This is a delightfully bonkers historical romance featuring:⁠
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A woman boxer who fights with an all-female carnival for her living paired with a starchy duke love interest whose ton nickname is "Lord Flawless" but whose childhood nickname is "Sin" (it's complicated).

But wait, there's more! Sin's two BFFs also fall in love with carnival performers during a road trip through rural France. And let's be honest, how could there be a Regency romance with a portion set in France /without/ Napoleon making an appearance? PLUS secret royalty, inheritance hijinks, a truly villainous villain, and more.⁠
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If you're into bananapants romance, we definitely recommend this one. ⁠

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This would seem to be an implausible story let along romance except that Marianne is based on a real woman. She's a more interesting character than the Duke- as are the other women she's boxing. This has a. lot of things going on and frankly, I'd have been happier if it had simply been the story of the women, without the drama. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical romance,

This book was all over the place and it took awhile for me to settle into the rhythm of it. The blurb says it is inspired by the 'real' Boxing Baroness, but the life depicted and the brutality of the boxing without modern protections was unpleasant. I also did not care for the graphic sexuality, especially since the situations Marianne had previously been in bordered on abuse in my mind. That being said if one suspends disbelief it becomes a fairy tale story with harsh overtones. I will read the next in the series and see if there is an improvement.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is for history’s forgotten women.

A wild ride with a lot of moving parts that don’t always harmonize.

After finishing this book, all I can think is it feels so much older than it is. The rompy, crazy story feels like an old school romance mixed with something new and fresh.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it! First of all, it’s completely chock full of amazing historical detail. The amount of research alone is staggering! I also liked the writing style. I love detailed character descriptions that go into more than just hair color. The author touches on the things that really make you recognize a person.
Which leads me to our characters. Separately, I liked each of our main characters a lot. However I didn’t feel much of a spark between our main couple. There are a lot of fun side characters that I look forward to reading about in further books.
The pacing of the entire book was weird though. It took such a long time to get to the meat of the story, and then once we were in it certain sections felt rushed and others dragged.
Overall, it’s a fun premise and has some good highlights, but it’s not something I’d go out of my way to recommend.

Tropes: Feisty heroine with a career, road-trip, secret royal
CW: Death, blackmail, toxic relationship, kidnapping, violence

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. Opinions are all my own.

This was a charming, quick read, although I really had to assume a suspension of disbelief by the end. It took a turn I wasn’t expecting because it was so… out there. But it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I love just about everything written by the author, and this is a nice introduction to a new series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Historical romance, Book 1 of the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series. This one was my first read from Minerva Spencer and I’ve heard great things about her books. We have a female boxer who works for her uncle’s all-female circus troupe and she is being sought by a duke who is being blackmailed. The lady is involved because the blackmailer is her former lover who is asking for her presence in exchange for the life of the duke’s brother (previously presumed dead). There’s a lot of plot happening here with traveling between England and France during Napoleon’s escape from prison, tragic backstory for both the duke and the lady, secret identities, blackmail, and a relationship that is not recommended due to social class differences. It was a bit of a slog for me… too much plot, not enough romance. Though the plot becomes important for the conclusion in the back third of the book. Overall, it was a mediocre read for me and I’m not sure if I’d continue reading the series.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of The Boxing Baroness written by the fabulous Minerva Spencer from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This storyline is unique unusual,  and in a very delightful way.
Marianne Simpson, now a boxer, has been raised by her uncle after her mother's death and some unfortunate incidents have named her the Boxing Baroness. The Duke of Staunton, aka, Lord of Flawless, needs Marianne's cooperation to find his missing brother. My emotions ran so high and low with this dynamic duo and their interactions.
A villain, a missing brother, a national war and a romance like no other.....a very interesting lovely story.

I didn't know what to expect about a female boxer story. I wasn't particularly wowed by it. I have read better books from this Author. The pacing felt sometimes flat and over the top. There were some good moments. But overall a mix feeling for book 1 in the series.
I voluntary review this ARC and the opinion expressed here is all mine.

Loved the fact this romance was based on a person from history, and although the romance was enjoyable, I hated seeing how these women were being exploited. About 3/4 of the way through I was ready for this story to be over as the pacing overall felt slow and like it was a bit of slog to get to the end. However, all that being said, I will be checking out the next in the series.

I really love Minerva Spencer so I was thrilled to try The Boxing Baroness. I had high expectations, especially because the blub sounded so cool, but while the book was enjoyable, I think it was a little too long and a little too convoluted.

The MCs of the story, Marianne Simpson and the Duke of Staunton, had SUCH good chemistry. And, honestly, what a cool plot. A female boxer and a duke getting together? It was actually a very unique set up, especially for a jaded romance reader like myself. Unfortunately, you need to fully suspend reality in order to read this story. It's like one crazy storyline layered on top of another. I went with it for a little while, but then even I had a hard time with the OTT plot by the end. Coupled with the fact that the story felt LONG, made it a 3-star read for me.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

The Boxing Baroness was a novel with a lot going on! There were many characters and they were all very interesting ones. This book will give you romance, mystery, humor, and steamy love scenes. Very original!

The Boxing Baroness was a surprising deviation from your typical historical romance. The FMC isn't helpless, in fact she's a kick ass boxer. Her and the MMC (and the rest of the gang) must team up (hello forced proximity) to meet the antagonist who has history with both of them. The setting of a circus in Regency times is one I have never seen before, and it is hard to find stories as feminist as this one.

The author's remarks at the end of the book show how painstakingly they researched the setting, people (its based on a real person) and vocabulary. If I'm being honest I had to look a few things up. It is very clear she put a ton of work into the book. I'm so glad it's a series because the eccentric side characters deserve more story too!

Though having a good education, Marianne turns to boxing for a living. St. John Powell needs to convince her to come with him to France to rescue his brother. On their adventure they become closer as they learn there are many secrets to Marianne’s past. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.

Minerva Spencer is an excellent author but it took me awhile to get into this book. It didn't feel like things got moving until about halfway through the story. St. John was the perfect hero, a duke willing to do anything to be with the woman he loved. Meanwhile, Marianne was determined to reject him for his own good, even going back to her old lifestyle when it was no longer necessary. Marianne loved Sin but her stubbornness went on for far too long.
Interesting secondary characters abound in this story. The character Ceclie played a fairly large role and she will be featured in the next installment of the series "The Dueling Duchess." There was a teaser chapter at the end which sounded very promising. This was a steamy read with a complex plot. Actual historical persons and events
are mentioned. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

An incredible series of women with incredible skills. She’s more than a boxer and he’s more than a duke. The story spans their journey with their friends to find a traitor and uncover some past secrets. Sexy, steamy, action packed, mystery and chaos amid the onset of war. Hard to put the book down. Would love to read about Cecile and Jo.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

After leaving boarding school, Marianne finds no one will hire her as a teacher or governess. The stigma of being raised in her uncle's circus makes her unemployable. Add to that the scandal of being a mistress to a rake of a Baron who scammed her into believing they were married. By the age of twenty she finds herself a pugilist in her uncle's all female circus. When this notorious Baron sends word to Sin, the Duke of Staunton, that Sin's brother, thought dead, is alive he demands Sin bring Marianne to France if he wants information on his brother's whereabouts. Not such an easy thing to do when she wants nothing to do with him. When's she's finally convinced to go see why her former lover wants to see her the circus performers, with Sin and his friends disguised as workers, all take off in caravans for France. Soon they find themselves in a country in turmoil with the threat of war as Napoleon escapes from Elba. The description of Marianne's training, injuries, and fear for her future in such an unusual occupation are fascinating, as are the fictional portrayals of real historic figures. A whopper of a secret is exposed.

I won this book from the publisher. I enjoyed it but there was a lot going on. Not your typical historical romance. There is a female boxer named Marianne and her uncle owns the circus that she travels with. A handsome Duke is expressing interest in her and I love that she just throws away his letters. She wants nothing to do with him expecting that he just wants a mistress or something. Well, she is the key to maybe getting his brother back and she doesn't know it. Now he has to convince her to come with him to save his family. And of course love blossoms as they make the journey and the longer they are together. When it is all over though she knows they cannot be together because of his status in society. I am looking forward to the next book.

"...was there anything more intimate than laughing with one's lover after making love?"

No demure delicate ladies in this book! These ladies hold their own in boxing, knife throwing, and shooting. The main character, Marianne, is an orphan and has a lot of mystery in her past, very little of which she knows. The duke, Sin to his friends, has preconceived ideas about Marianne. After all she works in a circus and is probably no better than a prostitute. He is surprised by her intelligence, dignity, and directness. And disgruntled by her accusation that he has a stick up his arse. Marianne thinks all aristocrats are worthless and treacherous, based on her own experience. It is fun to read their changes in attitude as they get to know one another while on a secret mission of mercy. To add to the suspense, Napoleon escapes Elba while the English group are traveling in France.
I loved the people in this story and can't wait to see what is in store for the supporting characters in future stories.

This was an entertaining historical novel about a woman circus boxer. It had a lot of interesting commentary about women's roles during this time period while being entertaining and well written. The plot does get quite improbable heading toward bonkers at the end but I found it entertaining on the whole as long as I did not analyze it too closely.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

This was a very fun historical romance that also had whole lot of action, while on a rescue mission.
Jo is a female boxer, and the Duke of Staunton aka Sin desperatly needs her help in rescuing his younger brother whom he thought dead, and he won't take No for an answer.. In fact he and his close friends are going to use Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre to help them blend in on the journey. Along the way we uncover some deep dark secrets, and some twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. We also see Sin and Jo develop a strange sort of friendship and fall in love. They just have to get past the fact that hes a Duke and she is a Boxer with no title and no place in society.
At every turn they are trying to outwit each other and it leads to some great banter between them.

The beginning and into the middle is on the slower side but it does show us how Sin and Jo's relationship was built, and we get alot of great scenes with Jo training and fighting which I really enjoyed. Then the action starts and a ton of stuffs revealed that kept me flipping pages to see how it was all going to be resolved.

I also loved the other women that worked at the circus, the sharpshooter and the knife thrower... I can't wait to read their books!