Mia Vincy: A Dangerous Kind of Lady

A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy
Published by Inner Ballad Press on July 7, 2020
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 354

A desperate situation calls for dangerous deeds...

Proud heiress Arabella Larke has little respect for rules and no time for scruples, not when she faces marriage to a man she loathes and fears.

Determined to save herself, Arabella comes up with a plan: a fake engagement with her childhood nemesis, Guy Roth, Marquess of Hardbury, recently returned home after years away. To Arabella's surprise, Guy has become strong, honorable, and unexpectedly attractive...but he refuses to even hear her plan.

After leaving England to escape his corrupt, controlling father, Guy has vowed never to do anyone's bidding again-certainly not Arabella's. To Guy's surprise, Arabella has become intriguing, quick-witted, and unexpectedly attractive, but he has enough drama trying to gain custody of his younger sisters, and he wants nothing to do with her dubious schemes.

Until Arabella shows up at his house one night, and Guy finds himself entangled to a dangerous degree...

Warm, witty, and moving, this historical romance tells the story of a proud, flawed lady, and the man brave enough to love her. ​

CW: Assault, sibling death, fire death, parental abuse/control, sexual assault

After really enjoying book 3 in the Longhope Abbey series, I grabbed the other two ebooks and started from the top.  And wow, Mia Vincy can write.  Like all the books in this series were different but excellent.

Book 1 features an engagement of convenience, enemies to lovers, with some villainy, sexy intimate scenes, some mature content and a lot of feels.  There is also a bit of a second chance romance element, because the MCs were betrothed as children.

FMC Arabella is a baddie.  She has a tough exterior, can machinate with the best of the ton, and has her heart set on securing her legacy and inheritance.  And she has one of the low-key funniest one-liners of any heroine I have ever read.  Dry as a bone humor, these wisecracks are usually self-deprecating but just absolute chef’s kiss.

The MMC, Guy, is a cinnamon roll style hero, but it takes some time to figure it out because he is SO CRUSTY in the beginning.  But he also finds himself loving to verbally spar with Arabella, so the tension and sparks are burning up the pages when they are together.  ‘

This chemistry is balanced with great supporting characters with a well-situated story in the latter years of the long Regency (I am assuming this because the FMC strikes a match at one point which suggests nipping at the heels of the Victorian era, and even then…cough).

I finished this one quickly, caught up in the story and finding it easy to immerse myself in their world and romance.  Both characters are flawed, and sometimes obtuse, but they are also aware of those flaws and I think subtly come to understand themselves better by the end of the book.  Some readers have mentioned that they wanted a better epilogue or more closure on a few points, and I suppose some of the subtlety won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

I understood the need for the villain character, and he was well portrayed as truly loathsome.  There is an element of sexual assault, so I caution readers who may be triggered by a charismatic and prominent SA figure.

For me, the best part was the banter and Arabella’s wit — just something I haven’t read in a long time.

Mia Vincy is an author work checking out, even if this book and its CW and tropes aren’t for you.  But definitely not a series for kisses only readers or readers looking for light and fluffy.