This was an excellent historical romance with an incredibly resilient feminist heroine. Asphodel is trying to keep the hotel running that was left to her after her grandmother’s death. She cannot officially inherit the hotel until she is 21. Her creepy great-uncle convinces her that he is her guardian. She ends up engaged to her great uncle after agreeing to marry him in her grieving. She meets a highway man looking for documents named Farlan when he stops her stage coach and searches it. Farlan is looking for evidence that proves he is the Baron Blackitter so he can take his rightful place. Farlan steals her engagement ring and her heart and thus begins an incredible aventure across the moors for Farlan and Asphodel.

Please be aware that there are some triggering situations in the novel. Asphodel does get sent to an asylum by her nasty great-uncle. There is also an attempted sexual assault.

Overall I loved the story and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves historical romance.

Thank you to Maryanne Ross, NetGalley, and The Wild Rose Press for providing the ARC!

A pretty good historical romance novel that had plot and fairly sweet story. I want to check out more books by this author

I reluctantly decided to read Crushing the Corset by Maryanne Ross. The title did not call out to me and I thought the book would be one that I would decide not to read. However, the first chapter of the book caught my interest and I kept reading. I did find that the title represented the heroine very well because she refused to wear corsets as most women of her time did.

I liked the characters in the book and enjoyed the repartee between the two main characters. Asphodel (I did not like this name for the heroine.) Quick has been coerced into an engagement with her great uncle whose purpose in wanting to marry her is only a plan to take over the hotel her grandmother left her.

Farlan Blackitter has returned from Australia to find papers proving that he is Baron Blackitter. Asphodel’s grandmother had hidden these papers, unbeknownst to her, to keep the great uncle from finding them. The uncle’s goal was to have Farlan arrested and imprisoned. Between the two of them, Farlan and Asphodel save the day.

I found this book to be an easy read, not one I would normally read, but it did keep my interest throughout.

*Note: I was given a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Crushing the Corset, written by Maryanne Ross, focuses on a heroine who is strongly committed to keeping her grandmother’s hotel alive after her untimely death. After the grief of losing her grandmother begins to wane, she realizes she has taken some mis-steps that are not in her best interest, the largest being her engagement to her great-uncle Dougie. Thankfully, she meets a highwayman who ends up pledging fealty to her, and assists her to get out of her promise to her great-uncle. Through a string of events that could easily crush a person, Asphodel learns of the grit she is really made of, and realizes who her heart truly belongs to.

It was refreshing to see a female character in a romance as strong in spirit as Asphodel, yet have a gentle feminine side as well. The author was able to create a book where both the main female and male characters compliment each other, and are able to create a 50/50 relationship, meaning both rescue each other equally throughout the novel.

The first two chapters had me questioning whether this was the right choice book for me, but I soon became enamored with the story and characters, and was enthusiastic to find time to continue reading. I look forward to reading further novels by Maryanne Ross.

I really liked the first part of this book and it had such promise, but by the time the it was all wrapped up, I really didn't like it. This is also a SPOILER ALERT, for those of you who don't want final information.
The heroine is a 19 year old woman who was left a very prosperous inn by her grandmother. After her grandmother's death, her grandmother's brother-in-law had become the heroine's fiance before she was able to drag herself from the grief of her grandmother's death. The grandmother's brother-in-law also claimed to be her guardian, and her grandmother wanted them to marry and combine the businesses, which is a lie and a con. This man was in his mid 40's, about 25 years older than her.
The hero is a man who is trying to get his legacy back after his grandfather took him to the New Zealand gold fields when his parents passed away because of a stupid curse. With him being only the 4th Baron, who would have cursed him? It was not really explained except that the hero's father passed away and his grandfather, his father's father took him away to escape the curse. So how did his grand father the 2nd Baron still be alive? Wouldn't he have been cursed also? And then about how the heroine's grandmother was in love with the hero's grandfather and they were star crossed lovers, similar to the hero and the heroine? This story has so many cliches that don't even make any logic or sense.
The hero has turned himself into "the document highwatman", taking documents and a small portion of money for food.
This book kept portraying the main characters at times of being more mature than they should be or more immature than they should be. They went from talking normal, to talking very flowery in the middle of the book. The cadence and word choice were not consisitant from beginning to end. Also, the hero is 28 years old and that puts him 9 years older. While this is not so bad when the characters are older, a 19 year old and a 28 year will not find anything in common to build a relationship. That is why sometimes they act very immature, to try to find something to base their relationship on. The heroine is an inn keeper and the hero is an aristocrat, nothing in
common. The story already began to drag and really how many times can a woman be kidnapped and saved by the hero? We fall into the drama pit and really never come.out. And this is upsetting, because I really wanted to like it. And the title is "Crushing the Corset" and the only one who wore a corset was the villian, and I guess this story was about the villian being brought down and not about romance or history.
Sadly, this is not my favorite read and I will give 2.5 stars, but I can't recommend it. It is a very confusing story.

A feisty, beautiful heroine in need for rescue - check, an outlaw hero helping her - check, a wicked villain ploting against our heroine - check. The book is intriguing, interesting and will keep your attention focused on the plot from the first sentence you read. It is definitely worth your time.

Asphodel and Farlan are the perfect couple considering he is her guardian in truth. Her great uncle claims to be that guardian to coerce her to marry him.
Asphodel Quick fights her wicked great-uncle for possession of her grandmother's legacy—the Black Hart Hotel on the remote North York moors. Her uncle demands she marry him or be tossed into the dread Harrowlick Lunatic Asylum. Then a dashing highwayman aids her, firing more than her business desires.
Returned from the lawless Australian goldfields to defy the family curse, Farlan Blackitter is the fourth Baron Blackitter—if only he can find the papers to prove it. Acting as a highwayman, he steals the engagement ring of a feisty flame-haired, pub-owning wench—and yields his own blackened heart in exchange.
Together Farlan and Asphodel battle all the forces arrayed against them, in an exhilarating race across the wild moors.
This is an awesome romance.
I have not read any books by this author before but I think that I will be interested in reading more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.