Murder and misalliances!

The Defiant Wife (The Three Mrs #2) by Jess Michaels             

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Phillipa Montgomery was the second wife of bigamist Erasmus Montgomery. Erasmus had three wives and had been pursuing a fourth. Three wives had given him three dowries to play with.  He’s now dead and his lover (Phillipa’s former maid, and mother to his child, has fled the country.

Phillipa is looking after little Kenley to whom she’s grown very close. 

Returning to Bath with Rhys Montgomery, the Earl of Leighton, she finds her parents disowning her and previous friends hissing her out of stores. Regency Society it seems is not ready for women tricked into marriage, even though they too have been mislead. Bit perhaps that’s the problem and their ire needs a focus.

Rhys is trying to clean up the mess his half brother has left behind. Is Phillipa part of that mess, a distraction or more? If not a distraction then the sooner they go their seperate ways the better.

Maybe! Given their rather steamy relationship things really need to turn around. All in all a conundrum.

A truly interesting concept but I found Lord Leighton a tad flat despite all that he does and is.

Although a stand alone, I’m disappointed I didn’t read the first title in the series. I think that would’ve given me a more rounded understanding, more of the back story.

A Victory Editing ARC via NetGalley