Can a wife hide behind a mask? Lady Frances married her Scottish earl for love. Now one year and one child later, she feels bored, trapped and lonely, convinced Lord Torridon only married her for convenience. When she can stand it no longer, she flees his stately Highland home for the Edinburgh town house of her most scandalous friend, widow Ariadne Marshall. Unfortunately, she has also brought …
Unfortunately, she has also brought the Torridon rubies, which she stakes in an outrageous wager with Ariadne – that their own families will not recognize them at a masked ball. In no time, they are off to Blackhaven, and the infamous masked ball at Frances’s old home.
Little does Frances know that her furious husband is on her trail… and that she is not the only one in disguise.
Among all the masks, misunderstandings, and general Blackhaven mayhem, can Frances and Torridon find a way back to each other before it’s too late?
The Blackhaven Brides books are a series, but can be read as stand alones:
The Wicked Baron
The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Rebel
The Wicked Husband
The Wicked Marquis
The Wicked Governess
The Wicked Spy
The Wicked Gypsy
The Wicked Wife
more
Alan Ross, Earl of Torridon, gave his wife of one year, the impression he did not want her to go places with him. She had a new baby and had been trapped, as she felt, in the house for that year. He did not consult his wife but he did his mother. According to his mother, once he found out she was carrying,
no touching. After the baby is born wait six months. Obviously, she did not like Frances.
Frances, Countess of Torridon, has never gotten along with his mother. She took over the house and would not let Frances do a thing. So she left with her baby and went to see a friend. She told no one she was leaving and just went. It was an overnight trip and then she would go spend time with her family and her recently married sister before she left to go home.
This was such a nice story. There were so many misunderstandings and some outright lies. He did not know what to think. He just wanted to be a good husband. The characters were endearing and warm. The tale read easily and was smooth, making it a delight to read. She had loved him since they had met but they didn’t tell each other and were not secure in their marriage. I would so highly recommend this for the over eighteen bunch. It is sweet, learning to communicate and to express their love to each other.
I received this ARC from the author and very enjoyably reviewed. All the opinions are mine.
Love this series!
I loved this story & I think it is my favorite in all the Blackhaven Brides (I know I say that about every one of them)! Mary Lancaster is such an expert with words & an artist in drawing her characters that you find yourself in the castles, carriages & ballrooms with them. Lady Frances is feeling unloved by her husband & his meddling, ever present mother. She finds she can take no more & leaves, taking her young son with her. She and her friend Ariadne, head toward Lady Frances home in disguise. Alan Ross, Lord Torridon returns to find his wife has left their home. He has no idea what she’s up to, but he intends to find out. Unknown to her, she will not be the only one in disguise – let the fun begin. Will it be too late for them? Too many lies? Too little love? Too much Mother-in-law? I highly recommend this entire series, love how past characters are revisited throughout & I hope Mary Lancaster will give us more from Blackhaven Brides!
The ninth in the “Wicked” series, this is a delightful story about Lady Frances. Her husband, Laird Alan Torridon, is a busy man. He wasn’t expecting to lead his clan, but with the death of his brother, he has a lot to learn. So Alan has been spending a great deal of time away from home, and his wife, who is bored. Frances is also frustrated. She’s just had a baby, is stuck at home with her awful mother in law, and her husband hasn’t touched her in months. So Frances decides she needs a little holiday.
She takes the baby and heads off to spend some time with her friend Ariadne, a widow who’s a little on the wicked side herself, and the two become involved in a wager. That’s when it all goes south.
This is such a fun story! Frances is a woman who loves her husband but just needs a bit of attention. Her attempts to attract Alan don’t ever seem to go as planned and the plot has twists with intrigue and even danger. I found myself laughing at her antics.
I highly recommend it for a romance with humor and intrigue.
Unfeeling love is what Lady Frances is feeling from her husband and his ever present mother. When she can take no more she leaves taking the baby with her. Mary Lancaster has given us an wonderful adventure with The Wicked Wife, book 9, of her series Of the Blackhaven Brides. Of course, nothing seems to go right as she and her friend Ariadne, whom seems to have devious intentions, try to have some adventures together. This book held my interest and I found that it was full of wonderful characters from Mary Lancaster’s previous books in the series.
After Lady Frances and Lord Torridon’s son was born Frances was lonely, bored and feeling very unloved. As soon as Torridon found out she was pregnant he has avoided her. Feeling the walls closing in and the ever present and meddling mother-in-law Frances has had enough. She takes their son and goes on an adventure with her friend Ariadne. When Frances realizes that she has accidentally brought the Torridon rubies Ariadne comes up with a wager for Frances. They will go to the masked ball and whom ever is recognized first loses. The wager, the rubies. Little does Frances know Ariadne does not plan on losing! Furious with her Torridon goes after her and he has to come to terms with the way he has treated Frances and the reason she left and try to win her back. This is the 9th book in the Blackhaven series and I loved it! Although it is a stand alone book I would read the others as the characters are intertwined. I have loved all of the books and this was another fun read In the series. I definitely recommend it!