Vibliophile
... with a once reputed rake, not necessarily reformed so much as simply bored & cynical from society's nonsense, who reluctantly rescues our heroine in an Arabella-esque meet-cute.
Lucius has no interest in marriage & the last thing he wants is someone else to look after, but when he encounters Selena, he finds his sympathies - and interest - piqued.
I came to this book after reading & loving the 2nd in the series, so I can assure you that the stories don't have to be read in order.
This one was enjoyable, but Selena wasn't quite as engaging as Philippa. She was understandably out of her depth, & Lucius rescues her several times which is sweet, and you can see how it draws them closer to each other - but as a reader, you want to see her outwit her abusers at least some of the time
There was also a historical point that bothered me, but it's a
***SPOILER***
Downing's deliberate scene at the ball would have been a scandal for him not just for her. Public scenes were bad ton. Especially in the political realm. The norm would have been for him to give Selena "the cut direct" - that would still have publicly humiliated her but without damaging his own reputation. There would certainly be gossip & could be poisonous whispers to follow that Maria would then be sure to pass on to Lucius (or have someone else do it). But publicly, Selena would most likely have been treated as an insignificant non-entity like other charity cases & servants
***END SPOILER***
So if you're a stickler for historical accuracy, you may find yourself frustrated; but if you're like me, and can overlook it because you're enjoying the story anyway, you'll likely enjoy this, too
*Romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
Imported From: Amazon