I liked tbhis book a lot and it was great followup to the first in series, and I hope the next one comes soon too.

Ms Malpas does not disappoint with this historical romance with all the feels and gumption thrown in. Highly recommend this book into her great repertoire.

I really enjoyed this authors previous historical romance, so I was glad when I got this one. It was so well written. I loved the characters and their journey to HEA! It was so sweet with a side of steam! I can’t wait to read what’s next!!

This book was very surprising and I'm not sure it was in a good way. I was left still feeling unsorted about this romance that just didn't quite fit for me.

Characters- 1/10 ⭐

I hated these characters. Why, you might ask? Let me explain.
First off, we have the male main character, Frank. He's your neurotypical white male main character. Self-absorbed, self-involved, and with absolutely no charm, but he does love women, so it is all forgiven, right?🤣
no.
He had no real character, no actual personality, and absolutely nothing lovable in him. His sisters were worse, though. His youngest sister severely pissed me off. She was jeopardizing her entire family's social standing so she could go make out with a stable boy.
Excuse me while I go hit my head against a wall.
To quote my favorite kids movie,
"No one's that dumb."- (Puss in Boots, The Last Wish)
If I could have a rich duke, you wouldn't find me making out with the poor.🤣
Unfortunately, I'm broke, so...🤷‍♀️
Anyway, the other sister was just urgghhh.
When you write a feministic historical woman, it's either a hit or miss.
This..was a miss.
A complete miss.
Taya, the female main character, was also super annoying. She was horrid to Frank for no reason, and she never bothered to actually show any personality or intelligence. I guess we're supposed to like her because the author made her a blonde, blue-eyed woman with money and a title and boobs?
Woow. Way to go, Malpas.
I really see the feminism in you,
And this is in no way an attack on the author, I don't even know her. Her book characters just really annoyed me.
This character was the final straw- The "scarlet woman." She was the woman who lived in the square and loved bringing men into her house for a night of dark sex, basically.
Good for her.
What pissed me off was the author made this character a stereotype. She has no character beyond her sex appeal. The men love her when they're with her and badmouth her when they leave her, and then everyone calls her a whore.
We could have had an amazing character, but then the author chose the misogynistic route.
Let's get one thing straight.
What a woman does with her bed is none of our business. It doesn't matter if it's a lot of people or if it's none if it's a man or a woman. We do not have the right to dictate what happens behind people's closed bedroom doors.
This really disappointed me, that the author didn't even acknowledge that fact, It might have been Regency England, but women and men still had sense and dignity.


Geography- 1/10 ⭐

The geography of the book was horrible. The author basically created a single square and stuck inside it for almost the entire book. Why?
A) It doesn't make sense.
B) That's really silly.
London is a beautiful, rich, cultured city with so much history and incredible geography. The author could have truly enhanced the story if she'd actually explored London instead of sticking in that square.
It made the story flat and dull.
Geography is important.

Plot- 2/10 ⭐

This plot was weaker than my ex's left hook.
And it was awful.
Basically, Frank wants to now no longer be such a screw-up (don't we all) so he decides to ask his dad to run the literal BIGGEST part of his dad's newspaper company, cuz buddy had his expectations way too high for our world 😆
The conversation basically went like this.
Frank- "Dad, can I run the biggest part of your very influential and important company despite not having proven I'm capable of it at all, just because I'm your male child?"
Dad- "No."
Frank- 😢
Like, buddy.
BUDDY.
In no way was he equipped to run this, especially so soon after being the family mistake, but he doesn't acknowledge that AT ALL.
Another thing?
His sister already ran that part of the company. His sister had to work for YEARS to prove to their dad she was capable of it, and then her brother swoops in with no effort, goes behind her back, and expects their dad to give it to him.
His reasoning?
His sister had it long enough, and she's pregnant, so she shouldn't be working anyway.
EXCUSE ME?
No man has the right to tell women when they can or can't be working. If she wants to work pregnant, that is her choice. Not his. He has NO RIGHT to do or say that! 😡
This made me MAD 😤💢
So now he just suddenly comes up with a crazy plan to prove to his dad he can run the company by making this deal with this rich merchant who visits 'brothels'.
😆😆
I'm sorry, it's just that if the author did her research, she'd know most men frequented brothels, lords, merchants, and commoners. Just different levels.
It's not as big a deal as she made it out to be.
Like, it's still wrong, but it was a cultural norm at the time, not a huge thing to get super crazy over...
I had a point.
What was my point.
Oh!
Yeah, well, he tries to make this crazy deal with a merchant at a brothel by finding the identity of this masked robber who's been stealing from people.
The thing is?
This robbers a woman.
And she's really "enchanting."
We all know who it is, right. 😒
yep.
The plot really is not that complex, it's mostly just a chain of events with no real twists that a kid could come up with if said kid knew way too many inappropriate topics for their age.

Writing Style- 0/10 ⭐

I could not with this writing style. I could not. It was so painful. I could not get into this style. It was pretentious and rambling. The author was obsessed with being the next Shakespeare or Sarah J. Maas when she's really not. I struggled through 75% of the book before I quit and was just like, "Screw that, I can't. I'm done torturing myself."
I couldn't bear the author's writing style and it eventually just made me quit it.
I would not read her writing again, I assure you.


Final Rating- 2/5 ⭐

I adored Jodi Ellen Malpas’s first book in the BELMORE SQUARE series, so I’ve been waiting for the next one to come out. I think Malpas’ historical romance books are so much fun, and I had the best time listening to A GENTLEMAN NEVER TELLS! Just like the first book, I was hooked from the beginning.

There was so much to like about Frank and Taya. He’s a rake and wants to be taken seriously. She’s the sister of the murdering Duke in the first book and a no-nonsense woman. The two of them literally fight their attraction until they can’t any longer - it’s so good!

And we can’t forget about the highwaymen causing a ruckus in Belmore Square. The added mystery makes the book a ton of fun!

Daniel de Bourg was an excellent narrator. I loved listening to it, and recommend it on audio!

Thanks, Hachette Audio, for the audiobook!

I've been in a regency romance kick lately, so was really excited to get this since I love the author and this is in the genre I'm zoning in on at the moment. It was ok, but not the same feel of most regency romances out there. And maybe that was the issue- nothing was really wrong with it, it just wasn't a can't put down and read any chance you get storyline.

This is Book 2 of the Belmore Square series but my first book by this author. Although this can easily be read as a standalone, after reading this I definitely want to go back and read the first one. Frank wants to advance his father's printing press to the next level and go global. There's a mysterious highway man robbing the ton, and he believes exposing him could help him reach his goal. His sole focus is on unmasking the culprit, that is until Taya starts stealing some of that focus. As his attraction to Taya grows, so does the danger as he comes closer to identifying the highwayman.
An entertaining and enjoyable read that is not your typical Regency story. The pacing was good and I liked the element of mystery woven into the story. Looking forward to the next installment!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

Frank Melrose is a rake and pays little attention to the newspaper business owned by his father. His sister Eliza, now married to a duke, has been the successful writer selling newspapers. Frank finally finds his spark to write when three highwaymen start robbing the wealthy members of the ton and he discovers one of them is a woman. Meanwhile, he is fighting his attraction to his brother-in-law's sister, Taya. He might as well give up and give in to seduction because he's not going to win. As Frank gets closer to discovering the identity of the highwaywoman, the more troubling and threatening it becomes.
A nice read and a steady pace with a rake that causes a lot of heartache. A very clever solution to the problem of a deceptive businessman
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Frank and Tara are a wonderful Regency couple! I enjoyed this sweet yet steamy romance! This is book two in a series of interconnected standalone but I look forward to reading more!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Ever since his family moved into the stylish Belmore Square, Frank Melrose has been on the look out for a story. He's about to take his family's printing business global, but his new obsession of the highwayman causing havoc on the ton is taking his time and energy away from his goal. And the clashes he has with the beautiful Taya Winters, someone completely out of his reach, don't help either. Will Frank risk it all to discover the truth, even risking his heart?

I liked the first book in this series, but wasn't blown away by it. Even so, I felt like continuing the series, so was happy that I was approved to read A Gentleman Never Tells on NetGalley. This time the main couple are the siblings of Johnnie and Eliza. Eliza's brother Frank, who had been the one putting his name to her articles, wants to do his own investigations, mainly into the mysterious highwayman terrorising the ton. He has a feeling that they are linked with Belmore Square, and sets out to discover the truth. But he could never expect that the culprit is a woman, and a Lady at that. Lady Tara Winter may be the sister of the Duke of Chester, but she finds joy in riding, and has someone become involved in the highwaymen. She also has no intentions of doing what society wants, and takes her own pleasure where she can. Again, I liked this book, but something was missing to make it a 4 or 5 star read.

This was a 3.5 star for me but I rounded up because I truly love JEM's books generally and I think she is a great author. This one left me meh for a good portion of it. I'm not sure if it is because I expect something different from this author or if reading the first book might have changed how I felt. I don't know. Not everyone can write every genre spectacularly and I give JEM kudos for trying her hand but the story felt so stilted like the characters themselves didn't know how to handle the world they were in. The "mystery" of the highwayman or woman was easy to guess early on but I did quite enjoy how the author brought us around to the why's of it. There were some decent bouts of steam in the story which is what I would expect from this author.

This was a good adult historical romance novel, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

A GENTLEMAN NEVER TELLS Belmont Square Book 2 by Jodi Ellan Malpas
This is the 2nd book in the Belmont Square series. It takes off at the end of the 1st one. It can be read as a standalone, but you would enjoy the 1st one too with the background insight. This is Frank (the rake) and Taya's (the little sister of the duke) story. This story has mystery, romance, deception, a couple of overbearing older brothers, some humor, and chemistry. This is 4 stars.

Frank is doing his best to take over his father’s printing business and his first order of business is to find out the identity of the Highwayman. But Frank is finding that difficult with his sister’s recent marriage and always seeming to run into the infuriatingly captivating Tara Winters. After making a deal with a potential investor, Frank is more determined to unveil the Highwayman’s identity and making his story a success.

I really enjoyed this historical romance and appreciate the message of female empowerment.

*I received a free ARC of this ebook from the publisher.*

I hadn't read the previous book, but aside from missing initial acquaintance with some of the characters, I don't feel like that hindered my understanding of this installment. Enough back story was provided about the events that had already happened, and I believe each book is meant to be able to stand on its own anyway.

The story itself was fun, but the execution felt a bit sloppy. I'm not sure if it was the author's writing style or simply Frank himself, but it was filled with unnecessarily long sentences containing a multitude of appositives and asides. (I counted the words in one sentence: 88. That's right, folks--the same number as the keys on a piano.) I would almost say that it bordered on stream of consciousness, which has never been my favorite form of narration. That's not to say I don't like seeing into a character's head or that well-executed long sentences don't exist. These, however, felt messy and long winded. It made Frank come across as a fast-talking teenager with a serious lack of focus. Perhaps it was cleaned up in editing prior to final publication? I'm not sure that would be possible without a complete rewrite, so I am assuming it's just the author's style.

Although it was easy to get to know Frank (early 20s), it was less so to get a good picture of Taya (19?). Frank becomes infatuated with her from the start and thinks about her quite a bit, but the two of them don't have much opportunity to truly get to know one another. The majority of their non-romantic interactions are filled with hostility.

By the end of the book, we know the identities of two of the three highwaymen. Who is the other? Will that person feature in the next book? I have my suspicious, but I will have to wait and see if anyone is willing to spoil it for me because I do not plan to read what comes next.

Note: Very little language but several f words (they were so out of place, especially when sometimes the same character would say "heck"). Two rather explicit sex scenes, which somehow also ended up just being . . . awkward and overdone. Easy to skip, though--just go to the next chapter.

Unfortunately, "A Gentleman Never Tells" by Jodi Ellen Malpas was a novel that I couldn't bring myself to finish. While I love historical romance, this particular book fell short of my expectations in several key areas.

The story follows the romance between Lady Elizabeth and a mysterious gentleman, promising intrigue and passion in the vibrant setting of Regency-era England. However, from the beginning, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and become invested in their journey.

One of the main issues I encountered was with the pacing of the plot. The story seemed to drag on without much significant development, leading to a lack of momentum and engagement. Additionally, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural at times, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the world of the novel. Furthermore, while I typically enjoy flawed and complex characters, I found it challenging to sympathize with Lady Elizabeth and her love interest. Their motivations and actions often felt shallow and predictable, lacking the depth and nuance that I look for in protagonists.

Overall, "A Gentleman Never Tells" failed to capture my interest and ultimately left me feeling disappointed. While I'm sure it will appeal to some readers, I personally found it lacking in the qualities that make for a compelling and enjoyable read.

I could tell right away the writing in this book was not for me, so I won't be reviewing or featuring this on my blog. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the second book in the BELMORE SQUARE series featuring a rakish hero and the lady heroine that he falls for. The hero has been the acknowledged writer of his sister's writings, but his own desire for being a writer was ignited when he began the journey to unmask the highwaymen causing havoc in Belmore Square. As a bachelor loving his single life, the hero didn't expect to fall in love with the heroine, his sister's sister-in-law. Now the hero must solve the mystery of the highwaymen before he can have his happy ending with the heroine.

This second book in this particular Jodi Ellen Malpas series is a solid addition that brings romance and mystery together in an entertaining story. The book can be read by itself, but it would be better if read in order. The characters were likable, and the story is a solid one. There were instances where I would have liked a bit more details for smoother transitions, but overall, it's been an enjoyable read.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **