“Build a wall about your heart.” Riordan Wollstonecraft labors under the heavy burden of his forebears. For generations, a curse has followed the dashing young men of his family, guaranteeing the women they love an untimely death. The youngest grandson of the Earl of Wollstonecraft Hall, charismatic Riordan is quietly resigned to his fate, an educator who devotes his life to good works, and … life to good works, and ignores any longing for something more . . .
Widowed and penniless, Lady Sabrina Lakeside is desperate to avoid a second forced betrothal—this time to an aged marquess. Her chance encounter with Riordan leads her to an impulsive offer: a temporary marriage of convenience that could benefit them both. His agreement is as surprising as it is welcome. Before long, Riordan’s keen intellect and kind words have Sabrina rethinking her plans of a union in name only. But her new husband is holding something back. Will giving in to their tantalizing passion lead her only to further heartache . . . or could it be the first step toward healing them both?
“Karyn Gerrard writes very enjoyable, richly textured historical romances.”
—Kate Pearce, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
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Such a lucky find! Had never heard of this author before finding this book on a list of “cinnamon roll” characters. Absolutely loved this story and especially the main characters. Am looking forward to reading more in this series and more by this author!
Love it
If you like romantic stories that are exciting, read this book.
Marriage with a Proper Stranger is book one in the Men Of Wollstonecraft Hall series by Karyn Gerrard. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is my first time to read Gerrard’s work. She takes real people from the past and weaves them into the story. The Wollstonecraft men are plagued by a family curse that guarantees the death of the women they love. Riordan the youngest grandson of the Earl of Wollstonecraft Hall is resigned to his fate of being alone. He pours himself into being an educator and doing good works under another name. Lady Sabrina Lakeside is a beautiful widow who is desperate to escape being married to a lecherous and aging marquess. Will Riordan be her knight in shining armor? What will happen when Sabrina learns of his true identity and the curse he lives under?
“The schoolmaster was not a docile, plain man of middling years, but a tall, handsome young man who took her breath away. She’d never seen such virility before, never mind being in such close proximity to it. Her heart fluttered, and Sabrina was shocked at her response, for it was strange and foreign. He dressed plainly, wearing a black frock coat stretched across broad shoulders, with a simply tied black cravat. No spectacles; all the better to see his piercing light blue eyes. His wavy black hair gleamed in the bright sunlight.”I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series by Gerrard.
enjoyed reading it
Boring with a heroine who is not just pathetic, but useless. You will never understand what the hero sees in her.
“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” –Jane Austen
This is part of the Men of Wollstonecraft Hall series
Book 1: Marriage with a Proper Stranger: [Riordan and Sabrina]
Book 2: Scandal with a Sinful Scot: [Garrett and Abigail Hughes] estimated pub date: June 5, 2018
Book 3: Love with a Notorious Rake [Aidan and Cristyn Bevan] estimated pub date: Dec 4, 2018
Rating: MA: mature audience: explicit and graphic sex scenes, trigger warnings of violence, graphic descriptions of an abusive marriage and what she was subjected to in the bedroom at her husband’s hands. He was a pig…
Does the name Wollstonecraft sound familiar? Yeah, they are distant relations to THE Wollstonecraft ladies… [Mary and her daughter Mary Shelley]. However, these guys have their own problems with notoriety… such as a generations old curse on the men. The family graveyard is full of those that have fallen due to the curse… all wives of the Wollstonecraft men. Every woman that married into the family has died… and for different reasons… either before, during, or after child birth, from complications or from other circumstances/causes. Any man that falls in love… will lose her. The Hall is full of Wollstonecraft men: we have the patriarch, Grandfather Oliver, the earl, his son Julian, the viscount, his twin sons: heir Aidan, and Riordan, and uncle Garrett [Julian’s half-brother]. Each man has been admonished by Oliver to guard his heart.
When Riordan was a child he and Aidan were playing in the attic and came across an old chest full of ledgers. Riordan read of an entry back in 1704 where an ancestor had visited a Scottish sorceress and begged her to have the curse removed. She said that “only a love bond by all the living men of the family during a lunar year would break the curse.”
“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” –Maya Angelou
Sabrina Durning Lakeside [Lady Pepperdon, widow to Charles Lakeside, Earl of Pepperdon] was finally leaving her mourning period. Her father was insisting that she marry again ASAP and his choice was another man nearly twice her age. Since her father had arranged her horrid abusive first marriage… she wasn’t about to let him chose for her again. She had been forced to return to her father’s house after the death of her husband. She had been the second wife and his heir had kicked her out with nothing. No provisions had been made for her in the marriage settlements in case something happened to earl. The reason for this would not be revealed until later. Her father was himself preparing to remarry in hopes of getting that son and heir that he didn’t get when she was born. Plus, he needed the lady’s dowry in order to pay off his creditors. He wanted Sebrina out of the house as she was in the way.
Sabrina had a plan and all she needed was a temporary husband. She only needed to throw off her father so she could live her life in independence and comfort. Enter schoolmaster Riordan Black [Wollstonecraft], who was not using his complete name as it spooked people and caused them to be uncomfortable. She just knew he would help her. They could marry and then have it annulled after a few months and then she could live comfortably on her settlement. Little did she know that her miserly father didn’t have a settlement for her. Her first husband had paid him for her at an auction her father held to the highest bidder. Unknown to her, her father was again offering her for a price. It was to the Marquess of Sutherhorne who had bid against her first husband the earl and lost.
“Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.” –Gilbert K. Chesterton
The rest of the story dealt with Sabrina and Riordan fighting against her father, the marquess and coming to grips with their feelings. When the truth finally came out on all their secrets… we have a distraught Sabrina… but her feelings would not be repressed. Her father caused all manner of trouble and the marquess will not relent on his quest for Sabrina. The desire of a powerful enemy has been ignited and they may not be able to squelch the flames of his anger.
“Despise the enemy strategically but take him seriously tactically.” –Mao Zedong
The story ended at 96% and was followed by an excerpt from ‘Scandal with a Sinful Scot’ the next story in the ‘Men of Wollstonecraft Hall’ series featuring Riordan’s uncle Garrett. I liked him and hope to read his story. I saw several of Riordan’s relatives eyeing the various women featured in the story. This sounds so interesting. I like these guys and I liked the women they were eyeing. I want to see what happens next.
lot’s of fun
Predictable romantic novel. Decent story though
I started reading this book really liking the thumbnail sketch of the plot and wanting to enjoy the book. Unfortunately it is slow going. The bones of the plot are there, but so far I don’t like the Heroine, and the Hero is too good to be true. Why is he falling in love with this sharp tongued woman? We can see the inner woman, but all he is getting is a nasty spoiled brat. I’m a third of the way through, I’m not sure I will finish it.
This is the first book I have read by Karyn Gerrard and I truly enjoyed it! Entertaining from beginning to end, we find two people, both who have dealt with life’s unfairness. Our heroine, Lady Sabrina Lakeside has been through a lot. She was forcibly made to marry, by her father, to an aged man who treated her terribly. Now a widow with no funds, she is forced to move back with her hateful father who is marrying her off again to the highest bidder. Desperate to get away, she comes up with a scheme with the local schoolmaster to help her out of her predicament. This is where is really becomes interesting. You see, Riordan Wollstonecraft ( yes you have heard that name before in exulted terms for women’s rights and they are related!) is the grandson of an Earl. But he is determined not to engage his heart due to the family curse ( what curse you ask? Must read to find out!). He and his family are very social oriented as in trying to change the treatment of the less fortunate. So Riordan takes a job as the local schoolmaster so he can engage some of his ideas of forward thinking to the students. Nobody knows who he really is, least of all Sabrina! Sabrina has a plan and with Riordan’s help they execute a daring marriage of convenience to save her from her current forced betrothed. As Sabrina and Riordan spend time together things seem to be changing and with a lot of twist and turns and even some suspense, this story will hold you captive until the end! Cannot wait for the other books in this series!!!