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Bride by Contract: A Practical Marriage Becomes a Partnership of Hearts
A ruined viscount’s daughter. A self-made magnate. A marriage contract that was supposed to save a family—not awaken a heart.
With creditors at the door and the unentailed Vaughn home days from seizure, Isabel Vaughn is out of time. Responsible for her three sisters and an ailing mother, she agrees to the only practical offer on the a marriage of convenience to William Rothwell, a wealthy shipping merchant who needs a high-born wife to ease his path into society.
The terms are clear—Isabel’s breeding and social grace in exchange for William’s promise to settle every debt and provide dowries for her sisters. Separate bedrooms. Polite distance. No expectations.
But London has a way of unmaking tidy bargains. Isabel’s quick mind for numbers proves invaluable to William’s empire; ledger talks turn into late nights and genuine partnership. A kiss meant to be a mistake becomes a promise neither of them saw coming. And just as trust begins to take root, a scandal from William’s past resurfaces, threatening to brand her a fool and him a fraud—destroying the very future they’re quietly building.
Now the viscount’s daughter who bartered herself for her family’s survival must decide if she’ll fight for a marriage no contract can contain. And the man who “bought” his way into society must prove he can earn the only thing that his wife’s heart.
Bride by Contract is a class-difference, slow-burn Regency romance with a fiercely capable heroine, a protective merchant hero, found-family vibes, and a guaranteed HEA. Come for the bargain wedding; stay for the smart chemistry, house-party tension, and a love that turns convenience into forever.
Heat Steamy open-door (sensual, character-driven intimacy); not erotic.
Perfect if you
• Marriage of convenience → real marriage • Merchant hero × titled heroine
• Separate bedrooms (at first) • Business/ledger banter & true partnership
• Scandal, redemption, and swoony protectiveness • Found family & sister arcs
With creditors at the door and the unentailed Vaughn home days from seizure, Isabel Vaughn is out of time. Responsible for her three sisters and an ailing mother, she agrees to the only practical offer on the a marriage of convenience to William Rothwell, a wealthy shipping merchant who needs a high-born wife to ease his path into society.
The terms are clear—Isabel’s breeding and social grace in exchange for William’s promise to settle every debt and provide dowries for her sisters. Separate bedrooms. Polite distance. No expectations.
But London has a way of unmaking tidy bargains. Isabel’s quick mind for numbers proves invaluable to William’s empire; ledger talks turn into late nights and genuine partnership. A kiss meant to be a mistake becomes a promise neither of them saw coming. And just as trust begins to take root, a scandal from William’s past resurfaces, threatening to brand her a fool and him a fraud—destroying the very future they’re quietly building.
Now the viscount’s daughter who bartered herself for her family’s survival must decide if she’ll fight for a marriage no contract can contain. And the man who “bought” his way into society must prove he can earn the only thing that his wife’s heart.
Bride by Contract is a class-difference, slow-burn Regency romance with a fiercely capable heroine, a protective merchant hero, found-family vibes, and a guaranteed HEA. Come for the bargain wedding; stay for the smart chemistry, house-party tension, and a love that turns convenience into forever.
Heat Steamy open-door (sensual, character-driven intimacy); not erotic.
Perfect if you
• Marriage of convenience → real marriage • Merchant hero × titled heroine
• Separate bedrooms (at first) • Business/ledger banter & true partnership
• Scandal, redemption, and swoony protectiveness • Found family & sister arcs
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2025
5 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Eva Lyndale
37 books1 followerEva Lyndale is a historical fiction author and lifelong explorer whose curiosity has carried her to more than forty countries. Her writing blends meticulous historical research with vivid storytelling, offering readers a window into distant eras and the lives shaped within them.
From crumbling coastal ruins to bustling cities layered with centuries of change, the places Eva visits often spark the settings for her novels. She is especially drawn to overlooked moments in history—those quiet, human stories that unfold in the shadows of larger events. Through richly drawn characters and immersive environments, her work explores themes of connection, transformation, and the passage of time.
Eva approaches each project with the mind of a researcher and the heart of a traveler, weaving cultural detail and atmospheric depth into every page. When she’s not writing, she can often be found exploring local archives, wandering through museums, or sketching story notes in a tucked-away café somewhere new.
From crumbling coastal ruins to bustling cities layered with centuries of change, the places Eva visits often spark the settings for her novels. She is especially drawn to overlooked moments in history—those quiet, human stories that unfold in the shadows of larger events. Through richly drawn characters and immersive environments, her work explores themes of connection, transformation, and the passage of time.
Eva approaches each project with the mind of a researcher and the heart of a traveler, weaving cultural detail and atmospheric depth into every page. When she’s not writing, she can often be found exploring local archives, wandering through museums, or sketching story notes in a tucked-away café somewhere new.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 14, 2025
A clean story. A sister trying to mange her aristocratic family after her father’s death and huge debts makes a marriage of convenience with a wealthy up and coming merchant. Deal is he clears their debts and she raises his status and guides and eases him into polite society.
I liked the gentle first half of the book as they get to know each other and settle into a relationship. However, I did think in that part Isabel was just too clever. She sees his ledgers for the first time and immediately spots an error in exchange rates on a cursory examination. She would not be used to exchange rates, however good she is at managing household/estate ledgers. I have absolutely nothing against extremely clever and smart women, but she seemed too perfect, picking up other errors and shortfalls regularly. It makes you wonder how William ever built his business, and how good his clerks are!
It was from around the second half it went off for me. There seemed to be some confusion time wise around the resolving of his apparent fraud whilst at the Dukes. The Duke agrees to give him the benefit of the doubt that day pending investigations and confirmations which happen 2 days later, yet it then reads as if the dancing etc are a continuation of the initial day. However, after that it is just a series of Isabel coming up with new wonderful ideas that all work to generate more funds or be successful charitable works. William does not seem to have any ideas at all. I am not sure this adds to the story, and I am sorry to say it just seems more like padding to reach a word count. I think we’d already seen they had developed a successful relationship in every sense. As I said earlier Isabel to me is too perfect having all these ideas, yet nothing from William.
I was also a little bemused by her mother. I accept she was laid low by her husband’s death, and their precarious financial position. But she rarely features even though she improves following their change in fortune through Isabel, doesn’t even come to town when her other daughters are coming out/having a season. And lastly when her sisters first visit Isabel after her marriage why are they apparently still in very worn, made over dresses? Surely there would have been some funds even if only for basic new dresses.
So for me first part is good but last part not so. Overall though it is readable.
I liked the gentle first half of the book as they get to know each other and settle into a relationship. However, I did think in that part Isabel was just too clever. She sees his ledgers for the first time and immediately spots an error in exchange rates on a cursory examination. She would not be used to exchange rates, however good she is at managing household/estate ledgers. I have absolutely nothing against extremely clever and smart women, but she seemed too perfect, picking up other errors and shortfalls regularly. It makes you wonder how William ever built his business, and how good his clerks are!
It was from around the second half it went off for me. There seemed to be some confusion time wise around the resolving of his apparent fraud whilst at the Dukes. The Duke agrees to give him the benefit of the doubt that day pending investigations and confirmations which happen 2 days later, yet it then reads as if the dancing etc are a continuation of the initial day. However, after that it is just a series of Isabel coming up with new wonderful ideas that all work to generate more funds or be successful charitable works. William does not seem to have any ideas at all. I am not sure this adds to the story, and I am sorry to say it just seems more like padding to reach a word count. I think we’d already seen they had developed a successful relationship in every sense. As I said earlier Isabel to me is too perfect having all these ideas, yet nothing from William.
I was also a little bemused by her mother. I accept she was laid low by her husband’s death, and their precarious financial position. But she rarely features even though she improves following their change in fortune through Isabel, doesn’t even come to town when her other daughters are coming out/having a season. And lastly when her sisters first visit Isabel after her marriage why are they apparently still in very worn, made over dresses? Surely there would have been some funds even if only for basic new dresses.
So for me first part is good but last part not so. Overall though it is readable.
Displaying 1 of 1 review