The Renegade Wife kicks off the new Children of Empire series, companion stories to award-winning author Caroline Warfield’s Dangerous series. Raised with all the privilege of the English aristocracy, forged on the edges of the British Empire, men and woman of the early Victorian age seek their own destiny and make their mark on history. The Renegade Wife is the story of healing and a … Renegade Wife is the story of healing and a journey home, of choices and the freedom to make them, set in 1832 in Upper Canada and in England.
Two hearts betrayed by love…
Desperate and afraid, Meggy Blair will do whatever it takes to protect her children. She’d hoped to find sanctuary from her abusive husband with her Ojibwa grandmother, but can’t locate her. When her children fall ill, she finds shelter in an isolated cabin in Upper Canada. But when the owner unexpectedly returns, he’s furious to find squatters disrupting his self-imposed solitude.
Reclusive businessman Rand Wheatly had good reason to put an ocean between himself and the family that deceived him. He just wants the intrusive woman gone, but it isn’t long before Meggy and the children start breaking down the defensive walls he’s built. But their fragile interlude is shattered when Meggy’s husband appears to claim his children, threatening to have Rand jailed.
The only way for Meggy to protect Rand is to leave him. But when her husband takes her and the children to England, Meggy discovers he’s far more than an abuser; what he’s involved in endangers all their lives. To rescue the woman who has stolen his heart, Rand must follow her and do what he swore he’d never do: reconcile with his aristocratic family and finally uncover the truth behind all the lies. But time is running out for them all.
Other Books in the Children of the Empire series:
The Reluctant Wife – coming April 2017
The Unexpected Wife – coming October 2017
Dangerous series
In the world of the English Regency, four friends face unique challenges as they face the most terrifying risk of all: opening themselves to love and desire.
Dangerous Works 1816
Dangerous Weakness 1818
Dangerous Secrets 1820
A Dangerous Nativity 1815 (prequel, novella)
more
Loved this book! I enjoyed the charactets.
Felt like I was right there in every scene. Writer gives a realistic view without being too wordy.
Most of the ‘get a wife’ novels were set in western US, but this was different, in Canada and Great Britain. I loved the difference!
Face paced novel that while you are reading the book you are not sure how it is going to end. Characters in the story are all fascinating. Settings in both Canada and England are described well. So much so the you can envision the places and what they look like in your mind. I liked the novel very much.
Thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel. I was happy to learn that this is one book in a series of three books. I so enjoyed the book that I have already purchased the second book and am currently reading it.
Hefty Story.
Meggy is an abused wife in a time when a woman was a man’s property and there was no way out once a marriage had been made. To protect her children she flees but returns to her husband in order to protect the man (Rand) who sheltered them from facing prosecution. However her truly evil husband plans to dispose of their son who has overheard things that he shouldn’t about a counterfeiting ring. Luckily Drew manages to escape and get help. Rand kidnaps Meggy and her daughter taking them to safety and reuniting them with Drew. Once again Meggy is free of her husband but in order to avoid a life on the run, returns to gather evidence in order to send her husband to gaol for counterfeiting. Things do not necessarily go to plan though.
Set in both Canada and England this is not an easy read but the bravery and “mother lioness” attitude of Meggy is inspiring.
Disclaimer: I won this book in an author competition.
*Book source ~ Kindlke Lending Library
Rand Wheatly comes home from a business trip to find a woman and her two children have taken up residence. While he would love nothing more than to throw them out, he realizes that with one child injured and one sick and winter just starting, he’d be sending them out to their deaths. So, he reluctantly lets them stay.
Meggy Campeau hates that she had to take shelter inside a stranger’s home, but the welfare of her children are more important than her pride or her ideals. She understands the owner of the pretty home is mad at their break in, but she’s done her best not to disturb anything except what is needed to tend her children. Rand and Meggy form an uneasy alliance, but when her husband comes looking for them, the shit hits the fan.
Set in 1832 in Canada and England, this story really brings home the plight of women when they are married to an abusive asshole. Women have no rights and Meggy’s plight showcases that painfully. The story is heartfelt, full of action, and is quite the read. The reason I scored it low (if 3 is low) is because I just couldn’t make myself like Rand. I tried. I really did. But I just couldn’t stand him. Don’t let that stop you though. You’ll probably love him. Or at least like him. In any case, the story is worth the read whatever you think of him. The ending sets up another book in this world and I’m looking forward to getting my hot little hands on it.
complex characters that you understand as the story develops. Great piece of history and very well paced drama.
This book sucked me in from the first word on the first page and it is still holding me hostage. The characters are so well defined, even the villains, that you feel you know everything there is to know about them. Some of them you want to hug and keep near and others you want to help them fall in a hole that they can never crawl out of. I loved Meggy and the kids and Rand is just wonderful. His transformation from gruff, reclusive curmudgeon to open, honest and loving is a wonderful thing to see.
Meggy has lived in hell for ten years. She never thought it would be that way. How could she have misjudged the man she married so badly? Now, it isn’t just Meggy he is beating, abusing, and battering, he’s started on their children and she can’t have that. This last time, he broke Drew’s arm – just pulled it up behind his back and snapped it – all because sweet little Drew tried to save his mother. Then, he grabbed tiny little Lena up by her ankles and held her above the floor and threatened to drop her on her head. Meggy and the children head out as soon as they can get away – but it is the beginning of winter in Canada and they are on foot. Where is she running to? She’s going to try to find her Ojibwa grandmother but has no idea where she is.
Lena caught a fever and Meggy has luckily stumbled upon a cabin in the woods. Nobody is home and from some talk she overheard on the trail, the owner won’t be back for several days. She’s a highly moral person, but she has no choice, she simply has to get Lena inside so she can nurse her. She’ll only stay for a day or two – just until she can get Lena’s fever to break.
Rand Wheatley has had many hurts and disappointments in his life. He’d finally had enough when his cousin who is a Duke stole the woman that Rand loved and wanted to marry. So, he packed up his belongings and moved to Canada and he never intended to return to England. In the six years he’s been in Canada, he has grown his own holdings and has also purchased many acres in partnership with his brother-in-law. Rand doesn’t want anybody’s company, he lives alone and he likes it that way.
When Rand arrives home, he finds squatters in his home and he is furious. He flings Meggy out the door and doesn’t believe she’s there with her children. He thinks she’s there to steal from him, to trick him – after all – women absolutely cannot be trusted. Then, he sees a young boy and realizes there are children here. He then finds out one of them is very ill. Meggy is banging on the door to get back in to get her children. Rand is determined that they should leave – he doesn’t want them invading his home – but – they can leave tomorrow – when it is light. That scenario goes on for days – and turns into weeks.
She tells Rand their story and he’s determined to help her find her grandmother, but when the worst happens and her abusive husband finds them, Rand realizes what they have come to mean to him. Then, the real action begins. Rand chases them all the way to England – he’ll do whatever it takes to save them.
The story will keep your emotions high and your mind engaged. There are so many ups and downs to Meggy’s situation. She and the children face so much danger. I just felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride – never knowing which way it would turn next or what new danger it would bring.
The only thing wrong with this story was that it ended and I didn’t want it to. I wanted to travel back to Canada with them. I wanted to know if Rand started his sawmill and if he did was it successful. I wanted to know if he put Douglas Gibb out of business. I wanted to know if Rand and Meggy had children and, if so, how many. I just wasn’t through with this wonderful story and wanted more! Oh! It was a full book – I just wanted more.
I highly recommend this book and the entire series. This author never disappoints.
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Different plot. Held my interest
Great book truly enjoyed reading it!
I really hate books that describe the heroine as blue eyes, midnight black hair and dusky skin and then put a blonde on the cover. I made it about 50% they before I moved on to something else.
I loved this great romance. Liked too it was placed in a location that no one seems to place their historical fiction books. Just a great story.
This is a well-written book and an engrossing story. The intriguing characters are fully developed memorable. Please do not miss this book; it is a worthwhile read from an excellent author.
I couldn’t finish the book. The story wasn’t great; the amount of tragedy was overwhelming and the characters don’t have a great relationship. The characters think about the situation too much and have very little dialog with one another.
I loved the story, but I had such a hard time with Rand’s growling and barking at everything and everyone. It just seemed so violent. Maybe it’s true to the time, I just thought there were too many beatings. The two kids were wonderful, and I admire the mom, there was just too much violence to be an enjoyable book for me.
Loved the book
Easy read and very enjoyable
Enjoy this book very much. Felt very close to Leggy. Could see all the surrounding very clear and felt connected to both Leggy and Rand
Nice to read a novel from a different area than the usual. I like historical stories that give me an insight to what life was like in another time period. This one sure affirms society has advanced a great deal in good ways to alliw women to protect themselves.