Review: In the Arms of a Marquess

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's been seven years since Octavia last saw the man stole her heart.  Back then, she and Ben both lived in India.  She hoped they would have a future together, but they were torn apart, each thinking the other betrayed them.  But now they're both in England and it takes no time at all before they cross paths.

Octavia has a persistent suitor in Lord Crispin.  He wants to marry her, but she knows she'll never love him --never burn for him, the way she does for Ben.  But by all appearances, Ben is in a serious relationship of his own.  When Octavia overhears someone blackmailing Crispin, though, she believes Ben can help get to the bottom of it.  His investigation throws them together, setting them on a path to rekindling their love.

I had a very hard time connecting with this book. More than 100 pages into it, I was still waiting for a spark.  But there was so much talk of India and trade and the politics of the time, I felt my eyes glazing over.  I just wanted to get to the romance!  And when we finally did begin to focus on Ben and Octavia, I got so frustrated.  It was one big misunderstanding after another... words left unsaid that could have saved everyone a mountain of heartache.  Just... ugh.

The love scenes were steamy and when the hero and heroine could finally get past their issues long enough to connect, I was really quite engaged. Unfortunately, that happened far too little for my taste.  The big mystery about the blackmail scheme was convoluted and simply not exciting.  This is the third book in the Rogues of the Sea series and the other installment I read didn't do much for me either.  I don't think this author and I are a good fit. 

A little less than 3 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

In the Arms of a Marquess

by Katharine Ashe

Release Date: August 30, 2011

Publisher: Avon