Book Review #desiringladycaro #ellaquinn #kensingtonbooks #netgalley
Desiring Lady Caro is rerelease of the fourth book in The Marriage Game series by Ella Quinn, originally published in 2014. I did not originally read this book when it first released, so I am not sure if it has gone through any editing changes for this release. This fast paced, marriage of convenience, road trip/on the run romance is full of entertainment, intrigue, sensuality, a "mustache twirling villain", with a secondary love story that keeps this novel clipping along to its conclusion. I was along for the ride every step of the way! Quinn's writing is charming, both romances where sweetly angsty and delightfully steamy, and the character's romance and plotting where perfectly balanced to keep the tension outside of the relationship at a high.
Lady Caro has escaped to the refuge of her godmother in Venice, haunted by a tragedy from her past (Content Note for Rape, which Lady Caro does think about a lot and effects the way she sees the value of herself as a wife). Thinking this will be the perfect place to fade into the background, she instead finds herself the desire of any and all marriageable aged men. Gervais, an earl, is determined to never get married, but Lady Caro is more alluring than he could have ever imagined, so he enters into a hasty marriage of convenience after forming a lie to save her from a lecherous marquis. Lady Horatia, Caro's godmother, also finds her own romance in this action filled road trip, with Captain John.
I love a good road trip romance, the forced proximity, the only one bed and then to add the tension of escape really helps to beautifully heighten the overall plotting the drive of the novel. I love that the majority of this novel is focused on this road trip, and I love that we have two love stories in action. Lady Caro and Gervais who have entered into a marriage of convenience and are very draw to the other and slowly come to realize that they want to have a true marriage. Then on the other side we have Lady Horatia and Captain John who are trying to case a distraction and another trail for the marquis to pursue, and these two have a repartee that sparks with tension and chemistry. I really love that we had these two love stories to bounce back in forth between and drive the plot forward. I love that Quinn gave time and growth to both couples, I love that Quinn explores both of these romantic relationships physically, and I enjoyed the third point of view of the villain as well. I love the this road trip romance takes place throughout the Italian Countryside which is a fun change from the typical English setting.
If you love romance, intrigue, sparkling chemistry and delicious sensuality, Desiring Lady Caro is the book for you. I definitely recommend this romance, especially if you love historical romance from the early 2000s, the plotting is and story feel perfectly complementary to historicals of that time.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.