Life changing moments!

Infamous (Rebels of the Ton #3) by Minerva Spencer         

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Richard, Viscount Redvers, the nerd who's not a nerd. The man quietly simmers. Entomologist, naturalist and adventurer, Richard is returning home for his sister Antonia’s wedding--to a man he loathed, Sebastian Fanshawe, the Duke of Dowden, slithery as a snake and twice as poisonous. 

Unknowingly, joining the party is the widowed Celia Pelham. She is now Dowden’s aunt, Lady Yancy’s companion / maid.  Ten years ago Celia had been known as CT , the brightest star of her season, and whom all thought was going to marry Richard’s twin brother Lucien, including Celia. At that time, Celia secretly filled all Richard’ thoughts even as he knew Celia was all the woman his brother was determined marry. That was until a scandal threw Lucien and Celia’s friend Phyliida Singleton into an unfortunate situation. Celia as the instigator of the occasion is tagged Lady Infamous by Society. And just who was the behind this? Well let’s just say that whilst Celia might have pulled the trigger, the architect it seems was none other than the tardy bridegroom-to-be.

To be fair, in the here and now, the house wedding party was the last place Celia wanted to be.

Heaps of drama and nefarious doings happen, as our entomologist comes to find out that relationships aren't always down to survival of the fittest, there’s sometimes something more.

The thing is I'm never sure whether I like Celia. I really had to think about how to respond to her. Certainly in her “infamous” incarnation she's a mean girl, a cat and a bully. As the story moves forward we learn why. I can't help but be shocked by her being only seventeen when the story first begins. Now she's ten years older and wiser. A survivor. As much a victim of male perpetrators as others. How does a seventeen year old protect herself if there's no one to stand by her side? Sebastian is all that is bad. And the perpetrator who never stops persecuting Celia, even after all this time.  I did love Antonia's way of handling him. 

Redemption comes for Celia, as other threads of the story come together. Not without heartache and despair.

Another sparkling tale from Spencer bringing together parties from previous times such as those of the twins’ and Antonia’s parents, Baron and Baroness Ramsay.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley