This is the third installment of the Victorian Outcasts series and this was quite a compelling addition. The topic of domestic violence in any time period is a delicate subject, but as women had even less rights in the Victorian era, it's an even more difficult subject to write about, and I think the author handled it very well. This is not just a romantic story, but an emotional one as well, that is sure to pull on your heartstrings for little David and his mother Cora. Ethan and Cora had met some time ago, at which time she was already married to an abusive husband. When they meet again years later, she is still married to Lord Roxbury, the very man he needs assistance from to open a center for veterans of the war. Cora is in a much worse state of her marriage than when Ethan first met her. He very much wants to help her and David escape the abusive life, but he also needs her husband's assistance to gain help for dozens of wounded soldiers. By this point, Ethan has grown very fond of David and Cora and he wants to help her get a divorce and spend his life with her. But that would mean sacrificing the well-being of the soldiers. Ethan indeed has a hard decision to make.
The story was very compelling and grabbed my attention from the very start. It was well-written with an interesting plot and well fleshed out characters. Such a beautiful story I am glad to have had the opportunity to read.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This book was a hard read. The romance was good but there were too many parts that were not appropriate, abuse and such, that I cannot encourage the reading of this book. There are so many better ones available.

The Wrath of the Marquess by Barbara Russell is the first book I've read by this author and I requested it on a bit of a whim as the cover caught my attention and then the summary did too.

This one has an interesting plot and one that I don't tend to read a lot of in historical romance. Cora is in an abusive marriage and it's by chance that she meets Ethan, who actually knows (and dislikes) her husband. As a matter of fact, they are trapped in a church together due to an earthquake and while they wait to be rescued, they talk to pass the time and get to know one another. Once they are free, they end up going their separate ways, her back to her horrible marriage to Lord Roxbury and him deployed to fight pirates, but when they meet again years later things take a twist.

After Ethan returns to London to keep open the center for veterans his father founded, he realizes he has a bit of a challenge. He needs Lord Roxbury's support and he doesn't know how he is going to get it. They don't get along and that's probably a bit of an understatement. Ethan is also very interested in Cora still and Cora is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her son, that includes leaving her husband to start a new life. When she finally takes the first step, Cora is injured and Ethan steps in to help which puts the center and the soldiers future at risk.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. There were some twists and turns and as I mentioned, I don't typically read the abusive husband trope in historical romance so this was a change for me. I thought the development of Cora and Ethan's relationship was done well despite the fact that she was still married. I also found the plot around the veterans center to be an interesting focus. The writing was also well done. If you're looking for a standalone historical romance to pick up that was also a fairly quick read, consider grabbing this one. I'll be looking for more from this author in the future.

This was a unique and well written story. It describes issues of the Ton never usually mentioned, such as physical and verbal abuse towards women and children and also divorce and annulment. It included drama, action, an earthquake, physical and verbal abuse, a shooting, and new friendships. I enjoyed how a romance bloomed and true love over came an evil situation and ended extremely happy.

Since this book is romance, it will have a happy ending. That's WHY I read romance. So, hang on, this all ends well. And the villain gets his due. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

The writing and depiction of domestic violence was very well done. I really enjoyed the way the author described the MC's. inner turmoils and emotions, it was very realistic and touching. I admired the courage of Cora, working to leave her abusive husband despite the threat of his wrath hangin over her head. I felt so bad for her and her son, who was written very well. Sometimes the way authors write children is a bit too far-fetched, however the author did a good job in writing Cora's son David in a way that made sense for the time period, his age, the things he had to witness and endure and the direction the story takes. Ethan was simply noble and lovely to read about, his strong sense of justice and his love and respect for Cora. His trauma and PTSD was depicted really well, as well as that of his fellow soldiers and friends. Ethan and Cora initially met through a meet cute during an earthquake and you could already feel the sparks flying then. The development of their relationship was very well done and fit the progression of the story. The way Ethan and Cora cared for each other and took care for each other was beautiful to see, they fit each other perfectly. I also really enjoyed how well the author described the surroundings and clothes of victorian England without it being too much or not fitting a scene.
This was the first book I've read by the author and I'll definitely be reaching for more and the first two in this series. (this can be read as a standalone). Than you to NetGalley for the ARC.
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209042969-the-wrath-of-the-marquess" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Wrath of the Marquess (Victorian Outcasts Book 3)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1708647580l/209042969._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209042969-the-wrath-of-the-marquess">The Wrath of the Marquess</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14108003.Barbara_Russell">Barbara Russell</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6472795778">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The writing and depiction of domestic violence was very well done. I really enjoyed the way the author described the MC's. inner turmoils and emotions, it was very realistic and touching. I admired the courage of Cora, working to leave her abusive husband despite the threat of his wrath hangin over her head. I felt so bad for her and her son, who was written very well. Sometimes the way authors write children is a bit too far-fetched, however the author did a good job in writing Cora's son David in a way that made sense for the time period, his age, the things he had to witness and endure and the direction the story takes. Ethan was simply noble and lovely to read about, his strong sense of justice and his love and respect for Cora. His trauma and PTSD was depicted really well, as well as that of his fellow soldiers and friends. Ethan and Cora initially met through a meet cute during an earthquake and you could already feel the sparks flying then. The development of their relationship was very well done and fit the progression of the story.The way Ethan and Cora cared for each other and took care for each other was beautiful to see, they fit each other perfectly. I also really enjoyed how well the author described the surroundings and clothes of victorian England without it being too much or not fitting a scene.


This was the first book I've read by the author and I'll definitely be reaching for more and the first two in this series. (this can be read as a standalone). Than you to NetGalley for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6472795778

Cora and Ethan have a chance meeting when they’re caught together in an earthquake, but she’s married to an abusive husband and he’s on his way out to fight pirates on behalf of the crown. Four years later, they meet again and Cora is still stuck being married to a horrible terrible no good abusive earl, even though she’s planning to run away with her teenage son when she saves enough money. Meanwhile, Ethan has inherited the title of marquess, come back a scarred war hero, and running a home for injured veterans. It’s a slow moving romance as they meet again, become friends, and then fall in love under challenging circumstances. I appreciated how kind and protective Ethan was to Cora’s son and how they become a tight-knit family unit throughout the book. Cora’s husband is the true villain of the story here and the book kept me reading to see how they’d finally be free of him.

This is a really good book. I got from NetGalley for review. It talks about two people. One of them is the main character who has a son and the other one is a guy that she meets in it a church basically the church collapses when she is with him and she, her son is with her and she’s still looking for him hoping That he is ok.

the book talks about domestic abuse so trigger warning at that and how she was with her old husband and still was for so long while the guy she liked was was fighting pirates. This is the book talking about how hard it was for her to leave her husband. And how she falls for the other characters she met at a church collapse and slowly fall in love.

The Wrath of the Marquess was a heartfelt, emotional journey, headed by an admirable heroine in Cora.

Cora and her son David have lived a life of fear and abuse at the hands of Cora's husband. Meeting Ethan sets up a journey of escape and salvation. While Cora must initially learn to heavily rely on Ethan for sanctuary and protection, she also seeks to take control of her agency again, ensuring she will never have to depend on any man again. I very much admired Cora’s determination to keep going, no matter how bleak her situation became. I also greatly admired Ethan, who is all green flags as the male lead. Loved him! He shelters the mother and son, opening his heart to both.

I do wish the pacing was more evenly balanced, the love story never quite ignited the way I desired and a climatic fight ended just as quickly as it began, not allowing its moment to shine. Beyond pacing, I found David’s characterization for his age a bit jarring. He’s stated to be 13 but behaves about half that age. It was distracting and I think had he been younger, I would have engaged with the story better, because this is very much a worthwhile story. It's full of potential and while I wish more of that was untapped, I still found myself wholly immersed throughout.

I’m quite glad I read this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this regency romance story over the past couple of days. It was surprisingly sweet, funny, entertaining, and even had a moment at the end where I teared up.

This was a good book. I really liked the writing and the banter was very good. I also really liked the writing style.

Thank you Oliver Heber Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Wrath of the Marquess is the story of Cora's attempt to escape her abusive husband, Lord Roxbury, and protect her son David. During a stay in the country away from her husband, an earthquake causes Cora to become trapped in a destroyed church with a soldier named Ethan, who happens to be the next Marquess of Hertford. After being freed from the rubble, the two part ways, but neither forgets the other. Four years pass, and Cora is still with her husband, saving money to fund her escape to France. Ethan has returned from fighting pirates in the Pacific and now runs a rest home for injured veterans in London. The two cross each other's paths again, and Ethan is compelled to protect Cora and her son from Lord Roxbury's violence.

The premise was interesting, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, mostly due to the characterization. Cora's character feels one-dimensional: her personality throughout the book is just "mother" and "victim." Yes, abuse survivors often lose their sense of self during the abuse, but we aren't told what she was like before her marriage. She doesn't seem to have an identity outside of her relationships to the men in her life: Lord Roxbury, David, and Ethan. I prefer heroines to be more complex than this.

Ethan's character is a little more developed, because he has an interest in medicine. However, even he comes across as flat. Swooping in to be Cora's perfect white knight, he has no perceivable faults or struggles. His time in the army doesn't seem to have affected him mentally. When Cora offers to volunteer at the veteran's home, he warns her about the unpleasant things she may witness, as the veterans' experiences obviously have some serious psychological effects on them. However, Ethan is completely unaffected psychologically even though he lost an ear and severely injured his shoulder.

David is Cora's 13-year-old son, but he's written more like an 8-year-old. There's really no difference between the way he acts in the first chapter and the rest of the book which, again, takes place four years later. Abused children tend to "grow up" fast, and act older than they really are. They also aren't as chipper as David. I certainly wasn't after I escaped my abuser around the same age: I was sullen, easy to anger, anti-social, distrustful, and cynical. David immediately trusts Ethan completely. He makes a new friend, Harry, and excitedly tells his mother about how he gets to "play" with him, which feels more like something a small child would say rather than a boy that's already an adolescent, especially in this era when the concept of "teenagers" didn't quite exist yet and in only a couple more years he would be considered a young man.

Ethan falls in love with Cora and her cardboard personality pretty much right away, and they begin having an affair pretty much right away with zero hesitation even though Ethan's lawyer friend explained to Cora not long before that if Lord Roxbury sought a divorce she would lose custody of David... and that the courts take adultery very seriously because it could interfere with title succession if the heir's parentage is uncertain. Ethan takes Cora, David, and Harry (who is the son of Ethan's lawyer friend) to the very aptly-named village of Borrington while Lady Kingsley consults her brother, who is a judge, about a solution to the situation. They all end up going swimming together because Ethan brings the boys out to see Cora and Mrs. Parker (their "chaperone") in the bathing machine, even though during this period men and women wouldn't have bathed together. Which is the whole point of having a bathing machine.

At this point, I was ready to DNF, but I was at 78% and had sunk so much time into reading this that I needed to push through until the end. It did not get any better. After all that talk about what a struggle it would be to legally leave Lord Roxbury, everything was wrapped up with zero actual challenges from the court.

I tried to like this, I really did, but I just could not bring myself to care about these characters. I might have liked it more if Lord Roxbury had been more of an actual threat instead of being absent from the vast majority of the story.

Cora and Ethan, strangers trapped beneath a crumbling altar after an earthquake, form an unexpected bond. Years later, their paths cross again in London, where Ethan, a soldier, defies the powerful Lord Roxbury to protect Cora and her son from his abuse. Ethan’s growing love for Cora puts him in grave danger, forcing him to risk everything to protect those he cherishes.

This romantic suspense is emotional with a tense and violent plot. Cora and Ethan have a sweet relationship despite everything going on around them.

CW: Adultery by the hero and heroine.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.