Mrs. Dove-Lyon arranges a marriage for Miss Amelia Fielding who is hiding from her profligate young brother. Mr. Josiah Barrymore is summoned by Mrs. Dove-Lyon to marry his best friend's sister, Amelia. A vicar who is more than a vicar, he doesn't see the advantage, until he sets his eyes on Amelia for the first time in eight years. Josiah's protective instincts and his desire for Amelia convince him to say yes. Amelia has long held an attraction for Josiah. How can she say "NO!"? He is in for a big surprise when he finds out she is capable of taking care of herself. A strong willed young wife becomes an asset for a courier.
Steaming up the windows.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I haven't read all of the Lyon's Den books, but have enjoyed most of the ones I have read. This one was no exception, though I would put it in more of the "okay" category. I liked both Josiah and Amelia. He is a not so religious or pious vicar, she is a woman striving for safety in a man's world. I enjoyed that Josiah did not persist in treating Amelia like she was fragile or incompetent and I appreciated Amelia's acceptance of a life rather different than the one she imagined. The spice was enjoyable, if a little instalust, and I could see them working as a couple.

My main reason for not loving the book is that I felt like I was missing a big amount of backstory. I am not sure if Josiah is or was part of a bigger series, but I felt like the reader was dropped into his story halfway through and never fully caught up. There were points of confusion that were never fully cleared up (how did Josiah previously know Mrs. Dove-Lyons, for example), and at least for me, it detracted from the story overall.

Three stars. Thank you to NetGalley and DragonBlade for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

A tale about meeting one’s past and a relationship blossoming from it. It is also about secrets, spies, underground networks, traitors and dastardly siblings, packed into a novella. He is honorable, protective, tender and caring. She is admirable and meets every challenge with courage and skill. Short, exciting and steamy read

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

This book was a short well written and entertaining story with a mystery which I have come to expect from this author. I was able to read this in one sitting so more of a novella. I liked both the characters, Josiah and Amelia they were both strong and practical and clever. Josiah as a vicar could have been boring but his back story as a soldier and his sexiness really brought this to life. Loved it would have loved it more as a full story rather than a novella. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoy Mrs. Dove-Lyon and her ability to match the most unlikely couples which turn out to be love matches. Josiah is a vicar with dangerous secrets and Amelia has no desire for marriage. It’s a fun read with danger mixed in. There is an attraction from the very beginning which leads to their HEA. It’s a story worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and are voluntarily leaving a review.

I always appreciate authors when they cast Mrs. Dove-Lyon in a motherly role. This book is no different. I did wonder how she was going to use wagers with a vicar but that part of the process was deleted since the characters knew each other previously. Story was solid and gave a good mystery to solve although you could see it from the get go. This si my first story for this author and I will keep my eyes out for more from her.
This was fairly steamy but only after marriage. But nothing you need to read if you wanted to skip those pages you could.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

4.5 stars

Lovely story. I liked how the heroine was able to look after herself only having to seek the help of Mrs Bessie Lyons when boxed into a corner by her rakish gambling brother. Josiah was very sexy and theres quite a few passionate scenes. He certainly knew what he liked!

Only a couple of idiosyncosies: I don't think we have clapboard churches in the Uk, unless they are non-denominational and it was said the vicar was CofE. Unlikely to hear the pulse of insects at night here in England. Rarely gets that warm!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so good. Complex, intense characters heat up the pages with drama and the intrigue. Laura Trentham continues to impress, and romance fans will eagerly await the next book.

Besides the clever concept for this series, one thing I have really liked about Lyon's Den is all the new authors it has introduced me to. This is the first Laura Trentham novel I have read and I will definitely be checking out future books by her. This story strays a little from the usual Lyon's Den formula in that there is no wager and the characters were not looking to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for a marriage match - but she does still play matchmaker to these two characters. It works here because these characters already knew one another and had a connection. The extra mystery involving Josiah's extracurricular activities added just the right amount of intrigue to keep you interested (and to make sure things were not too simple for these two). I would happily read a series about Amelia and Josiah's work for the Home Office - it's clear they are a great team.

Amelia has no one to protect her from her younger brother who wants to marry her off to a friend to get her dowry to pay debts he owes. She turns to Mrs. Dove-Lyon. The Black Widow calls in vicar Josiah and guilts him into marrying Amelia. When the vicar’s side job brings danger they realize they must work together. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

This book was a short and entertaining story. I read it in one sitting. I liked the characters, Josiah and Amelia. They were both strong and practical. Josiah may be a vicar, but he has this story on fire. I haven't read many if Laura Trentham's book but have enjoyed the few that I have.
I received this book from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for an honest review.