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Handfasted in Haste
Grace Cameron and Duncan MacTavish grew up beside one another, and Grace always dreamed of Duncan becoming hers. He never seemed to look at her as anything more than a friend until their first kiss when they were in their twenties turned into a hand fasting. They soon learned that passion doesn't put food on the table, and their constant arguing everywhere but in the bed didn't make for a peaceful existence.
Eleven years ago, Grace walked away from their hand fasting. They've been arch enemies ever since - or so she thought.
Duncan has never loved anyone but Grace, and he knows she's his good luck charm. Having her by his side will guarantee he finally wins the caber toss, and he's determined to woo her back.
.
Eleven years ago, Grace walked away from their hand fasting. They've been arch enemies ever since - or so she thought.
Duncan has never loved anyone but Grace, and he knows she's his good luck charm. Having her by his side will guarantee he finally wins the caber toss, and he's determined to woo her back.
.
- GenresSecond Chance
ebook
First published March 27, 2026
About the author
Andrea Jenelle
51 books307 followersI write steamy small town romance (Willow Creek series), paranormal romantasy (Sons & Daughters of Lir) and Victorian era historical romance (Wainwright Sisters) with heat and heart.
I'm a 2X HOLT Award Winning Author (2023, No Regrets- Best First Book; 2025, No Excuses - Best Short Contemporary) who's had characters begging me to tell their love story since I was thirteen years old. I'm finally letting them have a voice.
I wrote my first story, about a giant who befriended a lady bug when I was in the second grade.
I live on a peaceful farm with my spouse and love nothing more than sitting on my porch with a glass of wine and plotting.
You can subscribe to my newsletter via my author website, ANDREAJENELLEROMANCE at https://andreajenelleromance.com/ or see what I'm up to on Instagram and TikTok via my handle @authorandreajenelle
I'm a 2X HOLT Award Winning Author (2023, No Regrets- Best First Book; 2025, No Excuses - Best Short Contemporary) who's had characters begging me to tell their love story since I was thirteen years old. I'm finally letting them have a voice.
I wrote my first story, about a giant who befriended a lady bug when I was in the second grade.
I live on a peaceful farm with my spouse and love nothing more than sitting on my porch with a glass of wine and plotting.
You can subscribe to my newsletter via my author website, ANDREAJENELLEROMANCE at https://andreajenelleromance.com/ or see what I'm up to on Instagram and TikTok via my handle @authorandreajenelle
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 2, 2026
As the title gives away, Grace & Duncan – childhood friends with a secret crush – were handfasted young. She a tomboy, he an incorrigible flirt, it took all her courage to claim her man. A dream come true – for the both of them – but real life isn’t a dream.
Passionate (them), immature (him) and under pressure (her), their wedded bliss turned to strife. A heartbreaking stillbirth was the last straw. He grieved in anger, she in sorrow. All the small cracks became an unbridgeable chasm, and Grace walked away.
But how far can you go in a small village? Eleven years of pent-up grief, never-ending gossip about his rakish ways, snide public verbal sparring, and finally, the opportunity for her to move on presents itself – a job, miles and miles away.
I’ll let you discover for yourself how much Duncan isn’t the superficial arse he appears to be. He matured just as she did – it just took him a lot longer – and he’s desperate to make amends. I could wax poetic over how much I adore this oafish sweetheart, but that would spoil the story. I will however say that cousin Mal’s peptalks are priceless, and Cece is as kind-heartedly forward as ever (that’s Mal & Cece from Cece Wainwright’s Christmas Wish).
This story is neither light nor bubbly, but they are the truest soulmates I’ve read in long time!
Hurt runs deep, love runs deeper, but is it enough? She’s terrified of failing again, and he’s terrified of losing her forever. All this emotion – anger, regret, doubt, hope, despair, grief – is there, on the page, slowly rending my heart and carefully stitching it back together with honesty, vulnerability, solace, and a pinch of humour, flirtation & jealousy as they try to bridge the gap. He with soul-crushing enthusiasm – and he does get crushed – and she reluctantly, hoping for closure but finding something else entirely.
To me, it was heartwrenchingly gorgeous and incredibly moving. It made me feel devastated, elated and everything in-between – tears welled up more than once, both happy and sad – and it will stay with me for a long time to come!
And now I’m a little curious about the mysterious new Laird’s story as well – hint hint 😉
Passionate (them), immature (him) and under pressure (her), their wedded bliss turned to strife. A heartbreaking stillbirth was the last straw. He grieved in anger, she in sorrow. All the small cracks became an unbridgeable chasm, and Grace walked away.
But how far can you go in a small village? Eleven years of pent-up grief, never-ending gossip about his rakish ways, snide public verbal sparring, and finally, the opportunity for her to move on presents itself – a job, miles and miles away.
I’ll let you discover for yourself how much Duncan isn’t the superficial arse he appears to be. He matured just as she did – it just took him a lot longer – and he’s desperate to make amends. I could wax poetic over how much I adore this oafish sweetheart, but that would spoil the story. I will however say that cousin Mal’s peptalks are priceless, and Cece is as kind-heartedly forward as ever (that’s Mal & Cece from Cece Wainwright’s Christmas Wish).
This story is neither light nor bubbly, but they are the truest soulmates I’ve read in long time!
Hurt runs deep, love runs deeper, but is it enough? She’s terrified of failing again, and he’s terrified of losing her forever. All this emotion – anger, regret, doubt, hope, despair, grief – is there, on the page, slowly rending my heart and carefully stitching it back together with honesty, vulnerability, solace, and a pinch of humour, flirtation & jealousy as they try to bridge the gap. He with soul-crushing enthusiasm – and he does get crushed – and she reluctantly, hoping for closure but finding something else entirely.
To me, it was heartwrenchingly gorgeous and incredibly moving. It made me feel devastated, elated and everything in-between – tears welled up more than once, both happy and sad – and it will stay with me for a long time to come!
And now I’m a little curious about the mysterious new Laird’s story as well – hint hint 😉
April 8, 2026
I have enjoyed every book by this author. The Wainwright sisters series was my introduction to Andrea Jenelle and I have devoured all of them. This novella was a short but entertaining read and part of this series. It has old acquaintances from a previous book and a new character that I hope will be written about in the future.
Duncan MacTavish and Grace Cameron fancied each other for years. When Duncan was finally brave enough to kiss Grace they were handfasted for a year. In that time they had a tragedy that neither could turn to the other for support and comfort. It broke their relationship apart with Grace leaving Duncan, vowing never to lose her heart again.
Now eleven years later she was moving on literally with a job that would take her away from her childhood town and everyone she knew. When Oliver finds out he knows he finally has to prove to Grace he is a changed man who will be there for her and that he never stopped loving her. He desperately wants her back. He has two weeks to prove his worth before she leaves forever.
The plot was well written and the main characters were well developed and believable. It was lovely to read about some characters from a previous book. I had no doubt that Grace and Duncan would stay together even from the beginning. There was always moments of doubt throughout the story for Grace as she was hurt most deeply by Duncan but true love won out in the end. There was also a separate epilogue to download which I always enjoy reading about and am disappointed if a book doesn’t have an epilogue.
There only reason why I’m giving this book 4 stars is I wish it had been longer to reveal what the couple had been doing in their time apart and I felt that after eleven years of living in the same town after their relationship ended if they hadn’t rekindled their relationship before then they probably wouldn’t have but I am glad they did.
I received a n ARC from Booksirens. I’m voluntarily leaving this review.
Duncan MacTavish and Grace Cameron fancied each other for years. When Duncan was finally brave enough to kiss Grace they were handfasted for a year. In that time they had a tragedy that neither could turn to the other for support and comfort. It broke their relationship apart with Grace leaving Duncan, vowing never to lose her heart again.
Now eleven years later she was moving on literally with a job that would take her away from her childhood town and everyone she knew. When Oliver finds out he knows he finally has to prove to Grace he is a changed man who will be there for her and that he never stopped loving her. He desperately wants her back. He has two weeks to prove his worth before she leaves forever.
The plot was well written and the main characters were well developed and believable. It was lovely to read about some characters from a previous book. I had no doubt that Grace and Duncan would stay together even from the beginning. There was always moments of doubt throughout the story for Grace as she was hurt most deeply by Duncan but true love won out in the end. There was also a separate epilogue to download which I always enjoy reading about and am disappointed if a book doesn’t have an epilogue.
There only reason why I’m giving this book 4 stars is I wish it had been longer to reveal what the couple had been doing in their time apart and I felt that after eleven years of living in the same town after their relationship ended if they hadn’t rekindled their relationship before then they probably wouldn’t have but I am glad they did.
I received a n ARC from Booksirens. I’m voluntarily leaving this review.
April 6, 2026
4.5/5 This is a fast spaced novella featuring side characters from Cece Wainwright’s Christmas Wish. Duncan and Grace’s relationship was described there as tumultuous and this story takes place almost four years later.
It was a quick read but didn’t lack emotional depth. For Duncan and Grace it’s been twelve years since Grace walked away from Duncan and their shared lives through handfasting. Neither have been able to really move on in all that time and so Grace decides it’s time to fully move on by leaving the village.
What I loved about this story is how imperfect they both were and still are. A lot of their feelings have been kept pent up for years. Bitterness and guilt to the hurtful words they said in grief and all the things and actions they couldn’t say or do back then.
Underneath it all though was a love that’s deep and never ending. It’s one of the things that made the story emotional was Duncan and Grace knowing they’d always love one another but questioning if that’s enough to try again.
Duncan spends a lot of his time being told to grovel and I kept expecting some big grand gesture. But sometimes the most meaningful acts are the little ones of showing up and being there for one another.
There also seemed a potential storyline was left open for the laird Ruark Adair.
This could be read as a standalone.
Handfasted in Haste is 4.5 in the Wainwright Sisters series.
There is one open door encounter that’s available in the extended epilogue via newsletter signup.
I received an advanced reader copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
Miscarriage is listed in the content warnings at the beginning of the story. This plays a major role throughout.
It was a quick read but didn’t lack emotional depth. For Duncan and Grace it’s been twelve years since Grace walked away from Duncan and their shared lives through handfasting. Neither have been able to really move on in all that time and so Grace decides it’s time to fully move on by leaving the village.
What I loved about this story is how imperfect they both were and still are. A lot of their feelings have been kept pent up for years. Bitterness and guilt to the hurtful words they said in grief and all the things and actions they couldn’t say or do back then.
Underneath it all though was a love that’s deep and never ending. It’s one of the things that made the story emotional was Duncan and Grace knowing they’d always love one another but questioning if that’s enough to try again.
Duncan spends a lot of his time being told to grovel and I kept expecting some big grand gesture. But sometimes the most meaningful acts are the little ones of showing up and being there for one another.
There also seemed a potential storyline was left open for the laird Ruark Adair.
This could be read as a standalone.
Handfasted in Haste is 4.5 in the Wainwright Sisters series.
There is one open door encounter that’s available in the extended epilogue via newsletter signup.
I received an advanced reader copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
Miscarriage is listed in the content warnings at the beginning of the story. This plays a major role throughout.
March 31, 2026
Handfasted in Haste is a lovely second-chance romance between two people who just can’t quit each other—even though they’ve been apart for over a decade. Grace and Duncan fell in love young and handfasted for a year. But between a seemingly endless series of arguments and bitter words and, crucially, the loss of their baby daughter and the inability to deal with their emotions around that, their relationship fell apart. Duncan has been working to win Grace back for some time with no success. But will he finally have the chance not only to win the caber toss at their annual Highland Games, but also to win back Grace’s heart?
I truly enjoyed this story overall. Both Grace and Duncan are stubborn as all get-out and a bit dunderheaded, but they also genuinely care for and are concerned about one another. Duncan was on far more of an emotional seesaw, and that became wearying. But I liked how everyone in their town—including folks from Jenelle’s previous historical romances— worked to bring them together as well.
My one issue with the book was the gap of time in Duncan and Grace’s separation. I found it hard to believe that they would be apart for 11 years in such a small town. Yes, they had a tough separation and needed to address the loss of their child, but I needed more justification for a gap that seemed too extreme to work with a novella-length book.
A comment: Jenelle uses Scottish dialect writing for dialogue in this book, so if that’s something that is difficult for you, keep that in mind.
I truly enjoyed this story overall. Both Grace and Duncan are stubborn as all get-out and a bit dunderheaded, but they also genuinely care for and are concerned about one another. Duncan was on far more of an emotional seesaw, and that became wearying. But I liked how everyone in their town—including folks from Jenelle’s previous historical romances— worked to bring them together as well.
My one issue with the book was the gap of time in Duncan and Grace’s separation. I found it hard to believe that they would be apart for 11 years in such a small town. Yes, they had a tough separation and needed to address the loss of their child, but I needed more justification for a gap that seemed too extreme to work with a novella-length book.
A comment: Jenelle uses Scottish dialect writing for dialogue in this book, so if that’s something that is difficult for you, keep that in mind.
May 4, 2026
I enjoyed this touching second chance at love romance, which centers on the theme of “from childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers.” It is a companion novella to Cece Wainwright’s story, set in Scotland, in which the cousin of Cece‘s husband and his former lover who left him after a tragic loss and bitter disputes play the leading roles. The well-written plot is emotional and filled with grief, longing, bitterness, and rather uncharacteristic of the author, fade-out steam. I liked both protagonists, as well as the chemistry between them. Duncan may come across as a flirt, but he loves her sincerely, and Grace is strong and independent and longs for a fresh start. I was truly happy that they found their way back to each other.
Eleven years after she left him, Duncan MacTavish decides to win back Grace Cameron, the love of his life, who once left him following the death of their daughter and their constant heated arguments. Since then, Grace has hated him and now wants to take a new position far away from the village, which reminds her too much of her loss and her disastrous relationship with Duncan. Duncan uses a trick to get closer to her again and get a second chance with her…
If you enjoy Victorian romances about second chances, mature couples, moving storylines, and endearing characters, this book is for you.
I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.
Eleven years after she left him, Duncan MacTavish decides to win back Grace Cameron, the love of his life, who once left him following the death of their daughter and their constant heated arguments. Since then, Grace has hated him and now wants to take a new position far away from the village, which reminds her too much of her loss and her disastrous relationship with Duncan. Duncan uses a trick to get closer to her again and get a second chance with her…
If you enjoy Victorian romances about second chances, mature couples, moving storylines, and endearing characters, this book is for you.
I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.
April 28, 2026
It started with a kiss in the woods quickly followed by a handfasting. After a year of constant arguing (except in the bedroom), the loss of their baby, and emotional fatigue, Grace walked away. That was eleven years ago. Duncan wants a second chance, but has not found a way to make it happen. He proposes a truce. He convinces her that she is lucky charm, and their getting along will help him win the caber toss. He will use the situation as an opportunity to win her heart and heal their marriage. Will it work? This is a quick and entertaining second chance story with two stubborn people. At the beginning, they moved too fast and thought too little, and regretted it. Is it possible to find their happy, although not perfect, ever after? Good story.
I received an ARC of this book via BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed it.
I received an ARC of this book via BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed it.
April 24, 2026
Eleven years ago, Grace walked away from their hand fasting. They’ve been arch enemies ever since - or so she thought. These are two stubborn people who have suffered loss together but are not emotionally mature! I don’t think they even are after separation and reconciliation but definitely better! They wasted a lot of years but in the end their time apart and their stubbornness resulted in a reunion! I received an ARC copy for my unbiased opinion! The Epilogue is where the heat is!
April 23, 2026
“Handfasted in Haste” by Andrea Jenelle
-A deeply emotional second-chance romance filled with grief, regret, and enduring love. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Grace and Duncan’s journey feels raw and real, with imperfect characters who grow over time. A heartfelt, moving novella about healing, forgiveness, and finding your way back together.
-A deeply emotional second-chance romance filled with grief, regret, and enduring love. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Grace and Duncan’s journey feels raw and real, with imperfect characters who grow over time. A heartfelt, moving novella about healing, forgiveness, and finding your way back together.
April 26, 2026
Story was well written but I wanted to shake both the hero, Duncan, and the heroine, Grace, for their stubbornness which cost them 10 years of their lives. Not totally realistic and how their love survived the years apart are a miracle. Although I received a complimentary reader review copy, my opinions are my own and left voluntarily.
April 5, 2026
She has done it once again. I loved the dynamic between Duncan and Grace. The sadness of their story really makes you feel for the characters. He did a good job of making sure that she stayed, and got his girl back at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2026
4.5 stars
as always mrs andrea knows how to tell a story. i am a sucker for the wainrights and this novella was no different. i loved seeing the side characters from previous books and look forward to hopefully hearing about a certain someones own story
as always mrs andrea knows how to tell a story. i am a sucker for the wainrights and this novella was no different. i loved seeing the side characters from previous books and look forward to hopefully hearing about a certain someones own story
May 31, 2026
CW Loss of pregnancy/ child
I live for romance like this!
Historical romance with sweeps you up AND has relatable 3 dimensional characters. Sustained love is choosing it, even when it’s hard and imperfect.
I live for romance like this!
Historical romance with sweeps you up AND has relatable 3 dimensional characters. Sustained love is choosing it, even when it’s hard and imperfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews