The Missing Marquess of Althorn by Chastity Bowlin

 

I discovered this author through Stuff Your Kindle Day with her title, THE LOST LORD OF CASTLE BLACK. I was obsessed with it. The second book in the series, however, was incredibly mid and had a cliffhanger ending that was not resolved in this book (Mary's book and resolution happens later in the series). However, THE MISSING MARQUESS OF ALTHORN delivers on the drama that I had come to expect from the first book and was almost-- almost-- as good.

Jane and Marcus have been betrothed by their grasping, conniving fathers since childhood. However, the seven year age gap between them disturbs Marcus, who at 21, tells his father that he doesn't want a 14-year-old bride. Jane overhears some of the argument, but only the damning parts, and their engagement ends up in limbo when he goes off to fight in the Napoleonic war, only to be presumed dead.

Spoiler: Marcus is not dead and returns to find that Jane is all grown up and beautiful now, at twenty-two years of age, laboring under the thumb of her overbearing father and his spoiled young wife who constantly emotionally abuses Jane and calls her fat. His cousin, Charles, has also been coveting the marquesate and is less than happy to see him return.

This book didn't have the gothic vibes that made LOST LORD such a hit, but there were shadows of it here. I love drama revolving around affairs and inheritance, and this book had that in spades. There were also some really good villains who had solid motives and added a good amount of stakes to the book. I liked the villains in book one more but these villains were perfectly odious. I also really liked the relationship between Marcus and Jane, and how the trust between them blossomed as they were forced to work together-- rather the way a married couple would.

3.5 out of 5 stars