercover as a housemaid to learn the truth about Lord Darlington. After the death of his wife, the gossips began calling him Murderous Marquess. Unfortunately, he distrusts Cecilia from the beginning. But she's the only one in the household who can get through to his four-year-old niece.

Despite their mutual suspicion of one another, Cecilia and Darlington can't deny the attraction between them. Can she discover what really happened to his wife before he learns Cecilia's secret and banishes her from the castle?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of 2020, and Book 2 does not disappoint. It's gothic romance at its best. Witty, inventive, and emotional, this passionate and intriguing story was a joy to read.

I received and read an advance copy of this book. This is my voluntary and unsolicited review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 (4 books)
Romance: 💕💕💕 (3 hearts)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 (4 butterflies)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ (4 lightnings)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 (4 broken hearts)
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5 fires)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (4 peaches)
Number of Sex Scenes: 🍆🍆 (2 eggplants)

This is book 2 in Bradley’s newest series. I would say you can read this as a stand alone quite nicely. I did enjoy the first book, but not as much as this one. The character overlap isn’t much. (Cecilia has a small amount of page time in book 1, but nothing extensive). You might be left wondering a bit about Lady Clifford’s school, but honestly there isn’t that much information given about it in the first book either. Definitely more so than this book though, so

Cecilia became an orphan extremely young and was rescued by Lady Amanda Clifford and brought to her school. There she learned a variety of skills and works undercover to help solve crimes. She is sent to Darlington Castle to discover if he really did murder his previous wife. When she arrives at the castle, she finds plenty of mystery and secrets to keep her busy.

Give this a try if you want:
- The ultimate gothic feel romance – haunted castle? Check. Lights seen in forests with white, ghostly dresses glimpsed by many? Check. Huge, handsome, mysterious lord that chases you down hallways to ravish you, and you let him even though you don’t know he’s a murderer? Check.
- Late 18th century romance – This book takes place in 1795
- A mystery mixed with romance
- Class differences – heroine is an orphan, hero is a marquess. Heroine goes to work at hero’s house as a maid/nursemaid
- A hero that is a touch jealous, but protective too (and it doesn’t cross the line into jerk territory, he’s quite wonderful)
- Lower steam – a few kisses and a few full scenes at the end of the book

I love Anna Bradley’s writing. She always just pulls me right in and I am lost. Lost to her characters, the story, the emotional pull. I will always read a new Anna Bradley!!!

This series is not my favorite by her. It has a higher focus on crime solving and mystery aspects and I miss the all consuming ROMANCE of her previous series. But, if I’m reading a book with some type of mystery I want it like this. I find Bradley to be a master tension builder. Layer after layer, the wanting slowly growing until your heart is clenched, your breath is hitched, you cannot wait for these characters to touch. It’s the best.

I adore her heroines and Cecilia is no exception. She’s a bit shy, tiny, not super feisty but stands her ground when needed. I found her really enjoyable. Gideon is a good match for her and I loved him too. He is a widower and Cecilia fills a place in his life and heart so perfectly.

Gideon has a 4 year old niece, Isabella, who is just adorable. I actually tend to shy away from stories where I know there are children (I spend my days getting mauled by small children for 14 hours straight which is probably why lol), but Bella was a lovely addition to the story and she really brought out how wonderful Gideon was too.

I started this late last night and just couldn’t stop reading. This is a common theme with Anna Bradley and myself. And I have to rate higher just for that too because I haven’t want to read anything. Nothing has held my attention. So, kudos, to you, Miss Bradley for making me care. A tough job, indeed, as I have been hopeless lately.

I’ll leave you with a small passage where my heart began to pitter patter.

He pressed his fingertips more firmly into her chin, tilting her head back. “You say so, but I don’t know if I believe you, Cecilia. I don’t know if I’ve ever believed you. What will I do with you if I find out you’ve lied to me?”
It might have been an innocent question, but the wicked edge to his voice turned it dark and sultry, as if he’d already made up his mind what he’d do to her, and was very much looking forward to doing it...

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance readers copy of this story.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington, by Anna Bradley, is available in booksellers on 2-2-2021. It's listed as book 2 of 2 in the Swooning Virgins Society series. but I hope it's not over yet. There are still more virgins left at the Clifford School who need to swoon. Our current virgin is Cecilia Gilchrist who gets involved with, and un-virgined by, Gideon, Lord Darlington. I found this story to be much more of a mystery than a typical historical romance. There's a lot of sneaking around, secrets, lies, deception, all that good stuff, happening in a mouldering castle in the middle of nowhere. It's the perfect setup for murder & mayhem and that's just what we get. There's lots of hot looks, longing glances and sex too. It only took me a few hours to devour this story & it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

#AnnaBradley #TheVirginWhoVindicatedLordDarlington #SwooningVirginsSociety #historicalromance #romance #Netgalley #LyricalPress

This is book 2 of the Swooning Virgin Society series. Each can be read as a stand alone.
This story is about Cecelia, one of the 4 girls in the society. She is sent to investigate Lord Darlington. To see if he really did murder his first wife.
There was some good things about this book and some I didnt like. I thought the chemistry between Cecelia and Gideon was great. I felt the connection between them. I loved the relationship between Cecelia and Isabella as well. Cecelia had a way of dealing with the child. I loved that she sang her bawdy songs.
What I didnt like was that the mystery of whether or not Gideon killed his wife or not dragged on too long. I had it figured our early in the book.
All in all I would recommend it.
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As part of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, Cecilia Gilchrist is chosen to go undercover as a maid at Darlington Castle. Her job is to discover whether Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington actually murdered his wife or what really might have occurred. When she arrives, it soon becomes apparent to Gideon that Cecilia is not who she says she is and although he tries to fire her on numerous occasions, he soon finds himself happier when she is around. Together, they find that their blossoming romance is threatened by darker forces.
The mystery behind the death of Gideon’s wife is gradually revealed in this gothic romance. This book certainly had me captivated with such a brilliant array of characters. Whilst the villain in this story became evident and in some ways no secret, the gradual unveiling of the secrets, is cleverly told. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Cecilia and Gideon. Gideon’s initial manner is frosty but his love for his niece, soon won me over and I thought him a perfect hero for this story. Cecilia is a delight and her ability to win everyone over, is evident from the start.
I so look forward to reading the next book in this series, from an amazing author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery as much as a romance, this book introduces a number of elements, then develops them nicely as the story progresses. I really enjoyed Cecelia, our heroine. She is strong, yet vulnerable, taking chances she shouldn’t, but protecting those she cares about. She’s quite capable, but displays a vulnerability that made me want her to succeed and excel as she chased her objectives. Gideon, our hero, plays against her well. He’s an arrogant Marquess, cold, and demanding his way in most things, but also having a fiercely protective streak. There are a number of twists and turns in this plot to keep you guessing how the story will play out. Even though I thought I knew ‘who done it”, how we got there took several different paths than I anticipated, making for a delightful and suspenseful read. Four and a half stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

4.25 Stars
As the women of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls fearlessly bring corrupt aristocrats to justice, they put their lives—and their hearts—on the line
Going undercover first as a housemaid then a governess is a first for Cecilia Gilchrist. But once she’s installed in Darlington Castle, discovering whether the mysterious marquis murdered his wife proves more daunting than she imagined. Dashing widower Gideon Rhys, Marquis of Darlington, is clearly harbouring secrets—but a cold-blooded? Trailing his every move only brings her closer to him. He never should have let her into his world, but now that Cecilia has infiltrated his home, his senses, and his heart, Gideon will do anything to keep her safe from the darkness that has robbed him of everything. Yet keeping her close only makes it more challenging. For the more Gideon falls for Cecilia, the greater the danger to her .
The second book in the series but very easily read on its own. A well written page turning read, which I read in two sittings. I loved both Gideon & Cecilia, their banter was a highlight of the book, their chemistry turned from a gentle simmer to scorching. There’s also the mystery surrounding the death of Gideon's first wife & of course Cecilia has the mystery to solve before Gideon’s upcoming marriage. There are secrets, a ghost & of course romance all bundled together in a lovely read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Do not let the title scare you! This is actually a really, well done send up of gothic romance. Set in the Regency period, it's the second in a series about a group of street urchins trained to be spies & detectives and sent to investigate. In this book, Cecelia has been sent to the home of Lord Darlington on the eve of his second marriage. He's suspected to have murdered his first wife. Cecelia is undercover as a housemaid and walks right into scenes straight out of her favorite gothic stories. The characters are so strong, the dialogue is so funny. She does not back from all his surliness and she totally flummoxes him. It is filled with many gothic touches of strange noises, family secrets and secret passageways and an adorable kid. It certainly leans into the virgin trope but Cecelia is no wallflower. In the end, Bradley embraces the gothic tropes and also subverts in fun , knowing ways.

After adoring The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray last year I was so happy to get my hands on a copy of this one, and i'm pleased to say it was also a win.

This one follows Cecilia whose mission is to pose as a servant at Darlington castle in order to uncover the truth about the Marquess of Darlington and whether or not he deserves the nickname of 'murderous Marquess'. Gideon, the Marquess, is on edge as soon as he meets Cecilia - he's sure she's lying about being a housemaid although he can't work out why - but despite his better judgement he decides to keep her on.

The romance here was so wonderful. I loved seeing how Gideon and Cecilia kept gravitating towards one another, and the way that both tried to fight their feelings but couldn't. Gideon is clearly going through an extremely rough time and struggling a lot emotionally but he still managed to be so swoon-worthy - always looking out for and doing everything he could to protect Cecilia.

I loved the gothic feel to this one. The setting of this large and dark castle in the middle of a cold winter whilst rumours of a ghost haunting the grounds circulate made for the perfect atmospheric, gothic read. I did also really enjoy the mystery aspect. I did find it quite obvious who the villian was but I still enjoyed seeing how it all played out and coming to see how exactly they caused all this trouble.

This was a near perfect historical romance novel to me, apart from the fact that Cecilia keeps her true identity secret for so long. I needed that aspect to be revealed a little earlier for it to be a full 5 stars. I also didn't like that when she does everyone seems to expect Gideon to have no reservations about it - his reaction seemed perfectly normal and calm to me, she did deceive him for a long time.

It definitely wasn't enough to ruin this novel for me though, and I still adored it overall. I'm really excited by what i've read of this series and can't wait to see what the next instalment brings.

The virgin who vindicated Lord Darlington is the second volume in The swooning virgins Society series by Anna Bradley. I’ve read and reviewed the first volume The virgin who ruined Lord Gray and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to read this story especially as I had no idea of the identities of this volume’s heroes.
I was absolutely not disappointed by this story and I loved all the characters, the evolution of the relationship and the suspense. And yet it was a long shot. Indeed, I only discovered the synopsis after having picked up the book on Netgalley and if I had read it before, I would have hesitated to ask for it, but I’ll say more later.

Since his wife’s death, Gideon Rhys, marquis of Darlington, our hero, is nicknamed the murderer marquis. Indeed, the rumor says he killed her, and he never denied. After the announcement of his engagement with one of the season’s diamonds, also daughter of an acquaintance of Lady Clifford whom I talked about in my previous review, the heroine, Cecilia Gilchrist, is sent to the castle of Darlington to investigate and discover what happened. In order to do that, she’s accepted the position of maid at the castle.
In theory the hero should have been absent but he wishes to reopen the castle to welcome his future wife and marry her there.
Gideon and Cecilia meet the very night the heroine arrives at the castle. The scene is quite comical and we immediately have the tone for the rest of the story.

The first reason that would have motivated my hesitation to read this book concerns the theme addressed: identity concealment. I’m not fan of that at all to start with, but in TVWVLD the plot was well treated by the author. Of course, Cecilia hides some things but in the whole story, she stays her-self with the other people, and very sincere in her actions, her words and her feelings. What’s more, I appreciated that she has no prejudice about Gideon and she tries as much as possible to stick to the facts even if it’s not easy. I especially appreciated the moment when she has no doubt left and she decides to do everything she can to definitively exonerate the hero.
Gideon knows from the start she’s hiding things but the attraction present from the beginning has him take decisions opposite to his reason, and I must say I love that LOL.

The second point of which I’m not fan in a romance is when one of the heroes is already engaged elsewhere, which is the case here as Gideon is engaged. Fortunately I really liked how the author treats this hurdle, the hero’s hesitations are believable just like the fact we don’t doubt their HEA.
Because of the situation, there are not many love scenes but we feel their attraction and sensuality is present.

The suspense side is well done and we are treated with a few plot twists. When we close the book we have all the answers to our questions.

I really liked the majority of the secondary characters, but I regret Daniel Brixton’s absence. A quick reminder: he’s the official girls’ bodyguard and I don’t think he will have his own story. Lady Clifford’s other students are mentioned but not present either. However, this time, we have a very clear idea of the names of the next heroes. I won’t say more here and I let you discover them.

To conclude, I loved this novel and I recommend it. It can be read as a standalone but clearly the first volume is as awesome. Anna Bradley is definitively an author to follow.

Will the past come haunting them ...

I loved this gothic tale with its heavy atmosphere and the scraping/creaking/squeaking noises.
Plus the black cat intruding at the most obvious moments just to disappear instantly.
Brrrr, perfect for a rainy afternoon.
From the very beginning, I was sucked in the pages, shivering and fighting goosebumps while the vibe around the heroes was closing around them.
While the villain of this story was easily identified, the many clues and heroine’s missteps were what made it intriguing and captivating.

Cecilia is the most tenderhearted of the group of Lady Clifford’s pupils. Her empathy pushes her to find the best in the others before thinking of the worst. Expect when her affection is engaged, from there she might lack of rationality and jump straight on wrong conclusions. Yet, she can’t shake out her need for the truth, why she follows the clues she slowly has gathered and by put two and two ascertain what was right in front of her. But she is no professional sleuth and by engaging her heart, she sometime lets her heart lead the road when she should be more sensible.

Gideon lost everything not so long ago, so what are his reputation and name when he has no one to share it with. Yet he still has a reason to try to protect it why he is back to catch the person playing trick with other people’s reason. Which explains how he appears so cold and haughty when he first meets Cecilia. His trust had already been tested and he struggles to give it back now. Plus she challenges him at every turn, never listening nor obeying. She goes her own way, with her own secrets.
Yet when he is all shadows, she is all light. She is so easy to like even when she defies him. Why he fights his attraction, she is everything he longs for and at the same time, all he should despise.
And while the sparks fly, the circumstances around them make them wary of one another. It will be small gestures and kind deeds that will only be able to break the walls between them.
But is there anything in common between a Marquess and a mudlarking orphan.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen detailed lovemaking scenes.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington Books. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is the second in Anna Bradley’s Swooning Virgins Society series, although it can be read as a stand-alone.

Like the first, there is a strong mystery element to the plot, although I believe this time it is more prominent. There are questions around Lord Darlington’s past actions and what happened to his wife, especially given his display of guilt and grief. And as things unfold, there are some twists and turns that made for a compelling read.

While I don’t typically love a broody hero, I enjoyed seeing Gideon’s story unfold. Beneath the surface, he is a very loving person and the way his past impacted him was well conveyed. Cecilia is a bit out of her depth in the situation requested of her, given her soft hearted nature, but she turns out to be exactly what the situation—and Gideon—need, and she grows more confident in herself as a result.

I enjoyed this book with its balance of dark Gothic suspense and the sweet romance blooming in the midst of it. If you like Gothic historical romance, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

I really liked this book. Loved the characters especially Cecelia, liked the setting, loved the romance and the mystery was an added bonus. The mystery was a bit predictable, but nevertheless an important part of the plot.

Posing as a servant puts Cecilia Gilchrist rather out of her comfort zone, but she can’t refuse a request from the mentor who raised her. She must uncover the secrets of Darlington Castle and determine if the marquess is guilty of murdering his late wife. Gideon Rhys, the Marquess of Darlington, clearly has a few secrets, but Cecilia isn’t convinced he’s a true killer beneath his surly façade. She tries to remain objective as evidence seems to point to him, but she finds herself drawn ever closer to him, nevertheless.

Gideon knows he should’ve dismissed Cecilia on her first day. She’s clearly not a proper servant and yet he finds he cannot let her go. In fact, he grows increasingly protective of her, determined to shield her from the darkness that continues to hound him. Little does he know, the closer he becomes to Cecilia, the more danger she is in.

I really enjoyed this gothic-tinged romance. The setting was excellent, and the mystery well done, keeping me turning pages when I should’ve been sleeping, and a few of the scenes had my nape prickling with the tension. The ultimate villain was predictable enough, but not the how of the actions, and I liked the story well enough that I didn’t mind one bit. Gideon was a bit haughty at first but extremely loveable once his character was fleshed out more. He turned out to be incredibly sweet and swoon-worthy, not to mention rather pitiful given how much he’d suffered. I enjoyed Cecilia as a heroine and loved how this sad situation led her to trust in her own instincts and abilities. The development of her relationship with Gideon was believable and I also quite enjoyed the supporting characters. This book kept me engrossed and I didn’t want to put it down. I look forward to the next installment in the series and recommend this book for anyone who likes some mystery and a gothic setting in their romance.

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

While this book is part of a series it can be read as a standalone. There is overlap with some characters but there are no spoilers as such. This book reminded me so much of Jane Eyre, I think the author was heavily influenced by this classic but she puts her own twist on it.

The gothic feel to this book was a welcome change to cookie-cutter historical romance. The story lagged a bit in the middle but the characters are well developed and the supporting cast is a major part of the entertainment.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series. I think it's going to be a phenomenal read if the set up is anything to go on.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was different and unique but I didn't see that right away. In fact at first I wasn't even sure I was going to like it. I thought it was going to be another story about a dissolute, no direction, But after awhile it turned into something more. The verbal sparring between the two was often funny.
I liked how the couple got things figured out and it ended with a H.E.A. That was something that I wondered how it was going to happen. It was ingenious.

This is the story of Cecilia and Gideon the Marquess who is rumored to be haunted by the wife he killed. I really liked our two leads. I admired Cecilia's spunk and determination in the face of great odds. I felt for Gideon's loss and loneliness so much and admired the way he loved his niece.

The book had a gothic feel which I was not expecting, and which enhanced the story. Filled with great supporting characters - Lord Haslemere, Isabella, Amy etc., it was delightful. Second book in a series about the Clifford Charity School Girls and I absolutely adore that the tone, characterization, and settings are completely different. It's easy for authors to fall into the trap of making all the books similar in tone but that was deftly handled here.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC