The Bachelor and the Bride is a historical fiction book, the fourth installment of the Dread Penny Society. I always wanted to know the story of Barnabus Milligan, especially after reading the third book. I can tell you it was a rollercoaster ride while reading this book. The book had so many plot twists. I’m glad the mystery continued over in this book; it is my favorite. I liked the character development of the main characters. I wanted how independently they were still intriguing characters. I can’t wait to read the next!

I give this book four stars because it was written brilliantly. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery set in the Victorian era.

The Bachelor and the bride is an exciting read. I am still in shock over the ending.! I am so upset that now I have to wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens! I don’t want to say to much and give away any of the surprises in this book. I do recommend that you read all the books in this series and read them in order. There are a lot of twists in this series that you would miss without reading it all.

This is a great series! I highly recommend it to all lovers of mystery and suspense.

Wow. That’s all I had to say when I finished reading this book. I honestly hate to say much about it, because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. This is Doc’s story, and it has so many things that surprised me, including the ending of his penny dreadful! I’m already looking forward to rereading it, and I can’t wait for the next book, which I think will be the last. I’m kind of hoping for two others though, as there are two characters who I feel like deserve their own stories!

The Bachelor and the Bride transports the reader into 19th century London and all the history and mystery that comes with it. After three years of wandering and working the streets of London on her own, Gemma receives a letter from her husband imploring her to come home. After giving him a condition that he shouldn’t reach put to her unless he’s ready to love her, Gemma is thrilled that Baz is finally ready to return her feelings, but life and love isn’t that simple.

Without realizing it, I was dropped into the middle of a series. The Bachelor and the Bride is the fourth book in Sarah Eden’s Dread Penny Society series which I didn’t realize until I finished reading and prepared to write my review. That being said, it did pretty well on its own. In the beginning, I felt like there were a ton of characters to be introduced to and understand their relationships to one another, but it makes a lot more sense once I realized that these characters would be known to previous readers.

Most of the descriptions I read focus on the romance aspect of this story, and I feel like that was only a tiny part of the overall story. I don’t know if I would consider that the main genre, and it almost seems a bit misleading to do so. The romantic tension between Baz and Gemma is there, but it’s weak and gets wrapped up pretty quickly and easily.

The rest of the story is pretty intriguing. There’s murders and graverobbing, and the good guys trying to defeat the bad guys, and it’s enjoyable to watch it all play out. There are even some stories within stories that while at first I thought were a little much, were actually interesting and drew me in. I still want an answer to the mystery the Doctor was trying to solve.

All in all, this story gave me a chance to branch out of my usual genres and dive into an interesting world. I wish I knew it was a series because I likely would have wanted to read the others first but now that I’ve read this, I doubt I’d want to go back since I know who is with whom and where we are as far as criminal activity goes.

Yet another fabulous outing for the Dread Penny Society with angst and romance and ..... HOLY CRAP.
Do NOT under ANY circumstances read this series out of order.
Go ahead and skip over the inserted dreadfuls the first time through ... and then go back and re-read them as their own stories ... which I wish would actually happen. I would LOVE each one individually published on their own ...
But DO NOT read this series out of order.
There's one left and I already know that I'm going to have to read it in one sitting uninterrupted by anything trivial like life.
Good lord what an end reveal!!!
(I had my suspicions/hopes ... but never thought I would actually be right!)

I really enjoyed this story of Barnabus and Gemma. The characters were interesting, and there was plenty of action as well as mystery. I have no read the previous books, and plan on doing so now. 5 stars

The Bachelor and The Bride by Sarah M. Eden 🧡
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Oh my goodness, this book was such an adventure! If you’ve loved the Dread Penny Society series this far, then be ready for the best installment yet. My favorite parts:
🧡Marriage of convenience, yet also a second chance romance
🧡Intriguing historical aspects like resurrection men and Victorian era medical practices
🧡The most complex and riveting mystery I’ve read in so long
🧡Plot twist upon plot twist, nothing could have prepared me for the ending in particular
🧡Despite all of this, there is still the sweetest happily ever after for the two main characters who I loved so much!
Go preorder your copy of The Bachelor and The Bride for its release on September 6th!

My goodness! The suspense in this story was heart-stopping! The is hands down the most entertaining of the Dread Penny Society, and my favorite. And that ending?! I don’t know how many books are left in the series, but it feels like all of the books are leading up to the next one -boom!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sarah M Eden for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Bachelor and the Bride coming out September 6, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Set in 1866 London, Dr. Barnabus Milligan works hard to help impoverished women. He works with the Dread Penny Society. Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by marrying her in secret in order to protect her from her grave robbers family. Soon after they’re married, Gemma realizes he doesn’t love her like she loves him. So she leaves him. Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma to get her to return home. She wants a true connection, but he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids. Can they work on their differences and find connection at last?

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I think there was a lot going on. I enjoyed the book within a book aspect of the story with Barnabus being a writer. I really enjoy Victorian era novels. I think sometimes the characters’ motivations weren’t always clear. I was a little confused by them at times. Gemma’s family dynamic was interesting. The end felt slightly chaotic, but I enjoyed most of the story.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Victorian Era romances!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Bachelor and the Bride is Sarah M. Eden’s fourth book in Dread Penny Society series. In my opinion, these get successively better! There is an underlying story that connects all of them, so while each book focuses on a different character, I’ve enjoyed the full story unfolding a little more with each book. This one left me absolutely coming out of my chair and ready for more. The intensity of the mystery builds while the unrequited love balances it so sweetly. Gemma is an immediately likeable character and seems a great match for Baz. I really enjoyed digging a little more into his backstory and finding out how him and Gemma came to be a pair. The slow simmer of their romance is just perfect and comes about organically. It isn’t rushed or forced and blends in nicely with all the other happenings around them. The two short stories contained within are so creative and fit this tale so well. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say much more. I will say, I have rarely been so ready for the next installment as I am for this one! Wow. I did NOT see that ending coming and now I cannot wait to see where it goes!!! I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Bachelor and the Bride is the fourth installment in Sarah M. Eden’s Dread Penny Society series. While some elements, like the romance, stand alone, I feel it’s a series best read in order to get the fuller context of the cast of characters and the overarching plot elements.
As a romance, I found this one pretty solid. I enjoyed the setup with Barnabus wanting to offer financial support for Gemma by marrying her, but Gemma being broken-hearted because she has feelings for him he does not return. It’s hard not to feel for Gemma and the situation she’s in, and I also found her pretty likable in her own right, as she’s both sweet and relatively confident in herself, in spite of what she’s been through. It took a bit to warm up to Barnabus, but he’s coming from the right place, and his love for Gemma grows gradually throughout the story.
Like the previous books, you get interstitial bits of “penny dreadful” stories. The “Mr. King” contribution sharing a name with the book’s title is a fun one, and I liked the subtle parallels with Barnabus and Gemma’s story. The one “written” by Barnabus himself was a bit more of a miss for me, although the presentation feels realistic for something his character would write.
I found myself feeling very mixed on the external plot. I enjoyed how it connected to Gemma’s past overall, with her family being the major villains who Barnabus once saved her from, who he now needs her help to bring down. But trying to follow it amid the other things going on sort of killed the momentum at times for me. And the ending (which took a while to get to) felt a bit unbelievable, even taking into account how much easier it was to disappear and be declared dead in the 19th century.
While I didn’t like this as much as the previous book, it is very much in line with the somewhat up-and-down nature of the series thus far for me. It does seem to be well-received by others, so I’d take that into account before making a decision.

Wow! I am still reeling from the cliffhanger ending! All I can say is this is a must read and definite favorite of the Dread Penny Society series. This book has it all, a secret marriage, romance, suspense, mystery, and a gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Also included are two mysterious, engaging Penny Dreadfuls, one from Mr. King and one from Dr. Milligan.

The story begins in Victorian London, 1866 with the Mastiff and his gang committing murder and mayhem among the poorer sections of London. The Dread Penny Society will stop at nothing to protect the people from the Mastiff’s reign of terror. But, another evil is afoot which threatens to be even more destructive. Throw in some vicious resurrectionists recently employed by the Mastiff and you have one compelling story that’s hard to put down.

There’s also a tender but complicated romance between confirmed bachelor Dr. Barnabus “Baz” Milligan and Gemma Kincaid. Both have painful pasts which make trusting difficult. Baz secretly married Gemma to protect her from her vicious grave robbing family. Leaving after just six months when Baz told her he couldn’t return her love, she gave him an ultimatum that she would only return if he wrote and asked her to come back. Now three years later, she’s received his letter asking her to return. Will Baz be able to give her the love she so desperately wants or is she only needed for her knowledge of her family’s disreputable trade?

I loved Gemma and Baz. They just needed to let down their guard and trust each other. Their slow build romance with several heart wrenching moments had me hoping for them to find their way to each other. I loved Gemma’s hopeful personality, her singing, her need to help, and constant motion. Baz was also endearing once he got the courage to share his feelings.

I also enjoyed the two Penny Dreadfuls included. In The Bachelor and the Bride, a doctor is desperately trying to find a cure for his young patient left orphaned by the same disease. He turns to a Wise Woman named Granny Winter for help. Finding the cure involves danger and monsters, but Duncan is willing to do whatever it takes. Granny Winter’s beautiful ward Sorcha offers to accompany him on the journey. With romance, magic, and some scary otherworldly beings, this short tale definitely kept me turning the pages.

Bodies of Light is a curious tale about another doctor who sees mysterious lights while visiting Ireland. He becomes obsessed with discovering what’s producing the lights and goes to great lengths to prove they’re real. It’s a macabre story with a surprising ending.

The main story’s ending is absolutely riveting and will have you dying to talk to someone about it. Though technically it could be read as a standalone, it will be much more meaningful if you’ve read the previous books. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in the series! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

Absolutely superb writing, an ending you can't not love and anticipation climbing to new heights with every page. A cliff hanger I adored and a story for the ages.

You do not want to miss the next installment in Sarah M Eden's Dread Penny Society series! I highly recommend picking this book up on a day you don't have any other obligations - it is full of twists and turns and dilemmas and keeps you turning pages. This novel gives you three stories in one book - two Penny Dreadful serial novellas interwoven into the main narrative, both of which are complete with supernatural elements and tie-ins to the main action. I loved Eden's generous sprinkling of Victorian cant phrases from various areas of London and nearby countries. The forward movement in the overarching plot for the series was a large part of this book, but Eden's trademark character development (of new and old faces) shines as always. I am on pins and needles for the next book in the series!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I was so happy to know that Doc was actually married. And what a great twist to it all! Will keep you guessing what is coming next and the ending was definitely not what I expected!!!! Another absolutely wonderful book by Sarah Eden.

Dude. I've seen so so many posts about The Bachelor and the Bride. Every single person talks about how it's amazing, mind blowing, etc. Well, let me just add my voice into that camp.
Each book in Sarah M Eden's series gets better and better. But the twists and turns in this story makes me suspicious that book # 5 could be any better than The Bachelor and the Bride. But I'm a long time SME fan and I don't actually doubt her abilities. (It just sounds like it 🤣😉)

So, read the whole series. In order. I think I'm going to go back and reread it, now that I know more. Kind of like rewatching The Sixth Sense. You just gotta know if it all makes sense. 😅

Available September 6. Preorder it. Don't deprive yourself of this installment any longer than you need to.

Thank you, Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed all the books in this series so far The Bachelor and the Bride, this book was similar to the others this story was entertaining and it continued to build momentum and the ending chapters were so great, this is probably my favorite book of the series and I really hope to read more.

DNF at 25%

After I accepted this ARC I went back and read the previous books in the series to prepare to review this one. I quickly realized these books aren't for me.

I dislike how the mystery/crime elements and the excerpts from the penny dreadful novels detract from the romance aspect of the story. There are just to many elements and layers for me. I want more time spent focusing on the emotion and the relationships, not solving a crime.

However, I would recommend this series to readers who don't like too much romance and prefer to have more action and adventure. (I'm just not that reader.) I think to the right audience, these could be very successful.

Barnabus and Gemma entered a secret marriage of convenience three and a half years earlier to save her from her murderous, resurrectionist family - then she left six months later when she, having fallen in love with him, gave up on him ever loving her. But as the Mastiff's terrorisation of London worsens, to the point where he's having bodies 'resurrected' as an additional horror, the DPS needs an expert on resurrection men, and Barnabus asks Gemma to return. At first, she thinks he's learned to love her after all, but she soon learns that he wanted her help in fighting the Mastiff and agrees to help for a few weeks before leaving again. Meanwhile, though, the Mastiff's depredations continue, and now signs are being left warning that 'The Tempest is Coming'. Worse, Gemma's family need her back as the trade expands, and they'll go to any lengths to find her and either take or kill her. Can the DPS work out who or what the Tempest is, while trying to keep Gemma and others safe? And amidst all this, can Barnabus work out his true feelings towards Gemma before she dies or disappears again?

Romance, mystery, a secret society and instalments of penny dreadfuls - it's an amazing combination, at least with an author like this who has the skill to weave it all together so that they add to rather than detract from each other. I enjoyed watching Gemma and Barnabus gradually grow closer as they spent more time together, and I particularly loved the unique 'wedding ceremony'. Note that in terms of the romance, this is a standalone story, but the mystery the DPS is trying to solve continues through the series, so it's best read as part of the series (though still enjoyable on its own). All in all, a unique series with interesting characters, a massive problem to solve together, secrets, romance, and bonus stories interleaved through. This is a great addition to the series and I look forward to the next book. Highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

A second chance romance set in the streets of London in 1866. For fans of murder mysteries, period romance, and rags to riches. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat, so be careful with your swooning. Scores of likable characters can be found and misdirects abound.

I enjoyed the main storyline immensely. There are two side stories scattered throughout the chapters. And though I appreciate the morals and purpose of the side plots, I feel they make the overall story a little clunky. But if that's really my only complaint, I think that speaks favorably about the book :) I was never quite sure where we were going and how it would all wrap up. I am very pleased with the ending twist and eagerly await the next story!