I really loved Emma and Nick's story. It was so obvious from their first kiss that they were meant for each other. I liked how they challenged each other and their mutual respect. Emma was such a strong character and I thought her independence was refreshing. Nick challenges her independence but never tries to take it away from Emma. You can't help but want Nick to find his forever in Emma and to have the family he never had. Both of them try to fight the feelings they have for each other and it made for the perfect amount of sexual tension. Their chemistry was off the charts and the way Emma and Nick healed each other was so beautiful. Looking forward to more in this series because the secondary characters are just as well written!

This is another fabulous story in the Cavensham Heiress series and was just as good as the other, there is a bit of mystery, intrigue, a compromising situation, an impromptu marriage, such a lot to get your teeth into

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own opinion

A delightful blend of mystery and romance. I loved Emma's spirit and Nicholas' chivalric sense of honor. What a wonderful, endearing read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I'm bedazzled!

Oh my! I loved this. I adored the intelligent, stubborn Lady Emma Cavensham trying to find justice for her dead friend Lady Lena Eaton.
I was smitten with the damaged the Earl of Somerton, Nicholas St. Mauer who had been alone and rejected from an early age. It was after a terrible encounter with his father at Eaton, that Alex Pembrooke interfered when Nick was being bullied by other students. This later becomes the doorway into to a relationship with Pembrooke and Emma's family.
Rejection by his father, Drake St. Mauer, the Duke of Renton, has put Nick onto the trajectory of desiring to surpass his father’s wealth and to isolate himself from the hurt of meaningful relationships. He has decided to not marry. Nick focuses all his attention on the acquisition of wealth. He engages in trade to do with merchant ships and their cargoes, and purchases ships for new trade routes. Vengeance would be sweet. 'He could taste victory.'
I love the sometimes dim witted (where Emma's concerned), but fiercely loyal men of the Cavensham family. Their presence is a wonderful addition to the story.
Lord Somerton keeps encountering Emma on her forays into what could be dangerous, or at the very least scandalous places, and coming to her rescue, or imposing rescue on her, whichever fits the bill. His thwarting of Emma frustrates her. The repartee they engage in is amusing and invigorating. I loved Emma's thoughts after the first such encounter, When 'his laughter followed her all the way to her carriage. Insufferable cur.'
When Emma is driven to investigate her dearest friend Lena's husband, the despicable, hateful Lord Aulton, to make him pay for Lena's murder its Somerset who keeps rescuing Emma from her own fearlessness. With her brothers and father just a few paces behind.
These rescues ultimately takes a course that is in keeping with the times.
The last scenes left me somewhat teary with happiness.
As far as I'm concerned this is a rare winner in the regency romance stakes, complete with intrigue, interest and wonderful lead characters.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)

Berkshire - 1797

Nicholas (Nick) St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton, age 15, is the son of Drake St. Mauer, the Duke of Renton. Nick has been a student at Eton for 10 years and no one, not even his father, has ever visited him. His father clearly despises him and wants nothing to do with him. He blames Nick for the death of his wife when Nick was born. Today, the Duke has arrived at Eton and informs Nick that he is done with him and he must now find his own way. Determined, Nick vows to make his own fortune in life.


London - 1811

Lady Emma Cavensham, age 22, has slipped away from a ball to take a carriage where she can purchase a rare book and then quickly return to the ball. The book is a group of essays about individual freedom which interests her. She is the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cavensham. But her trip is interrupted when Nick, Lord Somerton, is sent by her cousin to bring her home to Langham Hall. Nick lectures her about consorting with unsavory people. Now, she must remain at the family’s country home, Falmont, for the rest of the season. While Emma isn’t a fan of all the festivities of the season, she knows she will miss attending them with her good friend, Lady Lena Eaton. In addition, Emma is not very interested in finding a husband. Before she leaves for the country, Nick presents her with a copy of the book she wanted along with a kiss that dazzles them both.

It is now 3 years later and we find Emma in London. During this time, her friend, Lena, had married the Earl of Aulton and died birthing a stillborn baby girl she named Audra. Now, the Earl is looking for a new wife and Emma is very worried because she knows Aulton had been beating Lena and probably killed her. Emma blames herself for not being with Lena to protect her. She is now going to bring Lena’s maid to London so she can question her more about what happened. She doesn’t want some other young woman to be a victim of the Earl.

Emma’s big dream is to start a bank for women to gain their own financial independence.

Meanwhile, Nick is concerned about Emma and her independent ways but he is also busy making his fortune and is now nearly richer than he own father. In addition, his father has been writing him but Nick just burns the letters unopened.

Nick and the men in her family are constantly watching Emma so that she doesn’t do something that could hurt her or cause a scandal.

The story is OK but I became exasperated with Emma for continuing to do what she wanted thinking she will always be safe. Even though she is supposed to be an intelligent woman, these antics made her appear to be a bit of an airhead.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Although The Bride Who Got Lucky does pick up on a situation from the first story of this series, The Bad Luck Bride, a reader who is new to this series won’t find it difficult to pick up the important parts of Claire and Alex’s romance. And we get a bit more of their lives together today, which is always something I appreciate within a series.

Emma and Nick were a unique couple for their time. Neither wanted nor intended to marry… ever. Each had their own reasons, but as we first meet them they are adamant about remaining single. Emma is carrying guilt for not being able to save her best friend. Lena was the victim of an abusive husband, and her death is highly suspicious to Emma. Being female, no one is listening to her concerns or is willing to seek justice for her friend. Emma has determined that she will seek her own justice, and will work to empower women of her time so that this fate does not happen to another. Of course since we are talking about the Regency time period there are few men who will take Emma seriously, and while many women would agree with her, breaking free from the power and dominance of any male figure in their lives is at best difficult, if not impossible.

Nick has never known love or kindness from his own family. The kindness of strangers who became friends and substitute family, yes, but his father’s actions spoke to Nick at an early age to become more powerful, richer and held in higher esteem than his father… and then take him down a peg or two. Nick is not a cold man, yet he is a man who has learned to hold his emotions in check, hide any hurt from the past or present behind a mask that kept his real personality from the world at large. He doesn’t trust in the emotion of love for he really has never experienced it.

Emma’s determination to find justice for her friend will place her in danger. Her friendship with Nick will work its way to something far more than either expected. And two people who weren’t looking for love or forever… are in for a surprise.

I enjoyed The Bride Who Got Lucky. Emma is a finely detailed, determined character who it’s easy to like and cheer on to her future. Nick is a little more subdued due to his hiding his emotions, but he will open up to Emma and discover that love doesn’t have to cause pain. Steamy at times, tender at other, this is a story that will capture your attention.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Mesmerizing & Exhilarating! This is the first story of Janna MacGregor’s that I have read and I can’t wait to dive in and read the rest. There is so much going on in this book. Ms. MacGregor has created complex characters with such distinct personalities. Her writing manages to bring you right into the scene with the characters. Her descriptive use of the language make each scene very realistic and the emotions the characters are feeling believable. I couldn’t put this down. I found myself so entranced by the passion and beliefs of these characters that it was exhilarating to read. Loved how the author dealt with issues of this time, expressing vulnerability and emotion as well as passion. This was so much more than a historical romance and I felt truly blessed to read this Fantastic story! This is a must read! Loved it!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I know I am in the minority here, but I did not care for this book.

Basically the heroine Emma (cousin to Claire from the previous book) is on a mission. Her dearest friend Lena has died and Emma believes Lena’s husband is responsible. Emma is determined to bring the man to justice, single handedly if necessary. Once she has accomplished this, she wants to open a bank that serves only women, thus giving them a way to be independent.

Unable to ignore a death she feels partially responsible for, Emma asks her parents and brothers for help. But when they tell her to let it go, she ends up makes one bad decision after another.

Nick, Earl of Somerton and heir to the Duke of Renton also is on a mission, his one and only desire in life is to make a fortune greater than his estranged father’s and then flaunt it in his father’s face. He doesn’t have time for nonsense or for a wife - but thanks to Emma’s inability to stay out of trouble, he is going to end up with both.

When Nick saves Emma (yet again) from herself, they are caught in an inn together and to save their reputations, marry.

As wedding present Nick gave her the funds needed to start her bank and it seems like Emma has matured and has come to peace with Lena’s death. That is, until she doesn’t get her way then her true colors come out.

I personally found Emma to be one of the most annoying and manipulative heroines I have ever read. And while the story had potential, the execution fell flat. The plot was flimsy and at times down right unbelievable. Nick was the one high point in this book, if not for him, I may have broken my own steadfast ARC rule and not finished the book.

In the previous book, I felt like the author added too many elements and the story ended up being too busy. In this book she managed to stay on point, but the plot line she choose just didn’t work for me - it was not true to the era and was riddled with contradictions. I am not sure if I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but I do know that I would not be conformable recommending this book to my friends.

I loved this new installment in Janna MacGregor’s debut series. The heroine, Lady Emma Cavensham, is such a strong, sassy and bubbly character. She has a tenacity I enjoyed and seeks a career and independence. She also has a tendency to outsmart the men in her life! She is a feminist pioneer and is willing to fight for women’s rights. She plans to set up a financial institution to help other women better their lives. Despite her noble endeavors, she has a preoccupation with revenge. Her best friend was murdered by her husband and she will do anything to bring her murderer to justice.


Nick St. Mauer, the Earl of Somerton, is her knight in shining armor and a savvy businessman. This character is not accustomed to compromise and never acts on impulse, and yet he will do anything for Emma. Her opinion of him matters more than his business ventures. Their antics were amusing, Emma doesn’t hesitate to put Nick in his place for trying to dictate her actions or interfere in her plans to avenge her friend. Nick is always there for her, even when the consequences of her actions lead them to a forced, unplanned marriage. He is protective, shrewd and caring.

The romance is well-developed and gave me the sense of a strong and deep emotional connection between Emma and Nick. And yet I was not a fan of the series of misunderstandings and communication breakdowns that began poisoning their marriage in the last part of the story. But overall, I appreciated the pacing of the story, the writing and the satisfying ending. The author’s writing style is easy to read and the story took me through a gamut of emotions. Janna McGregor has penned a charming and lovely story on new beginnings, with a vivacious heroine and a dreamy hero. Every book in the Cavensham Heiresses series is a standalone but they interconnect and go in a timeline starting with the first one.

The second book in the Cavensham Heiresses features sister Emma Cavensham and friend of the family Nick, the Earl of Somerton.

After being forsaken by his father, Nick has shut down his heart and closed himself off from society. His only interest now lies in upstaging his father. Showing him that he can be a success without his help. This leaves him no time to ponder a family and love. Truthfully, he has no interest in it whatsoever. Unfortunately, his dealings with Lady Emma Cavensham are testing his resolve on this matter completely as he tries to keep her from ruining her reputation by going against what society deems "appropriate" for women.

Emma Cavensham wants more out of her life than to be someone's wife. She wants to stand on her own independently. After the sudden and tragic death of a friend (by all accounts at the hands of her husband), Emma is more determined than ever to see that: 1) Justice is rightfully served, and 2) that she doesn't fall into the same predicament as her friend. As she starts to take action against the man who caused her friend's death, Emma keeps coming up again Nick, who is trying to keep her from making a mistake that could cost her, her life. While Emma can't deny that she's always found Nick attractive, she is determined not to let it lead anywhere.

I thought it was very interesting on Janna MacGregor's part to write two characters who were so opposed to the idea of matrimony, yet pretty much having them be so attracted to one another you don't know where else (in the day and age in which the story is written) their relationship would progress besides marriage.

I also loved the contemplation about women's rights. Emma struggles in what is basically a "man's world", but she wants so much more for herself than what she's seen in society. But she's so focused on looking outward that I think she misses what is right in front of her: her family. Both her parents and her cousin Claire (the heroine of The Bad Luck Bride) have solid, happy marriages and don't feel confined by society. This just makes the fears she has, due to her friend's death, all the more palpable.

I do wish that we had gotten more of a villain in that regard. We do somewhat, but mostly the story revolves around Emma and Nick figuring out if they can be with one another given they each have such strong convictions regarding marriage.

For Nick, he can't see giving his heart to anyone after the heartbreak he suffered from his own family. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was always gold toward him before he cut him off. So, in Nick's case it's about forgiveness in order to move on. Can he forgive what happened in the past? If not, just his feelings for Emma will never be enough because he won't be able to deepen their relationship because part of him will always be holding back in order to keep from getting hurt again.

I rather liked the vulnerability that is displayed in Nick's character. It's a nice contrast to Emma, who by stereotype, is supposed to be vulnerable due to her sex, instead she's headstrong and very self-possessed.

So far, I've really enjoyed this series. The couple for the third book is kind of subtly set-up towards the end of this one, and I can't wait to see what happens next for the Cavenshams.

Nicholas St. Mauer isn’t one to involve himself in society or open his own heart to anyone. His father disowned him at an early age and he’s sworn not to open his heart to anyone, but driven by obligation he feels he must keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham who’s his best friends wife’s cousin. Lady Emma Cavensham is determined to never marry and provide women with an opportunity to be at least somewhat self-sufficient. She seems to find herself being rescued by Nick, and resents him for interfering in her life. Nick and Emma have danced around a friendship for years, she even asks him to kiss her early in the book, a kiss neither has forgotten. Circumstances throw them together and a compromising moment upends all her plans. Emma knows Nick was hurt long ago and she maybe the only one to truly bring him the happiness he deserves. Will they be able to deny the desire they feel and can no longer deny? Is Nick willing to fight for her causes and her heart to find a love they both so desperately deserve? A truly enchanting story of two people who have known each for a few years, who gradually become friends and find love a love neither expected.
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am always reluctant to read sequels in case they don't turn out to be as great as the first book in the series. However this book blew my mind and I actually enjoyed it more than the first one.
Emma is determined to prove that her best friend's death was a result of her abusive husband. No matter how often she is warned against meddling in the matter, Emma will have justice served. Nick is a family friend and he is given the duty of keeping Emma out of trouble.
However the task is easier said than done. No matter how much Nick tries, Emma seems to always land is some sort of hot water.
I loved the pairing of Nick and Emma and thought the chemistry between them was well-done. I also loved how headstrong she was. I enjoyed this book immensely especially seeing characters from the previous book. This was a wonderful read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor is Book Two in "The Cavensham Heiresses" series. This is the story of Nicholas St. Mauer and Lady Emma Cavensham. I have read the previous book but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Emma feels the lost of her good friend after her and passing. With this loss of her friend it has put Emma on a path to bring justice to the Husband of that friend. Emma is sure that he is responsible for her friend's death and also wants to protect any future innocent women from fall pray to him.
Nicholas lost his mother right after she gave birth to him..which his father never let him forget. Nicholas father sent him off to school around 5 years old and from there he jumped from school to school never forming any friendships. With Nicholas's father being so cold and horrible he never formed a bond or learned what love was....he just built walls to keep his emotions at away.
But with one kiss from Emma has put a small crack in one of his walls. But they are both very stubborn and end up butting heads through most of the book.
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the second book in the cavensham brides, the bride who got lucky, has independent-minded lady emma facing off with the reclusive nicholas st. mauer, earl of somerton. emma has been devastated by the loss of her closest friend, lena, lady aulton. especially given the circumstances of lena's death. emma knows that her husband killed her and is anxious to seek justice for her friend.

but at every turn she is thwarted. by nick, by the coroner's report, by lena's lady's maid who won't come forward. it is made clear to emma that given lord aulton's social standing, he will get away with murder. and as much as she tries, there is nothing she can do about it.

the thing is, that nick empathizes and understands what emma is trying to accomplish. he is disgusted by lord aulton's actions. he believes that emma has a brilliant and empathetic mind and wants more than anything to support her, but he also wants to protect her from harm. and her vendetta against lord aulton puts her in more danger than she realizes.

it's not just physical danger, lord aulton threatens emma's social standing, her financial well-being. he is merciless and downright evil. i'd say the one complaint i have about the novel, is that for a romance we spend a lot of time dealing with women's rights issues. and these are important things to think about, but emma spends so much time fighting the good fight that it feels like this is the main thrust of the story instead of the romance that blossoms between nick and emma.

i loved nick as a character and i thought he was the perfect foil for emma. she was harder to enjoy and i struggle with this because it's not that i disagree with any of her beliefs or positions. i don't at all. i agree with her 100%. and yet i found her determination and single-mindedness off-putting. and i hate that. because i don't want to be part of the patriarchal culture that wants to silence women on women's issues. but i also don't necessarily want my romance novels to lecture me about issues i already agree with. it's a tough balance and i think the issues are important. i just am not always sure of their delivery.

Emma is a wild, independent character, allowed to be so by her parents. She has known Nick for a while although only on the sidelines of her most recent years. However, when he intercepts one of her wild adventures and the repercussions have her sent off during the season, they find themselves afterwards growing a bit closer.

Now that Emma is seeking justice as well as absolution for her best friend’s death, Nick is adamant that he will stop her from her foolishness. The end result is not what either anticipated but what both ultimately desire.

I enjoyed the relationship between these two characters. Emma needed to be free to help women who suffered and Nick was capable of giving her that freedom up to a point. However, when it crosses a line that he dug into the sand as a young man, they both struggle to find a solution to their uncompromising ways.

The first three-fourths of this book was quite entertaining and I adored getting to know not only the main characters, but the secondary ones sprinkled throughout. However, I did anticipate some action as the story progressed and was disappointed to find that this was all character driven. The resulting answers to their issues were all based on how they evolved as individuals as well as a couple. Many readers will love it but I just needed a little more “oomph” to my story.

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press

Dual POV
Safe
Possible Triggers – heroine’s best friend was abused by her husband

Although Janna McGregor writes with clear passion, I was somewhat disappointed in this addition to the Cavensham Heiresses series. I thought Emma was a bold character, but I never quite believed in her ability to start a “women’s bank” with just an idea and having read a few books. Her guilt driven obsession to avenge her friend Lena was another questionable plot line, and the villain Aulton almost darker than dark.

This is a fair and honest review in return for my being allowed to read this ARC. What a WONDERFUL story!! There is so much going on in so many lives. The characters could not be any better and the story will warm your heart and bring on tears. You MUST read this book.

Nick and Emma are friends, and both have decided that love and marriage aren’t in their futures. Nick’s issues stem from his father, a cold and mean-spirited man who did all in his power to keep him bowed and insecure despite his destiny to be a Duke. Emma is guilty over the loss of her best friend Lena at the hands of her abusive husband: she’s determined to see women provided with their own ability to provide for themselves and make choices that are broader than marriage or hidden spinsterhood. But, the attraction that keeps these two dancing around one another, despite their clinging to their fears and prejudices against love is something that, despite their best intentions, will not be denied.

From the prologue where we get Nick’s backstory, his personality and retreat into someone who is rather removed and scornful, all while being little boy lost is rather intriguing: unfortunately he never really did grow from that as completely as Emma did, and their interactions often suffered from this imbalance. Emma, for her part did have some intriguing moments and a solid backstory that gave her intentions some purpose, but that too felt shuffled to the background as the author worked to put the couple’s relationship forward. So much richness here for exploration that went largely untapped: the subjugated role for women in the time, property rather than people of their own right, society’s scorn and dismissal of women who wish to follow their own path and challenge that status quo, and even Emma’s rather ham-handed attempts to ‘save’ yet another woman that lands her in the middle of the wagging tongues.

MacGregor again uses some complex issues to fuel the backstory, but these issues have again been relegated to background as the growing affection between Nick and Emma is created, lacking that emotional feel from characters that show a pattern of growth that would bring them together organically. Pacing is again uneven, and prose moves from some fabulous dialogue between Emma and Nick to flowery and almost painfully forced sexy moments where neither character truly presented a conviction to the reader that would show them together. While I was excited to see a more feminist character in Emma, and an understandably closed off Nick coming to see that his childhood belief in love as a curse was wrong, neither grew into their potential, and the unevenness between the strides and changes Emma made were starkly contrasted to the stalled growth of Nick. Yes, this is the author’s second book, and while I saw some improvement in style and development from the first, there are still points where character, intention and issues could be more fully flushed out, providing emotional connection to the couple that readers couldn’t deny. I’ve read the first two in this series now, and am curious to see MacGregor’s progression and growth in her next book.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9qG/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I have read several other reviews for this book and I appear to be in the minority with my rating – so take that for what it is worth. I read the first book in the series and liked it much better than this one. Janna MacGregor is a new author – I believe this is her second book – and I feel she is still finding her writing legs. All-in-all, I liked the book okay.

There are things I liked about the books and things I didn’t. I’ll cover some of them below. I think the pacing was pretty good and the writing was good, but I don’t think it was as good as in the first book in the series. I think there are some odd word choices, odd phrasing and maybe some awkward transitions, but this is an ARC and I’m sure a good editor will find and help fix those before publication.

I liked the hero, Nicholas St. Mauer, Earl of Somerton and heir to Drake St. Mauer, Duke of Renton. His mother died giving him birth and his father just couldn’t get past that, so he was very aloof from Nick as he grew up. Nick was sent to school at five and was moved from school to school because he was so smart – but that kept him from forming friendships. At the age of 15, he was at Eton and his father delivered a shaming rebuke to him – in front of his schoolmates. You’ll just have to read the story to see what gosh-awful things the old reprobate said, but it certainly defined Nick’s life from that point on. That is quite a burden for an already lonely young man, so you can see why he is cold, aloof, and set revenge on his father and the boys who ridiculed him at school after his father’s rebuke. He ran pretty true to character throughout the book and it was nice to see him grow and learn that he wasn’t worthless and that he really could love. I got really upset with him at about the 80% mark and thought he had really blown it with Emma.

Unlike everyone else, I didn’t care for the heroine so much. She actually set my teeth on edge! She was written about as being full of sunshine and light and everybody loved her as soon as they met her. I don’t doubt that she had the capability to love and that she was deeply upset about the death of her friend in such a horrendous manner. However, I also think that she is like so many of the heroines I read about in historical romances. She’s portrayed as brave – but is that really the case? I see her as more totally unaware and uncaring for her safety, the safety of others and the worry and heartache she causes others. She cannot be so naïve as to think that nothing could possibly happen to a lone woman meeting a man at a pub or even traveling to another city. She surely has to know that her family will be horribly upset to find she’s gone to another city – requiring overnight stays – totally alone. Surely she understands that, aside from the hurt and worry she’s causing them – they could pay a price socially if she is caught. Evidently, none of that mattered to her. Also – while I totally support (in today’s society) her feminist stances, I don’t believe for a minute that she would have been so vocal or outspoken in that actual time period. Then, there is the matter of her bank – great idea – but – men of the aristocracy weren’t supposed to be in ‘trade’ during that period and women weren’t allowed any sort of employment. She would have been shunned and ostracized.

Lady Emma Cavensham is the daughter of a duke. Her home and family is filled with love and respect for one another. Her parents are totally in love as is her cousin and her husband. She has many, many examples of happy, loving, equal-partner marriages right in her own family. However, her friend Lena married a monstrous man who murdered her. So, from this example, Emma ignores all of the love with which she is surrounded and believes that marriage is a prison and she will never give up her freedom and marry. She is hell-bent on bringing the villain to justice but feels powerless to do that. And, in that time, I’m sure she would have been. What I didn’t understand though – her family adores her, dotes on her and they are extremely powerful – they saw her deep sorrow and would do nothing to help her get justice – I just don’t buy that. Doesn’t run true to what they are supposed to be as a family.

After her brothers and parents leave for various destinations, she sneaks off to the coast to investigate and find a first-hand witness to Lena’s murder. The trip is a full day’s travel away and requires staying overnight – but she thinks maybe she’ll stay a bit longer. She’s very close to the villains home and all alone – no maid – no chaperone – no able-bodied male for protection – so we all know that the villain will never find out - right – he’ll never cause trouble - right . . . . I’m sorry – she just seems to be one of those TSTL heroines to me. But – here comes the hero to save her.

Nick has loved her for a long time and wants to protect her – but he doesn’t want marriage because he feels she deserves better than him. Of course, they end up having to marry and they both love each other. It is nice watching them grow and learn and become better people.

Emma becomes a much more likable character after the marriage. She gives up her reckless behaviors and concentrates on her bank where she helps women get the loans that they could not get at another bank. She shows her understanding of what drives many women and makes solid judgments on who can be trusted to repay – even if there is little if any, real collateral for the loan. She provides a service that is much needed. I loved how she explained it to Nick.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

This is an emotionally charged and wonderfully written story. Nick doesn't know how to love, but he has always felt protective toward his best friend's sister-in-law. He is honor and duty-bound to keep her out of trouble and when rewarded with a kiss, it sparks a desire he won't allow himself to act upon. Emma is an independent woman in a world where it's frowned upon. She'd rather stay a spinster than be forced into a marriage without love.

Racked with guilt for not being able to save the life of her best friend, she's bound and determined to seek justice for her. Endangering her own life and risking compromise, she collects evidence, finds witnesses, and even uses subterfuge to leave town in her pursuit. Nick follows her to save her from overstepping and possibly causing harm to herself. He believes her, but he won't let her risk her reputation.

When caught in comprising situation, Nick is willing to do what's right, but she doesn't want to be forced into a loveless marriage--neither one will reveal their feelings for each other. Still, they are married, and Nick supports her independence and helps her set up a business to help women. But they each have secrets not shared with one another and it threatens to divide their marriage. They must learn to open their hearts fully, divulge the deepest hurts hidden, and trust each other for the marriage to work. Will the passion they have for each other break through barriers and lead to forgiveness?

This slow-burn romance is full of twists, a bit of mystery, and love. The best kind of happily ever after!