Reviews

Make Mine a Marquess by Tina Gabrielle

bookishmya's review

4.0

I enjoyed the whirlwind romance of Landon and Phoebe. I was drawn to Phoebe’s character right away, her giving nature and generous spirit truly wins over others. Landon is naturally drawn to her as she is not the same as the typical London ladies. Being a man who was raised of different cultures, it is expected that a woman untamed by the restrictions of society is what calls to him. Phoebe is not one to bow to a man, and it is that fire that makes her stand out and what makes her desire to be a kept wife so heartbreaking. She is clearly misguided by her past mistakes, but her solution is simply wrong. She is a woman driven by passion and would wilt under a marriage of convenience with an inattentive lord. Both Phoebe and Landon are damaged by their pasts, and only through each other can they truly heal and flourish. Their story is one of surprising care as they take the time to truly know the other. 

storieswithsoul's review

5.0

 I loved this fast-paced historical romance. It's the kind of book you find hard to put down not because you love the story but because you love the characters and want to know what happens to them. It's a perfect read for romance lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to all readers. 

slpchristy's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bookstosoothethesoul's review

2.5

Oooh I do love historicals with intriguing plots and this book definitely delivered! Make Mine a Marquess has a brave, bold heroine named Phoebe who prioritizes what is right rather than what is appropriate/socially acceptable which makes her the perfect partner for Landon who is seeking revenge on his cousin who tried to have him murdered to steal his estate. There was so much going on in the plot with this book that I really enjoyed. Landon's mixed motivations were really fun to see (he wanted to get revenge and use her to do it). I enjoyed that his intentions were muddied a bit especially as he falls for Phoebe. Unfortunately I found there was too much telling vs showing for me. I wanted to settle into the story and watch it happen but the author kept telling me how to feel about it or telegraphing loudly that *this is a BIG moment for these characters for these reasons* and I would have liked a little more subtlety in how the character development was being communicated. The story itself was very engaging so that's what kept me going even when the character development felt clunky. I know historical revenge subplot is a microtrope that many people enjoy so I'm confident that many others will enjoy the passion and plot of this book. 

bucolicbookshelf's review

3.5

I love historical romances and, really liking the synopsis for this, was fortunate enough to receive an early copy to read. 

This gave me inspired-by The Count of Monte Cristo vibes and I eagerly read on, hoping for some intense romantic longing and some steam  - there is steam, but not a lot of spice, imo - but it worked for the story.

Some minor issues I had - 

*a little repetitive early on

*the dialogue did not fit the time period

*the ending felt rather rushed

*there were some unanswered questions at the end of the book 

I found this to ultimately be a quick, fun read that I read over two days and it kept me turning the pages. 

This was my first time reading the author and I will definitely read her work again. 

Thank you to Entangled: Amara and NetGalley for the DRC 

bookwyrms_shelf's review against another edition

4.0

This was a sweeping story of betrayal and revenge. Phoebe is engaged to Willard, whose cousin is lord Landon, who has been missing for 5 years. He returns home, having survived a firey shipwreck, and upends everything. 

Landon and Phoebe meet and she is immediately enthralled in I'm, but struggles with fulfilling her duty and marrying Willard. Landon is completely taken by Phoebe and questions his motives of using her for revenge when he begins to have very real feelings for her. 

Betrayal, loyalty and love are called into question when the truth comes to light, and Phoebe must decide what to do upon learning Landon's initial intentions. 

caldreads's review

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What an engaging historical romance! I found myself enthralled the entire time as the author wove this story of ☠️ plots and secret rendezvous and a house party and secrets.

Landon is mysterious, roguish, and hell-bent on revenge.

Phoebe is an untitled beauty who is engaged to a baron… who happens to be Landon’s dastardly cousin.

THOUGHTS 💭 

🩷 This book was unlike many other historical romances - I loved Landon’s partial middle eastern heritage and Phoebe’s “experience.”

🩷 Phoebe’s chosen charity, the reason for it, and how she supports them was wonderful to read.

🩷 I love a good Victorian-era weeks-long house party and this book primarily takes place at one.

🩷 There is a layer of mystery as Landon seeks to prove his almost-☠️ was no accident.

Thanks so much to Tina Gabrielle and Entangled Publishing for the ARC of this book!

amarachireadss's review

4.0

This is a fast-paced historical romance between an mmc seeking revenge and an fmc who has had her heart broken and doesn't want to go through that and be in love again. The mmc is a biracial english and Arab man and I loved what that brought to the book the infusion of culture and how society treated him because of his heritage. I enjoyed the fmc and how passionate she was, I also liked how she wanted to support her family. The romance was nice with a lot of tension and some steamy scenes and I liked the main characters together. There is a third extra breakup but the mmc does grovel which was nice. Overall this is a nice and quick historical romance. Thank you Entangled Publishing for this arc. 

andrea_author's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Presumed dead at sea, Robert returns seeking vengeance against his treacherous cousin. He targets Phoebe, his cousin’s intended bride, but finds himself drawn to her. Love proves perilous as Phoebe’s reputation hangs precariously by a thread. Can they navigate their potent feelings while avoiding scandal?

This is a tense and sensual story as Robert and Phoebe embark on a daring and dangerous courtship. Despite the threats, the chemistry between them is irresistible.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review. 

steponmew's review

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was an ARC. Thank you Entangled Publishing, Tina Gabrielle and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review. 

As a fan of other regency era historical romance books such as Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series, I enjoyed the book. 

I liked that the author included 2 middle eastern characters and brought some diversity in a realistic way to a genre that doesn't often have that. The author also did a great job making the main characters flaws realistic and relatable. I found myself rooting for Phoebe and Landon as well as getting frustrated with them at points. 

However, to me, the ending felt rushed and could have easily used a few more chapters.