A mystery filled with lies, deceit and rumors. Olivia is a widow living her life as she pleases until someone started horrible rumors about her. Thel is a widower with a daughter ready for her season. One of the interesting aspects of this story is that both main characters are older than we normally have, which gives them a background full of experiences that most characters don't have. I fully enjoyed this story and found is steamy, engaging and fully immersed in it until the very end.

This is a steamy historical romance.
Our heroine is a widow who had been happily enjoying her freedom until someone started a nasty rumour.
Our hero has been dedicating his life to keeping his family together since the death of his beloved wife. His daughter is now of age for a season in Town. He wants a matchmaker to find her a man she will love.
Lies, deceit, and danger are a big part of this story. Getting to the roots of the problem takes a few unexpected twists.
Great fun.

This was a delight! The mystery was satisfying without feeling too stressful, and the romance was believable and playful. Normally dirty talk and/or descriptions of desire tend to give me the ick OR take me out of the setting, but Kendall managed to walk that line between tame and vulgar, and made it feel intimate. The embarrassment we felt was not cringe a few romance books make us feel (exception not the rule,) but embarrassment of the characters. Within their context, they feel they shouldn't feel as they do, and so what we felt was shared, and an accomplishment in connecting us emotionally with the characters.
Plus, I'm not ashamed to say, it was HOT!
I read this without having read any other book in the series, and it worked just fine as a standalone! I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a spicy historical mystery romance that doesn't take you out of the moment <3

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

When someone deliberately sets out to harm another through libel and gossip, I find myself getting rather angry and upset throughout this book as Olivia had to face one disaster after another, through no fault of her own. I also felt sorry for Thel as his family also worked against him. Despite having a fairly convoluted storyline, this romance does come to a sweet conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Melissa Kendall for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Mentor to the Marquess coming out November 19, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I thought it was nice Thel and Olivia were older than the usual pair in historical novels. It was a second chance at love. It was definitely a short read, but I really loved it. Historical romance is one of my favorite genres. They were both fun characters. I would check out more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels!

Second time around....

For both of them. Lady Olivia Allen is a widow. She is being slandered in the newspapers, at the same time she is a matchmaker and has been tasked with matching Constance, a daughter of a marquess. Thel is a reader, an introvert who is a widower who loves his family and keeps them all unconventionally close. He's only bedded one woman, his wife. He is marquess but will one day inherit his father's dukedom. Olivia did not have a good first marriage and there are things happening to Thel's daughter that happened to her. Thel is finally ready after twenty years to get some with Olivia. An interesting story with touch of intrigue and a dash of steam.

There is something about the writing style that is too jarring. Or maybe the plot is too jarring and confusing. I have not read the first book and maybe it would have helped. Unfortunately I ended up dnf-ing because I was having trouble following the story.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This was an interesting and well written intriguing mystery, second chance love story. The characters were complex and strong-willed. I enjoyed the banter, the sleuthing, and the romance with delicious steam. I recommend reading!

Olivia Heather, the Dowager Countess of Allen, having been victimized by spousal abuse, is determined to prevent this from happening to other young ladies of society. When a series of newspaper articles accuse her of murdering her late husband, she is determined to go after the main person responsible for the attacks, Thellusson Vaith. She is thrown when Thel, the Marquess Lowell, engages her as a matchmaker for his daughter, Constance. The attraction between them is instantaneous, and Olivia sees a new side to Thel, when she uncovers that he hasn’t had a partner since his wife died. When they discover letters that suggest someone is manipulating Constance using the same trickery as Olivia’s husband, they join together to find the person so determined to ruin their lives.
Whilst there is a reasonable age difference in this romance, with Thel at 45 and Olivia in her 30s, they are a good match. She is quite cynical, while Thel is a romantic, yet they do seem to work well together. While their romance had plenty of chemistry, I found the storyline at times too chaotic, with some quite conflicting ideas. Ultimately, the plot did detract from my enjoying this romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A spicy age-gap second-chance romance with an intriguing mystery on the side.

~ Olivia & Thel ~
Once a naive girl who threw herself into what turned out to be an abusive marriage to a much older earl, she has reinvented herself as a society matron, successful matchmaker and sought-after private companion. But now a gossip sheet is ruining her new life, and the man responsible for it just hired her services for his daughter.
He’s a widowed marquess, heir to a duchy, doting father and terrified of the emptiness his departed wife left behind. Antagonising his brothers, but wanting to do right by his dear daughter, and so he hires the only matchmaker that will agree to his terms: his daughter will marry for love - just like he did, and his parents.

They’re an interesting older couple; he’s 45, she 30ish. He’s all things good - caring, loyal, attentive, tender - and she’s more of a wary cynic. He’s not looking for love but falls head-over-heels anyway, and she initially just wants to save his daughter from making the same mistake she did. That and unravelling the mystery of her secret accuser, brings them close, especially when both seem intertwined... or are they?

The writing was good and the story was compelling, maybe a little too crowded and messy for my taste. But, the wrap-up was done in a jiffy and I expected more after such a careful build-up. The bad guys barely get their comeuppance, the HEA was tepid and I would have liked closure for a side plot, or at least a set up for a next book. And while the kinky steam (bdsm light) was nice, it felt out of place in this story for me. I couldn’t imagine a mentally and physically abused widow and a widower with very limited experience enjoying such play.
So no, this one wasn’t for me, but you might like it...

I was looking for some escapist reading, so this book about a marquess who's been celibate since his wife died (we're talking over a decade, here) and who falls for his daughter's matchmaker when she agrees to tutor him in the bedroom seemed like a great choice.

Unfortunately i twas a miss for me: the book was messy with way too many plot points and a weird mystery. And on top of all that the spice was very non-spicy.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Oh man. I really wanted to like this book, but...

The writing was all over the place, the plotline a little worse for wear. The heroine Olivia, apparently sexually abused, but has a very robust attitude towards sex and bdsm (seems a little unrealistic). The hero Thel was all over the map. I get he wants to keep his family near so he's not all alone, but to the point of being a little neurotic.

I had a hard time reading this book. I think it's requires a good edit.

#netgalley #MentortotheMarquess

This was the historical romance I didn't know I was missing in my life. I loved the sleuthing, the romance, and the banter was top notch between Lady Allen (Olivia) and Marquees Lowell (Thel)! I am a fan of en medias res for stories and the backstory unfolding as we go along with the story. That was such a big turn on for Olivia's story; we get bits and pieces of what her former marriage was like, and we also see how she was viewed by the ton through the slanderous stories in the newspapers about her. Olivia was such a strong female main character and I'll be honest that I expected her to be as insufferable as some strong fmc's, but she was breath of fresh air with her realness and battles with the demons of her past. Her somewhat jaded behavior was very akin to what I would expect from her circumstance, but we also see her wondering about her skills as a matchmaker and if she missed the signs in others that she didn't realize were in her former husband until it was too late. Her protective nature, especially over Constance, makes her an endearing figure early on and one can empathize with her on a deeper emotional level.

Now on to Thel...what doesn't this man do that makes me a mess? He's not looking for love for himself when he engages Lady Allen's services as a matchmaker for Constance, but slowly we see love bloom in him as his and Olivia's relationship changes from one of business to one of true love. The spicy scenes are also top tier between Thel and Olivia. There were some pleasant surprises (nipple rings and chains) and I loved them as much as I imagine Thel does. The anxiety that Thel experiences made him most relatable and loveable to me because I can empathize with those feelings having experienced them myself. I think he takes his issues in stride and comes to realize that he can't control everything all the time and it's okay to give control over to others that you love and trust.

The only complaint I have is I want more of their story...perhaps in the next book they'll make another appearance. If you want a historical romance, with banter, spice, and potential murder, this is the read for you.

Unfortunately, Mentor to the Marquess was a little too all over the place for me, thus I was never so pulled into the story that I really wanted to keep reading.

I wasn’t the reader for this one.



Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing #NetGalley for the DRC

Tropes: MFC is a matchmaker for MMC's daughter
Steam level: 4

Interesting premise and solid writing style, with an uncurrent of psychological darkness. Intriguing characterizations as well, particularly of MFC, who seems to be on what we would call on the spectrum today but has been forced to hide her mannerisms. MMC is also different, a bit of a cinnamon roll but controlling in his own way when it comes to his family.

I fully expected to like this, but a couple things dampened my enjoyment:

--MFC underwent what amounts to severe psychological and sexual abuse by her late husband and I didn't feel that her behavior with MMC really reflected this. She gets physical with him pretty quickly. The scene in her old bedroom made me uncomfortable. Eventually the sex scenes start to overpower the plot. They tend toward erotica and include a "power exchange." theme. Not my thing; might be yours.
--The mystery isn't too tough to figure out and is resolved abruptly and rather unsatisfactorily. The motive isn't all that strong.

Overall: if you like your HR's darker, with erotica and "power exchange" involved, this could be for you.

In this story, the heroine, Olivia Heather, the Dowager Countess of Allen and a survivor of spousal abuse, dedicates herself to helping young women avoid her fate. However, her efforts are complicated when newspaper articles accuse her of murdering her late husband. To confront the situation, Olivia attempts to persuade Thellusson Vaith, Marquess Lowell, the allerged man behind the accusations, to stop his attacks, but he instead asks her to find a match for his daughter. Olivia becomes involved with the marquess, mentoring him in romance. As they uncover letters indicating that someone is manipulating his daughter using tactics similar to those Olivia endured, they must confront her painful past and family issues to protect the girl and clear Olivia's name.
The story is well written and provides some welcome plot variance to the usual Regencies. The mystery is not quite captivating, as there is not enough described action to identify the culprit. Although being the second book in the series, the story can be read as a standalone.

Some technicalities: In chapter 10, when Saffron visits Olivia, there is no mention of the tea being requested or brought; nevertheless, it is described as being there and being cold. Also, it is hardly imaginable that in a household with staff and a mistress in residence, there would be cobwebs in her sleeping room.

In chapter 11, "okay" is mentioned quite often. Not sure this word is time-appropriate.

In chapter 26, Olivia's reaction does not follow her earlier reasoning—she doesn't even get an apology but still reacts as she does.

I was provided with an ARC by NetGalley and read the book voluntarily.

Thellusson (Thel) Marquess of Lowell hires Olivia, the Countess Dowager Allen, to find his daughter a husband, but it has to be a love match. Olivia's reputation is on the line as articles in the newspaper are accusing her of her husband's death. Thel doesn't believe she's guilty, but it makes being a matchmaker more difficult. Her past is replayed in his daughter's future. It's a game she must win to prevent heart break. An erotic affair between Thel and Olivia starts from the beginning. Very explicit sex.
This is the second book in the series and is good reading.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.