I wasn’t sure what to expect with this novel which I assumed was going to be some sort of Christian regency romance novel. It turns out I was partly correct but I underestimated what a delightfully gothic murder mystery slice of fiction this is.

The premise is that when widow, Adrian inadvertently compromises single mother Elizabeth in the course of spying for The Crown, she makes the mutually-beneficial decision to marry him and give her son a father, and mother his two new adult daughters. Unfortunately Elizabeth’s arrival at the manor coincides with a murder at the manor and for her safety and well-being, she needs to find out who, especially when she and her infant son come under threat.

What I loved about this book was the fact that the author wrote a super competent heroine in Elizabeth- if anything, our Liz was the brains of the operation. I also loved that Adrian was not too stupid (macho) to take her advice and suggestions. Probably my favourite part about this book is the way faith was treated. There’s nowhere in the blurb that suggests this is a Christian book. In fact my assumptions about the genre were made only because I know this publisher puts out Christian books (as I own lots of them and have for years)! This book isn’t overtly religious with sermons or explanation of doctrine, but it IS Christian in the example the characters show of the way they leave their lives, of the possibility of redemption and salvation, of Grace and healing and of certain life lessons one learns as a Christian. It’s as though the book characters lead by example with the messages being subtle.

I think this is a lovely historical cozy mystery that isn’t at all gruesome but does provide lots of titillating “seat of your pants, what will happen next” moments. It’s a good, low heat book that you could share with a religiously conservative grandma or a liberal friend. In a heart-check content warnings, this does have kissing in it (within the framework of marriage) if you’re rewarding from a faith-based personal standpoint, you’re trying to avoid that sort of content.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I

I LOVED IT. LOVEDDDDD ITTTTTT.

I feel so happy right now 😂. Abigal Wilson never disappoints, and Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is no exception.

First of all, the cover is gorgeous. To be honest, all of her book covers are beautiful, but his one captures the essence of the story perfectly. Mystery, wealth, spies, an arranged marriage…

Ahhhhh.

One robbery. That’s all it took for Elizabeth’s future to change in ways she never would have thought possible. More so, when the person who attacked her carriage is the older brother of the father of your illegitimate son * hides *.

Stunned by the revelation, both’s reputations have been tarnish by their actions, and the only way out of this mess is if they marry. Ok, so, no biggie, right? Mary the wealthy and handsome Lord Torrington and just keep Isaacs’ (her son) father identity a secret. After all, this is just a charade that will benefit both…right?

They both agree to play their part as if they were truly in love and convince their family that this relationship is real. But that’s more difficult than just batting eyelashes and holding hands in front of Lord Torrington’s elder daughters…

Not when a dead man is found, when secret notes start appearing at night in her bedroom, when family members have grudges to one another, and when someone inside the house is guilty. Guilty of murder and espionage. And that person is living under the same roof as them.

This gave me Clue vibes all the way. It was so good! The romance was so well developed and it was clean. There were some parts that were a little too descriptive for younger teens, but the content was limited to kisses and embraces between a married couple.

I can’t wait for Abigail’s next book! ❤️❤️❤️


Cleanness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 (mentioned above)

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/4

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All thought are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.*

“I blinked a few times and took a deep breath. Apparently I’d survived.” Opening lines of “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” by Abigail Wilson

Set in 1815, Abigail Wilson opens “Masquerade At Middlecrest Abbey” with a dramatic carriage robbery. Our leading lady, Elizabeth, agrees to marry Lord Torrington mere hours after meeting him in order to protect him and Britain. She doesn’t realise she is putting the lives of herself and her son in danger in doing so.

Lord Torrington is ferreting our French spies and thinks of the marriage as a cover for his identity unaware of danger lurking at home in Middlecrest Abbey.

Suspicious, dangerous and deadly happenings follow them and soon they fear for all their lives as they realise it has to be someone in their midst! The characters’ suspense is held right until the end of the book when the true villain is finally revealed!

I found the first quarter of the book a little slow but a masquerade marriage is one of my least favourite tropes, I just can’t resist an Abigail Wilson book! Once the mystery was fully fledged, the pace picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her characters are carefully created with interesting histories which makes the reading all the more enjoyable. If you love historical romance, this is one for you! It’s a four out of five on the enJOYment scale.

This was a very suspenseful mystery that will leave you wanting to know how it all ends. Very good job!

A Regency Era fake mates all to catch a spy and solve a murder at an estate full of gothic secrets sounded just the thing. I grabbed up this new to me author’s latest release with anticipation.
Review

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey opens with Elizabeth Cantrell and her young son trapped in an overturned carriage after a highwayman attempted to stop them. Only, the highwayman is Lord Torrington pretending because he is ordered by his superior to intercept a carriage of the same description as hers carrying papers from a French spy.

Elizabeth has a sordid reputation because her parents went into debt, her brother has been taken up for smuggling, and everyone knows she had a son out of wedlock. Now, because Lord Torrington is in a bad situation because he waylaid the wrong carriage and others saw them together on the road and at the inn, they must marry and masquerade as true lovers to throw everyone who suspects him of spying off the scent. Elizabeth will gain the respectable status of being Lady Torrington and her son will be accepted by Lord Torrington and under his protection. It all seems to be working out well. Until her husband’s daughters aren’t so keen on a stepmama, a man is murdered, and she starts to have unwanted feelings for her own husband.

I was expecting a good mystery and even a lovely slow burn romance as their fake relationship being real, but the gothic tones were a fabulous surprise. It had the feel of Du Maurier’s Rebecca at times when Elizabeth came to Middlecrest Abbey and had to contend with her husband’s mother in law, two grown daughters, old staff, and others of the visiting party. The atmospheric moments were great.

As to the mystery, it was fun seeing Elizabeth and Torrington working to hunt down the French spy with connections at Middlecrest Abbey, the killer, and, for Elizabeth, solve a few family secrets.
But, all through the partnering, the newlyweds slowly get to know each other, earn respect, and work to get over their pasts even while Elizabeth struggles with trusting her husband after what has happened to her in the past. Elizabeth’s secret about who is the father of her child is a ticking time bomb and she knows she needs to tell her husband, but the longer they are together and things are wonderful, she doesn’t want to lose what they have with the truth.

All in all, this was a sensational historical romantic suspense that has me eager to get my hands on the author’s backlist. I can recommend it to those who enjoy sweet romance, engaging historical setting, and a clever and exciting suspense element.

I rec’d the book from Thomas Nelson via Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson is the second book by this author that I have read, and loved. I can honestly say that this literally is one of my favorite books this year. It is an excellent historical fiction and romance that has it all: excellent plot, well-thought out murder/mystery with surprise elements included, suspense, a slow-burning romance that warmed my heart, and a perfect ending to boot. This book is entertaining, endearing, suspenseful, and classy.

I loved Elizabeth and Adrian. Both main characters were imperfect, yet honorable, loyal, realistic, personable, and seemed to bring out the best in one another. And did I mention their chemistry? Oh it was definitely there. Both came to each other through creative and unique circumstances, but both helped heal and strengthen one another through support, love, and forgiveness.

This is a most excellent book and I cannot wait to read every book Ms. Wilson writes!

5/5 stars. I cannot recommend this book enough!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Amazon, B&N, and Bookbub accounts immediately.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
By Abigail Wilson

Elizabeth Cantrell is on her way to an obscure life as a housekeeper, due to her disgrace as the unwed mother of an infant son. But when her carriage is waylaid by a highwayman her life takes a most unexpected turn when Lord Torrington proposes marriage to her. He needs to protect his identity and offer Elizabeth the protection of his name.

Elizabeth never expected to marry, considering her abandonment and shame she never thought any man would offer her his name. But for her son Elizabeth accepts Adrian's proposal. There is just one catch she has to convince Lord Torrington's daughters and his mother-in-law that she is in love with him. Can they pull off this masquerade and find the traitor in their midst?

When a guest at Middlecrest is murdered Adrian and Elizabeth know that danger has followed them. Worse someone has taken a personal interest in Elizabeth? Was bringing Issac to Middlecrest a mistake? Or can her new husband indeed keep him safe? And can Elizabeth keep the secret of Issac's identity? Or will she admit the truth to the man who is threatening to win her heart?

Now this book is not listed as being part of a series, but several of the characters in this book made appearances in Abigail Wilson's previous books In the Shadow of Croft Towers and Midnight on the River Grey. So you can read this book as a standalone title or enjoy them in the order they were written. As this book is set within the Regency Period of English history there is plenty of cloak-and-dagger action. And is often the case there is a French threat to English interests so plenty of secrets abound. Altogether a delightful read to while away a few hours of downtime. If you have not yet read Abigail Wilson's work give it a try with this newest offering you won't regret it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Do you enjoy books with mystery, spies, romance, and history? If yes, then you need to read Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson because it has it all. The mystery involving spies kept me reading way past when I should have been asleep and had a very interesting conclusion. The only problem I had with this book was that it ended too soon! I loved the historical time period and the sweet love story it told as well as the mystery and adventure. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance and mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey, by Abigail Wilson is a master piece. Her writing is on point. The way Abigail chose her words to draw me in as the reader was superior. The details of the landscape helped my imagination get lost into the world of Adrian and Elizabeth romance story. Abigail’s words are smooth and they flowed with ease from page to page.
From the first page, Abigail is able to draw you into the story with action and excitement. With true talent, she was able maintain this throughout the book. This I found very fascinating as a reader. Along with the action and the excitement, the book had a quick pace about it that leaves you with no time to think, have I missed something.
I believe how Abigail chooses her words, brings cause to this conclusion. They are simple, not to complicated and they have great meaning behind them. The romance that grows between Adrian and Elizabeth is sweet, heartwarming and very romantic. You can read in the words, how Adrian truly cares for Elizabeth and loves her. He maintained himself as a gentleman while waiting for Elizabeth to give over her heart to him.
Elizabeth, she was smitten with Adrian from the moment that she sat in the carriage with him. Adrian made her feel so comfortable with him, allowing her to drop the walls and be the wife that she wanted to be for him. Let’s talk a little about the story. First this: Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. Woohoo!
This is one of the best crime mysteries that I have read in a longtime. Adrian and Elizabeth proved to be one of the best spy operative couples outside of London. Adrian had the brawn and muscle and Elizabeth had the wit and compassion. From the first moment these two laid eyes on each other their romance shot off like a rocket. There was a stage coach accident, brought on by a supposedly highwayman.
Women fainting, a long lost brother, twice over. An impromptu wedding, then another wedding. How can one forget the fun parts. Then there’s death threats, fist fights. Shots being fired and poker sticks, which are not only used for stoking fires in the fireplace I might add.
As you read on, someone’s being poisoned. There’s a murder, a funeral and two spy operatives smacked dab in the middle of it all. And that’s not all people. No no, not by a long shot. At the end of the story, there is a twist that will leave you with a mouth drop.
Believe me when I read this chapter I was speechless and shocked. I didn’t feel guilty for staying up past my bedtime to read that, “just one more chapter”. I didn’t and I don’t feel guilty at all. As I say this with my sleepy eyes drooping, while writing this review. My fellow readers... I recommend this book.
Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/4c2082eade28a9b5297515683f15ceaa5f1ea57d" width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey bursts into your imagination at full speed, and after many twists and turns gives you a satisfying feeling of sliding the last of the puzzle pieces into place.
This is the second book I've read by Abigail Wilson, and I have loved them both! I love her style. The gothic feel. The twisty mysteries. The danger. The romance. Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey has it all!
Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite troupes, and I loved the additional spin of Adrian and Elizabeth having to keep up appearances for family and friends. It made for several entertaining scenes.
I loved the strong theme of family--even if that family doesn't look or act perfectly--and how Adrian and Elizabeth worked together to solve the many mysteries of Middlecrest. It made such an expansive, dark, and creepy mansion feel like a home.
The development of the relationship between Adrian and Elizabeth was perfect. So many sigh-worthy moments. It often hard to tell if you should call Adrian a rogue or a romantic, but it is easy to fall for him. And Elizabeth is an inspiring, strong, and courageous young woman who has endured heartache and shame in her life and still treats others with the utmost respect and love. I enjoyed seeing Middlecrest Abbey and all its secrets through her eyes.
Although there wasn't a strong inspirational theme in this story, there was a theme of trust and forgiveness that is still thought-provoking and relatable to many.
If you are a fan of gothic-type mystery and clean romance (The House at the End of the Moor, The Bridge to Belle Island), you will enjoy this book. I know I did! Abigail Wilson has become an author I will automatically read in the future!
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey was tagged as a historical romance with some suspense and mystery which sounded light and perfect for my mood. Although Regency romance is not necessarily my go-to genre outside of Jane Austen and retellings of her work, I found myself quickly caught up in the story and intrigue. Elizabeth is on her way to a governess position with her toddler son when her coach is waylaid by a highway man and tips over. When she awakens in an inn with him by her side, and finds out he is instead, working for British Intelligence and was sent to intercept her carriage, she accepts his proposal of marriage to cover up the incident. He's a widower with two nearly grown daughters and she is a young, unwed mother protecting her son with secrets of her own, but soon they are working together to find a murder, stop the French and find out what was on the carriage that both the French and English want.

I was a bit bummed to find out that this book was part of a series with two books preceding it as I have an obsession for reading books in order and it seriously bugs me when I don't have all of the history and backstory. I became willing to overlook it in this case because I really enjoyed Elizabeth and Lord Torrington and there was a little recapping done of some of the characters that were mentioned from the other books, so it is possible to read and enjoy this one on its own. That being said, I will likely try to find the previous books when the library opens up again and read them. At 336 pages, it is a fairly quick read and it's paced well, so I found myself speeding through it. I did have the mystery figured out fairly quickly, causing me to yell in my head at Elizabeth and Adrian. (Oh why do book characters never listen to me?!) ;-) Overall it was an engaging book with clean romance, and likable and interesting characters--a nice escape.

4.5/5 - This one was such much fun!! I was excited to get the opportunity to read it because I love regency historical fiction and because this was an opportunity for me to read a new-to-me author’s work. Once I started it, I barely put it down.

The book opens up right in the action after Elizabeth Cantrell and her very young son Isaac have been in a carriage accident. The accident involved a masked highwayman, who ends up being Lord Adrian Torrington, looking to rob the carriage and its inhabitants. Interestingly, the robber was the one that rescued Elizabeth and Isaac. It turns out that he is a spy who was using thievery as a cover for part of his spy work (not a spoiler!). Adrian and Elizabeth decide that they will marry in order to maintain Adrian’s cover. Elizabeth is an unwed mother anyway, so a marriage should work to salvage her reputation and give her son chances in life that he would not otherwise have.

I love a good marriage-of-convenience story. I especially love it when the characters eventually fall in love. When Adrian brings his new bride to Middlecrest Abbey, it is a surprise to everyone there that they are married. I loved reading the thoughts of the staff and family that reside at the Abbey, because of course there is plenty of gossip. Even more, I love that Adrian and Elizabeth were fully committed to pretending to love one another while actually developing very real feelings. They both had some baggage from previous relationships that they brought into the marriage, but it was wonderful to read how they moved through these feelings of betrayal and formed a healthy relationship. In addition, Adrian is constantly surprised at how awesome Elizabeth is while Elizabeth learns that Adrian is much more than gossip made him out to be. Love, love, loved it!!

For some reason, I didn’t realize that there would be a full-on mystery in the story!! And by gosh, I loved it. While loads of people are gathered at the Abbey, someone dies and murder is suspected. So while the men investigate the death, of course, Elizabeth cannot stand not being involved and working to help solve the mystery. I LOVED reading about how she used disguises and secrecy to help Adrian in his quest to figure out who killed their guest.

This book is absolutely delightful. It reminds me of a Jane Austen story and with the added elements of suspense and mystery, and it is just so much fun. There were a few times that I found myself heading to the internet to look up examples of the types of hats and other details mentioned on the pages (example: Adrian’s beaver hat-I didn’t realize that was the name of those hats!). The detailing and language she used was so good that I was able to easily visualize the setting and the actions of the story as they were happening, which is so important to me when I read.

I’m so, so excited to have found Abigail Wilson’s work. I’m not sure how I missed it before, but I’m thrilled to see that I have a couple of previously published books that I can read and that she has another work in progress. I would enthusiastically recommend this story to fans of Regency historical fiction with romance and fans of historical mysteries. This was such a GEM of a find for me!!


<i>I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Thomas Nelson!</i>

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson is a historical romance and mystery book, with charming characters and plenty of action.

Elizabeth has decided to take a position of a housekeeper where she can live an unobtrusive life with her illegitimate son. On the way her coach is attacked but as she recognizes the spy, she puts everyone at danger. To save her own and her child's life she agrees to get married to Lord Thorrington, who is a spy for the crown searching for a certain document.
They move to his estate to get away from the danger only to stumble onto a murder. Elizabeth will have to take much more onto herself than finding out the truth about the document as many challenges await her.

Even though it is label romance in my opinion mystery was the key element here. I expected more steamier scenes.
Mystery was well planned and presented.
Characters are likable and believable. The book had "Rebecca" feel to it. It was fairly fast paced and action packed. An interesting read.

This is a story that grabbed my attention from the get-go. And that’s just the way I like a book. One of my favorite classics is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and for some reason, this book gave off those same vibes as I began reading. While it is a considerably different story, the writing is beautiful in both books.

This is the first time I’ve read anything by Abigail Wilson, and I can assure you it won’t be my last. She weaves together a story that covers so much. The characters feel alive and believable; the heroine, Elizabeth, and the hero, Lord Torrington both seem to reflect the history they’ve experienced.

I had no trouble at all visualizing everything about the surroundings and clothing, which can make a Regency Romance so much fun. The mystery was easy to follow, yet complex enough to keep me turning pages and suspecting nearly everyone as the “bad guy.” The romance was not love at first sight, but rather a gentle growing of tenderness and appreciation. And for suspense lovers, toward the last quarter of the book, I definitely felt the suspense factor.

Though I’m leaving the story description pretty much for the publisher (above), I will comment that the plot had enough twists and turns that it was interesting throughout.

What Concerned Me
Nothing at all!

What I Liked Best
If you read many of my reviews, you know that I love a book that early on catches my attention and keeps me turning pages. This book did just that.

I received an ARC of this book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. In no way does this affect my rating or review.

I have never read any of Abigail Wilson's books before this one. But I loved this one. So I was very excited when I found out she has written more books which immediately made me add them all to my tbr.
This is a historical fiction with little hints of mystery. Two genres I totally love.
This was also a really fast paced read for me, which I always appreciate.

I received a complimentary copy of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a great historical fiction/romance/mystery genre combination. I loved the old fashioned chivalry, the horrible rumors which everyone 'knows' to be 'true', the deductive reasoning of the two would-be-sleuths. Though the beginning was quite unorthodox and unlikely and some of the middle was less than believable for the time period, the resolution of this novel was very satisfying and I appreciated the tying of all loose ends. Good book overall.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm excited to be a part of the MASQUERADE AT MIDDLECREST ABBEY blog tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours from May 26th - June 5th, 2020!

I received an ARC of this book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Murder, Death by poisoning, Injury by gunshot wound

"Here was the rake Brook had warned me about, the one who could sway any woman’s heart. And I had gone off and married him."

Elizabeth Cantrell hasn’t had an easy lot in life. After losing both of her parents, having a child out of wedlock, and having a brother confined in prison, doesn’t place her in the best sights of society.

Lord Torrington, highborn of Middlecrest Abbey has long had a reputation of his own. Charming, handsome, and somewhat of a womanizer, it’s completely unexpected when the longtime widow asks for Elizabeth to marry him. The two after crossed paths after he impersonates a highwayman to rob a carriage which happens to be the wrong one. Secretly working for the Crown as a spy against the French, Adrian’s current position puts him at risk of exposure. When the two wind up together at an inn, he proposes a preposterous scheme of marriage to secure his cover, and Elizabeth’s reputation. Little does he know that Elizabeth’s son is his very own nephew.

"I had discovered years ago that in many cases, life should not be so easily labeled."

Arriving to Middlecrest Abbey shortly after their quick nuptials, the two must work to convince Adrian’s family that their marriage is based out of love, even though it was made upon a non-romantic contract between the two. Elizabeth learns that Adrian’s daughter is soon to be wed, and they arrive at the height of the celebration before the big event. Awkward and out-of-place, Elizabeth struggles to settle into her new life with her son.

Despite her efforts in procuring normalcy, an accidental death leads to the grisly discovery of a murder. It becomes clear that the murder was well-orchestrated, and someone is now hunting Elizabeth’s new family. Eager to hunt down important intelligence that will keep the country from going to war, Elizabeth and Adrian work together to find clues to the mysterious events. The more time they spend together, the more they both wrestle with their developing feelings.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is a story about opening oneself up to trusting others, and healing from past hurts. While the murder mystery remains at the center of the story, the warm undertones of processing feelings of harbored forgiveness are the true purpose of this story. Eloquently-written, with real and very relatable characters, this Regency novel was a heartfelt and equally engaging read.

Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: Kissing only.
Violence: Moderate.

My Rating: ★★★★

This book was so much fun to read. It was unique in so many ways, and I found it nearly impossible to put down. Masquerade at Middlecrest Abby was the first novel I have read by Abigail Wilson and can easily say that it won’t be my last. I was swept away on an adventure with twists and turns around every corner. Suspecting everyone I was kept on my toes, and couldn’t get enough. I easily fell in love with Lord Torrington and loved watching him and Elizabeth get to know each other in such unusual circumstances. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. There was the perfect mixture of mystery, romance, and suspense. I can’t wait to see what Wilson does next. I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson publishers and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey was a pleasant surprise. The book opens up with carriage accident, a handsome highwayman and mother who wants a better life for her son. I really enjoyed this clean historical romance. Marriage of convenience books are always fun to read. I enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Adrian slowly fall for each other. Adrian was very very much a good match for Elizabeth. There is also a murder mystery and espionage mixed into the story. I had fu trying to figure out what was going on. While working together on solving the mystery, the couple was able to really get to know each other. The other characters in the book made the story that much better. I loved Adrian's daughters, especially Penelope. This is the first book I have read by this author. I definitely want to read more from her backlist. I highly recommend this one.

This is the first book by Abigail Wilson that I had read. I was a big fan of Victoria Holt, Phillis Whitney, Jane Aiken Hodge, etc. The greats of gothic romantic suspense. I have lamented the fact that we don't have anyone who can match them these days. I was surprised and pleased when I read this book. It was a good gothic romance reminiscent of days gone by. It starts out with a bang. Literally. It begins with a pistol brandishing highwayman and a carriage crash. If you have read the first book in this series, you will recognize the character of Elizabeth Cantrell and the Torrington name. I have a weakness for Marriage of Convenience books. I loved the way this one came about. There were some twists and turns to the story. I guessed most of it by the end but I don't mind that, as long as the way it all comes about is interesting. After reading this book, I read the 1st and 2nd book in the series and this one is my favorite so far.
I read this as an arc provided by Netgalley and Thomas Nelson publishing. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.