By Sarah M. Eden
Published by Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: September 6, 2022
Description:
London, 1866
Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society.
Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers.
But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.
When Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But unfortunately, he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids, who have been terrorizing the boroughs of London, eager to gain both money and power.
Heartbroken, Gemma agrees to help, but she warns Barnabus that she will not stay for long, and once she goes, he'll never see her again.
Yet as the couple follows the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London's criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma's life might now save Barnabus—and his lonely heart.
But before the once-confirmed bachelor can properly court his secret bride, they'll need to evade the dangerous forces that are drawing ever closer to the hopeful lovers and the entire Dread Penny Society itself.
Review:
HOLY COW! I'll get to my real review soon, but WOW!!! I need the next book in the series to come out ASAP because I don't think I can handle waiting!! I NEED TO KNOW what happens next!!!!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and I of course jumped at the chance to read an ARC of this book. While normally the characters are what I enjoy best about pretty much any book, the plot sort of stole the show in this one. That's not a criticism of the characters--I liked Doc and Gemma and felt like they were well-developed, with believable motivations and very interesting backstories--but rather an indication that there a LOT going on in the plot, with twists and turns and danger that kept me guessing what was going to happen next! By the time you reach the last quarter of the book, you should definitely make sure you have time to just read straight through to the end because it's pretty much impossible to put it down at that point! There are some BIG twists, and maybe other readers saw them all coming but for me, there were a couple of jaw-dropping moments because I DIDN'T expect something to turn out the way that it did, and when I initially finished, I just had no words beyond "WOW!" So, yeah, the plot blew my mind a few times, the characters were great, and the setting was fantastic. Sarah Eden does such a fabulous job weaving details into the story and making Victorian England come alive. I seriously can't wait for the next book in this series!
5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
About the Auhor:
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and
charming historical romances, including 2019’s Foreword Reviews
INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, The Lady and the
Highwayman, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts.
She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and
a three-time Whitney Award winner.
Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender
love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt
romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a
bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the
reference shelves of her local library.
For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at
chansen@shadowmountain.com
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