I was not ready for this beauty of a book. With a group like the matchmaking mama's, I figured it would have some really funny moments- and there was- but I was still not ready for the way this book sucked me in and caught me.

Paul Sheldon is a man who wants to prove his worth by working as a barrister, although he doesn't need to. Between his want to be financially independent from the estate he will inherit and the emotional and physical walls he has built up from those around him, he has no place to think of marriage.

Louisa Cox is tired of fortune hunting men, yet she feels the pressure to get married so her brother doesn't have to worry about her. She doesn't want a man who needs to marry for her money, nor does she need an all encompassing love match that all the ladies in town dream of. When she is presented with the opportunity of a match, she agrees to let one be found, with the one stipulation- they not know she has money.

When Paul finds out what his matchmaking mother and her friends are up to, making matches for the young adults in the neighborhood, he digs his feet in. He will not be swayed by this woman coming to visit and ensnare him. Or will he...

There are interfering friends, mothers, and brother that try to push or pull them in one direction. But the question of marriage, and love, can only be solved by the two involved-Louisa and Paul.

It was a delight getting to watch Louisa come to life and find herself after the loss of both her parents. Seeing Paul soften and heal from childhood traumas, that you get snippets of as the book goes on, gives you hope and allows you to believe in true love and kindness all over again.

I was excited to read this book, but to get to experience this story was what I needed in a time of stress in my life. This series is going to be fantastic. I cannot wait to see what each mamma in that neighborhood has in store for the rebels.

Anneka Walker weaves a gorgeous story of healing along with laughter and joy. They go hand in hand so many times in my life. To read a story that sees how that joy and a "fake it till you make it" mentality can often times help us in those times of grief and strife, was beautiful. You will laugh at the best meet-cute, and all of the other antics that these characters not only come up with, but endure.

Rating: 5 Stars

Trauma is a topic that I hold dear in the fact I want to help those that have experienced it and hold sacred their growth and healing. This story takes that topic in loving hands and guides it through. It allows for hope, faith, and love to lessen the hold of trauma and illustrate it for those that might not have experienced the same.

Often in a story there is an antagonist that pushes the drama and danger a bit. With trauma, that antagonist is in the past but very much present. Anneka Walker did an amazing job guiding us through that trauma, letting the results unfold as the hero did his best to sort through and understand it himself. Trust is one of those things that is devastated by such trauma, and despite of evidences otherwise, Paul struggles to trust those that would love him.

Lest you think that this story is heavy laden, I will enlighten you. The story has elements of trauma, like I have explained, it was poignant enough to mention, but it is a beautiful story. There is emotion and humor that allow the love and care to be felt. Afterall, when there are matchmaking mamas at foot, what could result but a comedy of errors.

I am excited to know that there will be other books in this series as these matchmaking mothers try to secure their children's happiness.

Paul and Louisa were delightful characters. I loved their interactions together and the interactions with Paul's friends, "The Rebels" and I look forward to getting to know them better.

I apologize for focusing on the trauma, but as a counselor, I love when reality is portrayed in fiction, when someone going through their own experience has someone they can relate to. I also loved that healing took place, it wasn't magically fixed, but it was addressed and supported, which is how it should be.

I received an early copy through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Bargaining for the Barrister is such a fun book! An arranged meeting with one willing party, and one unwilling partner, arranged by meddling mamas in the neighborhood.

Louisa is a favorite. She’s practical, doesn’t care to play games, strong, and kind. Tired of trying to figure out the difference between those genuinely interested in knowing her and fortune hunters, she accepts an opportunity to get to know Paul at his home with his eager mother and matronly neighbors.

Paul would like to settle down eventually, but would like to wait until he has become a successful barrister. He’s had some set backs, due to an urge to help those less fortunate, and he’s not ready to court anyone.

The matrons of the neighborhood will have none of it. They arrange for Paul and Louisa to spend time together in creative ways. Does Paul even stand a chance of our smarting them? While Paul refuses to be rude, he still attempts to keep an emotional and physical distance from Louisa. That is, he keeps his distance until he can’t.

I love the matchmakers, Paul’s loyal friends, the humor, and the emotional depth of this novel. I love light fun reads with moments of serious topics, that make the characters real and relatable.

My favorite book by this author yet! It was such a delight to read Paul and Louisa’s story, and witness their well-meaning but nosy matchmaking friends and relatives get up to antics. I loved how well the main characters were developed and how funny the story was. The writing was so good I was transported to England in the 1820s. Thank you to the author and publisher for this lovely book; I truly enjoyed reading every page, especially the delightful happy ending.

This cute story will pull yout right in! The possible couple are put in so many situations that could end badly, but you see their character as they handle them with grace- most of the time. I loved how realistic the core beliefs and emotions were, it's so relatable and well written. Five stars!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were great and I was rooting for them. It’s the first novel I’ve read by the author but I will definitely look out for more!

A true delight! This newest publication by Anneka is one of kind and completely endearing. Included in the all-star lineup of characters are: match-making mammas, the best kind of friends (with secret awesome code names), overbearing siblings and friends, dastardly rakes, a hardworking yet kindhearted, vulnerable hero, and an optimistic, brilliant, and brave heroine.
You get sucked into the story within the first chapter and it only gets better and better with each page. Plus this book has one of the absolute best “meet-cute” in the history of romance books. Anneka does a wonderful job of weaving in historical facts and including realistic problems to help you feel as if you’re in the story. You become invested in these characters and their lives, and I’m already dying for the next book.
This book was truly a delight to experience, and contained many valuable lessons. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a (regency) romance. And you better believe I am buying a physical copy for my bookshelf (so should you!) as soon as I possibly can. Overall this is a great addition to every library, not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous, but what’s on the pages inside is beautiful as well.

I really enjoyed "Bargaining for the Barrister." Louisa is tired of being sought by bachelors for her money, so she makes an agreement with Lady Kellen to meet Paul with the intention of marrying him. Paul and his friend catch wind of the matchmaking mamas plans, and they try to thwart them at every turn. What Paul didn't expect was to feel anything for Louisa, but the feelings between the pair grow quickly. Paul tries to fight these feelings because of some skeletons in his closet. With a cast of fun secondary characters, this was a quick and engaging read. I can't wait to see what Anneka Walker does with the secondary characters' stories in the future!

My only complaint with this book would be that I felt both main characters flip flopped back and forth in their feelings. I felt like the characters constantly changed their minds and then changed them again. I think tightening up their feelings and thoughts could have made the story stronger, but I still enjoyed the book very much. I will definitely read future books by this author.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a light, clean romance. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Bargaining for the Barrister by Anneka Walker is a sweet regency romance with forced proximity and lots of dramatic irony.

Paul is a barrister, an earl’s son, and ironically, entirely broke. His compassion for the less fortunate compels him to give away his life savings and he refuses to accept an allowance from his parents. He also refuses to marry until he can comfortably support a family of his own. Obviously something in his life needs to change or he will never marry, much to the dismay of Paul’s mother.

Louisa is the daughter of a wealthy merchant with a large dowry. Although she wants to marry, she desires a love match to a man who doesn’t need her money.
Paul and Louisa are quickly roped into a matchmaking scheme created by Paul’s mother and the other matchmaking mamas of the neighborhood. The goal is to create opportunities for Paul and Louisa to fall in love naturally, but their respective financial situations and pride will ultimately either make or break their relationship.

This was such a fun story! Both Paul and Louisa are struggling to overcome things from their past that have thus far prevented them from being truly happy in the present. Their struggles with loneliness and feeling worthy of love and being valued for who they are, not what they are, make these characters so easy to love and relate to. I loved seeing Paul and Louisa learn to trust one another. I loved all the scenes where they shared things with one another they had never told anyone else. I also loved their playful and downright awkward moments. I loved seeing them interact in a variety of situations that revealed many different aspects of their respective characters. Louisa is a ray of sunshine without being naive or immature. Paul is so compassionate and sincere yet stubborn about doing things because he wants to, not because he has to. I loved seeing them learn from one another and help each other overcome their doubts and weaknesses.

I loved the dramatic irony of the plot. Everyone knows this is a matchmaking scheme but some characters are supposed to be unaware of the scheme. Essentially, everyone knows, but they are all pretending they don’t know. The dramatic irony made so many scenes hilariously awkward on so many levels!

If you enjoy regency romances, lovable characters, matchmaking mamas, hilariously awkward and swoony scenes, and stories with dramatic irony, you should definitely read Bargaining for the Barrister!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I felt the characters were well crafted, the romance was sweet, and I hope to see more books in this series. (I really want to read Ian's story please but I will also take Logan's😉)

Louisa Cox wants to be married to no longer be a burden to her brother, but she doesn't want to marry someone who just wants her for her dowry. Her mother's old friend thinks she knows just the right man for Louisa.

Paul Sheldon is a young Barrister who is nowhere near ready to get married. He wants to have made a name for himself and have enough saved before he will even think about getting married. His mom has other ideas though.
With Louisa and Paul being forced together by these matchmaking mamas, will sparks fly?

#BargainingfortheBarrister #NetGalley

I love a fresh feeling historical romance.
This one has major regency vibes (even though I believe regency era ended in 1820 and this is set in 1821...). But what makes it fresh, you ask?

First of all, the characters are unique. There's Louisa who has agreed to be part of a matchmaker's plan for her son. Then there's Paul who has HORRID luck (at least he thinks he does), and with his luck quite a few interesting things happen! Their meet-cute was anything but normal! (But 100% adorable and memorable!)

Then there's the "music club". Aka, a meeting of local mothers that have gathered together as matchmakers for their children! These meddling mothers are quite persistent and very sneaky. They always have a plan, and because of such there is always some new mischievous underway.

I loved the happily ever after. I loved that the characters each had their own conflicts and problems, adding layers to the characters we know. I can't wait to future stories in this series!

Rounding from a 4.5!

I loved the way the characters progressed. I liked the story and that I didn’t accurately predict everything about it. The character relationships felt believable.
The romance built slowly. It was an enjoyable read. I loved the group of friends and that while their goal was to help their friend Paul it was done by helping Louisa.

"Bargaining for the Barrister" was a good book. Not necessarily as good as I would have expected from a Covenant Communications book, but still enjoyable.

It starts with a rather common trope: matchmaking. But what's more unusual is that Louisa Cox, a young lady from Manchester, is asking for matrons to do some matchmaking for her. And it's not because she's desperate to find a husband, but because she's tired of fortune hunters pursuing her dowry - which is a bit of a weak reason. Surely there are alternative to meet young men while hiding the extent of her dowry rather than ask a lady she barely knows to find her a husband.

Moreover, I found Paul Sheldon's character a bit of a puzzle. In the first pages, I thought he had some kind of social awkwardness, perhaps some autistic traits, as he didn't seem to react well in some social situations, but then he started behaving in a more tradition fashion... so it was a little disconcerting. But I still appreciated his complicated issues regarding his place in the world and his relationship to his family. I just wished I empathised with him and Louisa a little more, their emotions could have been described a bit better. And all characters could gain in maturity - which I'm hopefully looking forward in the future books of the series.

I found the book to be a little long, there were many small twists that took a long time to be resolved, it was a little anticlimactic. I also thought that Louisa and Paul dragged on their situation of "let's not get married even though that's what I want' for too long and for weak reasons. I otherwise liked their relationship, although it lacked chemistry.

*I received an eARC and this is my honest opinion*

Louisa Cox is tired of fortune hunters pursuing her dowry. So when Lady Kellen offers to help her find an eligible suitor, Louisa eagerly accepts and makes a list of what she wants in a husband. The man selected is barrister Paul Sheldon. He may be a complete stranger, but he has one thing in his favor: he is unaware of her fortune. What Louisa did not anticipate was his curious behavior—or being so attracted to him.
When Paul catches wind of the matchmaking organization his mother and her friends are establishing, he pities the fellow who will be caught in their scheme—until he realizes he is to be their first victim. Horrified, Paul determines to thwart his mother’s plans by whatever means necessary. After meeting his intended, however, his increasing desire to be near her threatens to disrupt his convictions. Louisa is everything he could want in a wife, and when an unexpected adventure sets in motion the very plan he had determined to halt, he almost wishes his mother’s plot could succeed. But Paul harbors a secret and a past that make it impossible for him to give Louisa the life she deserves.
Paul is afraid of marriage. Louisa has the problem of falling in love with a man who is horrified of his mother's plot at matchmaking. Left with the fear that the man she loves can never love her Louisa is determined to leave and go home.
I have never read a book by Anneka Walker before but I will be on the lookout for more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This book started as a matchmaking book, and ended up much more. I will be honest and say that it had a slow start for me, I wanted to give up, it just wasn't clicking. But after I got a feel for Paul and some of his issues it started to flow better for me.
Paul has some issues in his past which have molded him in good and bad ways. He has much to work through. Louisa lost her parents a year ago in a tragic accident. Both of these characters have much healing to do.
The characters were well developed, empathy was generated, along with a desire for a happy ending.
I look forward to more books from this author along with a hopeful continuation of this series.

The last thing Paul needs in his life right now is matchmaking mothers messing with his life, deciding and pushing him into a future he cannot handle right now. He has it all figured out and he simply cannot afford a wife right now and he definitely is not ready to spill any of his problems and secrets. So when the beautiful Lousia arrives on his families doorstep, he know exactly why she is there and he wants nothing to do with it. Determined to ignore her and hopefully put an end to this marriage business, he enlists the help of his local friends, who are just as determined to put an end to it too.

Lousia wants, no she needs, a simple marriage, one where she is not being desired for her dowery. She also needs to find a way to heal from the loss of her parents last year. In an attempt to find it, she reaches out to a friend of her mother's who encourages her to let her do some matchmaking and she has the perfect gentleman in mind. When her mother's friends home become unavailable to stay in, she ends up staying with the gentleman and his family. Now she just needs to convince him that they are a match.

This was such a wonderful, emotional story! I couldn't put it down!

I love meddlesome mothers who take in the role of matchmaker. 😂 This one was even better because we got to know of their plans and the length these mothers would go to in order to set up their children. This book is set up perfectly for the next book and it will be an instant-buy for me.

It was super cute and I loved how Louisa handled her situations. She probably was my favorite character in this whole novel.

I loved Louisa's character. She is strong, positive, sassy, hopeful and full of light. Paul is headstrong and almost loses what he most desires. But he is caring and kind. I loved the 'Rebels'. I am really looking forward to reading about each of their stories. The 'musical club' is also full of strong, feisty women who love their children. This book is pure enjoyment from beginning to end.

"Bargaining for the Barrister" is a romance set in 1821 in England. Louisa knows that she has much to be grateful for, but she's grieving the loss of her parents and her local suiters are clearly just after her money. She agrees to meet a man who's kind, considerate, and doesn't know about her dowry. Will a man finally like her for herself? She tries to smile and find things to be thankful for even when things seem bad. This attitude draws Paul, but he refuses to marry until he proves himself worthy to be his parent's heir and of love.

This was a sweet, slow-building romance. The two became friends as they got to know each other and then caring turned into love. It's funny when Paul's friends try to interfere on his behalf and the match-making mamas try to force them together. But it also went deeper as the characters struggled with real issues from their past and found healing. All of the main characters were likable. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

Bargaining for the Barrister by Anneka R. Walker, 240 pages. Covenant Communications, 2022. $16.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Louisa is looking to marry someone who is not in need of her dowry, which is why she agrees to a matchmaking scheme. Paul, however, feels he is not yet ready to marry because he cannot afford to do so. His reluctance to marry coupled with his friends’ desire to dissuade their mothers from further attempts at matchmaking results in determination to drive away whoever the girl may be – even when Paul starts to see potential in the match.
Walker’s romance was a flurry of ridiculous situations, in an amusing way. I laughed aloud at the cheesy lines and awkward ideas that the characters seemed intent on following through with. The best part was when open communication stopped the madness and allowed for the happily ever after – as it often does. The mature content rating is for discussions of reputations being ruined, the the violence rating is for mentions of child abuse and neglect.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen