When a handsome boxer kisses Lady Ellie Swift for good luck during a match, it turns her world upside down. Because the rogue isn’t just anyone…it’s the Devil Marquess returned. Thanks to Hugh Vere, Marquess of Deveril, Ellie learned at an early age that men are more trouble than they’re worth. Now, instead of a husband, she wants to take over her brother’s infamous gambling club—the Raven Club. And apparently, the devil wants it, too.
From the moment Hugh sees Ellie again sparks fly, but battle lines have been drawn. Whoever is the most successful overseeing the club in one month’s time will win. And Hugh intends to win. And he intends to stay very close to Ellie to make sure she follows the rules. What he discovers, though, is that Ellie is no longer the sweet girl he knew years ago—and winning won’t be easy. But the nearly combustible chemistry between them is hard to ignore, and soon the club is not the only prize he wants.
Titles in the Raven Club series include – How To Tempt An Earl – How To Best A Marquess –
Title: How To Best A Marquess
Series: Raven Club #2
Author: Tina Gabrielle
Genre: Regency Romance
Published: June 10, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Once upon a time Ellie and Hugh were in love. Until he made the choice to “do the right thing” for her future and leave her by staging a very public humiliation. Doesn’t matter that he loved her deeply and only wanted what was best for her, he took that choice away from Ellie by making the decision himself. Now, years later, circumstances have changed – well, some things have Hugh is now in a place of power and he wants the Raven. Ellie now hates every man around her, with the exception of her brother perhaps. She refuses to marry, has her own hidden agenda as she secretly saves lives and Ellie wants the Raven. Unfortunately, her brother has decided to have a competition between the two people who want the club the most. Now, Hugh and Ellie have to work side by side while still proving that each is the better prospect as the new owner of the club. You can feel the sparks in the air and someone is going to get burned.
Immovable object? Meet Unstoppable Force. Otherwise known as Hugh and Ellie. I enjoyed HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS, I did but Hugh with his need to always be in control and take every decision away from Ellie – and Ellie’s stubbornness at times amused me, at other times frustrated me beyond words. Watching them deal with the chemistry and attraction that still exists between them, and seeing how right they could be for each other if each would only bend, just a bit was quite the journey. How they finally arrived at their happy ending was a delight, but oh the trip to get to that point was often filled with tensions, emotions, stubbornness, and a love that simply would not die. I would not hesitate to recommend their story but fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a rocky ride.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available in paperback and for the Kindle
