The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.
Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.
When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincey starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.
When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .
Quirky, adventurous, and fun!
"THE MARRIAGE METHODis a playful, captivating tale set in 1864 London that follows Miss Penelope Trewlove, an academy teacher who travels to the city to dissuade a persistent newspaper editor from continuing his investigation into the Betterment of Young Ladies school, only to find herself caught in a compromising situation that forces her into a marriage of convenience and grudgingly teaming up with her new husband to solve the case of a missing girl and a murdered reporter. The writing is lighthearted and engaging. The characters are resourceful, clever, and endearing. And the plot unfolds as a passionate, compelling blend of family, friendship, societal expectations, deductive reasoning, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, desire, sleuthing, and, of course, a touch of romance. Overall,THE MARRIAGE METHODis an amusing, entertaining, delightful tale by Matthews, that is the second book in a series,The Crinoline Academy, which only continues to get better and better."
