Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Rebels of the Ton, #3
Release Date: September 28, 2021
What goes around comes around, or so it would seem – ten years ago mean girl and diamond of the first water, Miss Celia Trent seemingly had the world at her feet and was just hours away from being proposed to by Lucien Redvers, the Earl of Davenport when a mean spirited prank she and her partner in crime, Sebastian, the Duke of Dowden, played against his twin – studious Richard, went awry, leaving Lucien wed to wallflower Phyllida “Phil” Singleton, Celia being dubbed Lady Infamous and becoming a pariah and Richard slipping away completely unscathed.
Now ten years later, Sebastian is set to marry Lucien and Richard’s sister, Miss Antonia ”Toni” Redvers and a lavish Christmas wedding/house party is being prepared at Lucien’s country estate. It is at the house party that they will all be reunited, much to just about everyone’s dismay – except Richard, who is looking forward to exploring the attraction he still feels towards Celia!
Celia has changed, life dealt her a bad hand and yes, she was nasty, but once you learn more of her past, you begin to understand why she acted the way she did – not that it made her actions acceptable, but who can’t understand youthful insecurity, peer pressure, and jealousy? Celia knows she was awful to Phil and expects the woman to gloat as Celia is now a paid companion. But that doesn’t happen, Phil struggles with her own insecurities and the appearance of Celia in her home brings things that have been simmering for years to a full boil!
I was not a fan of the first two books in this series and almost passed on this title – Thank Goodness I didn’t! OMG – I loved this book! It is well-written and nicely paced with the dual love stories perfectly balanced, and neither couple being slighted. Throw into the mix a couple of parrots, geriatric canines, a vindictive groom, an insect obsessed hero, a heroine with secrets, cameos from Hugh and Daphne, conversations that were years in the making, long overdue apologies, a bride who can plant a perfect roundhouse punch, some steamy love scenes and a lot of witty banter and you have a nearly perfect read complete with two HEAs and an epilogue! This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this uncorrected proof and would happily recommend it!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
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