The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath

Marriage…To the highest bidder
Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems―like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counter-offer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections? Or does Lydia dare hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?

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Author Bio

 When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

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Tracy’s Review:


Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Ten years ago, Lady Lydia Barton and Owen Wolfe were in love, but hearts were broken when Owen was accused of stealing from her family and transported to New South Wales for his crimes. Now he is back and the tables have turned. Owen is rich and the owner of a successful gaming club while Lydia’s father, the Earl of Fulbrook is on the verge of financial ruin and preparing to sell Lydia’s hand in marriage to the Marquess of Kelvedon – an old and lecherous man that makes Lydia’s skin crawl.


Lydia doesn’t want to marry Kelvedon, but her father and brother have made it clear that if she does not, they will lose everything. She has resigned herself to the enviable when she learns that Owen has made an offer for her hand and her father has accepted. But Owen doesn’t want a forced bride and will only marry her if she agrees to the match. She goes to see him will every intention of refusing him, but in the end accepts and they elope.

It isn’t long before Lydia begins to realize how wrong she was about Owen, but it doesn’t change the fact that she still believes he is guilty. Owen hires a Bow Street Runner to investigate and clear his name, but when the truth comes out, will Owen use the information to set the record straight or will he choose love?


This was a well written, second chance at love story with wonderful characters, mild love scenes, a villain that gets his due and a sweet HEA. I really enjoyed the story and would happily recommend it!

 

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Beguiled at the Wedding by Deb Marlowe, Jane Charles & Virginia Heath

Beguiled at the Wedding (A Summer Wedding at Castle Keyvnor Book 2)Beguiled at the Wedding by Deb Marlowe

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: A Summer Wedding at Castle Keyvnor, #2

Release Date: May 22, 2020

This anthology was another delightful addition to the fabulous Castle Keyvnor series!

Miss Penneck & the Pixie Poem by Deb Marlowe – 4 stars – A sweet romance between a bookshop owner and a progressive printer, aided by a book loving Pixie. This well written, fast-paced novella opens with Puff, a young Pixie who loves stories and who is still trying to figure out her magic, fifty years later she still hasn’t figured it out, but has attached herself to the local bookshop, owned by Miss Lowenna Penneck. Lowenna hasn’t been in Brocka Morrow long, she learned of the empty shop and leased it from the Earl at Keyvnor Castle. She has settled in with her widower father, who is still grieving the loss of his beloved wife. Lowenna hopes the shop will be the fresh start they both need. Ruan Trevellick arrives in Brocka Morrow looking to make a fresh start too. He is a printer and was invited to set up shop in the village by the Countess. Imagine his surprise when he finds a bookshop in his space! A trip to the castle confirms that they were both promised the space and the Earl and Countess promise to make things right. In the meantime, Lowenna offers to let him set up his press in her back room – an offer he gladly accepts. Things progress quickly between them and seem to be going well, until Ruan’s past catches up with him and he may have to give up the woman he loves to save her! It will take the help of a Pixie to give these two their HEA. A completely wonderful story with cameos from previous characters, Pixies, sweet kissing love scenes, a nasty villain and a wonderful HEA.

A Spirited Courtship by Jane Charles – 4 stars – A sweet second chance love story featuring Diana Vail and James Bryant, the Earl of Somerton. Diana has fallen in love with James and believes he loves her too, until she overhears his friends speculating about his relationship with Diana – they are sure he is just using her to keep his matchmaking momma at bay, they also hear that James slept with Diana’s widowed mother!! Diana is so distraught by this news that she finds James, slaps him and tells him she never wants to see him again! Months pass as they meet again at the wedding of Lady Gwyn at Castle Keyvnor. James hasn’t gotten over Diana and has no idea why she was so upset, he was going to let her go, but seeing her again stirs up his feelings and he wants answers!! Throw in a trio of ghosts that need to break a curse by helping a maiden find true love and you have a very fun story! This novella was well written, fun read with kissing only love scenes, a stubborn heroine, meddling ghosts, witches, gypsies, a pixie or ten and a nail biting ending.

Written in the Stars by Virginia Heath – 5 stars – Of the three, this second chance romance was my favorite. Five years ago Cecily Grimshaw and Spencer Tremayne were madly in love and on the brink of marriage when Chaos wreaked havoc on their HEA. Cecily sees a woman leaving Spencer’s house in a wanton display of dishabille and she imagines the worst – she writes a letter breaking with him and quits her job as governess to get away from him. He is stunned and heartbroken, he had planned to marry her and practice law, but in his despair he gives up his dreams and joins the military – keeping them apart for five long years. The Powers that Be need to set this couple back on track and only have two weeks to do it – Serendipity assures Destiny, Luck, Cupid and Reason that she has it well in hand – she has set her plan in motion to reunited the lovers, they are not convinced until they learn that she has them set to meet again in Brocka Morrow and Castle Keyvnor and with a little help from a fairy – Serendipity is sure she will prevail – after all, she hasn’t missed a deadline in 10,000 years!! This was such a sweet story, with wonderful characters, magic, witty banter, touching flashbacks and a sweet HEA.

This is an ongoing series of interconnected stories, but they can all be read as stand alone novellas and I promise if you read one, you will want to read them all!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me*