BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Mary Balogh’s The Secret Mistress.Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality.Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Freyja Bedwyn, the wild-hearted daughter, meets her match in a man as … her match in a man as passionate, reckless, and scandalous as she.
Growing up with four unruly brothers has made Freyja Bedwyn far bolder than most society ladies. From feisty manner to long, tumbling hair, Lady Freyja is pure fire, a woman who seeks both adventure and freedom.
Adventure soon finds her on a visit to Bath, when a handsome stranger bursts into Freyja’s room and entreats her to hide him. His name is Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, a man with a hell-raising reputation of his own who is quickly intrigued by the independent beauty. So intrigued, in fact, that he makes her a surprising request: to pose as his fiancée and help thwart his family’s matchmaking schemes. For two people determined to be free, it’s the perfect plan…until passion blindsides them both. For as Joshua sets out to achieve his complete seduction of Freyja, a woman who has sworn off love is in danger of losing the one thing she never expected to give again: her heart…
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I liked Josh and Freyja’s pairing a lot better than Rannulf and Judith’s. This time the MCs were very likable, very relatable and had wonderful chemistry. There was a lot of emotional baggage both brought into the relationship that needed unpacking and dissecting. I liked that the villain although known was a bit subtle in their evil deeds this time. The pace was steady, the banter was witty and the story read very authentic to the time period. There were glimpses of Duke of Bewcastle in situations that showed him human and slightly vulnerable. I think I am crushing on Wulf a bit. LOL There were many new side characters introduced that will be featured in other books. I liked Josh’s cousins and how the author tackled the issue of mental disability in the noble family. The woes were resolved in a very satisfactory manner and most got what they deserved be it happiness or sour grapes. I enjoyed this book and will move onto the next one.
Overall:
Plot/Storyline:
Feels:
Emotional Depth:
Tension:
Romance:
Sensuality:
Intimate Scene Length: (for the two main ones, the third is extremely vague and brief)
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): (with 2 additional very brief scenes)
Humor: Yes
Should I read in order?
Soooo, yes? The Bedwyn Saga is built over the series of books, including two prequel novels. Given the fact that the beginning of this book starts with Freyja running away to Bath because she doesn’t want to deal with her former fiance’s pregnancy and birth announcement, it may be best to at the very least read A Summer to Remember (which is Kit’s story and does give the background of their relationship. And then if you’re reading that one, you’ll probably want Lauren’s background, which is found in the previous prequel novel, One Night for Love. See the tangle we’re getting into?)
Now, many people actually disliked Freyja because of her behavior in the books. They couldn’t get over it enough to love her story here. I, being a rebel, chose this book first to read out of all the Bedwyns and just loved it. That may have happened anyway, but it could also have been because I didn’t have any prior perception of who Freyja was exactly. When I read it, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything and it was fine by itself.
Basic plot
Freyja just cannot abide sitting around waiting for her ex fiance’s announcement of their perfect child. She decides to escape to Bath for at least a month. On the way there, some rogue breaks into her room and tries to hide in her wardrobe, escaping the wrath of an angry father. They are both surprised when they meet each other again at their destination and he asks her to pose as his fiance to evade his family’s matchmaking.
Give this a try if you want:
– Regency time period – 1814. Most of it takes place in Bath, but also at the hero’s country home
– Lower steam – there are 2 full scenes, that aren’t super detailed or long, and one very brief scene as well as a few kisses
– Enemies to lovers feel – the banter here and back and forth goes for much of the book
– Fake relationship – the hero makes a plan for a fake betrothal to save him from his aunt’s marriage plans
My thoughts:
This is a reread for me, as this was the first Bedwyn novel I had ever tried and I quite loved it. I still love it, maybe even more this read through. This has been my favorite of the series so far (as I’ve actually read them all in order this go around)
There’s something about this book that just grabs my heart. I really enjoy both characters, Freyja for her strength and hardness that protects her cracked heart, and Joshua for his humor and heart of gold he hides.
Joshua seems like a rake at first, someone that will kiss anything that stands still long enough, and like there’s no substance to him. But as we find out, he has quite a bit to him and you can’t help, as Freyja does too, to fall in love with him, totally, utterly. He makes me laugh and I thought he was quite perfect for Freyja. He is fun and silliness and he is up for her challenges. I found he did grow over the course of the book, especially once we are at his family home and everything happening in the plot is wrapped up in perfect packages.
Freyja has a prickly personality. She does punch people rather a lot throughout the story. She has no problem speaking her mind, and definitely attempts to tell herself certain things are the way they are to avoid having to deal with ‘feelings’. She has hurt from her past and resists falling in love so badly. She hates that she’s falling in love. She hates it, it’s making her vulnerable and exposed and Freyja can’t abide that. But, it really held onto my heart. Watching them fall in love was memorable for me, I adore their love story.
I am not one for villains and find a lot of murder/mystery etc plot stuff to be something I don’t enjoy. There was a bit of this here but I found it very satisfying. It’s something I see with Balogh, if she puts in some type of problem or villain, it’s usually resolved in a way I appreciate. I especially like reading people being put in their place verbally, so I found the scenes with Freyja (and her family) taking on Joshua’s irritating aunt extremely fun to read.
Content Warnings:
Sexual abuse of a mentally disabled person (implied)
Rape of a side character by a side character resulting in pregnancy
Heroine does physically assault (punches) a number of people in the story
I enjoyed reading.
Love her writing. Characters come to life.
One of the greatest authors of historical race.