This book had all of the qualities I enjoy in historical romance; unusual characters, a bit of mystery and action, and a hot romance. The story seemed slow at first and was difficult for me to get into, but the ending was great. The resolution of Marianne’s family background was a bit fantastical but made for a great story. 4 stars.

This book was interesting. From the get go, we see Marianne literally fighting for her livlihood. The story of the circus was some of the most interesting parts of the story, and it felt so well researched and even while part of me struggled to believe it I could see that it was an amazing setting for this group of people.

Enter the Duke. There's always a duke in these books and St. John, or Sin as his friends call him, has a seemingly endless amount of money and the loyalty of two best friends who are prepared to go on a months long journey to see if his brother is alive. It's a noble cause but the plot for that part of the story seemed to fall apart a little quickly for me. There was so much time passing but it all felt very quick to me. I like Sin and his friends and where Marianne seemed prickly at first, I came to appreciate what she had to offer and what made her different from a lot of the typical historical romances.

Spoilers ahead: beware.

Where this book really lost me was the Napolean parts. It seems too fantastical and felt like it came out of nowhere. I mean, I'm not sure how you could have brought it in much earlier, but while it gies our hero and heroine the vehicle to finally be together, it seemed unnecessary to me and I wished they'd just gotten toether because they loved each other. Also, it was a lot of history or England, France and Sweden for me to keep up with. The author's note at the end explaining what was based in fact and not helped a lot. Seeing Naploean on St. Helena at the end was so frustrating. I wanted to see the life Marianne and Sin created and see her gain closure without journeying to see a man she'd never met before and had no actual ties to.
Overall, that plot line really took some overlooking to mildly enjoy.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the description, but I wanted to read it to see what adventure I would experience. I have to say that there were times in the beginning that I wanted to tell Marianne to grow up and shut up. Some of the things she said and the way that she acted was very childish. There were times because of her that I didn't want to keep reading. I know that there takes the time for character development, but I just wanted to smack her. But I did keep on reading the story, and it did finally get better, but it was hard to me to finish. This is my honest opinion and I got an advanced copy from NetGalley.

A pugilist heroine, a grumpy duke, a road trip, and the twists and turns that ensue, made this a highly enjoyable read!

I absolutely adored the heroine. Marianne Simpson is one of several women who perform in her uncle's circus, "Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre". Marianne is a woman who has an inner strength, is determined, kind, and a good friend. I admired her throughout the book. She was wronged by several people in her life, but she didn't let anyone knock her down.

It is during one of her boxing bouts that Marianne notices the Duke of Staunton (aka the Duke of Flawless). When Marianne and St. John meet, their personalities and preconceptions of one another cause them to clash- and the banter was glorious! St. John has the qualities of a brooding hero with hidden depths. I found him to be a great match for Marianne.

This is a story that takes place over months, and I liked how Spencer crafted this story in unique and fresh ways. It made the development of the romance plausible and distinctive.

There are a few twists that emerge during the plot thread. Although they seem far fetched, I think that it is more than plausible, and I highly enjoyed Spencer's author's note at the end.

Throughout the story we are introduced to the other women who participate in the circus along with Marianne: a sharpshooter and a knife thrower. They each have their own talents and mysterious backgrounds. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

If you are a fan of Minerva Spencer (S.M. LaViolette) or looking for a unique reading experience with exciting new characters, I highly recommend picking up The Boxing Baroness.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this eARC thanks to Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5⭐️

First in a new series, this is my first Spencer, and I really enjoyed it.

Marianne is a boxer in her uncle’s (who raised her) traveling Fantastical Female Fayre. She may be tough and fearless, but she also received a lady’s education. When the Duke of Staunton (“Lord Flawless”) blackmails her into traveling to France to help free his missing brother who is being held for ransom, he goes undercover as her boxing coach.

There’s adventure, humor, Bonaparte and of course attraction (this one’s steamier than your average!) and also some surprising twists at the end. I loved Marianne as a brave, strong heroine, and the idea of an all-female fair was fun and intriguing.

Looking forward to following her equally strong cohorts in further adventures.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of The Boxing Baroness for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This certainly was a very different historical romance! I loved Marianne's unconventionality, but without the modern "I am feminista hear me roar" pastiche some writers do: she still has expectations and attitudes that fit with the societal conventions of the time. I loved her physicality and that Staunton found her muscles sexy-- certainly an attitude that even modern women struggle with! The ending was bloodier than I anticipated, and the the resolution a little too easy: Marianne's elevation too neatly solved the problem, rather than Marianne and Staunton solving it together. Otherwise, a fun, different novel.

I really don’t know how to express my feelings about this book by rating it, and this is a good example of how the rating system can be tricky and not reflect the real feelings accurately enough. This was an enjoyable read, I had fun reading this book, but while there are quiet a few things I loved about it, some parts of the plot, mainly the romance, didn’t really work for me. There is so much going on in the story - spying, betrayals, hidden identities, traveling across Europe… that I felt the main characters went from disliking and distrust to lust and deeper feelings far too quickly, without much to truly bind them together, and because of that their romance wasn’t convincing.

It’s early 1815 and Marianne Simpson is working in her uncle’s circus, where all acts are done by women. Marianne’s a pugilist, she fights every week in brutal fights in front of the all-male audience, made mostly of aristocrats and other members of the higher society. St. John Powell, the powerful duke of Staunton begins to visit her fights and requests to meet with Marianne. Since her last bad experience with an aristocratic male, after which she got the nickname Boxing Baroness, Marianne doesn’t want anything to do with peers, and especially with the one all England calls lord Flawless, and who publicly stated his disapproval of generally all indecency, which definitely includes circuses that employ women pugilists. The duke wants Marianne’s help with a matter of great importance for him, and he’s ready to do anything to get the Boxing Baroness to help him, even join the circus on its tour on the Continent…

It took some time for me to get into the story, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. It’s well written ( this was my first read by this author, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style ), and touches very interesting subjects and parts of society unusual for historical romance. I definitely think that the strongest part of the story is in its middle part, after the troupe leaves for the Continent and Marianne and Sin start to warm up to one another.

I struggled with both main characters at different parts - Marianne frustrated me at the beginning, as I found her attitude a little bit too hostile and juvenile, but hey she is actually very young - not yet 21, so I accepted her behaviour as part of her character. She started to change soon, and I started to like her much more from then on. Sin, the nickname derived from his full name, St. John, which I thought was an awful nickname btw, was very inconsistent with how his character was presented at the beginning, that by the end it didn’t feel like he’s the same character - not in a way that he evolved, but that his personality was completely at odds with how he was first described.

I have to say that the way this book is advertised to the public - with the cover that screams Jane Austen’s Emma ( 2020 movie ), with the title and synopsis that promise a lot of boxing and performing in circus etc., was a bit misleading and confusing. At first it felt like this story is gonna read like Sarah MacLean meets Lorraine Heath, and I was really excited for it, but by last third of the story it all became too messy with a lot of new plots and discoveries thrown in suddenly. I’m really not a fan of using real historical figures as important characters in historical romances, so I disliked that part here too. I get that some of it was used as a device for the MC’s to get together later, which also felt unconvincing - it wasn’t elaborated and was definitely historically impossible.

However, all that said, I would recommend reading this book, as it really was fun and I was entertained by the story and the characters. Also, how other characters were set up as potential couples for future books definitely made me interested in reading them and I will stay tuned for any future books in this series!

I received a free copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review!

Normally I am such a big fan of Spencer but this one was slow to start and did not improve. The duke was the only good thing about it, and his friends were amusing. Marianne and her circus was fine but once things started to head off to France on their mission, it devolved quickly, the end result about her parents was literally too ridiculous, it ruined the whole plot for me.

Minerva Spencer tends to write unusual, intriguing historical characters, and this book, the first in a new series, is no exception. Marianne is a boxer in her uncle's circus because despite her education, other avenues are closed to her. She's good at what she does, training and fighting hard, and she has no interest in stuffy dukes attempting to attract her attention. Except in the Duke of Staunton, she's met her match in stubbornness.

It took me a chapter or two to really get into this book, but once I did, I was completely drawn in. It's a delightful adventure, a road trip into uncertainty, with added danger once the group get overtaken by historical events. There's a lot going on, not least because the plot also lays the groundwork for at least two subsequent books, but it motors along nicely with no filler, detailed descriptions, lots of crackling dialogue, and eventually some seriously steamy scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed the two main characters: the strength of Marianne, and the determination of Sin, whose moral certitude and sense of fairness mean he can see and treat Marianne as she deserves. 4-4.5 stars, and I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I would give this book somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 star rating. Marianne Simpson and the Duke of Staunton had wonderful dialogue throughout this book. The parts with the training sessions and boxing matches were written very well. The slow growing love between the Duke and Marianne was done so nicely. My only issue was that the story strayed so far away from the boxing part towards the end. There's also an unexpected twist in the end that was borderline unbelievable and for me took away a bit from the romance part of the story.

Apart from the ending, I did enjoy the rest of the book. There are a few side characters and two other romances going on in the background, which I think will be the books next in this series. Definitely a different book than the usual ton romances and worth reading for that experience!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC!

Did I like this? No I did not. There's not much more to say than that! I thought this would be more Julia Quinn bridgerton-esq and it was not.

Marianne, 20 years of age, is a boxer in England around 1800. Yes, that's unusual, and a fascinating aspect of this character. Her uncle, who raised her, owns and manages the traveling performing "circus." The other women performers are a magician and a knife-wielding cypher with a pet raven. As intriguing as they are, so is the underlying plot, wherein a handsome duke must bring Marianne to France to save his brother. The romance is hot, the character arcs are satisfying, the intrigue is mystifying, and the settings and descriptions vivid and enjoyable. All this and a HEA as well. A very enjoyable novel.

Firstly, Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book and this is my freely given opinion.

I think it’s hard not to fall in love with a Minerva Spencer novel. Her characters are always so unique, unusual, and smart that you become engrossed in them. Even a horse is brimming with characterization – “Marianne looked at Cassio, who looked back at her with, she would have sworn, a haughtily, skeptical equine sneer.”

I read the Rebels of the Ton series and absolutely loved it, so when I saw a new feminist series exploring the role of women in a rigidly patriarchal society was coming out and the first book is inspired by a real-life female boxer from the time, I couldn’t wait to read it.

Marianne Simpson is an educated, lovely-looking fighter for her uncle’s circus Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre. She was hurt and disgraced by her former love and now has a healthy disdain/skepticism for the aristocracy.

St. John/Sin is the flawless Duke of Staunton (strong jaw, great looks, and high moral fiber…swoon) who starts coming around only for Marianne’s shows but is turned away every time he tries to reach out to her. He is hoping to get Marianne’s help to join him on a trip to rescue his thought-to-be dead younger brother.

They end up having to work together and that’s where things start to get really delightful, super-steamy and the wit becomes rapier sharp. As it's the first in the series we meet some of the other heroes and heroines whom I’m already in love with (dear god I hope Blade & Eliot’s book is next).

The only criticism I have is that a lot of things happened all at once towards the end that I wish were explored more. I also would have loved more Guy/Cecile and Blade/Elliot scenes but I will just have to wait for their books.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC.

Marianne is known as the boxing baroness., who boxes once a week for her uncle’s circus. Recently, the Duke of Staunton, known to his friends as Sin, has been trying to get in touch with Marianne, who thinks he only wants to sleep with her because she is a novelty.
A few years ago, she was tricked by Baron Strickland into a fake marriage which ruined her reputation. Although he was reportedly dead, Duke Staunton claims he received a letter from him claiming that his younger brother was still alive. When the Duke finally speaks with her, he is immediately impressed by her attitude and personality.
Marianne does not agree to help him at first until he blackmails her.

A lot happens in this plot and there are a lot of side characters who also have involved storylines so if that is something you look for, this book is definitely for you.
Because there was so much happening, the ending definitely felt rushed. Also one small thing that bothered me was how Minerva was described since she is not the typical “curvy” body type for women. As someone who is not particularly curvy myself, I would have liked a different description for her other than “mannish” but the descriptions did improve as the story went on. This story was fast paced and definitely kept me interested with its unique characters and storylines.

4.5 stars
Really enjoyed this fun and unique premise. The writing style was engaging, and it kept me turning pages (despite having plenty of other things to do). It also has me curious for the upcoming (I hope) books in the series. The h's backstory was very interesting, and I was excited to see how in the world she and the H would come together in the end.

5 stars

A great story a bit improbable in places but not impossible. The descriptions of Marianne's fitness schedule and fights were very visceral. St John's original dislike morphs into respect and then love. As it's the first in the series we meet some of the other heros and heroines, Blade & Eliot sound delightful.

I'm in for the series and I would recommend you check it out as well.

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

Wenn ich Regency Romance Romane lesen möchte, greife ich am liebsten zu Minerva Spencers Büchern. Ich gebe zu, dass Spencers Geschichten sehr sinnlich (jedoch nie vulgär) sind - Georgette – Heyer – Fans werden mit ihren Erzählungen daher nicht unbedingt glücklich werden. Mir gefällt vor allem Spencers nuancierte Figurenzeichnung und der spannende und abwechslungsreiche Handlungsverlauf. Auch fällt Spencer trotz steamy Szenen nicht gleich „mit der Tür ins Haus“ (anders als Lila diPasqua etwa).
Nachdem ich von“ Phoebe“ etwas enttäuscht war (die Figurenzeichnung war nicht ganz so filigran, wie ich es von der Autorin gewohnt bin, der Handlungsstrang rund um Gideon wurde zu schnell ‚abgespult`), konnte mich „The Boxing Baroness“ auf ganzer Linie überzeugen – das Buch ist definitiv mein guilty pleasure. Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen: Eine in Ungnade gefallene Frau muss ihren Lebensunterhalt als Boxerin verdienen. Als uneheliches Kind verachtet sie den dekadenten Adel Englands, doch der prinzipientreue ‚Lord Flawless‘ geht ihr nicht mehr aus dem Kopf. Als St.John Powell beschliesst, inkognito mit dem Zirkus, für welchen Marianne Simpson arbeitet, auf Wanderschaft zu gehen, muss die junge Frau einen gefährlichen Pakt eingehen…

Die Lektüre hat mir großen Spass gemacht, da die Autorin auch im Nachwort erhellende Informationen teilt und einräumt, dass die story stellenweise ahistorisch ist (anders als viele andere Autorinnen historischer Romane). Sie legt ihre Inspirationsquellen offen, gestört hat mich lediglich die Inkongruenz in Sachen „Himmelhause (sic!) /Himmelhaus“.
Spencers Protagonisten sind natürlich schöne Menschen, aber sie haben eben auch Charakter! Meines Erachtens steht die Geschichte im Vordergrund. Viele andere Autoren reihen lediglich eine Liebesszene an die nächste, nicht so Spencer. Das Ganze ist so perfekt geplottet, dass ich den Roman kaum beiseitelegen konnte. Es gibt humorvolle Passagen und das pacing könnte nicht besser sein. Auch die Nebenfiguren sind faszinierend, ich fand sie nicht flach. Lediglich der Schurke der Geschichte wirkt ein wenig eindimensional. Meines Erachtens gibt es feministische Untertöne ganz ohne den erhobenen Zeigefinger. Prima!

Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Teil der Reihe.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book and this is my freely given opinion.

I generally love me some Minerva Spencer/S. M. LaViolette as she always writes with flare, and her characters are unusual. I always look forward to anything new from her so I was very eager to read The Boxing Baroness.

When reading the blurb of this, it did make me think two books by Edie Cay that I also enjoyed, A Lady's Revenge, and The Boxer and the Blacksmith, also about female boxers in the 1800s. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of the sport of boxing, but what I think I enjoy is female characters that step outside of the box of what is expected at the time, and the glimpse of another reality of the period.

Marianne Simpson is a young woman who is now making her way in the world as a female boxer. Her world was turned on it's head because of a scandal she was involved with when the man she married a few years ago turned out to have finagled her into a false marriage. He was a baron who was already married and tricked her into a false marriage to bed her. This became a publicized scandal that ruined her reputation. In order to move on and make her way in the world, she joined her uncle's Female Fayre, a traveling circus that has female-centric acts, as a boxer. She is quite professional and trains for her sport and is rather a success. But she cannot apparently completely escape her past, despite the apparent death of her former supposed-spouse a year ago.

St. John Powell, the Duke of Staunton, also known as Lord Flawless, is well known for his flawless form and flawless reputation and demeanor. He is trying to get Marianne to meet and work with him. His younger brother was apparently killed during a mission during the war, but he recently had word from a source that indicated his brother Ben may still be alive. That source is the the baron Marianne was married to, and a former friend of Staunton's. Apparently this baron is quite the unsavoury sort. Not only does he trick women like Marianne, but apparently he engaged in smuggling, blackmail, and possible treason, and he faked his own death. Now he has come out of the woodwork and is trying to get Staunton to pay for information about his brother, at the least. Part of his bargain also involves Staunton bringing his former wife, Marianne, to meet with him too.

This leads to Staunton meeting Marianne, who initially refuses to have anything to do with either of them. She has no interest in seeing the man who tricked her, and no interest in engaging with the Duke who looks down on her. But ultimately the Duke gets his way, since no matter what, if there is the possibility of his brother being alive, he wants to find out and help him. Even if that means manipulating and blackmailing Marianne and her uncle into joining forces with him.

This places Marianne and the Duke into a situation where they are working together. As they work together, they overcome their initial unfavorable impressions of each other. He learns to appreciate her hard work, intelligence, loyalty, and she sneaks under his icy wall of reserve.

I quite enjoyed the interactions of Staunton and Marianne, and their dialogue and development of their relationship and their developing mutual respect and attraction. There was interesting twists of angst from various issues such as their difference in status, her lack of trust in men, especially men of peerage, and his lack of trust in her because of her possible involvement in events that the baron engaged in that were treasonous and possibly linked to Staunton's brother's death/capture. I enjoyed the backdrop of the Female Fayre, and the boxing scenarios, and the backdrop of the renewal of war in France, as they were traveling with the Fayre. That made for a different, and interesting backdrop to the story.

On saying that, you definitely had to read this with some suspension of belief, especially considering the twist that is revealed in the latter third of the book - or twists. Also, some of the characters were rather over the top and almost caricatures of themselves, including the King of Sweden character, and that of Blade, and even the Baron, and how incredibly villainous he was (and a bit irrational in the end - too much booze or the pox raddling his brain?). However, they did not detract too much from my enjoyment of the book and the romance of Staunton and Marianne.

Considering the way the story was written, it also makes me wonder if there will be further books down the line about a few of the other characters in the book, who were working alongside Staunton and Marianne?

4 stars out of 5.

In 1815, Marianne Simpson is a boxer in her uncle’s women’s circus. St. John Powell, the Duke of Staunton, bribes Marianne for her help to rescue his missing brother, a soldier being held for ransom. Baron Strickland claims to need Staunton to bring Marianne to him before he helps to recover Staunton’s brother. Marianne and Strickland have a tumultuous history. Strickland created a scandal around her, and also gave her the humiliating nickname the Boxing Baroness.

Sin is critical of improper behavior and he’s especially critical of Marianne’s directness and comabtiveness. Sin resents having to rely on Strickland’s former whore to save his brother, especially because he and his government connections believe she and her uncle might be involved in something sinister just like Strickland was. She has a hatred of all aristocratic men after the lies the selfish and scheming baron told her.

This isn’t a straightforward romance. Strickland snuck a spy with secrets out of France that led to the death of British soldiers and the imprisonment of Sin’s brother. There are political intrigue, smuggling, treason, and spying elements to this story. It’s well written but a lot of conflicts on top of the intrigue and enemies to lovers: Napoleon’s return, Marianne’s parentage, romances for side characters etc. It grew more implausible as the story progressed all the way to the final rescue and reconciliation. Marianne and Sin are well developed characters with good chemistry, but it got lost in the last third of the story where one thing after another was thrown in that made it hard to suspend disbelief.

This romance tries to tackle too many new characters, different genres, and interesting ideas at once. Some are very successful, others leaving you more interested in the stories of the characters than the main characters you're supposed to be rooting for. I would be interested to see how this connects to the next book and would definitely read it to see how this new world, which has a lot of promise comes together.