London, 1866Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society.
Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers.But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.
When Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But unfortunately, he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids, who have been terrorizing the boroughs of London, eager to gain both money and power.
Heartbroken, Gemma agrees to help, but she warns Barnabus that she will not stay for long, and once she goes, he'll never see her again.
Yet as the couple follows the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London's criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma's life might now save Barnabus—and his lonely heart.
But before the once-confirmed bachelor can properly court his secret bride, they'll need to evade the dangerous forces that are drawing ever closer to the hopeful lovers and the entire Dread Penny Society itself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2019’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, The Lady and the Highwayman, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner.
Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.
REVIEW
Bachelor and the Bride is the fourth installment of the Dread Penny Series. This series is best read in order since there's an overall plot that overarches the whole series. The author wrote two dread penny stories that mirror some of the action in the overall story. This book had many exciting twists and turns and unexpected developments. The characters were interesting and well-developed. After reading it, I messaged a few other bookstagrammers/bloggers that were set to review it to ask their opinion on a few characters. I also scanned the other books in the series to try and figure out what the author would write in the fifth book. The author's dropped a few clues and hints in the story and a few of the other books in the series from the very beginning, but it's hard to guess where she's going and figure out what are the misdirects. This book was really exciting to read, but also frustrating since I wanted to read the next book in the series right after this one. Overall, I liked how the story developed and it was exciting and entertaining to read. The next book in the series is on my must read for 2023. For proper romance fans, this series is a must read. I also enjoyed reading the resurrectionist part of this story. It reminded me of some of the research in Mary Roach's book Stiff. To learn more about the Bachelor and the Bride, click here.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Life Is What It's Called - How many books can we expect in this series?
Sarah Eden - There will be five books in the Dread Penny Society series.
Life Is What It's Called - What character are you most like in this series so far?
Sarah Eden - I see a great deal of myself in both Elizabeth Black and Móirín Donnelly. I have that drive to work and see things through that is so much a part of Elizabeth. And, though I’m usually as mild mannered and quietly well behaved as Elizabeth generally is, when the situation calls for it, I can be forceful and focused like Móirín. I’ve even been told I can, at times, be intimidating, which is one of her defining traits. It’s a somewhat odd mixture, but I’m sometimes a rather odd person.
Sarah Eden - There will be five books in the Dread Penny Society series.
Life Is What It's Called - What character are you most like in this series so far?
Sarah Eden - I see a great deal of myself in both Elizabeth Black and Móirín Donnelly. I have that drive to work and see things through that is so much a part of Elizabeth. And, though I’m usually as mild mannered and quietly well behaved as Elizabeth generally is, when the situation calls for it, I can be forceful and focused like Móirín. I’ve even been told I can, at times, be intimidating, which is one of her defining traits. It’s a somewhat odd mixture, but I’m sometimes a rather odd person.
Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about The Bachelor and the Bride?
Sarah Eden - So many of the threads from earlier books come together in The Bachelor and the Bride, and the mystery deepens. I’ve been laying the groundwork for some of the things that happen in this book since the very beginning of the series. I think readers will also really enjoy watching our hero and heroine fall in love. They’re an adorable couple, with hidden strengths and a delightful connection.
Life Is What It's Called - What challenges have you discovered in writing this series?
Sarah Eden - Each book in the series contains chapters of two additional stories–Victorian Era penny dreadfuls, written by characters in the books. It is such a challenge to write them the way those characters would rather than doing so in my own voice or my own style. That aspect of this series has truly stretched me as an author.
Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on?
Sarah Eden - We are in the editing stages of the final installment in the Dread Penny Society series. I have another book also being edited. And I am drafting a fun and lighthearted early 19th-Century romance and am really enjoying it.
Life Is What It's Called - What's your favorite part about writing this particular novel?
Sarah Eden - I don’t know if I have a single “favorite,” but I found the research I did about the resurrectionist trade truly fascinating. Studying the how and why of that grim part of the London underworld was both chilling and riveting.
Life Is What It's Called -What is something that readers should know about you?
Sarah Eden - I find history so endlessly fascinating that I spend my free time studying simply out of curiosity. I am always eager to explore new places and new eras. The longer I write and the more books I pen, the more time periods I’ll likely write about. There are so many stories to be told that I couldn’t imagine confining myself to a single place and time.
Sarah Eden - So many of the threads from earlier books come together in The Bachelor and the Bride, and the mystery deepens. I’ve been laying the groundwork for some of the things that happen in this book since the very beginning of the series. I think readers will also really enjoy watching our hero and heroine fall in love. They’re an adorable couple, with hidden strengths and a delightful connection.
Life Is What It's Called - What challenges have you discovered in writing this series?
Sarah Eden - Each book in the series contains chapters of two additional stories–Victorian Era penny dreadfuls, written by characters in the books. It is such a challenge to write them the way those characters would rather than doing so in my own voice or my own style. That aspect of this series has truly stretched me as an author.
Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on?
Sarah Eden - We are in the editing stages of the final installment in the Dread Penny Society series. I have another book also being edited. And I am drafting a fun and lighthearted early 19th-Century romance and am really enjoying it.
Life Is What It's Called - What's your favorite part about writing this particular novel?
Sarah Eden - I don’t know if I have a single “favorite,” but I found the research I did about the resurrectionist trade truly fascinating. Studying the how and why of that grim part of the London underworld was both chilling and riveting.
Life Is What It's Called -What is something that readers should know about you?
Sarah Eden - I find history so endlessly fascinating that I spend my free time studying simply out of curiosity. I am always eager to explore new places and new eras. The longer I write and the more books I pen, the more time periods I’ll likely write about. There are so many stories to be told that I couldn’t imagine confining myself to a single place and time.
Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog. This post is in cooperation with the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing.
No comments :
Post a Comment