NetGalley Review: The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darling by Anna Bradley

 The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darling by Anna Bradley

Publisher: Kensington Books

Release Date: February 2nd 2021

Rating:   ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The first book in this series was a solid mid-pack romance, so I was excited to read another and see if the series is developing.  Sadly, this one just didn't make me want to read further in this series. 

I enjoyed the throwback to old gothics- the remote castle, the ghostly mystery and the tortured Marquess.  The romance itself was both sweet and steamy.  The reader gets a happily ever after and everything tied up nicely by the end.

However, not much happens in terms of character growth, the characters are fairly flat to boot.  The mystery is obvious from the start, even allowing that we as the reader have access to more information than the individual characters, Cecilia’s investigative skills are paltry.  The book also does not actively involve the Swooning Virgins Society, to the point that if one reads this as a stand alone, none of it would make any sense in regards to how, and why, Cecilia has been sent to the castle.

This had a lot of potential, as did the series as a whole.  However, for me, The Swooning Virgins Society just isn't doing the trick. 

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