The Making of a Marquess
3 Stars

Benedict Thorpe, the long-lost heir to the Marquessate of Belstead, returns home after seven years in the American colonies to find that his cousin has squandered his inheritance and seeks to have him declared dead. Attending a house party at the Thorpe estate, Miss Dorethea Rowland has her own reasons for helping Ben prove his identity, but when a series of accidents threaten their plans, Ben and Dorethea realize that their feelings run deeper than they thought.

Series note: While this is book #2 in the series, there is no connection to book #1 other than Dorethea's membership in the SSL. As such, this installment can be read as a standalone.

Despite the appealing characters and sexy romance, there are several problems with the writing and the plotting that undermine an otherwise promising book.

To begin with, the book description does not match the facts of the story. Ben is not American; he does not seduce Dorothea when he catches her in his room, and they do not enter into a fake betrothal ... did the person who wrote the blurb actually read the book?

Second, there are numerous language errors and descriptive inconsistencies. For example, the titles of nobility for Dorothea and Honoria are inaccurate. Dorothea is first introduced as "Lady Dorothea Rowland", but as the daughter of a viscount, she is the "Honorable Miss Rowland". Yes, this is correct in the rest of the text, but it is jarring nonetheless.

Similarly, Honoria is addressed at times as "Lady Honoria" and at other times as "Mrs. Thorpe". As the daughter of a duke, the former is correct despite her marriage to a commoner. Given Honoria's nature, it is also more appropriate as she is preoccupied with social status.

Examples of other discrepancies include a referenced meeting between two characters in a garden, which does not appear in the text (perhaps the scene was deleted?), and a scream heard from the library even though it is clearly stated that the character did not cry out.

In terms of the actual story, there are far too many glaring plot holes - why does Ben give his estranged cousin power of attorney? Why is his identity questioned so strongly when everyone clearly recognizes him? Why would the family solicitor give Louis original documents once Ben had returned? Why would Louis not destroy these documents that proved Ben's legitimacy? Once the King had determined Ben's status as the rightful Marquess, why would the Lord Chancellor gainsay it (this would never happen - no one contradicts the king!)? I could go on, but I won't ...

Suffice it to say that the book has a great deal of potential as Ben and Dorothea's romance is delightful, but the book is in desperate need of a proper editor! ( )

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Making Of A Marquess, by Lynne Connolly, is available at booksellers 3-31-20. Making is book 2 in Ms Connolly's The Society Of Single Ladies series. The premise of the SSL is crime solving. Many things happen in the world of the ton and rich cits. Who better to look and listen than spinsters. They're of quality, know many people, and are invited many places. They are ignored, become background, and this is to their crime solving benefit. Ms Connolly had me looking up a lot of words, what was it, did I have it right? She kept me on my toes & I enjoyed it. Making is a romance/mystery/thriller. Sounds complicated but trust me, it worked.

Our SSL member is Dorothea Rowland, spinster and resigned to being one always. The SSL has given her a purpose and makes being unmarried bearable. She's like many ladies I've known, Prince Charming forgot to stop by. She's witty and brave. I liked her from the start. The hero, Benedict Thorpe was another story. Lord Brockbank had to grow on me. He was the usual annoying fop, certain he's handsome beyond measure and charming enough to get away with anything. He was awful to Dorothea during her season, the cad. In the story he's grown and made something of himself without his title. He's worried he won't be able to prove his identity, that his tenants will suffer, worried about the estate at last. He won me over when he took such care with his mother. He had substance after all.

#LynneConnolly #netgalley #TheMakingOfAMarquess #TheSocietyOfSingleLadies #KensingtonBooks #romance #Mystery #Thriller ( )

Second chance romance combined with an interesting dilemma

Requisite amounts of the dramatics for a good read. A high society lady detective Dorothea Rowland is investigating on behalf of Childers Bank the security of existing loans made to Louis Thorpe in order to increase his loan debt. Dorothea had been on the brink of having marriage settlements drawn up with Ben, until he fell under the spell of Lady Honoria Holt. Is Ben the friend she once knew, or an imposter.? The heir Benedict Thorpe, Lord Brocklebank, the Marquess of Belstead, is seeking the truth about his inheritance before returning to America. Due to the law surrounding duals he'd been secretly hustled out of the country after a dual over implied slurs to his fiancé Lady Honoria by his cousin Louis, whom he thought he'd fatally injured. All presumed he was dead. Now the time of seven years is nearly up and his cousin Louis who'd survived, is set to have Ben declared legally dead and step into His shoes. Ben's sudden returned to England has left his cousin Louis and his wife Honoria's noses out of joint, especially as they'd been living off the estate's expectations for years.
Ben joins a house party, ironically at his country seat, Cressbrook House, where the officer from the Crown Office, Sir James Hunstone, will make a decision regarding the legitimacy of Ben's claim.
Previously he and Dorothea had been courting until Ben had fallen for Honoria. Now they need to work together to find out the truth surrounding the past events. In that process they find themselves being drawn to each other.
As it turns out their investigations become dangerous and fatal.
I thought I'd picked the culprit who engineered the whole situation early on but wasn't absolutely sure until the end.
Dorothea is interesting woman who finds love where it was once lost.
An enjoyable dip into the world of inheritance and titles, allied with an enlivening mystery and romance during the Georgian period of 1750.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley ( )

Barbara’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Society for Single Ladies #2
Publication Date: 3/31/20
Number of Pages: 279

Benedict (Ben) Thorpe, heir to the Marquess of Belstead, had a rebellious childhood. With disinterested parents who spent little time with him, he longed for their care and respect – especially his father’s. Ben knew he had to marry and since he’d never seen anyone who particularly appealed to him, he went along with his parent’s choice – until Lady Honoria Colt made her debut. Ben was immediately enthralled – he immediately dropped the betrothal negotiations with the other girl and pursued Honoria. Unfortunately, his cousin, Louis also wanted her. When hot heads prevailed, Ben fled England vowing never to return.

Dorothea Rowland is proud and honored to have become a member of The Society for Single Ladies. The society was formed by London’s wealthiest woman, Angela Childers, in order to solve crimes. At thirty, Dorothea is firmly on the shelf, and happy with her life. After her almost betrothal to Benedict Thorpe, she’d not quite taken the ton by storm and had settled into spinsterhood. She was thrilled with an assignment from the society – to investigate the new claimant to the Marquessate of Belstead. He’s having the last heir, Ben, declared legally dead so he can assume the title.

At the urging of his best friend, Lord Henry (Hal) Evington, Ben returns to England to prove he is alive and to stop his cousin from assuming the title. It isn’t that he wants the title or even to be back in England, but his cousin Louis has decimated the formerly beautiful and rich estate. The tenants are suffering and Ben can’t let that continue.

Ben immediately recognizes Dorothea – and she recognized him. What ensues are attempts at murder, betrayals, an unexpected villain, and a romance. Ben and Dorothea have to solve a mystery and claim the title for Ben, and as they work together, they grow to respect and care for each other.

This is a nicely told tale – the plot is a good one, the writing is good – but, I just couldn’t get into the story and found myself skimming over sections of it. I think the characters just didn’t grab me by the heart – and I’m not sure why. I would suggest you read the story and decide for yourself whether the characters bring you joy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )