Review: A Gentleman Never Surrenders by Lauren Smith
Owen Hadley needs a wife. Preferably a wealthy one. Alas, there aren’t a great number of heiresses willing to marry a rogue of no particular fortune—luckily, if there is ever a gentleman capable of melting a lady’s chilly heart, it’s Owen.
Milly has had enough of the marriage mart. If matrimony means giving up her freedom for a foppish husband, then society can take their idea of marital bliss and toss it. But when the ton’s most notorious rogue mistakenly makes his way into her bedchambers, Milly finds herself unexpectedly and unwillingly at the altar . . .
Yet the more time she spends with her new husband, the more Milly starts to wonder if the marriage she never wanted may be the best thing that’s ever happened to her. Now it’s up to Owen to convince Milly that what started as a mistake is anything but—and that every night with him will be more wonderfully scandalous than the last.
When Mildred Pepperwirth finds herself compromised during a house party, she doesn’t have a choice but to accept the marriage to a common mister, a man with no fortune and, in her book, no principles: a fortune hunter.
Owen Hadley had his eyes set on young Rowena Pepperwirth, but ended up in the wrong room, with the beautiful but shrewish Pepperwirth sister. Not being able to escape on time to not be found, he’s then forced to marry the one heiress he didn’t care for.
Milly will have doubts about her new husband’s intentions, but he’s more than determined to make this marriage work for he’s not prepared to make the woman saddled with him unhappy. Question is if they will survive the challenge of living together.
I found some charm to the story, but was a little disappointed by the delivery. I felt their relationship developed over a rather short period of time, had a difficult time relating to the war bit with both Owen and Jack an found the ending a little abrupt.
I still liked the characters and found them relatable. Owen’s manner and personality, who he actually is, and I also enjoyed Milly’s attitude after she drops her public persona to be herself once they marry and move into his home.
In all, I think it was a nice, short story and some other people might like it better than I did.
2.25 stars
*An ARC was given in exchange for an honest review*
