Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (varies a bit, but decently long *wink wink *
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: third person from hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately (chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form (thank you!!)

Should I read in order?
I believe this is a standalone.

Basic plot:
An eloping couple on the run brings Thalia and the Murderous Marquess together.

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1867
- Marquess hero
- teaming up – the hero and heroine work together to find the heroine’s sister and hero’s brother who have run away together to elope
- sculptor hero
- size difference – heroine is tall but hero ‘dwarfs’ her
- widow heroine
- widower hero
- plus size heroine
- hero has a sweet tooth and feeds the heroine dessert
- well-endowed hero
- surprise virgin
- you’re okay with a bit of a possessive hero that can be a tad jerky
- higher steam – 4 full scenes within a shorter page count

Ages:
- hero is 42, didn’t see heroine mentioned

First line:
“What do you mean Artemis has eloped?” Lady Thalia Renier’s shocked exclamation reverberated throughout the cavernous drawing room of her father’s London townhouse.

My thoughts:
Oh I loved this novel! I have tried a few by Glen, but I think this one is my favorite.

I loved the working toward a goal that Thalia and William had in the beginning. There’s a bit of instalust at play here (short novel) and I loved them being together on a road trip (especially on a train!). William can definitely be a bit of a jerk towards the end – Glen can write heroes that kind of need a slap upside the head, you know? 😆 But the heroine’s in her books hold them accountable and Thalia was no different. She takes him immediately to task and stands up for herself and I enjoyed William having to realize his wrongs.

I also liked that there was more details about Thalia’s body image and how she is a touch self conscious. It wasn’t overdone at all - but I have read quite a few ‘full figured’ historical romance heroines and in so many of them it’s only a quick mention here or there and it’s very easy to forget there’s any body diversity in the character. So I really loved that aspect to it.

Endearments

The hero calls the heroine ‘sweetheart’, ‘my muse’, ‘my angel’ and ‘my darling’.

Quotes

I love this stuff!

Her travel bag slipped from her grasp and spilled its contents onto the stone floor. Flustered, she knelt to gather her belongings, only to have her hat knocked askew by a passing gentleman’s umbrella.
Just as she regained her composure and secured her hat, a young child darted past, brushing against her skirts and causing her to lose her balance. Thalia’s heart raced as she teetered on the edge of the platform.
Strong arms circled her, holding her secure against a solid body. She instinctively knew who it belonged to even before she heard the deep voice rumble in her ear.
“Good God, woman. Be careful.”
The Marquess.
---
“Here try this,” he said, offering a spoonful of cake overflowing with custard and sweet cream. She looked at it hesitantly, but the temptation was plain to see in her eyes. “Open your mouth, Thalia.”
She met his eyes and licked her lips in anticipation, making his cock twitch. But when she closed her mouth over the decadent morsel, and hummed in pleasure as the flavors caressed her palate, the rush of lust to his groin almost made him regret offering her the cake. Fuck, but he was in a state. If he didn’t pace himself, this encounter could turn embarrassing for him.
“That was delicious.”
He used his thumb to wipe a bit of cream from the corner of her lips and brought it to his mouth to lick it off. “You are right. Quite delicious.”
---
“My body is overabundant,” she said, looking down, her face flaming in shame at having to confess.
God, this man was gorgeous. He was a mountain of muscle and a face like a Greek god. How would he feel when he uncovered her doughy roundness?
“Yes, it is,” he rasped. His voice sounded strangled, pained. Was he going to back out? She would die.
“S-so you see. It is better if you leave so I can put on a shift. And we should dim the lights,” she added desperately.
“Not a fucking chance.”
 

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 4
Average rating: 4.5 stars
Favorite book: This one! (The Marquess and His Muse)

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- parental death
- death of hero’s spouse in a fire with her lover while she was pregnant
- both mains experienced infidelity from their spouses
- mention of heroine’s dead husband’s pedophilia

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: 

  sheaths are talked about a lot and used 

Hows the consent? 

  It’s good 

Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) 

  The hero was married and his wife cheated on him repeatedly and eventually got pregnant, but she died before the baby was born. No children in the story really and I don’t recall any mention of trying to get pregnant in the book – condoms are used. No epilogue so no post story babies. 

 
24% - kiss on the train
29% - kisses
40% - 🔥 breast play, fingering for her, he comes against her thigh, then oral for her, bj for him (short), missionary

“My body is overabundant,” she said, looking down, her face flaming in shame at having to confess.
God, this man was gorgeous. He was a mountain of muscle and a face like a Greek god. How would he feel when he uncovered her doughy roundness?
“Yes, it is,” he rasped. His voice sounded strangled, pained. Was he going to back out? She would die.
“S-so you see. It is better if you leave so I can put on a shift. And we should dim the lights,” she added desperately.
“Not a fucking chance.”

66% - 🔥 bj (complete)

“I want you to get naked and then sit on my face. The better to enjoy you.”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I couldn’t possibly. Not here! Your servant is right next door.”
“We would retire to the sleeping berth, of course.” So saying, he stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her up and towards the door of the sleeping compartment.
“He could still hear us.”
“Then you’ll have to be very quiet.”

69% - kiss
72% - 🔥 doggy

“I want...I need...the release. Give me the release.” Her voice was a whimper of need, her eyes scrunched shut, her head thrown back as she strained against him. Shame, embarrassment, and fears forgotten in the face of unrelenting need.
“I will, darling. I’ll give it to you.”
One of his hands sneaked around her waist and dipped between her legs, to caress the place where all sensation coalesced.

99% - 🔥 her on top

“Thalia, no. Wait. Don’t - “ His warning dissolved into a groan as her fingers closed over his hard flesh. She squeezed, pumpking slowly, touching him the way he had taught her, and was gratified when his thick member seemed to get even thicker and bigger in her hands.
“Fuuuck...”