4 1/2*STARS*
Lady Phaedra Sharp and her next door neighbor, Marcus Lawson, the Earl of Deerhurst, steal an impulsive kiss one night in the garden. How can one cat cause so much trouble? That kiss leads to more kisses, but there's a big problem for the heiresses in London. The betting book at White's has a list of eligible ladies with the largest dowries and their attributes. It's a list started by the Earl of Avondale's mother. Deerhurst knows of the list and makes it his mission to protect Phaedra from being compromised. Only he is doing an excellent job of compromising her in secret himself. What starts as a fake engagement becomes real, until he makes a mistake. A lot of snickering especially over the drawing room. Poor Marcus! Give the guy a break! Steamy descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

HAHAHA i love men being pathetic losers in love who cannot think straight and act stupid while also being "rational" and our main character is just that a loser in love who doesn't see it and when he does chef kiss.

This is the first book kicking off a new series, Ladies Who Dare, and it is off to a brilliant start. Phaedra doesn't trust men and is perfectly content spending the rest of her days as a spinster and becoming a cat lady. But it's that very cat that leads her straight into the path of Marcus, her next door neighbor. Marcus is hiding secrets and because of that keeps mostly to himself. But he can't deny the pull he feels when he is near Phaedra. A mistake on his part causes him to be going to her rescue and entering into a fake courtship. As Marcus and Phaedra spend more time together, they grow closer and real feelings begin to develop. But what will happen when Phaedra learns of Marcus's deepest darkest secrets?
This story was highly entertaining and engaging and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it. It was very well-written and captured my attention right from the start and kept me engrossed till the end. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and following their story. My thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing a complimentary copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A Feisty Lady, a Man with Secrets, and the Cat That Unites Them

Phaedra went into Marcus's garden looking for her cat. She was not looking for love. In fact, she was determined to be a spinster.

Marcus is a man with secrets, so he has no intention of marrying. Can the lady in his garden change his mind?

This is an entertaining historical romance with humor, secrets, and two people who need each other. Before they can find happiness, there must be forgiveness and redemption. Marcus has more than one secret. One of them endears him to his lady. As to the other, it involves wagers and deception. Will Phaedra forgive Marcus his part in a fiasco that involves her and other ladies of the ton? You will want to read this story to find the answer. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to lovers of historical romance.

Phaedra Sharp is an heiress with a mind of her own—and her mind is dead set on becoming a cat-loving spinster and avoiding the scheming entanglements of men

Solid romance. Phaedra is very relatable and I enjoyed the setting and characters very much.

Lay Phaedra is a wealthy heiress is a strong minded woman who has vowed never to marry - until she meets the dashing Marcus, the Earl of Deerhurst, her next door neighbour. He may be hiding a secret though....will this cat-loving spinster fall for his charms?
This was a fun and light hearted historical romance, with some really fun side characters and a very cute cat. The pacing slowed a little too much after their first encounter, but really picked up towards the end. Phaedra was very likeable as a main character, and I always enjoy an independent spinster!
Thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the advance copy.
4 stars

Almost a Scoundrel By Tanya Wilde, is an alluring tale of an unlikely love affair between neighbors: Lady Phaedra Sharp and Marcus Lawson, Earl of Dewhurst. Marcus led a solitary life, mostly because of a secret he kept. He happened to run into Phaedra one night as she was chasing her cat; a cat who, in reality, spent as much time with him as he did with her. He didn’t
know what possessed him but her kissed her. He liked it. She liked it. It would probably never happen again. Young ladies were not supposed to kiss men. But, he was smitten. Then as he was at White’s, his club, a group of young men was discussing a list of eligible women what one of the men’s mother had put together. There were comments but then the man started taking notes. Then, he lost the list and it ended up in the betting book at White’s, embarrassing the women on the list. Phaedra’s name was one it; Marcus knew about it. She was angry and tossed him out.

This was a wonderfully endearing novel of the differences between men and women. Her parents got involved as did most of the ton when Phaedra and her friends took the situation into their own hands. She was a fabulous character, full of charm and intelligence. Marcus was an honorable man, just not smart enough to tell the truth before the truth got out. It was warm and witty and well worth the read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Almost a Scoundrel by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #TanyaWilde #AlmostAScoundrel

Wealthy heiress Paedra Sharp has decided, with her family's blessings, to never marry. Men are untrustworthy, scoundrels and fortune hunters. Unfortunately just because she doesn't want them, doesn't mean they will leave her alone.
Marcus Lawson, Earl of Deerhurst has made some long lasting mistakes in his life that he is desperately hiding. This latest mistake could unravel everything.
This historical romance is the first of a new series. It is a wonderfully witty story filled with mischief and daring. Our heroine is completely confident that she is correct in everything she does. Our hero seems to spend his time trying to stop disaster from hitting anyone he loves.
I am thoroughly looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Great fun.

Highly entertaining, hilarious in parts, and romantic, this novel brings two strong-minded characters together in an unconventional manner. Caught in the Earl of Deerhurst's garden in the middle of the night is just the beginning of an adventure that Lady Phaedra Sharp could never have anticipated. Sworn off marriage and disillusioned by a relative's disastrous marriage, Phaedra decides to become a “cat lady”, but it is that very cat that leads her into trouble. Marcus has secrets that could be explosive and the only way in which he can prevent them from being exposed is by avoiding society and marriage altogether. An unfortunate error has disastrous consequences and Marcus, realizing that Phaedra is in the thick of things, sets out to rescue her. Only, that causes even more trouble. Bit by bit, Phaedra's heart begins to thaw and when she unwittingly discovers Marcus' secret, he finds that she is indeed very different from most of the ladies of the ton. A malicious individual refuses to let the scandal rest and tries to extract the last bit of vengeance out of it, thereby derailing the fledgling romance. I laughed out loud in several places of the book and thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story, a copy of which I received as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This is a historical romance and is the first of a new series called Ladies Who Dare. It was such a cute read with delightful characters and a bit of mischief. I adored this book since the beginning until the very end and was the perfect start for the series.

We follow the story of Phaedra, an independent woman with no intention to marry, and Marcus, her next-door neighbor and member of a secret society that soon comes to light. It’s an easy read with a touch of intrigue and humor, and I wish I still had more pages to read.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

This book was lots of fun to read. Parts of it were quite humorous. The conversations in the Sharp household made me giggle. Phaedra, her parents and Aunt Portia were a real bunch of characters. I can't forget to mention Puck the cat because he made the entire story of Marcus and Phaedra possible. I adored Marcus. Phaedra, who wished to become a spinster, was lucky to have encountered him. This could have been a perfectly light and fluffy story, but Phaedra's unwillingness to forgive Marcus for things that were not entirely in his control, went much too far in my opinion. Her stubbornness almost ruined everything. Luckily, the couple eventually made amends and got the happy ending that they deserved.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Oh wow, what a fun story, and a pretty quick read!!! I loved everything about it, and I can be hard to please when it comes to books sometimes. I especially enjoyed the character of Puck, now you will have to read it for yourself to figure out who he is. Enjoy!

A very different storyline that leaves one thinking truly about the consequences of your actions. Marcus has a secret he is willing to sacrifice his life for. Phaedra is a brave coward, who is willing to stand up for justice, but not for herself. I adored how Puck was the thread that brought them together, how the poor thing was accused of everything the humans wanted to hide and the tie that bound them together for good. It was interesting to see how Phaedra took to heart the issues her aunt lived through, without realizing that the Aunt went on with her life where Phaedra stayed stuck. How Marcus figured it out and the anquish he went through was palpable. The catalyst that finally shook some sense into Phaedra I really didn’t;t see coming. A truly delicious story worth time spent reading!

I received the book for free and these are my own opinions.

The first book in a new series and it's a smash hit. Phaedra is a woman determined not to marry. Marcus is an Earl with secrets. This sounds like the same plot as many others but what's different is how it begins on the very first page and how it continues throughout. There is chemistry, humor, great banter and wit. Creativity abounds in this story and the characters are both lovable, loyal and exceptionally well matched. Don't miss out on this exciting experience.

Phaedra Sharp is an heiress with a mind of her own and she is set on becoming a cat-loving spinster. But her plan goes awry when she is suddenly thrust into a whirlwind of wagers, fortune-hunters, and indecent encounters with the earl-next-door. Marcus Lawson, Earl of Deerhurst, is a man with secrets. He is also a man of many, many mistakes, and his latest include kissing Phaedra and letting her take sanctuary in his home. But the biggest mistake of all: entering into a fake courtship to foil the very rogues he accidentally set on her trail.
The first book I’ve read by the author & I really enjoyed it. The story starts with a kiss & things progress from there. I really liked both Marcus & Phaedra, I loved the banter & Chemistry between them. The pace was overall good but it did lag at times & then picked up again. An interesting series starter & I look forward to more
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I love Historical Romances just as much as the other romances I read. This one was no exception! Phaedra and Deerhurst start out with a bang! That I loved. Instantly I wanted them together and became obsessed with them. Deerhurst is so protective of Phaedra and they become entangled in a fake courtship to deter the other men who are chasing after Phaedra for her money. Deerhurst does have a couple of secrets. But those are revealed early on in the book only Phaedra doesn't know these things until later. I would read more books by Tanya Wilde. This book releases publicly on December 1st 2023.

Almost A Scoundrel was such a wonderful surprise. This galley popped into my inbox and I had forgotten that I had requested it. I had never read Tanya Wilde previously and I always try to support Dragonblade Publishing whenever possible. Phaedra and Marcus were the sweetest couple and I was immediately drawn to them. They had fun banter and they were utterly romantic. Every conversation was a fun volley and there were no mean barbs found in their dialogue. This book had excellent pacing and the book opened up with stolen kisses. Almost A Scoundrel also featured a cat lady heroine, which I was completely here for as a character choice.

Almost A Scoundrel was a lovely historical romance and nearly a 5 stars read. The only thing I didn't like were some chapters dragged on and there was an important subplot featuring a child. Abigail was a sweet darling little girl but I'm firmly of the opinion that children don't belong in romance novels. I understand she was key to Marcus' story, but I couldn't be bothered. This is completely my opinion and I fully state it as a childless millennial. Even without Abigail, this would have received four stars from my waning interest near the last quarter of the novel. I'm sorry, but this is a child-free zone, pal!

I'm so glad I discovered Tanya Wilde off NetGalley and I hope to read more from her catalog. She wrote lovely characters and her pages were full of heartfelt romance. I'm keen to continue with the Ladies Who Dare series and see what else she has to offer. These characters were lots of fun and their stories were amazing. It seems like we were just shy of Marcus' transition to full scoundrel and we were left with him Almost A Scoundrel.

"Almost a Scoundrel" is a really fun read! I love all of the Sharp family women, and their willingness to throw Puck under the bus. The book is steamy in the right ways, and I think Wilde did a good job with fleshing out the characters of and relationship between Phaedra and Marcus. A few quibbles - the masquerade seemed to come out of nowhere. Why would Marcus take her to something like that given the context of the scene before? Also, it was interesting that he allowed his daughter to come to London at all, and then to be out in the backyard when her very existence was supposed to be such a secret. I also would have liked more follow-up on the dastardly duke - the book touches on Abigail's resemblance to her birth mother but then lets it go even as the couple state that they are going to being her to London and raise her as their ward. But the enjoyment of the rest of the book outweighs these quibbles.

Solid 4 stars and I am super looking forward to the rest of the Ladies Who Dare books. Thank you to Netgalley and Dragonblade for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

A delightful romance, I adored it from start to finish and a wonderful start in this new series Ladies Who Dare. Phaedra and Marcus have a great connection, a happy ending where love wins.

What starts with a kiss between neighbours turns into so much more. Phaedra Sharp is an heiress who is determined to avoid the scheming entanglements of men, but her plans goes awry when she is suddenly thrust into passionate encounters with the earl-next-door. Marcus Lawson, Earl of Deerhurst is determined to keep his past secrets safe from society. However, after he shares a kiss with Phaedra, he finds himself thinking of nothing else. He is determined to keep her away from the rogues wanting to court her, even if it means a fake courtship.
I must admit that the first chapter and the stolen kiss had my attention, but it did seem to stall after that. Most of the first half of the book was about both Phaedra and Marcus thinking about their second kiss. Whilst I enjoyed this story, I did think the first part a bit slow and at times repetitive. I did so like both characters and found their romance enjoyable and believable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.