An amateur sleuth masquerading as a maid!
A member of the peerage labelled by the ton as the Murderous Marquess!

This has the making of a fabulous narrative and it is indeed a terrific tale. There's murder-mystery, a crazy ghost, an imposing castle, a couple of gorgeous Lords, a vindictive woman, a pretty girl and a black feline. Not to mention the fiery attraction between Cecilia and Gideon! Their intimate congress is absolutely red-hot!

Cecilia Gilchrist has definitely warmed the cockles of the heart of Gideon, the widower Lord Darlington. These characters are truly endearing. This is a five star read.

This is an eGalley copy from NetGalley which I voluntarily read. This is my honest review.

"The Virgin who Vindicated Lord Darlington" is the second book in Anna Bradley's newest series. Cecilia Gilchrist was literally pulled out from the mud by Lady Amanda Clifford when Cecilia was just a small child. Lady C. then continued to raise her as part of a group of young ladies who dare to do the impossible. Cecilia's present task is finding out the truth behind the gruesome death of Cassandra Darlington, possibly by her own husband, Gideon, the present Marquess of Darlington. Cecilia shows up at his castle, pretending to be a maid, one who is urgently required as Gideon is about to remarry and his home is in total disarray.

The emotional ups and downs I felt with the rapport between Gideon amd Cecilia are indescribable. Each scene is so vividly clear in my mind. There is mystery, romance and intrigue;  the epilogue brought me to tears and my only complaint is that the book ended far too soon for me.

I am new to this series and after reading this book, I am going to hunt down the first book and am looking forward to the next one! I liked both the heroine, Cecilia, and the hero, Gideon, They had great chemistry as a couple. The subplot of the White lady was pretty easy to figure out Iin that I figured out the ‘who’ early on but it was the ‘why’ that was interesting and kept me turning the pages. I thought the author included just the right amount of mystery and romance so neither overshadowed the other. All in all, I would recommend this book and cannot wait for the next in the series to come out!

I enjoyed reading The Virgin who Vindicated Lord Darlington by Anna Bradley.

The prologue I didn’t quite understand and then it jumped years ahead and it felt like I’d missed reading some information. But I think chapter 2 or 3 it finally came together and made sense.

It was easy to figure things out as the reader but it was fun to see how Cecilia would figure out the mysteries regarding the rumors and if she could help Lord Darlington.

I liked the banter and openness between Cecilia and Gideon. I do hope there’ll be a book about Lord Haslemere.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Recommendation
I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sexy, romantic, proto-feminist fun. Very enjoyable pleasure reading

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anna Bradley has become one of my go to authors and this book doesn't disappoint. While this is part of a series it can absolutely be read as a stand alone.
Cecilia has been sent my Lady Clifford to uncover the truth about the wife of the so called murderous marquess before he can remarry.
Cecilia was a relatable Hermione. She is sent as a undercover investigator but this is the first time she has ever done something like this and she doesn't see herself as capable as the other women at lady Clifford's school.
Gideon has survived the tragedy of his wife and son dying but now he is haunted the rumor that he killed them. Gideon was a sweet and caring man.
I liked the relationship and the mystery alot. The only complaint I have is that Gideon really never found out anything about Cecilia's past and therefore there relationship feels a little shallow.
Can't wait for the next book in the series.

I am really enjoying this series by Anna Bradley. I don't read a lot of Historical Romances book but I am so glad that I have read this series so far. As these books are not like the normal historical romance. These are much more fun and entertaining to read. I like the added mystery. Each book focuses on a new relationship and a new mystery. It's fun to watch the Lords fall in love with each lady. It takes them by surprise how much they like the lady and how much they intrigue them. In this case the mystery was an easy on to solve but it was fun reading how they get to the answers in the end. It is also fun watching Cecilia and Gideon tap dance around their feelings for each other. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*

This book had everything you could want in a great read. There was a strong woman and a Lord who had a dark past. There was a mystery to solve involving murder and a ghost. Cecilia and Gideon made a wonderful couple and they fought for their HEA.

This was my first Anna Bradley book but won't be my last.

I love the first book in the series and I enjoyed this one too. It was nice to revisit this world again. You don't have to read the first book to understand this one but it would be more enjoyable. I like the heroine and hero. They are both great on their own. They are even better together because they balance each other. Anna Bradley is a terrific and I have enjoyed all her books so far. Looking forward to the next one this series.

I enjoyed all of the twist that, The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington. Cecilia is a breath of fresh air. She speaks her mind, sometimes to her own detriment. She definitely tried Gideon's patients repeatedly.

Q: do you think that you’d be good at maintaining a lie about your identity if it was your job to do so?

A terrifying ghost dressed in white, rumored to be haunting the husband who supposedly killed her. A bedchamber door that’s mysteriously unlocked, but only for the heroine. A hero who has more secrets than coins (<—this is a purely hyperbolic statement made for effect).

Anna Bradley’s romance The Virgin who Vindicated Lord Darlington takes an intriguing walk on the gothic romance side, offering a slow burn class difference/everyone’s keeping secrets/widower’s second chance at love tale.

Cecilia Gilchrist is posing as a housemaid in Lord Darlington’s home to discover if he really is in fact the Murderous Marquess. Believed to have murdered his wife, Gideon faces malicious gossip & things really start boiling over when a ghostly apparition believed to be his dead wife starts appearing in advance of his upcoming marriage to someone who is not our heroine.

Will Cecilia solve the case? & will Gideon actually marry someone who is not our Cecilia (also remember: our heroine isn’t being honest with him ).

This secret-driven atmospheric romance is an entertaining change of pace. I love how Cecilia challenges the lordly Lord Gideon & how she’s a genuinely nice person who, as Gideon says, enlivens his world. His devotion to Cecilia & his niece is pure sweetness.

But I didn’t care for how the deception plot unravels. Cecilia shares very little about her actual life w/ Gideon & what she does share is a lie, & that doesn’t feel adequately or sufficiently corrected by the end. I didn’t really feel like he “knew her” knew her & that’s important to me.

Also, & this could just be a personality clash, I was annoyed with some of the risks she continued to take .

My reading of this one was a little uneven but I’m looking forward to trying more in the series, especially book 1, which I’ve seen great reviews of.



CW:


there’s a disturbing plot element related to the death of Gideon’s first wife. Please contact me if you'd like more info.

3.5 ⭐️. The Virgin who Vindicated Lord Darlington publishes on 02/02. Thanks to Kensington Press & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.