About the Book:
Title: Meant for the Marquess
Author: Alexa Aston
Series: Second Sons of London #7
Publication Date: Nov. 16, 2022
Publisher: Dragonblade Pub.
Synopsis: An army major compelled to leave the military. A lady forced to earn her living. Two souls finding a new way of life . . . and each other . . . along with love.
A brutal attack leaves Major Devin Hunt missing two fingers. Unable to fire a gun, he sells his commission and takes refuge with a former fellow officer who has now become a duke. His friend offers Devin the opportunity to become the estate’s steward and forge a new life.
Lady Julia Birmingham loses both her parents just before she makes her come-out. Her half-brother, who never considered her family, banishes Julia from her childhood home and she is forced to earn her living, eventually becoming the governess to the Duke of Woodmont’s nephews.
Devin asks the family governess to help him to learn to write with his left hand, knowing keeping records is an important part of his new position. Their attraction turns into love and Devin is ready to spend his life with Julia—until he suddenly becomes the Marquess of Bedford.
Can Devin convince Julia they can have a life together—or will his new title and wealth tear them apart?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
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My Review:
Meant for the Marquess is a wonderful conclusion to the Second Sons of London historical romance series! Devin is a bit different from the other MMC in the series. Though he is the second son, he has not inherited a title like the others. Released from the military because of an injury that resulted in the loss of fingers, Devin is unsure about his future when he decides to visit Win. Needing time to come up with a plan and work on relearning how to do things with his left hand, Devin finds support from his friends and Julia.
Win was super swoon-worthy in Dubious About the Duke, and I loved him even more in this book. The way he treats the boys and how he talks about them is lovely and heartwarming. When he talks about his brother missing out on knowing his “beautiful boys,” I just about melted. And his unequivocal support of Devin and Julia, as a couple and individually, says so much about his character. And, of course, the tender, loving partnership he has with Sera is relationship goals.
I love Julia, and not because we have similar names. Lol. She is so resilient and kind, and she doesn’t let her past defeat her. Losing her parents and being abandoned by her despicable half-brother (what a rotten man!) could have broken her. Instead, Julia makes a life for herself as a companion and governess. She is intelligent and caring, and she is a wonderful teacher. As a former teacher, I really appreciated how she catered her lessons to the personalities of her students. She thinks outside the box and makes learning interesting, fun, and relevant.
The scenes where Julia and Devin teach the children together were so lovely! They are so good together, and these scenes really show how well Julia and Devin mesh. Theirs is an instant attraction, and it sweetly developed into something much deeper and more profound. There were times in the story when I thought Devin was a little too pushy with Julia, but I think he was so convinced of their love for each other that his actions made sense. Julia is much more reserved and doesn’t like taking risks with her heart and reputation. Plus, neither think they’re good enough for the other, Julia because of her station and Devin because of his maimed hand. Regardless, they have a ton of chemistry and a deep connection. They are both alone even though they’re with other people, and I love that they found each other.
I also really enjoyed all the interesting tidbits of information threaded into conversations, celebrations, and Julia’s lessons with the boys. As Julia was teaching the kids, I was learning new things too. lol It was cool to learn about the origins of Jack o Lanterns, the exiling of Napoleon, the return of British soldiers, the laws around dowries, and more.
The Second Sons of London is a fantastic series, and I’m sad that it’s over! The second sons and their wives are wonderful, and I wish I had a group of friends as special as them. Wonderful, layered characters, passionate romances, and THE BEST friend group/found family made this series unforgettable. Special thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!
- The secondary characters.
- The wonderful epilogue!
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to readers of historical romance. However, as it is the last book in the series, you might want to read the others before jumping into this one.
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