She’d done it Plain, invisible Evelyn had escaped… Fed up with being a doormat to her evil stepmother, heiress Evelyn Bradshaw pays a dissolute rake to pose as her betrothed so she can secure her freedom. But then her fake fiance leaves her with his estranged brother Finn Matlock and disappears Having withdrawn from the world, Finn knows the last thing he needs is the temptation of a woman, … woman, especially one like Evie. She has an irritating habit of causing chaos wherever she goes and being in places she shouldn’t…including, as he soon learns, his heart
more
eview may contain spoilers…
The Regency romance, Miss Bradshaw’s Bought Betrothal (Harlequin Historical, 2017) is Virginia Heath’s charming take on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. This Regency romance tells the tale of a heroine who refuses to be bullied, and a reclusive hero consumed by a guilty conscience.
Miss Evelyn “Evie” Bradshaw is a sweet young lady in desperate need of a backbone. When the courage to defend herself against the cruel jibes of her step-mother and beautiful step-sisters fails, Evie devises a plan to remove herself from their close proximity…she buys herself a pretend fiancé — Fergus Matlock, the ne’er-do-well Marquis of Stanford. But upon her arrival in Yorkshire at Stanford’s family seat, Evie’s careful planning is all for naught. Her fake fiancé has disappeared, and his twin brother demands she immediately leave his home.
The fact that Lord Stanford even has a sibling, never mind a twin, nearly ruins everything, but she refuses to allow even this detail to interfere with her planned independence. While Evie struggles to maintain control of her destiny, Finn wonders how it is possible for him to resent and desire this young woman all at the same time.
I liked Evie. She is funny, compassionate and a character that came off the page as realistic. We can all relate to someone who doesn’t like conflict and to someone who really wishes they could speak their mind, but just can’t get the words out. I do wish though that Evie had confronted her step-mother & sisters out of her own desire to put them in their place rather than as a reaction to Finn delivering his scathing opinions on their behavior. Finn is a charming, but cranky hero, but beneath that irritable exterior is a thoughtful, kind and loving man.
Overall, Miss Bradshaw’s Bought Betrothal is a well-crafted Regency romance with realistically-drawn characters, a charming story, and witty dialogue. It’s a fun read with serious but not heavy, undertones.
I am left with a question though…is Fergus Matlock, the feckless Marquis of Stanford, going to get his own story? Should Iris?
This is a cute Cinderella story. While heiress Evelyn Bradshaw has the requisite evil step-mother and step-sisters, Finn Matlock is not Prince Charming. He is a widower who blames himself for his wife’s death. She was ill for a long time and he has shut himself away believing he should have found a way to save her. When Evelyn and her great-aunt, needing a temporary place to stay, descend upon his estate they shake-up his solitary life, much to his dismay. There’s also Finn’s no good brother involved. I enjoyed this book and the changes both Evie and Finn made to reach their HEA.
Another wonderful book from Virginia Heath. This is a charming take on the Cinderella story and I just loved it. A sweet, funny heroine, a quirky aunt and a hero in need of saving make this a delightful read.
Miss Bradshaw is a stand alone as far as I can tell and just the thing to brighten anyone’s mood.
In searching for my next book to read through my overloaded TBR pile, I came across this lovely looking book by Virginia Heath. Remembering that several book blogger friends had recommended it highly, I immediately dove in! This is Virginia Heath’s version of Cinderella. After reading it, I do believe I like Ms. Heath’s version the best! 😉
Finnegan “Finn” Matlock is nothing like the Prince Charming we’ve read in our fairy tales. Finn is a rude, obnoxious and miserable man who would prefer to be left alone. So when his selfish scoundrel of a twin brother Fergus dumps his fiancé Evie and her elderly Aunt Winnie in his home and disappears, Finn is not happy.
Evelyn “Evie” Bradshaw is our Cinderella. For ten long years, she’s suffered the emotional abuse of her stepmother and two stepsisters. A spur of the moment plan leads her to hire Fergus Matlock as her fake fiancé to finally help gain her freedom.
Oh my, how I fell in love with Finn & Evie! Evie is such a good-hearted, generous, and selfless young woman who has spent the last ten years being torn down emotionally by her evil stepfamily. She has little self-esteem left and yet there’s still that glimmer of hope, a spark inside her wanting to escape and live and have all the things she dreams of. She’s the type of heroine you start rooting for from the very beginning and rejoice when she finally blossoms into the person you knew she could be. As for Finn, I have to admit I liked him from the beginning. There was something under all the gruff, rude behavior that says he’s hurting and hiding from his past. He’s a good man just struggling with guilt that’s preventing him from moving on with his life. Together these two were absolutely perfect for each other. I loved the banter between them and although Evie is known to be a doormat, when it came to Finn she gave as good as she got! They were a lovely couple who went through a lot in their past to get to their well deserved HEA.
Although this story focused mainly on Evie and Finn and their interactions between each other, it did have some fabulous secondary characters with Hyacinth as the evil stepmother and of course the fabulous Aunt Winnie. This was a wonderful story of new beginnings with an ending that was absolutely perfect. 5/5 stars.