Review: Lady Armstrong's Scandalous Awakening by Marguerite Kaye

    

Print Length: 288 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Historical (March 29, 2022)

From Goodreads.com:  Hers was a body of marble…

Until he brought it to life

After her tyrannical late husband ruined her reputation, Lady Mercy Armstrong is longing to reinvent herself. The perfect opportunity presents itself when rebellious self-made man Jack Dalmuir has a daring proposition—a fake dalliance that will change society’s view of her! Only, cavorting with the handsome Scotsman ignites a passion that could change both their lives forever…

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Right off the bat, I am going to admit that I am likely going to be in the minority here. But that is half the fun when it comes to reviewing books, everyone has their own tastes.

I wanted to enjoy this story, and for a while I did. Mercy and Jack had a very interesting dynamic together. I loved how he backed up her even knowing it would potentially be detrimental to his business prospects to do so. I loved how she was able to not only cast off the expectations of society, but also find a way to flourish under their cold shoulders and vicious lies. 

However, the constant back and forth of them both wanting more, yet arguing with themselves (and each other) that it couldn't happen quickly became tiresome. Believe me, as a widow myself, I completely understand Mercy's reluctance to get re-married. To give up her financial and personal freedom again even for the promise of a lifetime with someone she truly cared about. I also understood Jack's desire to throw himself entirely into his business until it was well established before he sought out a wife. I didn't need to have their reasons repeatedly brought up every time it became obvious they had feelings for each other. Nor did I need to read about Mercy "hurt" Jack when she "flinched" at the mention of marriage. These were the moments where I wished I could just smack the pair of them. 

Another thing that bothered me was the ending. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed getting that little glimpse into their future together however, after the horrible things that were spread around about Mercy from her deceased husband's family, I would have liked to have seen them get their comeuppance when the truth of the matter was finally revealed. 

As I said, I have a feeling that I will be in the minority here, and despite the issues I had with this one, I would read more from this author. 

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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               Lady Armstrong's Scandalous Awakening  is available from Amazon.com