This is the story of Cecilia and Gideon the Marquess who is rumored to be haunted by the wife he killed. I really liked our two leads. I admired Cecilia's spunk and determination in the face of great odds. I felt for Gideon's loss and loneliness so much and admired the way he loved his niece.

The book had a gothic feel which I was not expecting, and which enhanced the story. Filled with great supporting characters - Lord Haslemere, Isabella, Amy etc., it was delightful. Second book in a series about the Clifford Charity School Girls and I absolutely adore that the tone, characterization, and settings are completely different. It's easy for authors to fall into the trap of making all the books similar in tone but that was deftly handled here.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARc ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is the second book in Anna Bradley’s intriguing The Swooning Virgins Society. I think you will enjoy this book more if you have read the first book. Cecilia Gilchrist is pretending to be a servant in the home of Gideon Rhys, the Marquess of Darlington, to discover if he is truly the Murdering Marquess. Unfortunately, she’s not very good at being a servant, she’s too small to do much of the heavy work required, and as a nursemaid, she knows more bawdy tavern songs than lullabies. Gideon is engaged to the perfect debutante, and he’s certainly not the type to lust after servants, but Cecilia is working her way under his skin and into his heart, if only he could be sure she’s not lying to him. A ghost, a nasty villainess, and a mysterious death make for an engaging story, and I enjoyed reading it very much. Medium Steam. CW: death in the past of a mother and infant in childbirth. Publishing Date: February 2, 2021. #TheVirginWhoVidicatedLordDarlington #Anna Bradley #KensingtonBooks #HistoricalRomance #GhostStory #HistoricalMysteryAndThriller #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #RomanceSeries ( )

Whimsical, mysterious and gothic!

Cecilia Gilchrist, young denizen of the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls is installed as a housemaid for Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, at his castle. He's said to have murdered his wife. Cecilia's task is to uncover the truth of the matter. Promotion to role of governess to his niece, four year old Arabella, brings Cecilia closer to her goal. Cecilia finds a whole lot more than she expected, and in doing so faces danger and comes into her own.
Another super read from Bradley.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley ( )

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance readers copy of this story.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington, by Anna Bradley, is available in booksellers on 2-2-2021. It's listed as book 2 of 2 in the Swooning Virgins Society series. but I hope it's not over yet. There are still more virgins left at the Clifford School who need to swoon. Our current virgin is Cecilia Gilchrist who gets involved with, and un-virgined by, Gideon, Lord Darlington. I found this story to be much more of a mystery than a typical historical romance. There's a lot of sneaking around, secrets, lies, deception, all that good stuff, happening in a mouldering castle in the middle of nowhere. It's the perfect setup for murder & mayhem and that's just what we get. There's lots of hot looks, longing glances and sex too. It only took me a few hours to devour this story & it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

#AnnaBradley #TheVirginWhoVindicatedLordDarlington #SwooningVirginsSociety #historicalromance #romance #Netgalley #LyricalPress ( )

****4.5 Stars Rounded Up ****

This is a wonderful addition to the series featuring the ladies from the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls. This book isn’t quite as on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting as the first book in the series, The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Grey, but it doesn’t need to be because the character’s makeup and backgrounds are different. The story is well-written, well-plotted, and populated with characters you will love – all of them. Just so you know – not that it makes any difference to the story – the Book Blurb says Cecilia goes undercover as a governess. She does not – she goes first as a housemaid and then moves into the nursery as a nursemaid.

Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, is known as the Murderous Marquess because everyone believes he murdered his wife. That rumor didn’t start for a while after his wife died, but when it did start, it spread with a vengeance. Gideon has spent the last year inside Darlington Castle, mourning his wife and trying to come to grips with the multiple tragedies in his life. Now, he owes it to his title and to his niece Isabelle to marry again and have children. He’s certainly not looking for love a second time, he’s had that and the loss of it has broken him. When he meets Miss Fanny Honeywell, he decides to offer for her – not because he loves her, but because she is graceful, lovely, biddable, and would probably make a good mother for Isabella. After the betrothal, he heads back to Darlington Castle because he’s heard the rumors of the White Ghost who is making appearances around Darlington Castle. He believes it is just a rumor, but, if it isn’t, he has to find out what is going on. Shortly after his arrival, he finds a woman by his lake – throwing stones into it. After he confronts her, she identifies herself as a new housemaid. He knows she is lying to him – he just doesn’t believe her – and so he dismisses her. You’ll find he dismisses her several times – none of them stick.

Cecilia Gilchrist doesn’t understand why Lady Amanda Clifford chose her to go undercover at Darlington Castle. She’s not as skilled as the other ladies at the school mostly because she is too soft-hearted and always believes the best of everyone. She just doesn’t feel she has the skills she needs to deceive the Darlington household and uncover the real facts behind the death of the last Lady Darlington. As her investigation continues – and she manages to keep herself employed there – she finds herself more and more attracted to the Marquess. One moment she believes he must be guilty because all of the facts say so – and the next moment her heart tells her it just can’t be true.

I love the slight gothic feel to the story. As you read, you come to feel as if you know what happened, but there are no facts to say so – and then there is the big reveal and you know all. The revelation might surprise – and it might not – but it is exciting to read. While it took Gideon a bit to come to his senses, we finally get our HEA – and the epilogue is sweet and romantic.

I definitely recommend this book. You’ll love Isabella who is Gideon’s four-year-old niece. I also enjoyed the staff, Mrs. Briggs, Amy, and Duncan, but my favorite was Gideon’s friend, Lord Haslemere, who I believe will be featured in the next book of the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )