The Wild Marquis, by Miranda Neville. A Review by Angie

The Marquis of Chase is a naughty, naughty boy.  Brought up by parents who were overly pious and believed the good book was the only book worth reading, Cain is banished from his home at a young age for sins that he did not commit.  For years he has lived in London making his way through the ladies of the ton, and his reputation is well-earned.  A passing glance into a window turns his life upside down as a rare book is up for auction,  a book that he thought he owned.  After some research, he decides to hire J.C. Merton, a notable book seller, to represent him at the auction and reclaim his book.

He is astonished, but overcomes this quickly when he learns that J.C. Merton is a woman, and a lovely one at that.  Juliana Merton is a widow and is still running her husband's book shop.  Her love for books was instilled by her Grandfather and she is determined to keep the shop alive in memory of her husband, whose death remains a mystery.  The two get along well and Juliana spends most of her time trying to resist the advances of the Marquis.  Her ways of "calming" herself are quite hysterical.  The two are an unlikely pair, and her representation of him raises more than a few eyebrows and snide remarks.  There is a mystery of her birth that Juliana longs to solve, and once Cain hears of the particulars, he decided to help her find the truth.   Juliana is convinced they cannot marry because of her status, but they both end up in love.  This makes Cain all the more anxious to unravel the mystery of her birth, and to salvage what is left of his reputation in the ton.  His sister, who flees her home to live with her brother after learning of her mother's plan to have her marry an older man, and Juliana make him realize he needs to find the truth of why he was banished, and to reconnect with his family that spurned him long ago.

There are many mysteries surrounding her birth that are connected to a stolen book being planted her in shop, and attempts to scare her.  As Juliana and Cain attempt to unravel the mystery, little do they realize they have proof sitting on the shelves of the book shop.  More is at stake than her birth and those involved are none too willing to let go of their secret.

Miranda Neville is a new author for me, and The Wild Marquis is the first in The Burgundy Club series.  Her writing is very witty and passionate; the perfect match for our hero and heroine.  Cain is definitely a rake, but he is a lovable one that truly cares for Juliana and falls in love hard.  The hurt from his father and his guilt at leaving his sister behind eat at him making him all the more human.  Juliana is a proper lady that tries her best to fit in with the other male booksellers in London, trying to keep her little shop afloat.  She is a delightful and witty character that more than once stumps Cain.  The Wild Marquis is a great read and one that I recommend you to pick up.