The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington

Cecelia Gilchrist comes to Darlington Castle to learn the truth about the Marquess’s role in his wife’s death. Lady Amanda has sent her on this mission on behalf of Lord Darlington’s betrothed. Her assignment is quite fitting as Cecelia loves gothic romance novels, and this assignment puts her right in the middle of one - scary old castle, horrid rumors about the master of the castle, brooding hero, and of course, a ghost. I love Cecelia and Gideon’s story. Like Cecelia, I am a fan of gothic romance. Cecelia is a sweet and caring girl. She is also persistent and observant, the perfect choice for this assignment. Gideon is a thoughtful person with a caring heart. He has lost much and bears the burden of blame. His niece and ward, Isabella, is a darling girl. She and Cecelia are fast friends. Gideon and Lord Haslemere, we’ll hear more about him later, are out trying to catch the ghost, who managed to scare away his betrothed. Cecelia is searching through the castle for proof of what really happened to Lady Darlington. This one has action, drama, danger, secrets, revenge, a cat with the inside scoop of castle comings and goings, and finally a love story. I really enjoyed this addition to the Swooning Virgins Society. It’s a great read; I recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is another winner from this author. Filled with intrigue and romance, the pages just flew as I turned them to find out what would happen next. Cecilia Gilchrist is sent on a mission to find out if Lord Darlington killed his wife. Rumors have flown through the village and London that he had her dead and buried by his own hand. As he approaches a new bride, Cecilia is sent undercover to find out if there is truth to the rumors before the next bride is wed. In addition, there are sightings of the ghost of the Lord’s former wife that have the villagers scared. Cecilia must discover the truth, no matter what that may be. The characters in this novel are rich, and full of life, and you feel especially close to Cecilia as she falls for Lord Darlington. When she explores the grounds, and the castle she knows there has to be a reason for his secrets and the mystery. A mystery that makes the reader definitely want to read on to discover themselves. This is a well developed storyline and plot that makes this a very enjoyable romance. This is part of the series of books about the Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls, but it is also a standalone. References are made to the people in the previous book, but if one has not read it, one would not be lost. However, the other book is a wonderful read, so I would recommend reading it as well. I am definitely looking forward to the others in this series.