Outcasts and rebels!

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Notorious (Rebels of the Ton #1) by Minerva Spencer    

****

An interesting plot dealing with the offspring from the Outcast series. Jibril or rather Gabriel Marlington as the son of the former Sultan of Oran, and Euphemia, the Marchioness of Exley, adds spice and adventure. Gabriel's step sister Eva's best friend Drusilla Clare  has loved him forever in a silent suffering way, although Dru is anything but silent. An adherent of Mary Wolstenholme and an heiress, Dru funds houses for poor women and children and sees her future mapped out as an eccentric feminist(my term)  doing good works. That is until her hand is forced into a marriage of convenience with Gabriel to avoid a scandal.
This (it seems) at the unwitting instigation of the mysterious Lord Visel, a new face in town, who seemingly harbors a focused intent and animus towards Gabriel. All very puzzling.
There's quite a few avenues of interest and various twists. At heart Gabriel is a character with two cultural divides encompassing his personality. The formative years of the Jibril persona of course looms large being the deposed sultan's heir, and all that entailed even at sixteen. To the ton Gabriel is an unpredictable creature, a somewhat barbarous, if not down right exotic, swoon worthy enigma. Druscilla gives him a run for his money being an articulate open thinker who gives as good as she gets and often surprises Jibril (Gabriel). 
(We first met Jibril in 'Dangerous', the story of his mother Mia and Lord Exley--which I loved. Actually in my search to reinvestigate this group of people I took a trip down memory lane and reread the Outcast series. I find Gabriel's story not quite as gripping as that of his mother and her reluctant associates. Ha! However I really enjoyed Druscilla.)
I must admit there's a plethora of bedroom scenes which for me often overwhelmed the storyline. But then maybe that is the point as this is all about the marriage of convenience trope with some fascinating undercurrents.
How the two develop their relationship to one of trust and compatibility is an occasionally arduous journey ending on a note foretelling the next book in the series.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley 

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