An excellent historical mystery, with healthy dash of suspense and intrigue that kept me glued to the page. Nicely written, and interesting characters overall. I especially loved the setting (late 18th century), because it's an interesting period and not overdone (like the regency) and I found the balance between the mystery and romance plots to be perfect. Definitely would recommend for someone who wants mystery and a love story.

This novel seemed to be promising because it was a historical mystery. However, there were some very disturbing and graphic scenes in this novel that made me uncomfortable.

My first story by this author under any of her pen names and I greatly enjoyed both the writing style and attention to detail. This story is full of mystery and set in a Georgian London with nobility and commoners being forced to interact. Several plots occurring simultaneously throughout the story and the author has woven them together to create a story that is multifaceted. I highly enjoyed the story and can’t wait to start book two to see what clues are found about “The Raven” and watch Ash and Juliana’s story evolve.

4 Stars ⭐️

2.5 stars, rounded up.

Mainly I read this one to catch up on the series as the second book intrigued. There was an awful lot going on in this book, too much one might say. At least some of these things warranted more words than they received.
CW: Rape - the book opens with this (past tense) and it's a lot.
I found Juliana's characterisation a bit uneven. Maybe my own (lack of) understanding of the time period added to this? Some other characters felt like caricatures and that made it harder for me to care.
Still, I liked Ash and the love he has for his family. I'm hoping the series improves in the second book.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Wedding Night Affair is the first book in L.C. Sharp’s Georgian era historical mystery series Ash and Juliana. Juliana Uppingham was sold into marriage to cement her father's ambitions. Her new husband brutally raped her on their wedding night, and she awoke the next morning covered in his blood with few coherent memories of the previous night and not sure if she was the one that stabbed him in the heart. Baronet Sir Edmond Ashendon agrees to take her case, and together they work to solve the mystery before time runs out for Juliana. I enjoyed the progression of Juliana’s character from a shy doll to a strong woman and as well the romance that develops between Ash and Juliana. Publishing Date: May 11, 2021. #TheWeddingNightAffair #LCSharp #CarinaPress #HarlequinRomance #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalMystery #HistoricalRomanceSeries #HistoricalMysterySeries #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

The Wedding Night Affair by L.C. Sharp
Ash & Juliana #1

Splendid story! I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for the next book to appear!

What I liked:
* Juliana: strong, abused, accused of murder on her wedding night, a woman wronged so many times and yet I believe she may come out okay.
* Ash: brilliant, loves his family, lawyer, has a backstory and family issues nobody should have to face. I am hoping his life will come right as the series progresses.
* The setting, writing and plot
* That I was drawn in from page one and compelled to continue reading
* That it all seemed believable
* There was no sugar coating of horrible events and situations
* Ash’s understanding
* That good overcame evil…at least where it truly counted
* That there is so much potential for this series
* The supporting characters
* The dialogue and interactions all were pertinent and real
* The siblings of Ash and their backstories - hope to see more of them in the future
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* What happened on Juliana’s wedding night
* The parents of both Ash and Juliana
* That we will have to wait for the next book

Did I enjoy this book? Definitely
Would I read more in this series? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

THE WEDDING NIGHT AFFAIR is the first book in L.C. Sharp’s historical mystery/romance “Ash & Juliana” series. I like a series with an equal amount of mystery and romance, and so far, this “Ash & Juliana” series seems like exactly the kind of story I crave. The story is set in the year 1748 in England. Lady Juliana Uppingham is forced by her Machiavellian parents to marry a very wicked aristocrat. Very GAME OF THRONES. While Juliana may have wished him dead for brutalizing her on their wedding night, she wakes up to find that somebody did the deed for her. The only problem with that, is that she is blamed and in danger of being put to death for the crime. Enter Sir Edmund Ashendon – baronet, sleuth, and a delightful mix of sweet and sexy. In working to free Juliana, Ash is the friend she desperately needs.

1748 was a dismal time to be a woman and Juliana feels it acutely. For years, she has been subjugated by her parents. The ultimate betrayal is that they delivered her in marriage to a man they knew was a beast, but they didn’t seem to give a care for her welfare. Then she briefly – yet terribly – suffered at the hands of her new husband with nobody to answer her calls for help. After her husband’s death, she has little reason to suppose her life will be any better or that anybody will value her or respect her as a human being rather than scheme to use her for their own selfish ends. Until Ash. There are so many things to love about this story and this couple. This installment focuses on solving the murder, getting Juliana cleared of the crime, and chronicling the evolving relationship between Juliana and Ash. When Ash first meets Juliana, her physical and emotional scars are too raw for her to embark on a new relationship. Over the course of the book, Ash treats Juliana like somebody who is valued and respected, and her self-esteem increases. If some element of the investigation is too dangerous for Juliana to be directly involved in, Ash will explain that, but he is never condescending to her, and he involves her when he thinks he can. The chemistry between this pair – both romantically and as an investigative team – is amazing and I’m eager to see how this relationship progresses with each book in the series.

THE WEDDING NIGHT AFFAIR is superb mix of mystery and romance. The Raven is the shadowy criminal mastermind lurking on the periphery of this story, and I’m intrigued and look forward to seeing what happens with this character in future stories. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Buy This Book
The Wedding Night Affair is the first book in a new series of historical mysteries set in Georgian England entitled Ash & Juliana for its two protagonists – Sir Edmund Ashendon, a well-to-do young lawyer and Lady Juliana, daughter and sole heir to the Earl of Hawksworth. This opening instalment has a similar premise to the first books in at least three other historical mystery series I can think of – Lady Julia (Deanna Raybourn), John Pickett (Sheri Cobb South) and Lady Darby (Anna Lee Huber) – in that the heroine is accused of murdering her (thoroughly unpleasant) husband, but that’s really the only similarity, and The Wedding Night Affair very quickly establishes its own distinctive world and authorial voice.

The story opens in a memorably shocking way as new bride Lady Juliana awakens the morning after her wedding to Lord Godfrey Uppingham. Every part of her body aches and she’s covered in bruises; her wedding night was one of pain and terror as her husband used her roughly and repeatedly in a way she had not been at all prepared for. (The assaults are not detailed on the page but are referred to in sufficient detail as to leave no doubt about what took place the night before.) When Juliana moves the covers so she can get out of bed, she at first thinks the smear of blood on her thighs is only to be expected – until she realises it’s more than a smear. She’s lying in a pool of blood, her husband lying flat on his back next to her with his own knife sticking out of his chest. The same knife he’d used to slice through her clothes the night before.

Juliana’s screams naturally bring servants running, followed by her in-laws, who immediately berate her for alerting the servants by making so much noise and then accuse her of murdering their son. Still in shock, the only thing Juliana can do is cling to the knowledge that she didn’t kill her husband while his parents send her back to her family home in disgrace.

Henry Fielding (yes THE Henry Fielding) is the magistrate in charge of Bow Street at this time, and having learned of the murder, asks lawyer Sir Edmund Ashendon to go to question the lady and bring her back to Bow Street where she can be safely housed until a date is set for her trial. Already intrigued by the case, Ash agrees and makes his way to the Hawksworth town house, where he is able to speak with Lady Juliana and get her side of the story. As he listens to her and realises how terribly she has been treated by everyone around her, he can’t help feeling sympathy – and listening to her account of her wedding night, suggests she may have been acting in self-defence. But Juliana insists she didn’t commit the murder – and Ash is starting to believe her.

The Wedding Night Affair gets this series off to a good start; and I should say now that while the murder mystery is solved and we find out who killed Uppingham, the author has also set a larger, overarching plot into motion featuring the mysterious London crime-lord known only as Raven, which is to be continued in the next book. In this one however, we watch as Ash and Juliana work together to find the evidence necessary to exonerate her, and in doing so, develop a strong friendship with the potential to turn romantic at some point in the future. There’s a definite attraction between the pair, but the author very wisely keeps it fairly low-key and allows them to get to know each other, and for Juliana – in the company of Ash and his family – to be able to enjoy the sort of family life she’s never had.

Ash is an engaging hero; kind, intelligent and principled, he doesn’t open up often or easily, but he finds himself letting his guard down with Juliana (just a little bit) and maybe liking her a bit more than he feels he should. He’s the head of his family and obviously cares deeply for his siblings, but there are some secrets in the family’s past he’s keen to keep hidden.

One of the best things about the book is its very strong sense of time and place – which isn’t surprising considering that L.C. Sharp is a pseudonym for Lynne Connolly, who has written a number of historical romances set in the period. Her research is always impeccable and she makes really good use of it, inserting fascinating period detail (such as the very real ‘fad’ for kidnapping heiresses and forcing them into marriage or holding them for ransom) into the background or even into the main plotlines, and evoking the sights, sounds (and smells!) of the smoke-filled pubs and taverns, or the narrow, muddy streets or the grand, Palladian mansions of the newer West End.

She also hammers home just how precarious life could be for a young woman in Juliana’s position. Outwardly living a life of luxury, she seems to have it all, but behind closed doors her parents treat her despicably, marrying her off to a man of whose depravities they are well aware in order to further her father’s plan to have her son inherit his lands and title. Sadly, it takes a horrific assault to set her on the path towards becoming her own person, but I was rooting for her to make the most of her second chance (and I may have been cheering inwardly when she at last talks back to her horrible parents!). The one issue I had with that though, was that Juliana so often thinks “I’ll never go back to being that person” (or words to that effect) that it felt repetitive and got old very quickly. I could see her gradually taking control of her life; I didn’t need to be reminded she was doing it so often. There are a few other minor irritants along the way, such as Juliana’s very nearly TSTL moment (when she decides to go against Ash’s express wishes) and an early clue which was then forgotten about until near the end.

One last thing. I know authors often have no input into the titles for their books, but whoever came up with this one has devised something misleading. “The Wedding Night Affair” gives the impression this is much a more light-hearted read than it is, so if you’re thinking about picking it up, please take note of what I’ve said about the way in which the story begins.

Poorly chosen title aside, The Wedding Night Affair nonetheless earns a recommendation. The characters are engaging, the plotline is intriguing and I’m invested enough to want to read book two, The Sign of the Raven, when it comes out later this year.

Grade - B

This is just full of suspense! I felt so bad for Juliana, until her knight in shining armor sweeps in! It was no trouble at all to stay engaged in this book. I just had to find out who was behind it all. Definitely worth a read!

I understand this to be a new pen name for historical romance author Lynne Connolly and I’m not surprised; Connolly knows the early-Georgian period better than almost any other histrom author I’ve ever read, and that knowledge of the period really comes across here and makes the story feel completely authentic. For a mystery series there’s a strong thread of romance in it too, but don’t be expecting steamy sex scenes, as those are absent. Indeed, the book opens right after heroine Julianna’s appallingly violent and brutal wedding night… which was a lot more violent and brutal than even she realised, since her new husband is dead beside her, stabbed through the heart.

Sir Edmund Ashenden (Ash) is a lawyer who assists the investigators of Bow Street on occasion, and this is definitely a case of interest, since Lady Julianna is one of the peerage. On meeting her, he realises almost immediately that he doesn’t think she did it… even if she clearly had cause. Determined to prove her innocence, he takes her case and the pair of them start investigating, following leads into London’s seedy underbelly.

Julianna and Ash are both from awful family backgrounds, though very different ones; Ash has a large group of living, and loving, siblings whereas Julianna is an only child. Ash’s parents were abusive but are now gone; Julianna spends much of the book trying to escape the control of hers. I feel like the shared struggles they face will make for a tight bond, and Ash understands Julianna better than someone who had grown up with loving parents ever could, and will give her the space she needs to get past the awful abuse she has suffered. I’ll be interested to see how their romance progresses in book 2, since they’ll actually be married in that one.

About the only thing I didn’t like here was the actual capture of the murderer. Yes, it completes the setting up of underworld boss The Raven as a series protagonist, but it also removed any real sense of triumph for Ash and Julianna and I think it was a mistake not to let them ‘solve’ the crime themselves.

Even with that quibble, however, I did genuinely love this and I will absolutely be looking for the next book in the series. Be prepared for potential triggers for sexual violence, but if you like historical mystery with a heavy side of romance - it’s almost historical romantic suspense - I think you’ll really enjoy this. Five stars.

Waking up next to your murdered husband, covered in blood, after the worst night of your life, seems kind of sus. That's what everyone but Ashendon thinks, he's the only one who believes Juliana. He's actually quite putting his neck out for her. Taking her into his own home, while trying to prove her innocence.

I feel for Juliana, her upbringing was very restrictive, and controlled by her parents. They pretty much see her as a brood mare. They don't care for her as a person, but as a means to an end. It was a joy to see her open up while living with the Ashendon family, how Juliana slowly took charge of her life, her needs, and wants.

I liked Ashendon. He was a good guy, attentive, and principled. His family had quite some secrets of their own, so he's not one to open up too easily. The connection between him and Juliana, definitely felt more as a building friendship, with two people who have a lot of respect for each other. The romantic notions, for me, were not obvious, and I would like for them to have been more pronounced.

As for the mystery part, I was a big fan of that. I'm very intrigued by this Raven character, and based on title of the next novel, we'll be seeing more of him.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Murder refined!

An interesting combination of murder and an enforced marriage during Regency times. It’s 1796 and Heiress Lady Juliana Uppingham has been married off to a swine of a man. The morning after her wedding she wakes to her husband’s dead body beside her with his blood pooling around them both.
Sir Edmund Ashdowne, baronet, works out of Bow Street for the Fielding Brothers as a criminal lawyer. Juliana’s father the Earl of Hawksworth wants someone close to aristocracy to undertake the investigation. That’s Ashdowne. The plot charts its way through rather murky waters until the truth outs. It includes an underworld figure, the Raven, who’s working on binding various gangs together. The Fieldings see Raven as a major threat to the community and to the prevalence of law and order.
Ash is concerned with Justice. He doesn’t want Juliana’s elevated place in society to mitigate her being brought to answer for her actions—that is until he meets Juliana, and uncovers more about her life and her husband.
The story throws into relief the reality of children being coinage at many levels of society.
Violence and sexual abuse in marriage could be an unlocked for trigger for some readers.
It’s intriguing to see Juliana’s transformation from being the “white faced-marionette [she’s] depicted in caricatures as,” to becoming a person with her own voice.
A torrid tale of the pursuit of truth at odds with the clamouring of the mob. Indeed these scenes were chilling.
The Raven is in the background, a chilling undercurrent that rolls along, sometimes to the fore, always there. And the puzzle around Silence, Ash’s sister, is another beguiling story to be told, I’m sure.
An introductory treat to the pen of a new historical romance novelist
I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

A Harlequin - Carina Press ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

The Wedding Night Affair by L.C. Sharp is a historical mystery with a touch of romance. There is not much here if looking for romance, but there’s some potential in future books. The Wedding Night Affair starts off with a shocking, horrific event that grabs your attention from the start and keeps it through the end.  A fast-paced read that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting more.

Will clearing her name set her truly free ...

I confess I decided to read this book because I thought it would be a romance, but it is not, it has the premise of one but it will be probably more prominent in the next book. After historical mystery is my second favorite category after romance, so the switch of classification did not really bothered me, even more as the words flowed easily and the narrative unfolded smoothly.
Be warned the heroine survived a traumatic “wedding night”, if not to say a gruesome experience at the hands of her now deceased husband, which can only be called rape and awful abuse inflicted by the one man who should have protected her.
So of course a romance is difficult to envision after such a horrific hardship as it has left deep wounds in the heroine’s psyche.
Juliana until the morning after her wedding was the perfect obedient prim and proper daughter, so much she endured a ghastly night at the vicious hand of her husband. Yet when she awakens with her spouse now dead, stabbed during the same night, all the shouts and screams point toward her.
From here her trial continue, as while free from the violent man she should have to call husband, she is the prime suspect of his demise.

This is a fast-paced tale, and while it does not spare us the cruel details of her plight, it also paints the portrait of what women were to endure because of their total absence of rights.
Juliana is one of them but circumstances despite putting her life in the balance also offer her a second chance, one to get out from her gilded cage. She demonstrates her resilience and willpower by becoming an active party in the investigation to clear her name.
She also get to learn who she is, really away for all the paints and powders that used to mask herself from the world. She is like a blank skate to rewrite.
Ash too is far more complex than the easy jovial fellow he is presented as. He harbors secrets and his soul hide dark shadows. He is a man for justice, even when the case appears easy, he looks into details and reaches after what looks like nothing to determine the right from the false. And as a man of honor, once he gave his words, they are like tattooed in stone.

This book is the story of their encounter, of the first spark between them but the same case which brought them together is also what hold them back as Juliana needs time to recover and bring back the pieces of herself that had been shattered by her last parents’ betrayal.
5 stars

I can not wait for the next installment as I want to see how their relationship will evolve over time.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 non but 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 talk of abuses and sexual assaults.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Carina Press, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

The year is 1748, and Lady Juliana Uppingham awakens in a pool of blood, with no memory of how her new husband ended up dead beside her. Her distaste for her betrothed was no secret, but even so, Juliana couldn’t possibly have killed him - could she?
Juliana’s only hope is Sir Edmund Ashendon, a dashing baronet with a knack for solving seemingly unsolvable crimes—and a reputation for trouble. A man as comfortable in the rookeries of St. Giles as he is in the royal court, Ash believes Juliana is innocent, though all signs point to her as the killer. He doesn’t expect to develop a soft spot for the spirited widow, one that only grows when escalating threats against Juliana force Ash to shelter her in his home. When another body is found, it becomes clear that Juliana has been dragged into something much, much bigger than simply her husband’s murder. With a collection of deadly black-tipped feathers as their sole clue and a date at the end of a hangman’s noose looming, they’ll have to find the real killer—before it’s too late.
A new author & I was intrigued by this book, it start at a run & the pace didn’t slow. I loved the mystery & the developing feelings & chemistry between Ash & Juliana. There were twists and turns which all added to my enjoyment. I loved Ash with his analytical mind who wasn’t afraid to involve Juliana in everything. I didn't warm to Juliana but I think that was because she was still recovering from the abuse. A well written historical murder mystery with just a dash of burgeoning romance, it held my interest all the way through & I look forward to more books in the series to see where the relationship goes
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The day after her wedding, Lady Juliana Uppingham awakens to find her husband dead beside her and having no recollection of the event. After his abuse of her on their wedding night, she feels only hatred for him, yet she is adamant of her innocence. Yet others, including her parents, are not so ready to believe her. She finds support in Sir Edmund Ashendon, a baron who works as a lawyer, taking on her case. He believes in Juliana’s innocence and must do all that he can to save her before it is too late.
An engaging storyline with two interesting characters. At first, Juliana appears to be defined by her upbringing, yet in the presence of Ashendon and his family, she soon gains the courage to be true to herself. Ashendon is an honourable man who does all that he can to help Juliana. Whilst this was storyline had all the ingredients to make for an intriguing mystery, I found the romance between the couple, not quite as believable. Overall, an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A new series by Lynne Connolly under the pen name L. C. SHARPE.
Totally hooked from the first page and ready to read the second book in the series.
Waking up covered in blood, Juliana is accused of killing her husband, Sir Godfrey Uppingham, on their wedding night. Recalling only his repeated abuse and rape, she doesn't remember much of anything after passing out. Sir Edmund Ashendon is a lawyer who works as an independent consultant for Bow Street. His interview with Juliana surprises him with his unexpected need to protect her, but he refuses to lose focus. Find the murderer, then prove Juliana innocent. As Juliana realizes the life she had, is not the life she wants anymore, Ash will defend her decision and offer her a new one. The attraction between Ash and Juliana isn't the main focus, but solving murders is a lot more interesting with these two working together.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. Ash and Juliana are both great characters, and the author did a good job of really fleshing them out. My only negative for the book was that at times it was a bit repetitive, we kept getting the same information or thoughts of the characters over and over again. But I'll definitely be checking out book 2 in the series.

Lady Juliana Uppingham was married for less than a day, when she woke up that night to find her husband dead. A knife was used to stab his heart, so imagine the terror that filled Juliana's eyes. The amount of blood. Of course, she's the prime suspect. But Sir Edmund Ashendon believes that she is innocent. Having a knack for solving crimes, he takes Juliana under his care.

Historical romance... I'm not so much a fan of anymore. But if there is one amidst a historical mystery, I'm always up for it. There's always something new, and I love seeing the friendship between partners grow into something more! There is barely any romance in here though, which I don't mind all that much. I was more eager to follow through with the mystery parts of this book, but I was left underwhelmed. I felt detached from the characters as well, just reading the book for what it is. The author's style of writing reads awkward at certain parts too. It doesn't compel me to look forward to reading the second book, which I won't be picking up.

This review is written based on the ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.

With a shocking, horrific start, this murder mystery grabs the attention from the start and keeps it through the end. I liked how this was set in the mid 18th century, when most historical mysteries are Regency or later. The story feels like it took careful consideration of the time and place, which I appreciated.

The heroine Juliana has had the worst wedding night imaginable to wake up to a dead husband, and she is suspect number 1. Due to her rank and family influence, she is allowed to be kept under guarantee of her lawyer, Ashendon, rather than a Newgate cell. Juliana and Ash make a good team in investigations, and they work to find the true murderer. There is a number of interesting characters and an intriguing world built that is hook for future books.

If looking for romance, there is not much here, but there’s some potential in future books. There is an obvious preference between Juliana and Ash, but Juliana’s experiences at the beginning of the story leave her scared of future intimacies.

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable and intriguing first book of a historical mystery series. I would recommend if you like mysteries and the Georgian time period.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.