A GENTLEMAN NEVER SURRENDERS is the second book in the Sins and Scandals series by Lauren Smith. Some of the characters from the previous book are mentioned in this one, so it's nice to catch up with them, but it's not necessary to have read the first book in order to follow and enjoy this one.

Rowena Pepperwirth is a sweet young woman about to make her debut into society. Owen Hadley needs a wealthy wife and has tried many ways to woo women. They all know that he is in dire straits and needs a rich woman's dowry, therefore gaining a wife the normal way isn't going to work for Owen. He decides the best way to make sure Rowena will be his, is to compromise her. With that in mind he attends a house party that she has been invited to as well, he sneaks into her room after midnight, making sure that somebody would discover him there. To his delight, his plan works when he is indeed discovered in a woman's bedroom, but to his horror, it isn't Rowena's bedroom. It is her sister Mildred's room he has entered. She is the starchy, prudish older sister and certainly not the woman he would ever choose to marry, even for her money.

The choice is taken from him of course, thanks to his very own deviousness, and Milly and Owen do indeed end up married. What follows is the sometimes fun, other times moving account of Milly and Owen discovering each have qualities that are admirable to the other. Qualities that they both choose to keep hidden from society. It isn't long before they realise that they could actually be falling for each other, but they both have reasons why they really don't want that to happen. Could they really become a successful love match, will they allow it, or will their they fight the good fight to remain just friends?

I enjoyed Owen and Milly's story despite it not being quite as exciting as the previous book in the series. I still definitely recommend it and am more than ready to read Rowena's story which is told next. There's a little teaser to it at the end of this book, enough to make me very much look forward to reading more.