The Merchant's Daughter

by Rebecca Hardy

Desperate times lead to hasty vows...

A gripping historical mystery of secrets and romance - perfect for fans of Eve Chase, Louise Douglas and Tracy Rees.

'Expertly researched, vividly drawn, and so much fun! Five fabulous stars from me' JENNI KEER on Rebecca Hardy's first novel THE HOUSE OF LOST WIVES
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For better. For worse.
For the sake of her future.

London 1815. Jenny's father is dead. She needs to marry immediately to save her and her mother's livelihood.

A chance meeting presents the perfect candidate in the form of the enigmatic Erasmus Black. Gentleman, merchant, and if the rumours are to be believed, captain...

But where does Erasmus slip away to in the dead of night? What secrets about her father's business has he discovered? And was their meeting really just a convenient coincidence?

Guided by her unique intuition, Jenny must seek the hidden forces in play to unravel a sinister web of corruption...without getting trapped herself.
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Readers loved Rebecca Hardy's previous novel THE HOUSE OF LOST WIVES - available now!

'Wow, totally gripping, really enjoyable read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

'My first ever read by this author and honestly I can't wait to read more . . . unique, entertaining . . . Hardy's writing was phenomenal'

'A brilliant read , full of creepy atmosphere and creeping dread . . . Loved it'

'A really enjoyable read, Bridgerton meets Rentaghost '

'I loved the atmosphere of the book, the setting and storyline. A gothic paranormal-ish mystery romance that was well done'

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Marriage Of Convenience

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2023

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in paperback and the cover is nice,not like this boring blue shown on Goodreads. The story is awesome and I absolutely adored everything about it. It's a fabulous historical mystery with pirates, murderers, fancy parties in London with the Ton and all kinds of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I have already purchased the author's second book and I do hope she's writing more!!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny's life is irreparably altered when her beloved father dies suddenly. When his will is read she discovers that his import/export business partnership contract stipulates his shares revert to his business partners unless Jenny's husband chooses to join the business. Accordingly, she and her mother will be practically penniless unless she can convince his business partners that she is getting married and find a willing patsy within a week.

Enter Erasmus Black, a handsome charming merchant with a roguish twinkle in his eye. But Erasmus is not what he seems and he has his own reasons for wanting to get close to Jenny's father's business partners.

This had a lot going for it, but maybe too much. Pirates, murder, brothels, attempted rape, slavery, the Ottoman Empire, kidnapping, an uncanny ability to detect lies - it felt like there was so much going on that nothing really got developed properly and some things were unnecessary. With all these things going on we really don't get much of a feel for who Erasmus really is under all the pretence. I understand that Jenny is a character from one of the author's previous novels, which may explain why there is some extraneous detail that really isn't needed for the plot.

Overall, I liked it but I didn't love it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was part mystery and part romance. After Jenny's father dies suddenly, she finds herself in urgent need of a husband. There is more to Jenny than meets the eye, she is brave, resourceful and able to detect lies. Her suddenly acquired husband is also talented and has a crew of clever people behind him. Together, they delve into the world of people slavery, and the people in England who are profiting from it. The ending was delightful, and I enjoyed the machinations of the mother. There was a lively cast of characters and this made for entertaining reading. I would like to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to review.

[lacy white · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: The Merchant’s Daughter
Author: Rebecca Hardy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: ebook
Series: NA
Star Rating: 3 stars

tw: implications of sexual assault, blood, parental death, child loss, arranged marriage, slavery, misogyny, human trafficking, extreme grief, poisoning

So I’ve read the other book by this author, The House of Lost Wives, with my bestie. Nenia. We enjoyed that one so much we decided to try this one. I enjoyed it but it didn’t hold up and it had some flaws. It wasn’t a bad book per se, but it didn’t hold up to the author’s other book.

While I enjoyed the main character, Jenny, she was honestly kind of boring. I loved that she was a reader but that’s the only I liked about her. The book was in first person and she liked to exposition dump. This book could have easily been 100 to 200 pages less if Jenny didn’t have to constantly rehash everything we had just read.

While I enjoy a slow-burn romance, this one was agonizingly slow. The main character and the love interest, Erasmus, didn’t even kiss until 300 pages in, and honestly, it just felt so unrewarding. They had all this banter, which was so much fun, he had a cute little nickname (Little Mouse, which is a nickname for another character in a certain book). Like the kiss should have had me kicking my feet and squealing. But I had waited so long for it, that I was just over it. I ended up just waiting way too long for it to happen.

Everything about this book was fine but like I mentioned before, everything just kind of dragged. The first half was so well done and I truly enjoyed it but things just got to be so slow towards the end. And then the ending had to be done pretty fast due to the book getting to be pretty long. So the pacing was just off. Overall, this was good but she’s had better books.

[Zoe Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, gripping and thrilling with hints of romance. Though at first I wasn’t sure of the MC as she felt a bit too timid about everything I gradually realised through reading the book that she herself wasn’t normally timid more that through some rather appalling things done to her has had her confidence knocked back until she meets Erasmus Black and then old feelings return and she starts to unleash her claws and fight back alongside him. I love how their relationship develops and deepen and that he throughout it all respects her though can also be pigheaded and stubborn. Loved the story and the plot.

[JASMINE NIELD · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great read for teens who enjoy a romantic historical mystery! Would definitely recommend one of my favourite books ever, and I would read again and still find it as good as the first time I read it! It also contains some romance which I really loved seeing!! 💖 I would definitely recommend it!! Xx

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun first person narration from Jenny Miller, the smart and talented daughter of a rich merchant, who needs to find a proper husband overnight after the sudden unexpected death of her father. Otherwise, her father's two partners including her seemingly benevolent godfather will get all the shares in the business and Jenny and her mother will be left with much less than they were accustomed too. Jenny has her dark secrets though and she manifests a remarkable aversion towards getting married, but when one has no choice, she decides to do the best possible and find a young man of the merchant class who would accept a marriage in name for a large share of the large wealth of her father. Enter Erasmus Black, a mysterious up and coming ship captain and possible adventurer with the handsome looks of his Greek mother and so it goes... Erasmus turns out to be even more mysteriouser so to speak, Jenny more talented and resourceful and the presumed villains even more villainous and the novel occasionally flirts with jumping the shark so to speak but it has energy and inventiveness galore so definitely worth reading

[Carol Keogh (Goodfellow) · Rating 5 out of 5]

London 1815. Jenny's father is dead. She needs to marry immediately to save her and her mother's livelihood.
A chance meeting presents the perfect candidate in the form of the enigmatic Erasmus Black. Gentleman, merchant, and if the rumours are to be believed, captain...

Having really liked Rebecca Hardy's first book, I was happy to read and review The Merchant's Daughter. Jenny is the daughter of a wealthy shipping merchant and we have met her previously in the first book, she encounters Erasmus Black and the adventure begins. I loved these two characters, He is a mysterious sailor lately home from the sea and she is the quiet, timid girl who waits at home yearning for adventure.
This is an exciting tale of murder and evil doing beautifully combined with romance. There is something for everyone here. It is also a fascinating insight into the practice of slavery in Great Britain. The author has done her research well and writes with confidence and skill. I absolutely recommend this book. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of The Merchant's Daughter.

[LoveMyAuthors · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Merchant's Daughter is my second read by this author, and I love her style. I accidentally downloaded the sample, and on the hunt for my next book I checked it out. Two and 1/2 chapters and I was hooked.

Jenny and Erasmus are a business arrangement and a total mismatch on the surface, but as the layers of this entertaining mystery with a side of romance were peeled back it became clear they were made for each other. I confess I would have liked a dash more chili pepper added to the romance, but I really enjoyed all of these characters and the way the author wove all their stories together. There were so many things happening it kept the storyline interesting and had me turning the pages well past bedtime.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to pick this one up...and then go find The House of Lost Wives, that one is a perfect compliment. I'll be keeping my eyes open for more from Rebecca Hardy!

[Linda Hillyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story and writing.
I was on the edge of my seat while reading this book.
I had a feeling when Jacob Miller died, but didn't realize that it was both partners.
You should write a sequel to The Merchant 's Daughter.
I loved the interaction between Jenny, Erasmus and his crew from the ship.
Can't wait for next book. When will your next book be out?

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if it's a bit slow at the beginning I thoroughly enjoyed it as the mix of romance, historical fiction and mystery works well and kept me reading.
There's a lot going, a clever heroine and a lot of twists and surprises.
I want to read other books by this author
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[CG Mix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent suspense

Outstanding storytelling encompassing details of 19th life with the insidiousness of the trade of women and the fight for the rights of all people to be free. I could not put the book down and read it in 1 day. I highly recommend it for its historical insight, developing characters, and twists and turns in the plot!

[Joan Grejtak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book immediately. I'm not really into romance stories but the bad boy /knight in shining armor image
of Erasmus got me hooked. I really like historical reads and the author did a good job with the twists and turns and keeping you interested. I did skip a lot of descriptive paragraphs, which is why I gave it a 4.

[Roisin Thornhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting preface to a possible series of books. I feel like we have just scratched the surface of Jenny and Erasmus' story. Hardy has begun world building with colourful secondary characters that deserve a chance to tell their stories also.

[Sharon Stott Swapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun adventure

A very fun adventure. Probably not I'ma true adventure for that time period but very entertaining. A fun read when all the bad guys get what they deserve and the women involved got a lot of credit . First time I've read this author. I'm hooked.

[Angel Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up, it was a fun story, well written. Erasmus is clearly written by a woman, too good to be true. Jenny is a little blah? every other woman around her was sort of... infinitely more interesting?

[TheEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Hira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was alright albeit a bit boring for my tastes.

[Debbie Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story. Loved both the house of lost wives and this one. The characters seemed so real. Excellent book.

[Sharie Hankemeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and adventurous characters

I very much enjoyed reading this book. A very well written tale. I hope there is a follow up book on their lives!

[Liz Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Ok. I was hoping for a story
that was similar to her 1st book. This one is very different. Enjoyable enough but not what I was hoping for

[Susan Grey Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this!

Read over two days! Very easy reading. I love finding a new author and am off to get any other Rebecca Hardy books! Well done….Perfect! Thank you so much!!

[Lauren Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean read!

The mystery, the love story and the adventure….I enjoyed this book. Very cleverly and sweetly written. I do recommend this book.

[Gemma Golley · Rating 5 out of 5]

when a random library find turns out to mean EVERYTHING

[Valarie Sawka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a romantic, pirate or should I say privateer story. A fast paced and fun read about a lion falling in love with a mouse.

[julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy historical/ romance based on true events and it was evident that the author has fully researched her subject.
In some places, although there was a lot of content, the book seemed to drag and did not have the suspense or interest factor that makes me keep reading, and I must admit that I did scan read quite a few pages.
However, it was an enjoyable read and one that I would borrow from a library or free with kindle unlimited but not necessarily purchase. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

[Vik · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and relaxing read. A story following an ambitious young woman who must put her plans and dreams on hold as she is forced into marrying another man to help preserve her late father’s company. However, on a series of twists and turns, she learns her husband is more interesting than she first thought, and embarks on a journey of bringing men to justice for human trafficking and prostitution. A lovely and warming book to read when you need something different.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just couldn't get on with this book there was so much going on it was overwhelming. It felt like there was so much going on that nothing really got developed properly and some things were unnecessary. I haven't read any other books by this author so I don't know if this might have helped. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Louise Calcioli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely cozy read by Rebecca Hardy!