A Marriage Made In Secret by Jenni Fletcher

On By TracyIn Medieval (1066-1540), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Marriage Made in Secret: A gripping romance set in the Royal courtA Marriage Made in Secret: A gripping romance set in the Royal court by Jenni Fletcher

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 29, 2021

Sent to court to serve Queen Isabella, Lady Mathilde Gosselin of Rudstone was definitely a fish out of water and was thrown headfirst into the mystery, viciousness, and intrigue of court life. Not long after she began to serve the queen they went to France on a diplomatic mission and that is where she met Henry Wright of Ludlow.

Henry is a base-born man with obvious ties to the Mortimer family and he serves Roger Mortimer, whom he believes may be his father – but he really doesn’t know, his mother abandoned him at Mortimer’s estate when he was just six years old and he never saw her again. He hopes to gain lands and maybe a knighthood for his service to Roger and even though he is smitten with Mathilde, he has nothing to offer her. But that doesn’t stop him from wanting to protect her and to get to know her better.

As the years pass and the plots and machinations grow increasingly more dangerous, Henry worries for Mathilde and the hold Isabella seems to have on her. For his service during the removal of Edward II from the throne, he was awarded a manor house and land, finally, he has the means to support a wife and asks Mathilde to marry him in secret, as things are tense at court with Isabella and Roger acting as regents and Scots rebelling. He proposes they marry and wait until things calm down before asking permission to marry. Not happy about deceiving the queen, but wanting to have a life with Henry, Mathilde agrees.

More years pass and the time is never right to reveal their secret, but when the barons begin to grumble about Isabella and Roger’s regency, choices must be made and Henry and Mathilde find themselves caught in the middle and sadly on opposing sides. To save the woman he loves, Henry does the unthinkable and breaks Mathilde’s heart, hoping and praying that one day he will get the chance to beg her forgiveness.

This was a well-written, nicely paced, epic tale that spans over six years. This fictional romance is embedded into the true history of the deposing of Edward II by his Queen, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer. Our hero and heroine’s romance is definitely slow-burning, due to their positions at court, so they don’t spend a lot of time together, but when they do, their chemistry is undeniable and their concerns and fears are valid. The story is not as “romantic” as most historical romances, but it is steeped in historical fact and ends up being a very gripping and intriguing read. The story has secrets, lies, betrayal, heartache, warm love scenes, difficult choices, great secondary characters, and finally, a well-earned HEA. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the author’s notes at the end, and would happily recommend it!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

It Was Only A Kiss by Shannon Gilmore

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

It Was Only a Kiss (Ruined Rakes #1)It Was Only a Kiss by Shannon Gilmore
Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Ruined Rakes #1
Publication Date: 6/22/21
Period: Georgian/Regency – 1821 London
Number of Pages: 411

It was truly delightful to be able to read and enjoy this debut author’s wonderfully exciting, well-written, fast-paced, and romantic story. The characters are robust, fully developed, and you will absolutely love them (and their very expressive eyebrows). The witty banter will keep you chuckling and the danger will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can read them.

Grant, the Duke of Havenly, has always had a love-hate relationship with his grandmother. He cannot forgive her for the way she treated his mother – and his father – so he is bound and determined that he will never marry and have children no matter how hard she pushes at him. He doesn’t care about the duchy – it can pass to a distant cousin for all he cares. Yet, she keeps on at him – time after time after time. He also has a curiosity about a box he won in a card game. It is a simple little box, but there are some odd engravings in and on the box. He’s been investigating and believes the box ties back to a legend about hidden treasure. Finally, he’s identified the original owner of the box and all he has to do is finagle a meeting with her.

Nicolette Bradenton has known three homes in her short life and she was loved in all of them. Until she was ten, she lived with her much-loved parents in a quiet little village. When Nicolette was ten, her mother died, so she and her father lived on the ship he captained, the New Horizon. When she was sixteen, she went to live with her aunt and uncle because her father had been murdered. She’s been with them for three years now and she’s tried really hard to fit into the world of the ton, but it is so hard. There are just so many rules to follow, and she’s not really very good at following rules. So, when a handsome man approaches her at the opera, she isn’t very good at following the rules.

Grant is intrigued by the unconventional and irreverent Nicolette who isn’t cowed by his title and wealth. He loves their verbal sparring; he loves how beautiful and spirited she is – but he does NOT love her. However, with Nicolette in danger, Grant will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. He still won’t love her – and he certainly won’t marry her – but he will keep her safe.

I highly recommend this debut author and hope you will give both the author and the book a try. It was so entertaining and so much fun watching these two working their way toward a HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews