Title: The Lady’s Bargain with the Rogue
(The Disreputable Marsden Brothers #1)
Author: Melissa Oliver
Published: January 2025
Genre: Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, Victorian Romance, Harlequin Historical, Mills & Boon Historical, Historical Romance, Opposite Attracts

Blurb:

The Rogue she loves to hate

Or her greatest temptation?

Lady Elisabeth Bawden-Trebarr’s determined to claim the Cornish ancestral home her good-for-nothing late husband gambled away, and unearth her family’s long-lost riches. As the new owner is Sebastian Marsden – a notorious rogue she would rather avoid – she’ll ensure he cannot dismiss her by storming his gaming hell!

Sebastian wants nothing more to do with the ton after bitter family scandal. But when Lady Eliza refuses to give up without a fight, he entertains her treasure hunt – if only to stop her pressing on his every nerve! Yet he reluctantly admires her tenacity, and sizzling attraction begins to stir...

My Review:

In the early New Year of 2025, I embarked on my first reading journey with Melissa Oliver’s first Victorian romance, and I couldn’t stop pestering on how wonderful the story was!

Who would have thought that a Cornish castle and a treasure hunt could entangle Eliza and Sebastian?

With nothing left but her ancestral Cornish castle, Eliza will do anything to save it, even though she has to go toe-to-toe with a rogue that people considered as gruff, brooding and indecipherable, Sebastian, but to me he is the most swoon-worthy hero that I would want to have one for myself, if it were feasible. Sebastian doesn’t expect that the plain widow of Ritton will bring his world upside down, especially when he refuses to give Eliza time to pay off her husband’s debt in exchange for the ancient castle.

Well, Sebastian, I also didn’t expect that Eliza to be so genius and attractive, albeit impulsive, beneath her plain appearance, so I could understand over why you couldn’t leave her alone and are so protective of her.

The journey and treasure hunt have brought so many entertaining and vivid historical artefacts that Melissa Oliver has brilliantly written and devised. I derived immense pleasure from reading it through, the sparring and banter between these two contrasting characters, particularly when Eliza created a commotion outside his estate, and Eliza’s other clever inventions to hunt for the said treasure and their way of finding love.

I really loved Melissa’s strong and fascinating writing. It is well-plotted with the Bawden-Trebarr ancestors (if you have read Elowen and Simon’s story, you will be fascinated by this one), splendidly witty, vividly depicted and beautifully ended. I can’t wait to read Dominic and Cecy’s story! Thank you Melissa Oliver for sending me the e-arc, which I voluntarily review.

About the author

Melissa Oliver is from southwest London, UK, where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and three daughters, who share her passion for decrepit old castles, grand palaces and all things historical. She won the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers from Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2020 for her first book, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel for inspiration, paint, and visit museums and art galleries. If you want to find out more, follow Melissa on Twitter https://twitter.com/melissaoautho

Picture and blurb source: goodreads.com