Review: The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington Anna Bradley

      

Print Length: 267 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Press (February 2, 2021)

From Goodreads.com:  As the women of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls fearlessly bring corrupt aristocrats to justice, they put their lives—and their hearts—on the line...

Going undercover as a governess is a first for Cecilia Gilchrist. But once she's installed in Darlington Castle, discovering whether the mysterious marquess murdered his wife proves more daunting than she imagined. Dashing widower Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, is clearly harboring secrets—but is it possible a cold-blooded killer lurks behind his devastating gaze? Trailing his every move only brings her closer to him. But if her heart misleads her, she could pay with her life...

He never should have let her into his world, but now that Cecilia has infiltrated his home, his senses, and his heart, Gideon will do anything to keep her safe from the darkness that has robbed him of everything. Yet keeping her close only makes it more challenging. For the more Gideon falls for Cecilia, the greater the danger to her... 

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

For me this was a solid read, if a little flat in some places, and more than a little unbelievable in others. 

Gideon and Cecilia were interesting characters - I enjoyed the way she stood up to him when he was being unreasonable, and I loved the way she protected his niece Isabella. At times, I found him to be a bit of a brute, but once the story picked up and he started showing his more protective side, I warmed up to him (a bit. I still found him to be a bit ridiculous sometimes). What really got me about them as a couple though was the fact that although he finally let down his walls and became brutally honest with her, she continued to keep parts of herself hidden from him. And even once those things "came out", I still don't feel like he fell in love with her for who she really was. I wish he would have waited to tell her he loved her until later once the truth of her was revealed. 

As for the haunting story-line, it was good until it crossed a point to where I started to think it would have been better off if there had been an actual ghost. Without giving anything away, all I can say is, one why wasn't a doctor summoned for his first wife (and if one was why did he not recognize what was going on), and two, how is it with all of Gideon's searching of the castle grounds, how did he not find the one thing that he would need in order to put a quick stop to the shenanigans going on? And more to the point, once he came to know the truth of the matter, why didn't he tell anyone else? Surely at least the footmen should have been made aware so they could have better protected everyone. 

Despite these few things, this was still a fast paced story (while still managing to be a slow burn romance), that I believe will appeal to those who enjoy stories in a more "gothic romance" sort of genre. I will definitely read more from this author (especially if the next book is about Georgianna and Gideon's friend - I know there is a story there)! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                                         The Virgin Who Vindicated  is available from Amazon.com