This is another winner from this author. Filled with intrigue and romance, the pages just flew as I turned them to find out what would happen next.

Cecilia Gilchrist is sent on a mission to find out if Lord Darlington killed his wife. Rumors have flown through the village and London that he had her dead and buried by his own hand. As he approaches a new bride, Cecilia is sent undercover to find out if there is truth to the rumors before the next bride is wed. In addition, there are sightings of the ghost of the Lord’s former wife that have the villagers scared. Cecilia must discover the truth, no matter what that may be.

The characters in this novel are rich, and full of life, and you feel especially close to Cecilia as she falls for Lord Darlington. When she explores the grounds, and the castle she knows there has to be a reason for his secrets and the mystery. A mystery that makes the reader definitely want to read on to discover themselves.

This is a well developed storyline and plot that makes this a very enjoyable romance.
This is part of the series of books about the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, but it is also a standalone. References are made to the people in the previous book, but if one has not read it, one would not be lost. However, the other book is a wonderful read, so I would recommend reading it as well.

I am definitely looking forward to the others in this series.

Lord Gideon Darlington has been fighting rumors he killed his late wife for a year now. He has resigned himself to this fate although he is innocent. Cecelia Gilchrist is sent to Darlington Castle to find out the truth before Lord Darlington marries again. She never expected to fall in love with the marquess. Can she find the truth now that her feelings are engaged?

I loved Cecilia. She was a fiesty and determined heroine. Gideon for all his dark brooding was a sympathetic hero and couldn't help being drawn to Gideon. The author does a good job teasing out the mystery and the feelings these two develop. I can't wait to read the next book with Lord Haslemere and Georgiana.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

Sent by Lady Clifford to conduct an undercover investigation into allegations against Lord Gideon Darlington, Cecilia Gilchrist uses both her intuition as well her investigative skills to determine Lord Darlington's guilt or innocence. Somewhere along the way, the two of them fall in love. A cleverly crafted mystery/romance.

This is the second book in this ridiculously and incorrectly named series and it ends by introducing the characters who will feature in the next book in this series. Looking forward to reading it.

A modern historical gothic story, yay! You might think with a title like this the story might be cheesy but you would be thinking wrong. Anna weaves a story of a ghost, a brooding lord, a widow and a “servant” that will keep you enthralled. I love the Swooning Virgin Society. These women are not super spies but ordinary women who try to find out the truth. I appreciate how Anna wrote the relationship of Gideon and Cecilia. These two needed the time to find their love and when it does culminate it is just beautiful. I loved watching how they solved this mystery. Just a great story. Can’t wait for Haslemere’s story (explosive).

Cecilia is sent to Darlington Castle, a gothic setting with a dark castle and a ghost, to see if Gideon really did murder his wife. Gideon is haunted by a ghost and his past. Cecilia helps him solve the mystery of who the woman in white is and what she wants. I can’t wait for the next in this series. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.

An undercover governess and a mysterious Marquess, a great premise for a great story by Anna Bradley. The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is an enjoyable story that kept me engaged. Cecelia and Gideon were wonderful characters and they had me hooked.

****4.5 Stars Rounded Up ****

This is a wonderful addition to the series featuring the ladies from the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls. This book isn’t quite as on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting as the first book in the series, The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Grey, but it doesn’t need to be because the character’s makeup and backgrounds are different. The story is well-written, well-plotted, and populated with characters you will love – all of them. Just so you know – not that it makes any difference to the story – the Book Blurb says Cecilia goes undercover as a governess. She does not – she goes first as a housemaid and then moves into the nursery as a nursemaid.

Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, is known as the Murderous Marquess because everyone believes he murdered his wife. That rumor didn’t start for a while after his wife died, but when it did start, it spread with a vengeance. Gideon has spent the last year inside Darlington Castle, mourning his wife and trying to come to grips with the multiple tragedies in his life. Now, he owes it to his title and to his niece Isabelle to marry again and have children. He’s certainly not looking for love a second time, he’s had that and the loss of it has broken him. When he meets Miss Fanny Honeywell, he decides to offer for her – not because he loves her, but because she is graceful, lovely, biddable, and would probably make a good mother for Isabella. After the betrothal, he heads back to Darlington Castle because he’s heard the rumors of the White Ghost who is making appearances around Darlington Castle. He believes it is just a rumor, but, if it isn’t, he has to find out what is going on. Shortly after his arrival, he finds a woman by his lake – throwing stones into it. After he confronts her, she identifies herself as a new housemaid. He knows she is lying to him – he just doesn’t believe her – and so he dismisses her. You’ll find he dismisses her several times – none of them stick.

Cecilia Gilchrist doesn’t understand why Lady Amanda Clifford chose her to go undercover at Darlington Castle. She’s not as skilled as the other ladies at the school mostly because she is too soft-hearted and always believes the best of everyone. She just doesn’t feel she has the skills she needs to deceive the Darlington household and uncover the real facts behind the death of the last Lady Darlington. As her investigation continues – and she manages to keep herself employed there – she finds herself more and more attracted to the Marquess. One moment she believes he must be guilty because all of the facts say so – and the next moment her heart tells her it just can’t be true.

I love the slight gothic feel to the story. As you read, you come to feel as if you know what happened, but there are no facts to say so – and then there is the big reveal and you know all. The revelation might surprise – and it might not – but it is exciting to read. While it took Gideon a bit to come to his senses, we finally get our HEA – and the epilogue is sweet and romantic.

I definitely recommend this book. You’ll love Isabella who is Gideon’s four-year-old niece. I also enjoyed the staff, Mrs. Briggs, Amy, and Duncan, but my favorite was Gideon’s friend, Lord Haslemere, who I believe will be featured in the next book of the series.

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

Trechery and madness are the basis of this story.
Cecilia goes undercover as first a maid and then a caregiver to the niece of her suspect in this thrilling story.
Gideon is the last person who one would suspect of this trechery.
Anna Bradley has written a terrific tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first book in this series was a solid mid-pack romance, so I was excited to read another and see if the series is developing. Sadly, this one just didn't make me want to read further in this series.

I enjoyed the throwback to old Gothics- the remote castle, the ghostly mystery and the tortured Marquess. The romance itself was both sweet and steamy. The reader gets a happily ever after and everything tied up nicely by the end.

However, not much happens in terms of character growth, the characters are fairly flat to boot. The mystery is obvious from the start, even allowing that we as the reader have access to more information than the individual characters, Cecilia’s investigative skills are paltry. The book also does not actively involve the Swooning Virgins Society, to the point that if one reads this as a stand alone, none of it would make any sense in regards to how, and why, Cecilia has been sent to the castle.

This had a lot of potential, as did the series as a whole. However, for me, The Swooning Virgins Society just isn't doing the trick.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is an intriguing romance novel with a bit of Gothic and mystery mixed in. This book does not disappoint. It can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington was such a great novel. Though I usually balk at the main characters not having kissed by the first 60% of the book, I still think this novel was well-paced, though the romance took a little bit of a step back because of the gothic atmosphere/theme.
The thing is that this gothic novel made me want to read more gothic novels, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked both main characters, both were likable and personable. What bothered me a bit was that I thought Lord Darlington deserved to grovel a bit more and that a lot hanging on the main characters not just asking each other some important questions.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. 4.5 stars.

Anna Bradley has hit one over the fence with the Clifford Charity School books. I loved the first book and this was no different. Cecilia is sent to Darlington Castle to figure out if Gieon really is the murderous Marquess everyone has claimed he is. This book reminds me of the vintage gothic stories so often spoken of in regency romance. Cecelia and Gideon are meant to be together from the first page. Readers will love this book.

Cecilia has been sent by Lady Clifford of the Clifford School to Darlington castle to investigate whether Lord Darlington,who is known as the Murderous Marquess, really murdered his wife before he weds the innocent Miss Honeywell. Are his wife’s bones hidden in the walls of the castle? Is her body at the bottom of the lake? Why have her rooms been closed off and all the servants sworn to never enter? Is her spirit wandering the grounds like the villagers believe? Cecilia poses as a servant and not a very good one! Gideon, Lord Darlington, fires her multiple times but can’t seem to get her to leave. Cecilia’s soft heart wouldn’t let her believe the troubled Gideon could possibly be a murderer. Helped by a mysterious black cat roaming the castle, she sets out to prove the villagers wrong. Gideon, grief stricken by his wife’s death and caring for his niece, knows Cecelia isn’t a typical servant and he’s determined to find out her secrets also as their attraction for each other grows. I’m looking forward to Lord Haslemere and Georgiana’s story but I’m REALLY interested in Lady Clifford and the mysterious Clifford School. One tiny irritation was the number “beg pardons” spoken throughout the book. I started to think the phrase would make an excellent drinking game while reading the book!

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

Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, has been accused of killing his wife and is referred to in the Ton as the 'murdering marquess". He becomes betrothed to a young lady, and Miss Cecilia Gilchrest is tasked with going undercover to discover the truth behind the death of his wife and the rumor that her ghost is haunting Darlington castle.

I liked this book well enough, and it actually creeped me out while I was reading at home by myself late at night. It accomplished it's goal of coming across like a gothic novel, but it left me wanting a little bit in the romance department. I truly believed Cecilia loved Gideon, but for some reason he didn't seem as in love with her. The mystery was the main focus of this book, and while it was interesting enough to keep my attention, it was pretty easy to guess where the story was going and who was behind the "White Lady". I enjoyed the first book so much, and I was a little let down with this one.

I do think there is a lot to like in Anna Bradley's stories, and just because this didn't one hundred percent work for me doesn't mean that it won't work for other fans of her work. It is well written, and has a unique gothic feel to it. It's a easy read, but I would recommend reading it during the daylight so not to scare yourself!

This was an interesting story. The heroine actually was a virgin unlike the previous book. Cecilia lacked the confidence of all of her sisters but she had instinct. Her intuition led her to uncover the true plot. She was kind, generous, and inquisitive. Pretty good heroine and I couldn't help but like her.

This was my first book in the series, but I feel it can easily stand alone. I didn't understand the connection to the School, but that was more a curiosity issue than something that affected this story. The Book read like an old fashioned gothic, with a strong heroine and a sympathetic and likeable hero. The mystery wasn't a surprise, but I really loved the cat! There was a little more angst than I prefer, but I have a low tolerance for angst. I will go back to the first book to fill in the blanks on the history of Cecilia..

4.5 stars

This is my first but certainly not my last book by Anna Bradley. I loved this book. There is a ghost, a mysterious death, a murderer to reveal and a slow burning romance. I love Cecilia. She was a little bit of a mess, always seemed to find trouble and has a stubborn streak but I found it all endearing. She is sent to be a maid in Darlington Castle to uncover the mysteries of the late Marchioness’ death and to learn if Lord Darlington is the murder as people claim him to be. Lord Darlington is finally ready to move forward with his life, newly engaged, but still haunted by his late wife’s death. Cecilia and Darlington butt heads a bit, a lot actually, but they also have this wonderful chemistry. They argue and Cecilia never listens to him but he just can’t seem to stay away. The pace was lagging around the middle but the ending was really good. Great climax to the story! Overall, the slow burn romance was really good and the plot definitely held my attention. I need to go read the first book really soon.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington by Anna Bradley was a very satisfying read, one I especially appreciated because the last couple of books I've read were meh. This book is the second of a series, but stood on its own quite well. Only the prologue is a little vague as it takes place when Cecilia was a mudlarking child and is rescued by Lady Clifford. Presumably, the first book would have helped put that part in context.

Cecilia is sent to Kent by Lady Clifford to pose as a housemaid in Gideon's castle. In truth, she is supposed to find out if Gideon really is guilty of murdering his first wife. While there, she befriends the castle's few remaining servants, takes care of Gideon's young niece, tangles with a gothic "ghost" and the ghost's secrets, and, of course, falls in love with the marquess. That's the story in a nutshell.

The story is beautifully written and unfolds at a perfect pace. In spite of some dark undertones, the story manages to also be joyful, funny, and sexy. Yes, it's a little hard to believe Gideon would find himself in the company of a simple housemaid as often as he was, and yes, I do wish Cecilia had come clean a bit sooner, but the story was good enough for me to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the ride.

I was grateful to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

This is a review of Anna Bradley's The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington, which comes out on 2/2/2021
.4. 5 stars.

I have to say that Anna Bradley never disappoints! I adored this book from the very first paragraph right through to the end. This was a fun, gothic read

Cecilia Gilchrist, our heroine, is one of Lady Clifford's girls from the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, a secret society of brilliant, fearless women who are bringing justice to London's most corrupt aristocrats when necessary. Her first assignment is to discover if Lord Darlington, the "Murderous Marquess" killed his wife. She enters his household as maid and has trouble keeping her opinions to herself. The scenes between Gideon and Cecelia are so descriptive you can feel the heat between the two of them. During the course of the book you really start to understand the two of them as individuals and as a couple, while hints reveal themselves about what really happened to the prior Lady Darlington.

This is a great book for anyone who likes a dark Marquess, a fearless heroine, a slow to burn romance with a gothic mystery to solve and a "ghost" on the premises. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Anna Bradley is an auto-buy for me and this book did not disappoint. I LOVED the first book in the series so was really excited to read this one.

Cecilia Gilchrist is one of Lady Clifford's girls from the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, a secret society of brilliant, fearless women who are bringing justice to London's most corrupt aristocrats. She's also a "classmate" and friend to Sophia from the first book. Lady's Cliffords girls are never fully explained but are plucked from the streets and traumatic situations by Lady Clifford. The book starts with Cecilia's rescue, though I was a little confused as to what was going on when Lady Clifford found her.

This is Cecilia's first case on her own, she travels to Lord Darlington's castle to investigate the supposed murder of his wife as a personal favor to Lady Clifford. What transpires is a nice gothic romance/mystery to solve the mystery before Lord Darlington (Gideon) gets married and Cecilia is found out.

I loved the attraction and tension between Cecilia and Gideon. While steamy, the h/H don't really get together till about 60% in. He has a fiance which is sometimes used as an annoying plot device in some books but she was easily discarded in this book and didn't take away too much from the main characters. Both had a lot of emotional depth, Gideon was a really beautiful portrait of the devastation of grief. I spent the entire book trying to picture what he looked like, the author spent a lot of time documenting how grief had transformed his handsomeness.

There wasn't a lot of setup from the previous book. This can be read standalone but it might be a little bit confusing because names come up from the previous book. I kind of missed Lady Clifford and her band of misfits. I hope they make an appearance in the next book. We also don't really get Cecilia's back story which was really disappointing.

I do feel like there could have been more lead up to the villain. I felt like it literally could have been anyone and the writer was like [insert name here].

Overall 4 out 5. None of these things really took away from my enjoyment, mostly I just wanted more and I had some lingering questions! I am really excited for the next book in this series. Overall, this series is really clever and refreshing from your usual spy/mystery romance.