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Bought for Revenge
A Soldier's Return
Captain Lucas Blackstone has survived Waterloo and come home uninjured while many of his loyal men have not. His body might be whole and still handsome, but as he returns to the burned-out shell of what was once his family mansion, his soul is dark and troubled.
Bright-eyed debutante Annabelle Havenham has no idea her fate is in his hands. His plans to settle old scores could mean her ruin. Is he villain enough to do it? Especially when Annabelle's innocence has started to melt his black heart...
368 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2013
15 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mallory
210 books117 followersSarah Mallory is the pen name for Melinda Hammond.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
Born in Bristol, England, UK, she grew up telling stories. She would make up adventures to relate to her school friends during break times and lunch hours, and she was once caught scribbling a story instead of listening to the French lesson. As a punishment, her teacher made her translate the story into French! She left school at sixteen and worked in offices as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, insurance brokers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company.
She married at nineteen, but continued to work until the birth of her first child. It was at that time that she decided to try her hand at her first love—writing, and shortly after the birth of her daughter she had her first book, Fortune's Lady, published under the pen name of Melinda Hammond. This was quickly followed by two more historical novels, Summer Charade and Autumn Bride, but with the birth of her twin sons the demands of family life meant that writing had to take a backseat for a few years. A compulsive scribbler, she never stopped writing and continued to work on research for her novels, experimenting with contemporary scenarios as well as writing pantomimes for her children's school. In 1989 the family moved to an isolated Pennine farmhouse in West Yorkshire, not far from Brontë country, where the family expanded to include a dog, two gerbils and a dozen chickens. The growing family needed funding and she went back to work full-time. The writing had to be put on hold.
Then, in March 2000, Sarah stepped off a curb and landed in hospital with one ankle broken and one badly sprained. This laid her up on a sofa for twelve weeks and gave her the time she needed to finish a novel. She wrote as Melinda Hammond and Maid of Honour was published the same year. Since then she has never looked back. She's published more than a dozen books under this pen name and has won the Reviewers' Choice Award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond. Her novel Gentlemen in Question was a Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice Title in November 2006. In 2012 her novel The Dangerous Lord Darrington won the Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is now concentrating on writing romantic historical adventures for Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 19, 2023
Een mooi geschreven en op het eind ook een spannend liefdesverhaal .
Ik heb de laatste tijd veel Sarah Mallory verhalen gelezen en ik waardeer het dat zij altijd haar hoofdpersonen zo echt weet te laten lijken en dat zij zich gedragen zoals je van mensen uit die tijd mag verwachten .
Ik heb de laatste tijd veel Sarah Mallory verhalen gelezen en ik waardeer het dat zij altijd haar hoofdpersonen zo echt weet te laten lijken en dat zij zich gedragen zoals je van mensen uit die tijd mag verwachten .
August 28, 2013
In compliance with FTC guidelines; I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was a fun romance with a good balance of conflict.
I must admit I absolutely devoured this book. I enjoyed it immensely.
The best part was the main heroine was a normal young woman. Not the prettiest one in the county. She was not all the clinches you read in every other romance book like feisty and strong headed. She was pure and sweet and kind. Maybe at times a little to kind, but other wise a normal flawed woman.
The story had an grand backdrop that I appreciated. One or two of the minor characters may not have been necessary as they did not carry the story along. Otherwise it was a cast of characters many with interesting quirks.
If you want a good romance novel to waste the day away with this is for you.
This book was a fun romance with a good balance of conflict.
I must admit I absolutely devoured this book. I enjoyed it immensely.
The best part was the main heroine was a normal young woman. Not the prettiest one in the county. She was not all the clinches you read in every other romance book like feisty and strong headed. She was pure and sweet and kind. Maybe at times a little to kind, but other wise a normal flawed woman.
The story had an grand backdrop that I appreciated. One or two of the minor characters may not have been necessary as they did not carry the story along. Otherwise it was a cast of characters many with interesting quirks.
If you want a good romance novel to waste the day away with this is for you.
October 2, 2013
Another great book to add to the favourites. The title intrigued me and I has assumptions of what the plot would be. I'm glad I picked it up and read it. I loved that background research behind the novel as well as the head strong main protagonists. After reading this I would have to say that Annabelle is my favourite. She was such a brilliant character and I adored how she stood firm and believed what her words of her father. I also adored how she yearned and tried to heal Lucas's soul. The imagery of Morwood and Oakenroyd, was very very visual. It seemed like a magic place that I most surly must be real.
December 4, 2018
I loved this story. Very entertaining and enjoyable read. 5☆
December 14, 2024
Dear Sarah Mallory,
You always write the best books. And I so appreciate how your heroines don’t knuckle under. I was concerned, around 33.33%ish through the book, that the heroine would be compelled into a marriage for all the dastardly reasons. But she faced it with pluck and allowed herself a downsize. In the world of regency romances, do you know how many heroines are written to knuckle under, so that they might face a horrible beginning of a marriage that somehow turns ‘romantic?’ As if anyone wants that kind of life, that kind of beginning, to Marriage which is The Rest Of Their Lives, and Not Just A Trial Run? Kleypas’ Hathaways comes to mind (sure, not regency, but surely my drift is not untaken). How I cringed and quailed through Poppy’s destruction at the hand of Harry Rutledge. Your Annabelle would have laughed that bastard to scorn and held her head high doing so. In the end, I want to be like Annabelle.
And your writing feels genuine. The conversations never feel like an American conversation transplanted/shoehorned into Britain (Dare, bless her, and I recognize the style and intent and actually enjoy her for it, though it often feels like cotton candy), and never feel like I’m reading something completely indigestible (Austen, bless her, is just so difficult to sit down to read For Fun). You give the feel of the era, while allowing the eye to skip and dance pleasantly across the words. Your writing is not a chore to read. Like Balogh, your books are consumable — meaning that I can read easily, comprehensively, and still at the end feel like I’ve had a meal instead of cotton candy.
My only quibble is the Great Crisis of this book. I recognize the pattern — all romances must have a Great Crisis for the lovers to overcome, the pinnacle of the book before the end (aka before the Happily Ever After. Has no one else noticed that the Great Crisis in our own lives is actually, um, every day? Ha! If only our own loves didn’t have to have all the Great Crises, plural. Maybe then we’d stick with our loves instead of giving up. If only life imitated art, things would be Happily Ever After Without Effort. But reality is Happily Ever After With Lots Of Effort.). And so the Ultra Dramatic of your Great Crisis in this story was a bit overmuch. Maybe you thought the book would be too dull without it. But the way my chest squeezed with each small drama between the loves (a great indicator of a good book for me is a truly physical, visceral reaction to the writing), tells me that an Ultra Dramatic Great Crisis was not needed. They could have reached a Somewhat Mundane Great Crisis and I would have cheered actually all the harder for their Sweet Reunion. It would have felt very Austeny, while being legible all at the same time.
Love your work. Yours &c.,
Ruby
You always write the best books. And I so appreciate how your heroines don’t knuckle under. I was concerned, around 33.33%ish through the book, that the heroine would be compelled into a marriage for all the dastardly reasons. But she faced it with pluck and allowed herself a downsize. In the world of regency romances, do you know how many heroines are written to knuckle under, so that they might face a horrible beginning of a marriage that somehow turns ‘romantic?’ As if anyone wants that kind of life, that kind of beginning, to Marriage which is The Rest Of Their Lives, and Not Just A Trial Run? Kleypas’ Hathaways comes to mind (sure, not regency, but surely my drift is not untaken). How I cringed and quailed through Poppy’s destruction at the hand of Harry Rutledge. Your Annabelle would have laughed that bastard to scorn and held her head high doing so. In the end, I want to be like Annabelle.
And your writing feels genuine. The conversations never feel like an American conversation transplanted/shoehorned into Britain (Dare, bless her, and I recognize the style and intent and actually enjoy her for it, though it often feels like cotton candy), and never feel like I’m reading something completely indigestible (Austen, bless her, is just so difficult to sit down to read For Fun). You give the feel of the era, while allowing the eye to skip and dance pleasantly across the words. Your writing is not a chore to read. Like Balogh, your books are consumable — meaning that I can read easily, comprehensively, and still at the end feel like I’ve had a meal instead of cotton candy.
My only quibble is the Great Crisis of this book. I recognize the pattern — all romances must have a Great Crisis for the lovers to overcome, the pinnacle of the book before the end (aka before the Happily Ever After. Has no one else noticed that the Great Crisis in our own lives is actually, um, every day? Ha! If only our own loves didn’t have to have all the Great Crises, plural. Maybe then we’d stick with our loves instead of giving up. If only life imitated art, things would be Happily Ever After Without Effort. But reality is Happily Ever After With Lots Of Effort.). And so the Ultra Dramatic of your Great Crisis in this story was a bit overmuch. Maybe you thought the book would be too dull without it. But the way my chest squeezed with each small drama between the loves (a great indicator of a good book for me is a truly physical, visceral reaction to the writing), tells me that an Ultra Dramatic Great Crisis was not needed. They could have reached a Somewhat Mundane Great Crisis and I would have cheered actually all the harder for their Sweet Reunion. It would have felt very Austeny, while being legible all at the same time.
Love your work. Yours &c.,
Ruby
November 1, 2018
Lucas has returned from the war and bent on revenge. As a young boy he believes his neighbor is responsible for the death of his parents. This is a straightforward read, and the romance is light. The couple's highs and lows aren't really pressing but it's an enjoyable read because Lucas is not that wicked a man as the blurb suggests.
June 5, 2017
An enjoyable read that kept my attention throughout. The characters were well rounded, and the plot had a bit of everything - revenge, brooding hero, family secrets, yearning, hazards - what's not to like?The setting for the story was well described and I felt as though I would like to visit it. 3.5*
March 12, 2025
A Good Read
I loved the story as it was unique while remaining faithful to the trope. I did think that the author could have paid attention to the repetition of words in a paragraph. Otherwise, this was a delightful book and I will read more from Ms Mallory. Good job!
I loved the story as it was unique while remaining faithful to the trope. I did think that the author could have paid attention to the repetition of words in a paragraph. Otherwise, this was a delightful book and I will read more from Ms Mallory. Good job!
July 23, 2019
Better than most mills and boons, still basic romance story but well written. There is definetly something addictive about these novels when you just want a quick easy romance 😁
February 5, 2020
The title is a little misleading. Lucas doesn't buy Annabelle but her home for revenge against her father. Very good read.
August 29, 2024
It was a great book!
May 3, 2018
Well written, but a slightly boring and predictable story.
August 28, 2013
First, I received this as a Goodreads giveaway. That said, I really enjoyed it as a quick romance read. The characters are your typical Historical Harlequin romance cast of the young, virgin miss who finds herself (and her beloved Papa) in dire straits made worse by the presence of their new neighbor who has secrets and a hidden agenda of his own. The neighbor is the quintessential brooding bad boy who's also darkly handsome with enigmatic eyes. While the characters are those you find in historical romances, the plot did have a few interesting twists to it that keep your interest.
June 16, 2014
A pretty good book. This had good characters, was written well, and had a good ending. There was a little suspense, a twist towards the end, a good HEA, good characters and personalities, some stubbornness, a little steaminess (more as just added in), and plenty of strength. This is something I probably wouldn't read again but I enjoyed reading it. More for the relaxing or just something to read kinda book.
July 15, 2015
BORING is the only word that I can use to describe this novel. Really Boring
April 1, 2017
Well written, with intricate plotting; a love story with a mystery and some suspense.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews