Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 I had a raging head cold and cough when I read Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare. I think under normal circumstances it might have ventured into "too cute" territory for me, but since I was feeling like absolute crap, it was just what the doctor ordered. 
 Clio Whitmore has been waiting eight years for her betrothed, Piers Brandon, to return from his foreign posting to marry her. She's tired of feeling like the unwanted bride, and when an uncle dies and leaves her a castle-that's right, a friggin' castle-which she intends to turn into a brewery, she finally has the means to dissolve the engagement. 
 I need to take a moment here to state that 1. I wish I had a rich uncle leave me a castle so I could just walk out of all my burdensome obligations like "Fuck y'all, I got a castle!" and 2. I love that Clio is sharp and business minded and wants to turn the castle into a brewery. You go, Clio. 
 One thing I liked about this book was that it had a lot of secondary characters that I though contributed to the story in an interesting way. Clio has two sisters. Her older sister, Daphne, is truly loathsome. Her younger sister, Phoebe, is incredibly smart but lacking in social awareness. I wasn't sure if Phoebe was intended to read as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, but it was possible. 
 Like I said, some of the scenes in this book bordered on a little bit too cute for me-Bruiser jumping on the bed and Ellingsworth eating Clio's engagement ring-but it wasn't overwhelming. Also Clio's family is just genuinely, passive-aggressively awful to her to her that it balanced some things out. 
 Also there is cake porn in this book. CAKE PORN. 
 I tend to like my romances with a little more angst, but Say Yes to the Marquess worked for my Sudafed riddled brain. 
 - Elyse