Michaels' Their Marchioness (No Spoiler Review)

Their Marchioness

Jess Michaels

Spoiler-Free NetGalley Review

Stars:              ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ¼

Heat rating:   🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+

So, I’m seeing a lot of “this isn’t like the usual Jess Michaels books” and it’s not. And that’s FINE. We still have her wonderful, engaging writing, but with the MMF twist 💞💞💞. 

I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I encourage you to TRY reading this before you discount it. The novella is good and you’re going to love the characters. And Jess’s writing is always engaging. Plus, as always, she gives you characters that you’ll like and want to know more about.

I am relatively new to romance, I’ve just been reading for a few years, but early on, I wandered upon some MMF books via Kate Pearce and Samantha Kane. These books ended up being favorites. So I was delighted to hear that Jess was moving into that genre for this series. I am a boring 50 year old woman who probably wouldn’t have searched out the MMF genre, but I am glad I found it. It’s a different kind of love triangle, with tensions that are unique to bisexual/polyamorous romance in a historical setting.

Okay, so let’s get into Their Marchioness (no spoilers here; you’ll find all this info on the NetGalley or Amazon pages, or Jess’s site). So here we’ve got Elliot (the Marquess of Egerton); his wife, Merritt (the Marchioness of the title); and her first love, Peter. It’s her 30th birthday and, after 10 years, Elliot wants to give his wife a special present—Peter. See, E and M had an arranged marriage; HOWEVER, they get along great in the bedroom, have several kids, and seem really happy. But he’s learned about Peter and wants to gift his wife a week with her “one true love.” So they all get together (and it’s hot, really, really hot). Sure, Merritt is down for the MFM aspect, but what about the guys? They’re clearly interested, but will be take the leap to MMF? And is this going to be a one-week fantasy deal or more?

There are a few instances when I had to suspend disbelief—for instance, I should think it would take a little more convincing for Merritt to agree—but it’s fiction, so I am not going to hold it to strict believability standards (I mean, I read about dragons and wizards and berserkers, so I’m not going to count anything against the fact that she caved in to getting down with her first love . . . and her hot husband). My only real issue (and it’s not even an actual issue) with the book is the length. I think it could have been a full-length novel, as the backstory is interesting and could definitely have been fleshed out more. Now, believe me, Jess does an amazing job of giving us the backstory, and provides enough information for us to follow along and get a feeling for what happened 10 and 20 years previously, but I honestly would have liked a few chapters on Merritt and Peter as kids growing up together, the budding first love, and the class issues that sent him away. In addition, I’d like to see more about Merritt and Elliot’s marriage in those 10 years—they’re very different people who have learned to get along extremely well, and I’d like to explore that. More than anything, I would have liked to learn more about Elliot and Peter’s patronage arrangement. Clearly, they’ve both been interested in each other for years; in fact, Peter’s watched him and Merritt from afar. Apparently there are fireworks whenever he and Elliot are in a room together. And they work together. That tension would have been a fun read. That being said, as I said, Jess is great about providing information, so it’s there. It’s just not handled in depth. But I think it would have sated those reviewers who felt the book was just sex. I could tell there was more, so the sex felt natural to me. But I can see how others might have wanted more exploration of the past and current desires/interactions/conflicts.

I think it’s going to be a great series, and the teaser chapter for Their Duchess (the second in the series) definitely got me excited. Easy 4¼ star read with a steam rating through the roof. I hope these characters pop up in subsequent series!

Btw, one addition that wasn’t in my NG review. Jess has told us her inspiration for Elliott, Merritt, and Peter and they were PERFECTION. Swoon. 

In a few months, The Squirrel will come back with a typical MAR recap, but until then, GET THIS TRILOGY!

 

 

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