Once Upon a Marquess follows Judith Worth the eldest daughter of the treasonous Earl of Linney. 8 years after her father and brother were tried and convicted for crimes against the state Judith has been working nonstop to secure her siblings' future. When Christian Trent Marquess of Ashford, a former lover and the reason for her family’s downfall appears at her doorstep she reluctantly agrees to let him help her and the two fall for each other again.

This book was a little too external plot-heavy for my taste in romance. Our heroine was dealing with an intransigent younger sister, a bullied little brother, two missing relations, money problems and unprocessed trauma from her eldest brother's betrayal on top of her romantic life. It was a little too much for the scope of the book and I often felt in the weeds of plots unrelated to the central romance.

The romance itself was also a little convoluted. Courtney Milan sets up the tension between Judith and Christian really well. Judith's anger is well-realized and definitely justified by her past with Christian. However, at a certain point the back and forth of her falling in love with Christian and then pulling away because of their past became tedious. I think this arc could have been streamlined and clarified to pack a bigger punch.

However, despite these hiccups, Courtney Milan's very competent writing made Once Upon a Marquess an enjoyable read. Camilla was an incredibly sympathetic character whose resilience in the face of immense obstacles was admirable. Christian too was well drawn with Milan exploring his struggles with opium addiction and neurodivergence well.

I think the book's biggest success was getting me emotionally invested in the Worth family as a whole. Once Upon a Marquess not only characterizes each sibling really well but introduces a fascinating mystery I can't wait to see unfold over the course of the series.