When Sebastian Fortini returned home after years of serving in the Navy, he never expected to be accosted in his family’s bakery by the most beautiful woman he has ever seen! Nor was he prepared to learn that his mother and sister no longer resided there and that not only had his mother reconciled with her aristocratic family, but his sister was now a Countess!

Henrietta Gardiner has worked for Belle’s since she lost her previous position without a reference and Sebastian’s sister Anna took her in and trained her. She has worked hard and when Anna married, she was promoted to manager. Henrietta is a good person and a beautiful woman, who has unfortunately learned the hard way that her beauty isn’t always an asset and that most men cannot see past it to see the woman beneath and because of that, she has been hurt and no longer trusts men who sing praises to her looks. So, despite being attracted to Sebastian, she lumps him into that category of men and refuses his offers of friendship.

But when things get difficult with her brother and his sons, Sebastian steps in and proves he is a man worthy of her attention. He spends time with her nephews and even postpones visiting his mother to help her. Their friendship grows and trust begins to bloom, so much so that she agrees to travel with him to visit his family. And when he gets news that her brother boarded a ship for America, he offers marriage and she accepts. It seems like love is blossoming, but when her brother returns unexpectantly, will their burgeoning love survive, or will their own insecurities crush it?

This book was a great addition to the series, I just adored Sebastian and Henrietta, they are both likable and relatable, even though I sided more with Sebastian than Henrietta when her brother returned. Overall, this was a well-written, nicely paced story with a lot of emotion, great secondary characters, reunions, surprises, warm love scenes, and a heartwarming HEA with a glimpse into the next book. It is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

*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.*

This is a historical romance. I have to say lately historical romance as been hit or miss for me, but this one I loved so much. I really loved the Henrietta and Sebastian characters. They drove the story, and they made you want to keep reading to find out what will happen to them. There was small twists and turns during the book which made the book fun to read. I enjoyed the historical parts of this book as well, and I am so happy I give this book a chance. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Historical/Mills & Boon) or author (Jenni Fletcher) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Jenni Fletcher is my latest Harlequin auto-buy author – this series is really memorable and enjoyable.

Naval officer Sebastian returns from sea to find that his sister has married, and their mother has reconciled with her aristocratic relatives. They've gone north and left the family's home and bakery business in the care of Henrietta, a beautiful young shopkeeper. Sebastian knows he should go north to be with his family, But somehow, he can't bear to leave Henrietta behind.

When her grieving brother places his sons in her care and then disappears, Henrietta isn't sure how she'll manage. She hires another worker for the bakery, but there isn't room in the house for everyone. Falling for her and wanting to help, Sebastian suggests she travel north with him and take the boys with her, until they figure out what to do next. She hesitates, wary of his motives. She's accustomed to men coveting her for her looks without a thought to the person inside. Can she trust Sebastian with her heart?

I love this author's voice. The novel is a delight from the very beginning. The characters are fun, and the tone light. The story is a romantic escape that left me wearing a smile.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

Set in Bath, Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer by Jenni Fletcher, is a lovely quiet story between a shopkeeper and an officer of the navy who is the grandson of a duke. They meet in a dramatic fashion in the middle of the night when she breaks his nose and knocks him on his backside. Surely, they were meant to fall in love?

I really liked the slow development of their romance. Their relationship starts out adversarial but quickly changes into friendship, and as they grow closer, love blooms between them. I really enjoy stories where love happens over time and I see it unfold on the page. Fletcher does a good job of seeing the growing affection between them. Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer by Jenni Fletcher is a sweet treat of a book which is as much about each protagonist’s emotional journey as it is about their growing relationship.

Full review: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-unexpectedly-wed-to-the-officer-by-jenni-fletcher/

Good book. We met Henrietta in the first book of the series, An Unconventional Countess, as the heroine's assistant. Henrietta is a beautiful young woman who is also somewhat naïve when it comes to men, which gets her into trouble. At the beginning of this book, she has taken over running the biscuit shop now that Anna is married. After too many encounters with men who see her pretty face and shop girl status as a license to seduce, Henrietta has grown up quite a bit. Now she's wary of anyone who tries to flatter or sweet-talk her and shuts them down hard. She's become very good at protecting herself, which is a good thing when she hears a strange man in the bakery late one night.

Sebastian has been away with the navy for several years. Now that the war is over, there is no need for so many officers, and he finds himself adrift. After more than a year of no communication with his mother and sister, Sebastian decides to visit them at the bakery. Since he arrives late at night, he lets himself in with his key, planning to sleep in a chair until they awaken. Sebastian doesn't understand what happened when a beautiful stranger attacks him with a door and a pair of fireplace tongs.

I loved that first meeting between Henrietta and Sebastian. The whole confrontation was amusing, especially once they figured out what was going on. I ached a bit for Sebastian, who was blindsided by all the changes in his family's lives. I liked Henrietta's sympathy for him and her willingness to help him, though that backfired a little the next morning. However, Sebastian is intrigued by Henrietta, and since he has friends he can visit, he decides to stick around a few days and see if he can get to know her better.

I liked the development of the relationship between Henrietta and Sebastian. She has a good head on her shoulders and manages the bakery very well. However, she also has a brother who recently lost his wife and drowned his grief in alcohol. This leaves Henrietta to pick up the slack with her three young nephews, leaving her feeling somewhat overwhelmed. I loved how Sebastian stepped in and helped her take care of the boys. There are some great scenes with them and Sebastian, who connects with the boys very quickly. I loved watching all five spend time together. Sebastian finds a purpose for his days, Henrietta gets much-needed help, and both get to know each other.

I liked seeing Sebastian's kindness and honorable nature ease Henrietta's distrust. The more time they spend together, the more feelings grow between them. When Henrietta's brother disappears, Sebastian invites her and the boys to go with him to visit his family. Both of them are a little unsure of what to expect, and I liked how they supported each other. I enjoyed following the steps leading up to their marriage, as it was easy to see how they felt about each other, even though neither realized it themselves. I loved their time at Gretna Green, where Sebastian once again showed his finest qualities.

Sebastian and Henrietta just start to recognize their feelings when an unexpected arrival throws their lives into turmoil. I wanted to shake Sebastian for being such a bone-headed idiot and hoped that he would quickly get over it. Meanwhile, Henrietta finds her old fears coming back and thinks that he regrets their marriage. I loved that it was a conversation with Henrietta's oldest nephew that helped both Sebastian and young Peter get past their problems. I liked how the reunion between Sebastian and Henrietta gave them the chance to share their feelings and see their way to a future together. There was also an unexpected twist that affects that future. I hope to see more of them in the next book.

This was a quick and easy historical romance. I needed something light and fast to get me out of a slumpy situation and this helped so much. The boys were great. The bakery provided some fun side characters and a good atmosphere. The romance was just right.