What happens when a marriage of convenience isn’t so convenient?Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven has retired from the army and spends most of his days either consulting for the Foreign Office or whiling away the hours at his club with his former comrades-in-arms. He rarely thinks about the fiery Portuguese woman he saved from an abusive marriage by wedding her himself. It was supposed to be a … himself. It was supposed to be a marriage in name only, but even five years later and a world away, he can’t seem to forget her.
Catarina Neves never forgot what it felt like to be scared, desperate, and subject to the whims of her cruel father. Thanks to a marriage of convenience and her incredible skill as a lacemaker, she’s become an independent and wealthy woman. But when she’s once again thrust into a dangerous situation, she finds herself in London and knocking on the door of the husband she hasn’t seen since those war-torn years in Portugal. Catarina tells Benedict she wants an annulment, but when he argues against it, can she trust him enough to ask for what she really needs?
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Ms Galen has charmed us once again with Colonel Benedict Draven’s story–a man who’s seen the worst of humanity in war. The war took its toll on him and his comrades in arms who survived, each with their own battle scars both physical and emotional. War was hell, but the one fact he can’t forget about the war was the fiery woman he married to save her from an abusive father and an even more abusive man her father choose for her. While it was only supposed to be a marriage in name only, Draven had kissed her and that one kiss has haunted him for 5 years. It could not have shocked him more when Catarina Neves knocked on his London door seeking an annulment. Could he sign the annulment papers when he’d never forgotten their shared kiss.
I loved both Benedict and Catarina. Benedict has so much integrity and compassion–truly what a war hero should be. Catarina made a name for herself with her skill as a lace maker and she’s not the usual damsel in distress and I appreciated that. I love to read about strong women. She had built a business from her own hard work and artistic skill and was determined not to let any man control her, but she had never met anyone who was so kind and gentle to her like Benedict. While these two had their ups and downs while trying to fend off another lace maker from harming Catarina, their bond and love for each other eventually won out against all odds.
I have enjoyed all of the Survivors’s stories and Benedict’s story was just as compelling. Ms. Galen has a wonderful writing style that pulls the reader in. I can’t wait to read the next story.
I voluntarily read this book and all opinions are my own.
It’s been while I turned around Mrs Shana Galen work but too many books to read, each day with its lot of new ones, but this new release gave me the right opportunity to discover her talent.
It was an awesome read, the story flows perfectly, the characters have depth and stay true to themselves.
As a new reader in this series, I confirm it can be read as a standalone, never I felt lost, plus the prologue set the plot so impossible to not follow eagerly Benedict and Catarina story.
It is not the usual couple as many years set them apart but from the beginning they are attracted to another.
Usually when there are miscommunication and mistrust I am upset but here, because of each character’s history, I accepted it. Catarina never had any proof she can trust men, except for Benedict’s kindness to marry her when she needed someone to help her stand for herself, she was betrayed, abused and used by all the men she ever met as they always thought something from her, why she always had to rely on her own.
Benedict is older and wiser, facing each new problem his head cold, until Catarina awaken feelings he never felt. He tried at first to give her space to come to him, to see him as a potential mate until she ignites fear in him, fear to not be enough for her but also fear to lose her, to not be able to protect her so he lost his calm, upsetting her.
But despite their own beliefs, they can’t be kept apart, needing the other.
It was a great introduction to the author’s work, I will for sure read more by her.
I adore these Survivors. Thank you, Shana Galen!
I love this whole series!