Marriage… To the highest bidder Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he’s returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems, like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counteroffer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections, or dare Lydia hope that the charming stable boy … charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?
“Virginia Heath’s writing is as warm, witty, and insightful as ever…one of the best authors of historical romance around.”
–All About Romance on The Determined Lord Hadleigh
“I loved every minute of this story along with the wonderful witty moments that I have come to love from Virginia Heath’s writing.”
–Rae Reads on The Determined Lord Hadleigh
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Ten years ago, Lady Lydia Barton and Owen Wolfe were in love, but hearts were broken when Owen was accused of stealing from her family and transported to New South Wales for his crimes. Now he is back and the tables have turned. Owen is rich and the owner of a successful gaming club while Lydia’s father, the Earl of Fulbrook is on the verge of financial ruin and preparing to sell Lydia’s hand in marriage to the Marquess of Kelvedon – an old and lecherous man that makes Lydia’s skin crawl.
Lydia doesn’t want to marry Kelvedon, but her father and brother have made it clear that if she does not, they will lose everything. She has resigned herself to the enviable when she learns that Owen has made an offer for her hand and her father has accepted. But Owen doesn’t want a forced bride and will only marry her if she agrees to the match. She goes to see him will every intention of refusing him, but in the end accepts and they elope.
It isn’t long before Lydia begins to realize how wrong she was about Owen, but it doesn’t change the fact that she still believes he is guilty. Owen hires a Bow Street Runner to investigate and clear his name, but when the truth comes out, will Owen use the information to set the record straight or will he choose love?
This was a well written, second chance at love story with wonderful characters, mild love scenes, a villain that gets his due and a sweet HEA. Lydia was not my favorite heroine, I didn’t like that she had so little faith in Owen and was only willing to believe him if he provided her with “proof”, and when she finally “remembers” – I think she should have groveled a bit – however, she does redeem herself in rather spectacular fashion at the end. And Owen, sigh, I absolutely loved Owen, he was a completely swoon-worthy hero. I really enjoyed the story and would happily recommend it!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
Lovely writing, lovely story. I quickly became engaged with Owen and Lydia and their second chance at love.
Good second chance love story that also includes enemies-to-lovers and a marriage of convenience. Ten years earlier, Owen was a stable hand at sixteen-year-old Lydia’s family home. Lydia was charmed by the boy who gave her the affection she craved, and Owen by the girl who saw him as a person worth knowing. They carried on a secret romance until the day Owen was accused of stealing her mother’s jewelry. Heartbroken by the evidence, Lydia stood by as Owen was convicted and sent to the penal colony in Australia.
Seven years later, Owen returned to London, pardoned of his crimes. A self-made man, he and a friend own a high-end gambling establishment. He spends the next three years making money and doing his best to irritate Lydia. The story opens at yet another society ball where they encounter each other. Lydia uses a cold and snarky attitude to disguise the fact that she is still attracted to him. Owen mockingly congratulates her on her upcoming marriage to Lord Kelvedon, which is the first she’s heard of it. After confronting her father, she’s horrified to learn that she’s been essentially sold to the marquess to settle her father’s debts.
I liked Owen. Though he works hard to convince Lydia that he’s an unrepentant scoundrel, and himself that he doesn’t care what happens to her, it is obvious that he cares very much. It was fun to see Owen’s partner, Randolph, call him out on his self-deception. Owen convinces himself that offering for her himself is purely business, even though he can’t keep his mind off of her.
I had a little harder time liking Lydia at first. Even though she claimed to love him at the time, her acceptance of his guilt indicated otherwise. It took me a while to realize that her constant reminders of his guilt were her way of protecting herself from falling for him again.
I enjoyed the rekindling of Owen and Lydia’s romance. Sparks flew at their encounters, their overt antagonism a cover for the attraction both continued to feel. Though he denies his feelings, Owen makes her father an offer he can’t resist. I loved how Owen protected Lydia from her father’s desire for revenge. Once he and Lydia are married, they have to find a way to live together. I ached for Owen because the best Lydia can do is put her belief in his guilt to the side with a “truce” when all he wants is her to believe in him. I hurt a little for Lydia, too, because Owen dealt with his feelings by avoiding her altogether. It was fun to see the guilt over that finally get to him, and they start to spend some time together. I loved the event that sparked the admission that they both want more from their marriage.
At the same time that Owen and Lydia finally admit their feelings for each other, Owen receives unexpected information in his investigation into his past. He debates the wisdom of telling Lydia, who is dealing with her father’s death. I ached for Lydia, who has an unpleasant conversation with her brother and an eye-opening one with Owen. I loved Owen’s realization that his love for Lydia is more important than the results of his investigation and the effect it had on her. The ending was fantastic. I especially enjoyed seeing Lydia take control of her future.
I also can’t say enough about Owen’s partner, Randolph, and Randolph’s wife, Gertie. I loved how well Randolph knew Owen and his ability to call Owen out on his self-deception. I liked the way that he and Gertie supported Lydia when Owen was an idiot. Gertie’s marriage advice to Lydia was great, including the backstory of her marriage to Randolph. One of the best scenes in the book was when Owen and Lydia delivered Gertie’s baby. She had me laughing out loud with her demands toward the end of her labor.
Owen Wolfe is now a successful businessman, and part owner of a gaming club, but his current good fortune was hard won. Orphaned as a boy, Owen became a stable boy for the Earl of Fulbrook’s household. He fell in love with the earl’s daughter, Lydia, and she returned his feelings. They met secretly at every opportunity, enjoying their flirtation, until it all fell apart. Owen was accused of theft from the family, and the evidence was found in his own room. With the solid testimony of an earl and a witness against him, Owen was convicted, and sentenced to be deported to Botany Bay. After seven years of hard labor, a heroic act earns Owen a pardon from the governor. He returns to England with his friend and business partner, Randolph, where they open their club. Owen is anxious to see Lydia, but has his hopes dashed to learn that she fully believes he is the thief he was convicted of being.
Lady Lydia Barton’s heart was broken ten years ago, when the young man she loved and believed in stole her sickly mother’s jewelry. Lydia had been prepared to wait until she was of legal age and then marry Owen, as she knew her self important father would never permit such a match. She saw the jewelry found in his room with her own eyes, so she’s sure of his guilt. When Owen was convicted, she spent months recovering from the betrayal and pain, then decided to move on and try to forget him. She never married, and now Owen is back, but she has no place in her life for a lying thief. Then her father tries to marry her off to an elderly lecher. Then Owen steps in with an offer her father can’t refuse…
Owen proposes a marriage of convenience, one that will benefit him and his business because of Lydia’s social standing. Eager to leave her hateful father’s household, Lydia consents, and the wary couple weds, agreeing to call a truce regarding the theft. Unknown to Lydia, Owen has been desperately searching for evidence that will prove his innocence. Also unknown to Lydia is the fact that all of Owen’s talk about a convenient marriage was a cover for the fact that he never stopped loving her. As Lydia begins to see the man Owen is now, their relationship starts to thaw. Eventually, Lydia decides that she wants a real marriage and children, and Owen is only too happy to comply. The physical attraction that Lydia and Owen felt back then is still burning strong, and it seems as if they may have taken the first steps toward a happy future, but fate steps in once again to muddy the waters.
Owen is one amazing hero! Despite everything he endured, and despite Lydia’s lack of faith in him, he proves himself to be a better man. He returns good for evil, he forgives, and he treats his new wife with respect, generosity, and tender care. I love the strong, kind, and truly superior man he is. Lydia has more heartbreak and betrayal to face before she can move forward with Owen, but she shows what she is made of, too. This couple has great chemistry, as well as a genuine love which lasted from the time they were teenagers, and endured despite the separation and testing. THE SCOUNDREL’S BARTERED BRIDE is a lovely romance which also has great secondary characters and plenty of heart. The happy ever after is so satisfying, though it took a decade to get there. Owen and Lydia deserve all the happiness that the future has in store for them. I recommend this book to historical romance lovers, especially those, like me, who enjoy a great second chance at love story.
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1hq
Lady Lydia Barton is getting married… to the highest bidder for her hand. Her father is desperate for a quick influx of cash to pay his debts, and his daughter’s hand in marriage is a valuable asset. Lydia’s opinion on the matter is not sought. The front runner is an old, piggish Marquess who horrifies her, but he’s pipped at the post by a man who might be worse, Owen Wolfe. Owen and Lydia have a history of the worst sort… she was sixteen and he eighteen when he was caught stealing her mother’s jewels, convicted and shipped off to Australia. Now he’s back, inexplicably successful and wealthy, running an exclusive gentlemen’s club.
Owen does come across, at times, a bit too good to be true. Considering the horrors he’s endured, he’s really astoundingly chill about getting his revenge. I know I’d be holding a grudge, but he doesn’t really seem all that worried about anything except Lydia knowing he was innocent. There was a vast class divide them back then which is now bridged by his having money and her father needing it, but there’s a bit of a frustrating lack of explanation as to just how Owen managed to learn to move pretty seamlessly in high society. I really enjoyed his friendship with Randolph, a major side character who has dwarfism. Married to a normal woman and with 3 (later 4) kids, Randolph is a charming breath of fresh air, and it’s nice to see a dwarf character portrayed as a romantic hero in his own right, even as a side story.
Although this book looks as though the conflict is going to be internal between the protagonists, it’s actually the external forces which threaten their happiness the most, and the exploration of these makes for an intriguing story. I admit I saw the villain reveal coming a mile off, but then there were a very limited number of potential candidates, and it still carried a big emotional impact for Lydia when she discovered the depth of betrayal.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read from a top-notch author who really knows how to do her research. The description of the prison hulks and the life of a convict in Port Jackson, while not dwelled on, were gut-wrenching, and one can only imagine the horrors that so many endured. I very much enjoyed this and I’m happy to give it five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via Rachel’s Random Resources.
Virginia Heath is one of my favorite authors because she never disappoints. And she hits this one out of the ballpark. Owen was the stable boy in Lydia’s father employ but they fell in love. But then, Owen was found guilty of stealing Lydia’s mother’s pearls and transported to the penal colonies. Lydia felt betrayed and 10 years later, still feels so when she runs into Owen again, after he returns to England after receiving a pardon for a brave deed. Owen feels betrayed by Lydia’s lack of belief in his innocence without proof, but she still has an impact on him even though he tries to believe it’s just lust and that Lydia is his “own personal siren”. They’re at cross purposes.
Then Lydia’s father arranges her marriage to an old lecherous marquis as he is deep in debt and needs the settlement dollars. Owen, against his will is concerned about Lydia’s welfare and counters with the caveat that Lydia decide. Lydia is disdainful and intends to refuse Owen (cutting off her nose to spite her face) until Owen explains her father and brother’s true financial condition. He describes their marriage as a business opportunity and that they stay away from each other within the four walls of their home while acting as a doting couple outside.
Lydia agrees to the proposal and they elope to Scotland. What follows is a heart warming love story with a touch of intrigue which leads to a fantastic ending. Kudos to Randolph, Owen’s partner who adds a wonderful touch to the story.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
A hero emerged from the stables and reached London’s fanciest ballrooms, after a little detour to the Antipodes.
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath is a lovely cross-class, second-chance, enemies-to-lovers historical romance.
Owen Wolf made it. He went from a poor stable boy to a powerful man received, even if reluctantly, by London’s most prestigious families.
He had enough money and power to get all his wishes. The only thing his money could not get him was the respect of Lady Lydia Barton.
Owen and Lydia had not always been enemies. They quite liked each other back when Owen worked for Lydia’s father. But when Owen was accused of stealing her mother’s jewels, Lydia did not defend him, and he was transported to the Antipodes.
Years later, he was back in London, and she was about to marry a horrible man twice her age.
I love a cross-class romance, especially with a good dose of angst and repressed love.
My heart hurt for Lydia. She was so neglected by her family and so unloved. All her efforts to please were turned against her in the cruelest of manners.
Owen is my kind of hero. Self-made man, confident, but not in matters of the heart, loyal, sweet, and always so thoughtful and chivalrous.
There are some villainous side characters to create enough opposition without being overly dramatic or taking the focus out of the love story.
But not all side characters are villains. Randolph and Gertie are the kind of friends everyone wishes to have. He is a dwarf that runs a gaming hell. Both he and Gertie were simply adorable.
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride is lovely, uplifting, and entertaining.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book art, and book-related articles, please visit https://lureviewsbooks.com *
This is the story of Lady Lydia who fell in love with a stable boy, Owen, when she was 16 years old. Their young illicit love story was abruptly interrupted when he was accused and found guilty of stealing from her house, even going so far as taking her dying mother’s pearls.
After the trial Owen was sent away to pay is debt with the justice and Lydia felt stupid and betrayed.
Now he is back and their lives intewine once again as if fate wants to play with them.
Owen is determined to prove his innocence but without any evidence it’s really difficult to regain Lydia’s trust and benevolence.
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride is a brilliant new addiction to Virginia Heath historical novels.
The chemistry and the affection between Lydia and Owen show in their every interactions and you can’t help but be angry for them for the things they have had to endure and to root for their happily ever after.
Virginia Heath is an excellent cupid.
Wow, this one was intense. The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride is absolutely an entertaining read with terrific interesting characters. Lydia and Owen are amazing. They faced brutal odds of ever winding up together and it was a rocky road, but (spoiler alert) loves wins. I loved it. Wonderful secondary characters. Fabulous writing.
This is a standalone novel which was actually very refreshing to me.
Favorite heroine line: “I just delivered a _____, Owen! I am completely aware how it got there.”
Favorite hero moment: He smiled at her – beamed, in fact. ” He didn’t ____.” ( This whole scene is amazing)
Favorite side characters: Cyril, Gertie and Randolph. Everyone is good at giving advice.
Favorite awkward moment: Innkeeper giving the couple “sage” marital advice.
So good.
Series: StandAlone
Publication Date: 7/1/20
Number of Pages: 288
*** 4.5 Stars Rounded Up ***
OMGoodness! Lady Lydia Barton’s family gives a whole new meaning to cruel and dysfunctional! She’s up for sale, literally, to the highest bidder. Well, not exactly the highest bidder because they would never entertain an offer of any sort from Owen Wolfe – until … they did. I loved both Lydia and Owen but had to wonder how they came to be such good people given their beginnings. The book is excellently written and conveys the emotions and conflicts wonderfully.
Ten years ago, Lady Lydia Barton was a sixteen-year-old girl who fell head-over-heels in love … with the new stable boy. Yes, that is a highly inappropriate and unlikely match, but she doesn’t care. He is wonderful – he actually ‘sees’ her – who she is – and nobody else does. Then, he does the unthinkable. He steals from her family and is caught red-handed. When he is dragged off in manacles, she is heartbroken. Her heart doesn’t think he’s guilty – but she’s seen the proof first hand. Lydia has had offers of marriage since then, but nobody touched her heart. That doesn’t matter any longer – her father has just announced that she must do her duty to the family and save them from financial ruin. She has no choice – no matter how loathsome the man is.
Owen Wolfe was orphaned at eight and came to work at the Barton’s stables when he was eighteen. He was very intelligent and wanted to make something of himself. What thrilled him was that the daughter of the house fancied him – he couldn’t believe it. He knew it was an impossible match, but he loved her anyway. When the unthinkable happened and he was arrested, she didn’t defend him. He’s sure she could have freed him had she spoken up. But she didn’t, and he was convicted and transported – forever. Then, he earned a pardon, and now he’s back!
Does Owen want revenge? Can he, after all of this time, find the real thief? Can he forgive Lydia? Does he want to save her from the hellish life that is in store for her? Will Lydia ever believe that Owen wasn’t guilty? Can they finally find their HEA? You’ll just definitely have to read this delightful story to find out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was going to sit and relax and read a couple of chapters. Several hours later, I had finished the whole book! I was completely engrossed in the characters and their story. Owen and Lydia are both such good people in spite of the craziness around them. I really liked the way they ended their dilemma. And I adored Randolph and Gertie. They were great side characters. A definite reread!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author for the opportunity.
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride, by Virginia Heath, will be available at booksellers on 7-1-2020. We readers and fans of Ms Heath suggested the idea for this book. I’m patting myself on the back here. We answered a poll from Ms Heath on what trope we’d like to see, she never expected us to request it all. Well, she did it and the results are terrific.
Our hero & heroine were young lovers thwarted in their hope of an HEA. It was an instant attraction, a ‘there you are’ moment. I like that a lot. It’s also a second chance story, they give so much potential for an emotional rollercoaster and we get it here. Family drama with a woman bound by duty to family, she’ll do anything for her nasty, unlovable family. I love to hate that. I became invested in their HEA and rooted for them to overcome adversity. It’s a good read when that happens to me and it did. I think you’ll like Lydia and Owen, they belong together. Happy reading.
#VirginiaHeath #TheScoundrel’sBarteredBride #HarlequinHistorical #historicalromance #romance
Lydia & Owen’s story crosses class lines, involves selfish male relatives, and a somewhat naive heroine who manages to grow into a woman worthy of our self-made hero’s love. Lydia is not a favorite of mine but her transformation is believable and realistically dealt with as only Virginia Heath can do. When reading a romance, you know what the ending will be. It is the journey that makes a book interesting and worth reading. I am happy to add this to my growing collection of “keepers.” I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review, though I also bought a print copy.
Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid former groom Owen Wolfe since he’s returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems, like her impending arranged marriage to an aging lecherous Marquis. Until Owen makes her father a counter offer for her hand.
Marriage of convenience, second chance & enemies to lovers three tropes that I love & wonderfully incorporated into this engrossing read. I loved Lydia who was strong & loving but I adored Owen who stormed back into Lydia’s life after being transported when they were teenagers. Owen not only survived life on the other side of the world but returned stronger & a self made man who managed to retain his integrity & honour. I was totally engrossed from cover to cover & immersed in the road to their HEA. Whilst I loved Lydia’s outing of the villain I’m not as generous & wanted him to suffer far, far more. I also love the historical facts which the author includes in her books, the picture she built of the prison hulks was chilling. A very well written book, with strong characters & extremely well paced story.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride
Virginia Heath
https://www.facebook.com/virginiaheathauthor/
Release date 06/16/2020 (paperback), 07/02/2020 (ebook)
Publisher Harlequin Historical / Mills&Boon Historical
Blurb :
Marriage… To the highest bidder
Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he’s returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems, like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counteroffer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections, or dare Lydia hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?
My review :
Will they be able to erase the past for a future together …
I do remember when Mrs Virginia Heath asked in her readers group what were people’s favorite trope, enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience won the game. Not my favorite but I was curious how she would manage two archetypes that can be quite angsty.
And sure there is plenty of tension and hurting words at the beginning, yet Mrs Heath being herself, she hopefully found a way to turn the table to narrate a tale of trust and healing.
It was easier to love Owen first, as we know for sure he has done nothing and was only a victim. Lydia is too a casualty, she has been overlooked and duped for years, so her ire at Owen is understandable.
What Owen went through was alas the today harshness many convicts had to face, still he rose from his ashes and became a better man with a goal.
As a survivor, he could have been after revenge when he is only looking for the truth, to prove his innocence in the eyes of the only woman he has always loved.
Lydia was so young when she first met Owen, only sixteen, he was even the first man to show her affection, so when things spiraled down, and were so perfectly staged, I can understand she saw betrayal before anything else.
None of her male relatives have ever shown a modicum of reliability.
When their path cross again so many years later, despite the sentiments still lingering behind their cynical and icy demeanor, they hide their wounds behind barbs and quips.
Yet when life takes a new turn, and Owen steps in to rescue Lydia, how will they overcome the giant schism time, distance and sense of treason created.
Mrs Heath’s talent resides in her way to turn table, to sketch fleshy flawed characters, to deflate tension when it has reached its peak without belittling her characters’ ire but also to serve justice in an unique way.
4.5 stars for this second chance romance.
A special note for the supportive characters, Randolph and Gertie, I just adored them.
I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Harlequin Historical, July 2020) is a well-crafted take on the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance trope and keeps Virginia Heath’s historical romances on my “must read” list.
It would be an understatement to say Lady Lydia Barton is a force to be reckoned with. I liked her immediately. She’s forthright, intelligent, and bold but empathetic. As the story progressed, she stopped being a victim of circumstance and took control of her situation. She was willing to take a step back and reconsider everything she thought she knew. Lydia, for me, is the true hero of this story.
Mr. Owen Wolfe is a charming hero whom I fell in love with immediately; he’s handsome, determined to help others and successful despite his lowly beginnings and an unimaginable hardship he unjustly suffered. He harnessed his harsh experiences and didn’t just survive but thrived. He embraces his past experiences and he is a better person for it. Owen is the first historical romance hero with tattoos that I have come across and wow-what a stroke of storytelling genius! Ms. Heath deftly wove a backstory for his tattoos that was both poignant and oh so sensual.
Ms. Heath has once again penned a dynamic and engaging romance populated with a wonderful hero and heroine, a cast of secondary characters that both sparkle and infuriate but they never overshadow Lydia and Owen and the story unfolds within a setting that is familiar yet original. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I highly recommend The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride from the author in eBook format in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and observations I share here are mine and mine alone and were in no way influenced by the format in which I received the book.
This is a great story about childhood sweethearts from different sides of the tracks. They are separated when Owen convicted of a crime. Lydia does not have enough trust to see the truth. As adults they find each other again but the tables are turned. Owen is a wealthy club owner and Lydia is in pickle. Join this star-crossed pair as they try to find their way back to each other. Written with humor and a little suspense, another hit for Heath.
This one hit all the right notes for me. Owen and Lydia were childhood sweethearts who crossed the class lines. When Owen is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s shipped off as a prisoner.
Now, years later, he’s a successful club owner and she’s being forced into an awful match to help pay her family’s debts.
Owen is a delight and the side characters in his life are wonderful.
At first, Lydia’s confidence in her father and brother is irritating, since they clearly don’t deserve it. She’s arrogant in her belief of the version of events she’s been told. But that’s the beginning of her arc.
Together, they finally get to the truth of what happened years before and the truth of their feelings for one another.
Virginia Heath just plain writes really good stories. This one is her enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience story that was requested by her readers. Stable boy Owen Wolfe and Lady Lydia Barton have a very messy past. After a young love romance Owen is accused of stealing and is transported. When he returns to England years later, a rich man, Lydia still has feelings for him, but can’t get past her sense of betrayal. When Lydia’s father wants to marry her off to pay his debts Owen steps in and makes a better offer.
Complicated emotions abound in this story. Owen and Lydia have to overcome some deep-seated beliefs and reexamine their own feelings of attraction and hurt. There are some great lessons in here about trusting your instincts and family may not always have your best interests at heart. True family are those who really love you. This was a wonderful romance with two terrific characters. I loved it. (P.S. I’ve always loved the name Lydia for a romance heroine.)
ARC provided by the author.
Lydia Barton is essentially being sold off to pay her family’s debts. The vile Lord Kelvedon is the only contender, that is, until childhood sweetheart, Owen Wolfe, sweeps back into her life to claim her.
Owen and Lydia were in love when they were young, even though she was the daughter of the house and he was a stable boy. However, Owen has only just returned to London after serving seven years in the penal colonies for a crime he did not commit. He’s now the owner of a gaming hell and he “wins” Lydia in a game. While she doesn’t believe he is innocent of the crimes he’s accused of, she forgives Owen, seeing the boy he’d once been in the man she is coming to love.
Virginia Heath always produces a solid story, but I had a hard time getting into this one. While I always enjoy Virginia’s characters, I especially loved Owen but had a hard time with Lydia. She was so certain and unyielding about what she “knew” had happened ten years ago. I have to say, though, I do love enemies-to-lovers, especially in self-made men stories, and The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride really delivers in this respect!