This was a short, quick read/listen, but it didn’t have much substance. If you are a fan of fast, steamy hookups, this is the book for you. There was not very much character development, and the plot was over as quickly as it began, but the main characters do have a very active and well described love life.

I originally read this novella in ebook form when it was available at no charge for subscribers of Vasti's enewsletter. When I found out it was going to be available on audio, I jumped at the chance to 'read' it again.

I think I enjoyed it even more as an audiobook. Generally I'm not a big fan of the friends-to-lover trope, but Vasti made it sizzle. Margo and Henry are great MCs - I loved hearing how Henry had been in love with Margo for years, while Margo's feelings about Henry changed dramatically during their road trip.

My only criticism is that I preferred the original cover. I thought it was quite beautiful. There are so many illustrated covers right now and this new one is a bit bland.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of the audiobook. My opinions are my own.

Margo Halifax has a reputation that she's worked hard to earn, happily flouting society's restrictions at every turn. She is happy with this life and thinks her twin sister Matilda is as well until one rash action leads Matilda to elope with a man that Margo doesn't think deserves her. Desperate to catch up to her sister and stop her from making a mistake, Margo enlists the help of her brother's best friend. Henry Mortimer lives a calm and staid life. His only secret is that he's been in love with Margo for years but is too scared to lose any semblance of a relationship with her so he's never said anything. When Margo comes to him for help, he's incapable of saying no and sets off on a harrowing ride to beat Matilde and her intended to Gretna Green. But thinking he's going to be able to keep his hands off of Margo and actually doing it are two very different things.
I loved every second of this fun and romantic romance. It's just different enough to really stand out while still containing all the tropes and elements I look for in a historical romance. It made for a very entertaining read that had a little bit of all the emotions and characters that are super likable. I was rooting for Henry from the get-go and seeing him and Margo get their HEA was a delight.
Mhairi Morrison's narrations is a perfect fit for both Margo and Henry, giving each a very distinctive voice and skillfully expressing emotions as the scenes call for them.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a quick romance hit.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the wonderfully romantic read!

🌶🌶🌶🌶️

This was a quick read, I didn’t realize the book was so short going in. But I loved it, the plot was fast paced and very steamy. I really loved the tension between Margo and Henry. Their opposite attract dynamic and difference in class/station was a fun twist. It was also a fun mystery of them going to look for Margo’s sister.

Def wish it were longer!!


* 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. *

Book: In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation (Halifax Hellions, #1)
Author: Alexandra Vasti
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Places Featured: England
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I’ll start my review by acknowledging that this book just isn’t my usual cup of tea (pun intended). I, of course, knew that it was going to be a period romance with some fun independent women thrown in, but I didn't quite expect the level of steaminess that came with the story. Margo and Matilda, the Halifax twins, are known for being scandalous and bucking convention, but when Matilda seems to elope with an older man Margo doesn’t approve of, Margo feels she must stop her before Matilda makes a big mistake. Of course a lady can’t travel on her own, so their brother’s attractive best friend, Henry, accompanies Margo on the road to Scotland and the trip isn’t as easy as just finding Matilda before she mistakenly marries–especially when Henry and Margo realize they can’t stay away from each other. It’s an entertaining novella, but I don’t plan on picking up the rest of the series–steamy just isn’t my thing and while I don’t mind some liberties with history, there were just too many things that made this story unrealistic.

*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. Thanks to @netgalley and @Dreamscape_Media.

This loosely based late-regency romance novella racks in at 3.5 hours of audio adventure, packing in more character development, discovery and steam than you'd expect for a novella.

Margo, one of a trio of sisters whose reputation precedes them in the ton is on a mission to save her sister from what she thinks is a ruinous elopment - and persuades her brother's shy best friend to go with her to Gretna Green.

Margo as a character is passionate, mildly ridiculous and disorganised, taking only books, money and cheese in her reticule for the journey. Henry is shy and a bit starchy and exasperated at Margo until we realise that actually he's loved her from afar for years. The book is full of well-loved romance tropes that will make any listener smile.

Mhairi Morrison is a fabulous narrator - clear, expressive and great with the humour in the book.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of the audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


So this book was already on my radar from the catchy title but as you may know, I've been struggling with reading lately. Fortunately, I saw the audiobook on request and thought this might be the right time!


Synopsis according to GJ: Henry Mortimer hasn't had the easiest life. The son of a pipe fitter, he has gone to college and become the solicitor to the esteemed Spencer Halifax. He's also been in love with Margo Halifax (Spencer's sister) since he saw her tie a cherry stem with her tongue. Knowing their different social standings, Henry has accepted loving Margo from a distance for the past 7 years.



Margo, on the other hand, has spent those same 7 years scandalizing the ton with her twin sister, Matilda. As half of the Halifax Hellions, her antics range from drinking whiskey from hidden flasks at the opera to dressing up as Lady Godiva at a costume party and those are just her widely known adventures.

Margo shows up at Henry's home because Matilda has run off to Gretna Green, Scotland to elope with her lover, the possibly dangerous Lord Ashford. The two take off to Scotland in the hopes of stopping Matilda from making this grave mistake. Hopefully, they can stay focused on their mission and not fixate on Henry's surprisingly firm chest and thighs or Margo's freckles and her bosom!



Review: Okay, this might sound a bit mean but I swear, I mean it as a compliment: If I had to compare this book to a dessert, I'd pick a honey bun. Not a homemade one but one of those honey buns you see at the grocery store. The ones you see at the checkout and grab 3 because you know you're going to inhale the first one without realizing it.

And don't get me wrong, I love homemade food straight from the oven but there are just some days where you need that bite-sized, a little overly sweet treat because nothing else is gonna satisfy that craving. That's this book. At 3 and a half hours, this novella is a fun bite-sized book to get you over your book slump and a fun way to spend an afternoon.


This is probably the first romance novella I've read where it's also the first time I've met the characters. The novellas I've read are usually a few books into a series and I've already had hints of the blossoming romance between our leads. This time, nope! "Hi, these are our leads and you have 3 hours to believe this romance. Have fun!" (Note: I am by no means a romance expert so this is more telling of my own experience than the writer or the genre.)


Still, the book doesn't feel like Insta-love. You can feel their connection through their conversations and how openly Margo shares her secrets with him. Society sees the Halifax twins as glib, hotheaded airheads and the book takes its time to show just how deeply Margo feels and worries. Henry similarly has his moments to shine. Often seen as stoic and long-suffering, we quickly see just how much he's been struggling with his insecurity and love.



I also appreciate how Vashti balances the sense of urgency to find Matilda and our MCs' lusty exploits. There's nothing quite like reading our OTP feel in love while thinking "This is amazing but we have a deadline to get back to". It's very distracting, lol.



As for the narrator, Mharie Morrison did a phenomenal job. The story has two POVs and her voice for Henry was masculine enough that it didn't feel cartoonish. Paired with the light, airy voice Morrison uses for Margo, I enjoyed the performance. I also liked that she gave Matilda her own voice (SYMBOLISM!) and she sounded more forceful than her twin. That said, there were a few times when Morrison's accent went a bit wonky. Sometimes I think her accent went more Scots for a few minutes but it got back on track.



The novella did falter for me during the last 10%. I felt like things got a little jumbled in the rush to tie up the loose threads while being true to the characters. There are also a few scenes that felt a little too rushed and dramatic for my taste. That said, I don't think I would want the book to be much longer. Going back to my comparison, it's a powerful hit of all of the things you want from this genre: Good romance, good characters, and steamy spice. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series. I can easily see adding Alexander Vashti to my "Need to get out of this book slump" rosters.



I give this audiobook 4 stars.



TW: Sexual content, carriage crash (Don't worry, the horses were fine),

Margo Halifax delights in shocking the residents of Georgian London with her twin sister Matilda. Their scandalous behavior has earned them the nickname "the Halifax Hellions." It therefore shouldn't come as a surprise when Matilda runs off to elope with a much older aristocrat (who has a bit of a dangerous reputation himself). Convinced that her sister has had her head turned by a manipulative man, Margo decides she must try to intercept her sister before she can do something as foolish as carry through with the marriage. She is able to convince her brother's friend Henry to accompany her on the journey. Unbeknownst to Margo, Henry has been madly in love with her for a long time. He's hesitant to go along on what will likely be a long and unfruitful wild goose chase, but he refuses to let Margo go alone. When their carriage has an accident, and they are forced to take shelter in a small hut (during a rainstorm that necessitates the removal of soaked garments, naturally), sparks finally fly between the pair.

This book was quite short and not a lot happened beyond the introduction of the characters and the streamy sex scenes between Margo and Henry. Their relationship doesn't so much develop as catch on fire! People who enjoy historical romance with a lot of spice will love this one. The narrator did a really good job in pacing and differentiating the various characters. She didn't even hesitate over the "naughty" words (although I'm sure she was probably blushing)! This is "book 1" so I'm not sure what the future holds for Margo and Henry, but I'm sure they'll spend a lot of time locked in passionate embraces (among other things).

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ .5 /5

Spoiler Free Review:
When Margo Halifax’s twin sister runs off to elope, she approaches her brother’s best friend Henry to come along to tack her down.

I listened to this shorter novel in audiobook format! I really enjoyed the narration, she did a great job giving each character their own distinct sound! I loved the relationship between Margo and Henry! The two of them had really fun chemistry and banter! Alexandra Vasti does a great job using terms and language from the time to bring the story to life without making the novel hard to follow! The listening time is only about 3 hours and it flew by! If you were thinking of giving audiobooks a try, this is a great one to start with!

🎧

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti (audiobook narrated by Mhairi Morrison)
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️ (4.25 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for this ARC audiobook!

This short and sweet historical romance hit all the right notes,

Often my biggest complaints with shorter stories like this revolve around the depth of character and the pacing of the plot itself, but neither of these were an issue here. Vasti is naturally forced to simplify the romantic arc but doesn't compromise on the backstory of each main character, both of whom are endearing in their love and lust and fear of rejection. The plot moves quickly and relies on some common romance tropes but never to its detriment.

The modern voice Vasti employs in her writing might bother some readers but I enjoyed it, particularly the balance she found between humour and heart. The crass, fanciful nature of Margo lends well to a romance with upright and nervous Henry, whose restrained affection for Margo is the highlight of the novella. Their raucous adventure is so enjoyable to listen to with Morrison's lovely performance, though ideally I'd have liked a bit more time between the twins to better establish their relationship before things kicked off.

My one issue was how generic the sex scenes were written - I'd have liked something more interesting or less successful given Henry's inexperience. And some of the more historical smutty terms during those scenes, which crop up in most historical pieces, always make me feel ick.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how taken I was with this story. It packs a lot of quality into a short page count and I look forward to reading the other books in this series.


"Good lord. In the faint, watery light of the morning, Margo could see rather more of him than she'd glimpsed last night, and the sight was spectacular. What did solicitors do all day? There was no way that physique emerged from sitting behind a desk."

**I listened to this as an audiobook. I did not have the e-book**

I want to start off by saying, Mhairi Morrison is one of my new favorite narrators and I will be looking for more books read by her. She gets a 5 star rating just herself.

Onto the book itself!

Margo and Matilda are two halves of the Halifax Hellions, twins who ran wild through town, at least they used to be until Matilda started keeping secrets from Margo. When Matilda runs away with a guy Margo thinks is no good, she enlists their brother’s best friend Henry to chase after her sister to Scotland, to stop her from making a mistake.


The tension and intensity of this book was deliciously perfect. Mhairi’s reading style mixed with Alexandra’s writing style made you anxious to know what happens next.

This book is fairly spicy. I listened to this while at work and she had me blushing while cleaning up. I would give it about 3 1/2 stars for spice. The scenes were very hot, but there was not an overwhelming amount of it.

I believe at some point Margo said it was 1812, so it is a regency romance. But the sisters are very woman empowered.

It was not a very long audiobook, only about 3.5 hours.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this and will be looking out for anything else by both the author and the narrator!

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation

Author: Alexandra Vasti
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Mhairi Morrison
Publication Date: February 27, 2024

My rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

(*in historical fiction European accent*)
Dearest Miss Margo Halifax and HENRY (*emphasis on sweet, lovely Henry*),
The afternoon tea was lovely, do come again.
Sincerely,
First time romance reader,
Your favorite, girrrrr (*transition to Tiffany Haddish*) rrrrrrllll…
…that tea was so HOT, someone could have used an ice cube.

For those who follow me, you know I’m about some psychological thrillers and suspense. I was not ready with a rating scale on how to rate this friends-to-lovers, close-proximity 🌶️🥵romance. So, because I flew through this, enjoyed the writing style, and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a romance enough that I’m still thinking about it, she’s getting a five star and I’ll be back for more.

Margo needs to save her sister from marrying “dangerous” old man, so she entrust’s her brother’s best friend, Henry to accompany her on her quest to find her sister before it’s too late.

This was such a fun little read. Margo and her twin sister are scandalous twins in town, and so very “experienced”, which is always fun to read in historical romance, instead of the rake we usually get.

And Henry was so infatuated right from the start, I couldn’t help rooting for him!

If you’re looking for a delightful, little historical romance novella to get you through an afternoon, and enjoy a nice helping of spice, this read will definitely be right up your alley.

Audiobook notes: The narrator was great. She narrates both parts, which can be a little confusing at points, trying to remember who’s POV you’re in, but it’s not too hard to figure it out as you go!

Thank you to dreamscape_media and @netgalley for providing me an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What this book is giving:
✅ Historical Romance
✅ Novella
✅ Brother’s Best Friend
✅ The lady is the experienced one
✅ Road Trip!
✅ One Horse
✅ One Bed
✅ He falls first

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

Margo Halifax lives life on her terms and not society’s. Deemed a hellion by the Ton and to those of England, the Halifax sisters take everything in stride and scandal. But when Margo’s twin sister Matilda runs off to Scotland with a man she barely knows; Margo will stop at nothing to save her sister; even if it means chasing across England for her with her brother’s best friend, Henry Mortimer.

The way that this novella has become the staple to which I will use to introduce people to the historical romance genre. A beautiful stepping stone, Vasti creates dynamic characters in such a short amount of time and really creates this well rounded story that literally sucks you in from the jump. I am a big audiobook girlie when it comes to historical romances, so I got crazy stupid excited when this series got picked up and was being turned into Audiobooks for their re-release. Mhairi Morrison absolutely nails the narration in this one, and really brings a whole other dimension to the story, especially if you read and listen to the story like I did myself.

Margo and Henry’s relationship and journey (both literally and figuratively) in this novella was absolutely adorable and so relatable. THE PINING! THE BLUSHES! AND DID I MENTION HE’S A VIRGIN HERO!?! Ya’ll when I tell you the gasp I gusped. I ate this entire story up and my ear holes couldn’t get enough of it. 10/10 would recommend this absolute fiver of a story. Don’t be like me and procrastinate–go be blessed now! The entire Halifax Hellions series is out (again!) on ebook now, and the audiobooks release tomorrow (2/27/24)!!

Huge thank you to Netgalley, SMP Romance, and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun, sexy, charming novella! This brought me a few hours of pure joy! I adore the tropes at work here — friends to lovers, he’s pined for her for years, an elopement to Gretna Green — and Margo and Henry were absolutely lovable and worth rooting for. If you like steamy and fluffy historical romance through a progressive lens, you will love this! I will for sure be keeping tabs on Alexandra Vasti! The narrator, Mhairi Morrison, is perfection in this audiobook as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listener copy.

I loved this novella as it had a rushing road trip adventure in which Margo rushes to save her twin sister Matilda from an elopement at Greta Green with the aide of her brother’s best friend Henry. I liked how things were a bit unexpected in this one. Plus Henry is the one who has always pined for Margo. This is a great introduction to the Halifax’s novellas and plan on reading the rest.

Mhairi Morrison did a really good job narrating.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I enjoyed this so much! I fell instantly in love with Henry! He was so patient and kind regardless of Margo’s somewhat childish tendencies. I loved it when they found the cottage, and everything after that. Margo ordering everything to provide for him was so cute to me!
The narrator kept my attention, I’m looking forward to the audiobooks of the next books!

I so enjoyed this book. It kept popping up on my GR feed, so I decided that I should probably read it and I’m so glad that I did!

I really loved the characters, and I mean, how can you not love a heroine who only takes her reticule along for a road trip, and all that she’s packed in it are money, a book, and cheese?!? Love it.

I don’t always get on with the het romances, but this one really worked for me. The characters were great, the sex scenes were hot, plus, what’s not to love about a chase to Gretna Green to stop your twin from eloping?

Very good, can’t wait to read the second novella.

This novella checked so many boxes for me! Childhood friends to lovers, brothers best friend, MMC pining, road trip, and more. Even though it was a novella, the history between the two characters was set up very well and resulted in a very believable love, which is sometimes a sticking point with a shorter story. The MMC, Henry, was just the sweetest and I can't wait to continue this series and hopefully get more glimpses of him and Margo. The narration was fantastic as well and definitely enhanced the experience!

I read this book shortly after it was released so I was so excited to see the audiobook. The book is very well written and the banter between Henry and Margo is top notch. You won't be disappointed to read this book and the audiobook is fabulous and adds a little something special to the to the overall story. This is the first time I've heard an audiobook by Mhairi Morrison and I hope I will get to hear more of her work soon because it was a delight to listen to her tell this lovely story.

A special thanks to #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook with an advanced copy of #InWhichMargoHalifaxEarnsHerShockingReputation by Alexandra Vasti and narrated by Mhairi Morrison in exchange for an honest review.