A Gentleman's Surrender

The Surrender Series

Romance - Historical
246 Pages
Reviewed on 01/05/2016
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

From the moment she could put pen to paper, Mariel Grey knew she wanted to be a writer. Like all good adventures however, it didn’t happen overnight; it was after several decades of working in litigation that the desire to create dramatic worlds and characters became too great to ignore. Her first foray into historical romance, Surrender of Trust, explored the grime and glamour of regency horse racing, following the determined but impoverished Lucy Goodwin and upright Lord Chalifour. Her second novel, A Gentleman’s Surrender, released in January 2016, introduced the innocent Lady Monique and tortured Mr. Stanton, both struggling to find love in a world filled with deceit.

Though entirely at home in the ballrooms and street alleys of London past, Mariel Grey is currently working on a contemporary story set in Florida, a landscape dear to the author’s heart. When she isn’t conjuring words on her computer screen, Grey can be found on the water fishing, snorkeling, and enjoying the incredible natural beauty of her home.

Mariel has a wonderful husband (the hero of her own romantic story) as well as two mischievous rescue kittens (who seem happy to play the roles of villain). In addition to being a dutiful wife and animal wrangler, Mariel is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Ancient City Romance Authors chapter.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Kerliza Foon for Readers' Favorite

If you're looking for another historical romance novel, then I suggest Mariel Grey's A Gentleman's Surrender. Monique Cathdon, sister to the current Duke of Glenhurst, is looking for a suitor before the Season is over. All seems lost until she meets Sir James Stanton. Everything seems to be going well until she discovers he has no title. Is it all over for Monique? James Stanton has returned to England from the United States, seemingly wanting to find an English bride and restore the family home to its former glory. At least that's what he wants everyone to think. In reality, James is set on exacting revenge on the people who tore his family apart. Will he succeed or will love derail his plans and lead to happily ever after?

Mariel Grey has written a well researched novel in the Regency era. Her characters James and Monique are products of their time and environment as Monique struggles for the ton's approval and James does not really care but still follows polite society's conventions. The overall plot of this story is a classic theme and is well written. The desire to risk everything for a chance at love can be daunting and Mariel Grey has written this novel depicting that struggle clearly. The characters' thoughts and moods are well represented and their development over the span of the book can be seen. The love between James and Monique is based more on their understanding of each other than on their desire for each other. A refreshing change.

Arya Fomonyuy

A Gentleman's Surrender by Mariel Grey is a historical romance and a delightful entry in The Surrender Series, a well-crafted novel that certainly makes the author one of the finest practitioners in the genre. Lady Monique Cathdon wants to break with tradition. She is tired of watching people waste their lives in arranged marriages. So she has made up her mind on falling in love and marrying the man who sets her heart on fire. So, when James Stanton, one not really made for marriage, comes along, Lady Monique can’t resist him. But the young man’s heart is set on revenge and nothing else, and he is keen on ensuring that there are no collateral casualties. Can Monique Cathdon get him to abandon his resolved course and settle for her?

One of the first things that caught my attention in this historical narrative is the author’s sense of economy when it comes to words and the intelligent art of precision, which can be very difficult to achieve when it comes to exploring the hearts of characters. Lady Monique is a complex character, highly critical and intuitive, but it is interesting to see how she yields to the reasons of the heart, surrendering to her passions. The author offers the internal struggle of this character in a style that is masterly and that will captivate readers. A Gentleman's Surrender is deftly plotted and intelligently written. The pacing measures with the pulse of the reader. Mariel Grey’s characters, although plucked from another era, are real, believable, and utterly compelling. From the great setting to the exquisite writing, this is a story that will thrill fans of historical romance.

Christian Sia

A Gentleman's Surrender is a great book in The Surrender Series by Mariel Grey, a gripping historical romance with a cast of compelling characters. Meet Lady Monique Cathdon, a woman who is determined to break with the tradition of arranged marriages and go after her heart. She wants to marry someone she really loves. James Stanton doesn’t look like one made for marriage, a handsome man who is out for revenge and who won’t want to make the wrong woman suffer as he embarks on a journey to right the wrongs of the past. When Monique meets James, she feels irresistibly drawn to him, throwing caution to the winds, but is James ready to change his philosophy and follow a path he never envisioned? This is a well-written story with a powerful plot and a strong conflict, and the reader will want to discover how it ends.

I enjoyed the drama and the skillful handling of conflict, which develops at different levels — physical, psychological, and cultural. The reader is thrust into an exciting world to explore the inner workings of the hearts of the characters. The writing is excellent and it captures the emotional intensity of the story with brilliance. The unique phraseology, the vivid descriptions, and the masterful dialogues make for a very interesting read. I loved the title of the book and I even loved how the story justifies it. A Gentleman's Surrender has great pacing and the structural curve is brilliantly calculated, leaving readers no room for boredom with the characters. Mariel Grey will grab your attention and sustain it until the last page of this gripping novel.