A new series from USA Today Bestseller Jess Michaels!!!After a surprisingly passionate wedding day, Viscount Colin Wharton begins to believe he could overcome a painful betrayal in his past and truly make a future with his new wife Jane. But a shocking betrayal crushes his heart. He sends her away, determined to forget her.Viscountess Jane Wharton has no idea what hardened her husband’s heart to … what hardened her husband’s heart to her, but she is trying to make the best of her banishment. When she returns to London, she hopes to simply avoid Colin. But that is not to be. As the couple reunites in a clash of harsh words and heated passions, both begin to wonder if they could overcome the past.
Only a secret lurks that is darker than anything either could have imagined. And they will have to fight to survive, as well as fight for the love they both deserve.
Novella Length
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4.5 stars
On their wedding day, Colin, Viscount Wharton witnesses his new wife Jane betraying him with another man. On the advice of his cousin and best friend, he banishes Jane to the country.
Jane has no idea why Colin sent her away, nor has he replied to any of her letters. She has stayed in the country and made a life for herself, but when her beloved sister gives birth, nothing will keep her from returning to London. She doesn’t plan on seeing Colin during her visit, but that plan is shot when the “Scandal Sheet” reports that she is in town and ponders the reason she was exiled.
Colin learns that Jane is in town and immediately goes to see her, instead of sending her back to the country as he planned, he ends up insisting that she lives at his house while she is in town and act his wife in public. She agrees and learns that Colin might hate her, but he still desires her.
They are electric together and Jane has hope that they will finally put the past behind them and move on, but Colin struggles with his feelings, he desires her, but she betrayed him, how can he trust her? When the truth of the betrayal is revealed in a shocking twist, Jane is devastated and returns to the country. Is it too late for these two? Can love heal the wound between them or is the cut too deep?
This was a well written, nicely paced, fully fleshed out novella, it never felt rushed or incomplete, the author gives enough backstory to support the current plot and doesn’t rush the ending. The chemistry and emotion between Jane and Colin is obvious, the love scenes are smoking hot and the ending was heartwarming. There are a couple of inconsistencies, but they will probably be corrected prior to publication, but even if they are not, they are minor and don’t really impact the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
The Return of Lady Jane by Jess Michaels
The Scandal Sheets #1
Ms Michaels has stepped out into a new series that begins with a marriage of convenience gone awry. Viscount Colin Wharton has trouble with trust and something he sees the evening he has said his marriage vows has him sending his new bride, Lady Jane, away to the country. How the two manage to achieve their HEA is what this story is about and it takes them a fair bit of time and some honest communication before they manage to the love they both so richly deserve.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Description
After a surprisingly passionate wedding day, Viscount Colin Wharton begins to believe he could overcome a painful betrayal in his past and truly make a future with his new wife Jane. But a shocking betrayal crushes his heart. He sends her away, determined to forget her.
Viscountess Jane Wharton has no idea what hardened her husband’s heart to her, but she is trying to make the best of her banishment. When she returns to London, she hopes to simply avoid Colin. But that is not to be. As the couple reunites in a clash of harsh words and heated passions, both begin to wonder if they could overcome the past.
Only a secret lurks that is darker than anything either could have imagined. And they will have to fight to survive, as well as fight for the love they both deserve.
My Thoughts:
I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one sitting.
This is book number one in Jess Michaels newest series and not to be missed.
Colin has had no luck with women. Now he is married to a woman that is essentially an arranged marriage orchestrated by his mother.
On the eve of his wedding he thinks his bride has betrayed him with her previous admirer. This is not true but he must believe what his eyes tell him so he sends her away.
Months later when her sister has just delivered a baby Jane returns without notifying her estranged husband.
Will their reunion be one of bliss or headache?
I have this long novella 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a medium sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames.
This couple are obviously attracted to each other in spite of their misconceptions.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of book from the author to read via NetGalley.
This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Viscount Colin Wharton has trust issues based in part from a betrayal of a lady in his past. When he believes his new wife, Jane, seemingly betrays him, he acts swiftly and banishes her to one of his country estates. Jane has no idea why Colin’s affections have turned cold against her and she writes him a number of letter pleading with him to explain his actions.
From the opening pages it was not hard to figure out who the villain was in this novella and the hero Colin was not a favorite of mine. He acted rashly, listening to others, instead of investigating the incident himself. I did warm up to him a bit as the story progressed, but the hurt and damage he caused Jane seemed too great for her to ever forgive him. There is a lot of sex in this novella and while I don’t mind sex scenes, there were too many scenes for my tastes.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This was such a good novella (featuring a slightly bananas villain monologue that you kind of have to read to believe–I’m a sucker for those). I adored Colin and Jane, both together and individually. Each had such strong personalities. Jane was lovely and Colin was understandable despite the fact he was so ready to believe the worst. The work he did to win her back when he realized her mistake was wonderfully written and believable as well and the end was so satisfying. A great way to spend an afternoon.
Lady Jane Wharton is returning to London after six months of banishment at hew new husband, Colin’s, country estate. She has no idea what caused her banishment after a passionate afternoon spent in her new husband’s arms before their wedding ball and hopes to simply avoid him while she’s in London.
Viscount Colin Wharton was just beginning to think he could overcome the betrayal of his first love, whom he had hoped to marry, and move on with Jane. All hopes come crashing down when he sees Jane kissing her former suitor on the terrace outside their own wedding ball. Crushed by this shocking second betrayal and cursing his own hopefulness, Colin immediately banishes his new wife to his country estate without waiting or asking for an explanation.
Jane has now returned to London to visit her beloved sister’s new baby boy and Colin, unwilling to undergo the embarrassment of having his wife in the same city but not under the same roof, demands she move into his house. When the two reunite, their passion is explosive, but Colin reminds himself that he knows Jane’s unfaithful character and can’t risk himself again. Soon it becomes apparent that there may be something darker working against this pair and they may be forced to actually communicate.
This was a quick read but I enjoyed it and devoured it quickly. Like all novellas, it was a quick development and resolution but I didn’t feel like the characters’ relationships were rushed, perhaps because the hero and heroine were already married. All in all a great read.
I received a complimentary ARC via NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved the last book I read by Jess Michaels, so I was so happy to be allowed to read an ARC of this one, the first of a new series. This was a novella instead of a full length book. I normally don’t care for novellas; I often feel cheated, like I was missing a full story or character development. That’s not a problem here. Ms. Michaels masterfully crafts a full-bodied story without leaving anything out.
Viscount Colin Wharton marries the beautiful Jane. It’s an arranged match, but passion and caring are obviously there. Until, immediately after the wedding, Colin spies Jane in what he is led to believe is betrayal. He banishes Jane to his country estate without any explanation whatsoever. For six months Jane writes to Colin, never receiving an answer. She returns to London to see her sister, and Colin learns about it in the scandal sheet. He goes to see her….
This is a steamy, heartbreaking and heartfelt story. It’s apparent right from the start who the villain is, but that in no way ruined the story for me. I found Colin to be a weak hero, easily led to believe the worst about his wife. However, when he begins to write letters to Jane, my heart thawed toward him. I spent the last quarter of this book battling tears. Jane is the strong character who drives the entire story. You can’t help but admire her. Can’t wait for the next book!
I received as ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
In this short novella, Colin, Lord Wharton, marries Jane but sends her away after he thinks she betrayed him with a past love. Six months later, Jane returns to London and Colin must decide what to do with his errant wife. Meanwhile, Jane does not understand why her husband is treating her like this.
I really didn’t like the first half of the story. Colin is an arse and a prig, and just stupid in his treatment of his innocent wife. I liked the second half better when Jane stands up for herself, and Colin decides to romance her to make up for his behavior. The sex scenes are steamy as one would expect in a Jess Michaels book, but I wish she had made this a full-length novel so we could see some of the build-up to the wedding and more of their separation.
This is the first in a new series for Ms. Michaels. I generally like her writing though I find her stories sometimes hit-or-miss. There was enough here to continue with the series.
A story that captured my heart from the start and would not let me go until the end.
An arranged marriage that began with the groom, Colin, trying to still heal from a prior betrayal, believes his new wife has cheated on him! Are you serious? Well the wounded heart can only see what it wants, so he sends her to the country for six months. She corresponds with Colin but never receives a word.
But when her sister is to give birth, she travels to London to be with her. Word gets out she is in town by the Scandal Sheets who wonder where she has been! Of course Colin sees it and comes to see her and insist she stay in town at his house. Can they be happy now?
They are so sizzling together but it seems there are people pushing them apart. Full of surprises, angst and romance, I could not wait to see what would happen!
This was such a well written novella that Jess Michaels excels at with her eloquent words that paint a wonderful picture in your head. I cannot wait to read more in this series and recommend it to all lovers of historical romance.
The Return of Lady Jane
The Scandal Sheet book 1
by Jess Micheals
An amazing beginning to what looks like another winning new series.
After numerous betrayals and the annulments from previous betrothals which resulted to not trusting his heart Colin Wharton has finally found love and finally marriage. Unfortunaly he believes his wife has betrayed him and banishes her without a word to the country home.
Lady Jane can’t believe the man she has pledged her life and body to has turned into an uncomprimising rock, what has brought this change in her husband? A fast paced page turner keeps you engaged to the very last page. Don’t miss this new series of second chances. Can they get through the misunderstanding and communicate? Is their marriage doomed? Well written and captivating. Can’t wait for the next in the series.
I recieved a complimentary copy from the publishervia NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
The Return of Lady Jane by Jess Michaels is book One in The Scandal Sheets Series. This is the story of Viscount Colin Wharton and Viscountess Jane Wharton.
Colin has a past hurt that has caused him to mistrust Jane. When a misunderstanding of sorts add to his doubts he sends her away. But Jane comes back and he moves forward to keep the gossip down about the two…but is the chance for them to clear the air?
Enjoyed this quick hot read!!
After tremendous heartbreak, Colin agrees to an arranged marriage to the lovely Jane. Leading up to their wedding day, the couple fall in love and can’t even wait until the wedding breakfast to consummate their marriage. After a manipulation by a third party, old wounds are ripped apart and Colin sends his new bride to his country estate, far away from his heart. After months of lost chances, Jane returns to London to be with her sister after the birth of her nephew. Once Colin and Jane meet face to face, even the months of hurt can’t keep them apart.
Michaels starts her new novella series off with a bang. The Scandal Sheet series begins with a story published in a London newspaper about the reappearance of Jane, Viscountess Wharton. This story isn’t told like a typical novella. Once the major misunderstanding is resolved, Michaels goes on to tell the tale of healing between this unusual pair. Colin comes to learn how to trust after so many years of pain, while Jane takes her heartache and learns to love Colin in a new way.
One down, five to go! If this novella is anything like what is to come, Michaels has another hit series on her hands. I can’t wait to read what these women have in store for us.
I received The Return of Lady Jane for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I really enjoyed this short story, but I did kind of wish that it had been a bit longer or even a full sized novel, as just when I really got to connect with both the characters of Colin and Jane, the story was over.
It was still a very exciting story to read and a very good start to this new series. The writing was very good and engaging, and the plot was most surprising and original, and I absolutely loved the cover of this book as it’s just so pretty.
Im looking forward to reading more from this author and this wonderful series.
4 Great Stars!
A novella but what a punch it packs. Second chance stories are some of my favorites and this story is full of lies, redemption, and love. I love both Colin and Jane (not always the case in a lot of romances). They are both confused by how they feel and what they believe is wrong with their marriage but still feel the connection that we love reading about in these stories. Could have kept on reading about them. Great start to a new series.
A complimentary copy was provided by the author through NetGalley.
After a surprisingly passionate wedding day, Viscount Colin Wharton begins to believe he could overcome a painful betrayal in his past and truly make a future with his new wife Jane. Then a shocking betrayal crushes his heart. He sends her away, determined to forget her.
Jane has no idea what hardened her husband’s heart to her, but she is trying to make the best of her banishment. When she returns to London six months later to see her new nephew, she hopes to simply avoid Colin.
This novella is the first in a new series & for a short story packs a punch. The pace is very good, I read it in a sitting. Also for a book of 100 pages the characters are well developed & have plenty of depth. I really liked Jane & surprisingly I also liked Colin even though I kept wanting to shout ‘talk to her’. The pair are attracted to each other but they don’t trust each other, then events take a twist that makes them both reassess their marriage. A thoroughly enjoyable story that went from sweet to steamy, I look forward to the rest of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I am not normally a fan of novellas, but this is definitely an exception to that. This novella felt fully fleshed out and complete – I felt as if I had read a full-length novel. It is a lovely beginning to a new series by this author and I can hardly wait to read the next books. It is excellently-written, well-plotted and the characters are memorable.
Viscount Colin Wharton had an unfortunate history with betrothals, so he could hardly believe his luck when his arranged marriage was to someone he found very attractive. However, a past betrayal by a former betrothed made him very susceptible to hints that his new wife has also betrayed him. So, the morning after his wedding, he banishes his new wife to the country and forbids her to come back to London. He gives her no explanation, he just banishes her.
Jane Wharton is a very lovely, sweet and caring young woman who has come to care for the man to whom she is betrothed. She is looking forward to her marriage – especially after the passionate afternoon they spent before the wedding ball. She is dismayed, shocked and very, very hurt when her husband suddenly banishes her to the country. She has no idea what she may have done. She writes him time after time, but never hears a word from him.
Jane is very close to her sister, Alicia, and when Alicia gives birth, Jane heads to London whether her husband likes it or not. He probably won’t even know that she’s there. Then, there was the scandal sheet that published all of the details of her travel and arrival, so he’d definitely know she was there.
Not long after she arrives at her sister’s home, Colin arrives and demands that she stay at his home. That brings them into proximity and the attraction roars to life. Colin is drawn more and more to Jane, but there are forces determined to keep them apart. Can Colin overcome those forces? Can he win Jane back given all of the hurt he’s caused her?
It was a lovely read and I highly recommend it. I loved Jane from the first page and strangely enough, I also loved Colin from the beginning. He was misled and misguided, but he was also very lovable. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him grow as a man.
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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.”