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Brides for Bachelors #3
The Captain Claims His Lady
Enticed by the mysterious stranger…
But can this wallflower trust in their attraction?
In this Brides for Bachelors story, shy Lizzie Hutton knows her height and clumsiness alone make her a debutante to avoid. Until she meets tall, strong and striking Captain Harry Bretherton, who takes a surprising interest in her! Their intense chemistry makes him hard to resist—if only it weren’t for the secrecy around his past…
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2018
70 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Annie Burrows
184 books311 followersI've been published by Mills & Boon since 2007..but I'd been making up stories in my head for as long as I can remember. It was a long walk home from school, and there were no ipods in those days to keep you amused! When I wasn't daydreaming, I had my nose stuck in a book. My parents used to take me to the library every Saturday, until I was old enough to get there on my own, and my house was always full of books.
During school holidays, the whole family loved to visit stately homes and castles. As soon as we got home, my older sister and I would either dress up as lords and ladies, and romp around the garden, or, if it was raining, retreat to our bedroom where we would draw intricately detailed plans of our very own imaginary stately home, complete with secret tunnels, dungeons, and usually, a maze in the extensive grounds.
When I was old enough to go to university, I studied English literature, with Philosophy. I was not sure what I wanted to do after that, but meeting a handsome student of maths, who was the owner of a very powerful motorbike helped me make up my mind. Reader, I married him.
For many years I felt it was important to stay at home to raise our two children, but one day, when the youngest had gone to senior school, I began to wonder if all those stories I made up to occupy my mind whilst attending to mundane chores, would interest anyone else.
I started to write some of them down, and eventually decided that one of them was "deep" enough to merit attention from publishers. It took me almost two years to complete, mainly because I kept tearing it up and starting all over again. And having to keep going out to work to help pay for school fees, then university tuition, slowed progress down as well.
Needless to say, this masterpiece was rejected by every single publisher I sent it to, but by this time, writing had become an addiction.
Four more stories got rejected, before Mills & Boon bought "His Cinderella Bride", a regency romance.
I do have some other interests, besides writing! I love spending time pottering in my garden. And recently I've taken up ballroom dancing as a way to try and keep fit (and keep the romance alive in my marriage!)
During school holidays, the whole family loved to visit stately homes and castles. As soon as we got home, my older sister and I would either dress up as lords and ladies, and romp around the garden, or, if it was raining, retreat to our bedroom where we would draw intricately detailed plans of our very own imaginary stately home, complete with secret tunnels, dungeons, and usually, a maze in the extensive grounds.
When I was old enough to go to university, I studied English literature, with Philosophy. I was not sure what I wanted to do after that, but meeting a handsome student of maths, who was the owner of a very powerful motorbike helped me make up my mind. Reader, I married him.
For many years I felt it was important to stay at home to raise our two children, but one day, when the youngest had gone to senior school, I began to wonder if all those stories I made up to occupy my mind whilst attending to mundane chores, would interest anyone else.
I started to write some of them down, and eventually decided that one of them was "deep" enough to merit attention from publishers. It took me almost two years to complete, mainly because I kept tearing it up and starting all over again. And having to keep going out to work to help pay for school fees, then university tuition, slowed progress down as well.
Needless to say, this masterpiece was rejected by every single publisher I sent it to, but by this time, writing had become an addiction.
Four more stories got rejected, before Mills & Boon bought "His Cinderella Bride", a regency romance.
I do have some other interests, besides writing! I love spending time pottering in my garden. And recently I've taken up ballroom dancing as a way to try and keep fit (and keep the romance alive in my marriage!)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 18, 2019
Good conclusion to the series. In the previous two books, The Major Meets His Match and The Marquess Tames His Bride, the group of men stumbled onto a jewelry theft ring. At the beginning of the previous book, they learned that one of the men had died under suspicious circumstances while investigating a lead, leaving the remaining friends determined to avenge his death. They had a suspect, but no proof, only a plan to get the proof - a plan that used an innocent young woman.
Lizzie was unusually tall for a woman, which made her very self-conscious and shy. She also has terrible eyesight, which contributed to her reputation for clumsiness. She spent most of her time caring for her grumpy grandfather and reading to an invalid old woman. Her forays into society were disastrous, and she all but gave up on the idea of marriage. That was until she (literally) ran into Captain Harry Bretherton.
Harry had recently returned to England after being held as a prisoner of the French. His body was well on the way to recovering, but he was still haunted by what happened to him. Archie's death hit him hard and finding those responsible gave him the kick he needed to start living again. He was willing to do whatever necessary, including fake an interest in a woman.
I was predisposed to like this book anyway because I was intrigued by the ongoing mystery and wanted to know how it turned out. Be that as it may, I was sucked into the story from the first page, as Harry confronted his friend about their plan. His innate honorableness was clear as he realized that the other candidates were not the type to be trusted with the virtue of a young woman. Though he had a few misgivings, he was determined to follow through. He did not expect to be thoroughly enchanted by the lady in question. I loved their first meeting and how quickly they connected over a silly bit of wordplay. They connected further that evening while dancing, as each admitted to the problems related to their sizes. Harry felt an unexpected rush of protectiveness toward Lizzie, which was doubly disturbing because he was the one she needed protecting from. I ached a bit for Lizzie, who couldn't believe that she had drawn the attention of someone like Harry, especially with the way she was continually laughed at and mocked.
I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Lizzie and Harry. When her grandfather moved them back home early to get her away from "that jackanapes," Harry was right behind them. Yes, that's where he needed to be for his investigation, but he increasingly wanted to spend time with Lizzie. I ached for Harry because of the growing amount of guilt he felt for his deception. This caused him to blow a bit hot and cold in his treatment of Lizzie, which in turn confused her. She was always sure that it was something she did that made him pull back. Meanwhile, she was certain of her feelings for him, and couldn't understand why he was holding back.
When circumstances, and Lizzie's poor eyesight, landed them in the middle of a dangerous situation, the truth finally came out. Lizzie was hurt and angry, but there was no time to give in to it. She and Harry were in grave danger, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. The final confrontation was intense, and Lizzie played a huge part in its successful resolution. Her quick thinking was amazing, and I loved that Harry respected her intelligence the way he did. But their troubles weren't over. How could Lizzie believe that Harry's attentions were real when she now knew why he was there? Did he really want to marry her, or was it because of what had happened? I loved the arrival of the other two couples and the unexpected twist provided by Harriet and Clare. I loved the ending and the unique way that Harry proved his love to Lizzie.
I liked the successful resolution to the mystery of the jewel thefts. The bad guy was even worse than suspected, and he certainly received his just desserts. The revelation of how the scheme worked showed how horrible he was. I understood the frustration at the final decision on how it would be handled, but the reasons were logical.
Lizzie was unusually tall for a woman, which made her very self-conscious and shy. She also has terrible eyesight, which contributed to her reputation for clumsiness. She spent most of her time caring for her grumpy grandfather and reading to an invalid old woman. Her forays into society were disastrous, and she all but gave up on the idea of marriage. That was until she (literally) ran into Captain Harry Bretherton.
Harry had recently returned to England after being held as a prisoner of the French. His body was well on the way to recovering, but he was still haunted by what happened to him. Archie's death hit him hard and finding those responsible gave him the kick he needed to start living again. He was willing to do whatever necessary, including fake an interest in a woman.
I was predisposed to like this book anyway because I was intrigued by the ongoing mystery and wanted to know how it turned out. Be that as it may, I was sucked into the story from the first page, as Harry confronted his friend about their plan. His innate honorableness was clear as he realized that the other candidates were not the type to be trusted with the virtue of a young woman. Though he had a few misgivings, he was determined to follow through. He did not expect to be thoroughly enchanted by the lady in question. I loved their first meeting and how quickly they connected over a silly bit of wordplay. They connected further that evening while dancing, as each admitted to the problems related to their sizes. Harry felt an unexpected rush of protectiveness toward Lizzie, which was doubly disturbing because he was the one she needed protecting from. I ached a bit for Lizzie, who couldn't believe that she had drawn the attention of someone like Harry, especially with the way she was continually laughed at and mocked.
I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Lizzie and Harry. When her grandfather moved them back home early to get her away from "that jackanapes," Harry was right behind them. Yes, that's where he needed to be for his investigation, but he increasingly wanted to spend time with Lizzie. I ached for Harry because of the growing amount of guilt he felt for his deception. This caused him to blow a bit hot and cold in his treatment of Lizzie, which in turn confused her. She was always sure that it was something she did that made him pull back. Meanwhile, she was certain of her feelings for him, and couldn't understand why he was holding back.
When circumstances, and Lizzie's poor eyesight, landed them in the middle of a dangerous situation, the truth finally came out. Lizzie was hurt and angry, but there was no time to give in to it. She and Harry were in grave danger, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. The final confrontation was intense, and Lizzie played a huge part in its successful resolution. Her quick thinking was amazing, and I loved that Harry respected her intelligence the way he did. But their troubles weren't over. How could Lizzie believe that Harry's attentions were real when she now knew why he was there? Did he really want to marry her, or was it because of what had happened? I loved the arrival of the other two couples and the unexpected twist provided by Harriet and Clare. I loved the ending and the unique way that Harry proved his love to Lizzie.
I liked the successful resolution to the mystery of the jewel thefts. The bad guy was even worse than suspected, and he certainly received his just desserts. The revelation of how the scheme worked showed how horrible he was. I understood the frustration at the final decision on how it would be handled, but the reasons were logical.
February 4, 2021
Maria Antonietta - per RFS
.
Care fenici e amanti dei romance storici, oggi vi parlerò di un Harmony di Annie Burrows che mi ha incuriosita per la trama e la copertina intrigante, il cui titolo è Una preziosa pedina per il capitano”.
Purtroppo però il mio giudizio non è positivo, sono rimasta infatti delusa avendo fatto fatica a concludere la lettura, che ho trovato lenta e ridondante.
Nella scelta del libro mi ha intrigato l’idea del corteggiamento con un secondo fine, così come il periodo storico e l’ambientazione che sono i miei preferiti.
Nella preziosa cornice dell’Inghilterra del 1800, il Capitano della Marina Reale Inglese Henry Bretherton viene ingaggiato sotto compenso per smascherare il colpevole di un omicidio.
Oltre ad essere un capitano, Henry è un Conte e, come i suoi amici aristocratici, ha un soprannome particolare, il suo è Atlante, non solo perché è un uomo grande e grosso ma soprattutto per l’indole protettiva nei confronti del prossimo.
L’obiettivo da portare a termine è più una necessità per il Capitano: lui desidera vendicare l’amico Archie, morto in circostanze sospette, indipendentemente dalla ricompensa.
Il compito prevede di sedurre la nipote del magistrato locale della cittadina in cui è avvenuta la tragedia, per poter investigare indisturbato.
Gli elementi per un racconto interessante ci sono tutti, ma non ho trovato la necessaria scorrevolezza e il movimento nella narrazione, nonché la giusta dose di emozione per un’opera di seduzione. I pochi dialoghi tra i due sono molto freddi e senza brio e, i due soli baci che si donano mi hanno dato l’idea di uno di quei romanzi inglesi un po’ troppo bigotti.
La traduzione lascia a desiderare e anche nei momenti più interessanti c’è un freno che non porta a termine il percorso intrapreso fino a quel momento. La protagonista è sgraziata e con molti difetti, inoltre la poverina non ha nemmeno un’assoluzione perché si aspetta un finale da sogno, ma ahimé riceve, con mia grande delusione, come pegno d’amore una scatolina con all’interno un paio di occhiali per la sua miopia.
Ma almeno alla fine mi sono fatta una grassa risata.
Alla prossima lettura fenicette.
.
Care fenici e amanti dei romance storici, oggi vi parlerò di un Harmony di Annie Burrows che mi ha incuriosita per la trama e la copertina intrigante, il cui titolo è Una preziosa pedina per il capitano”.
Purtroppo però il mio giudizio non è positivo, sono rimasta infatti delusa avendo fatto fatica a concludere la lettura, che ho trovato lenta e ridondante.
Nella scelta del libro mi ha intrigato l’idea del corteggiamento con un secondo fine, così come il periodo storico e l’ambientazione che sono i miei preferiti.
Nella preziosa cornice dell’Inghilterra del 1800, il Capitano della Marina Reale Inglese Henry Bretherton viene ingaggiato sotto compenso per smascherare il colpevole di un omicidio.
Oltre ad essere un capitano, Henry è un Conte e, come i suoi amici aristocratici, ha un soprannome particolare, il suo è Atlante, non solo perché è un uomo grande e grosso ma soprattutto per l’indole protettiva nei confronti del prossimo.
L’obiettivo da portare a termine è più una necessità per il Capitano: lui desidera vendicare l’amico Archie, morto in circostanze sospette, indipendentemente dalla ricompensa.
Il compito prevede di sedurre la nipote del magistrato locale della cittadina in cui è avvenuta la tragedia, per poter investigare indisturbato.
Gli elementi per un racconto interessante ci sono tutti, ma non ho trovato la necessaria scorrevolezza e il movimento nella narrazione, nonché la giusta dose di emozione per un’opera di seduzione. I pochi dialoghi tra i due sono molto freddi e senza brio e, i due soli baci che si donano mi hanno dato l’idea di uno di quei romanzi inglesi un po’ troppo bigotti.
La traduzione lascia a desiderare e anche nei momenti più interessanti c’è un freno che non porta a termine il percorso intrapreso fino a quel momento. La protagonista è sgraziata e con molti difetti, inoltre la poverina non ha nemmeno un’assoluzione perché si aspetta un finale da sogno, ma ahimé riceve, con mia grande delusione, come pegno d’amore una scatolina con all’interno un paio di occhiali per la sua miopia.
Ma almeno alla fine mi sono fatta una grassa risata.
Alla prossima lettura fenicette.
July 12, 2020
This is my favorite of the series. The Captain has PTSD and Lizzie is shy with no self-esteem. They are made for each other if only they knew it. The mystery started in The Major Meets His Match is finally resolved and quite suddenly. As for the HEA, it is not like any other. Good book - recommended.
February 2, 2019
I really liked and related to the large, clumsy heroine! I loved the angst and insecurity about her size and klutziness, I just wish she had been more plus-sized, rather than just tall. Excellent premise, and multiple elements of my favorite tropes (hero deceives heroine, she discovers the lies and becomes convinced that he doesn’t truly care for her. One complaint: Still, enough of my favorite tropes that I really enjoyed it!
January 2, 2022
A gift from my groomsmen. Pretty predictable storyline, not terribly written. Not really my speed, needed more smut.
October 14, 2025
Hugely enjoyable!!
International author Annie Burrows has produced a superbly plotted historical romance, which helps to confirm her status as of the stars of the HMB Historical series. The action is fast paced and gets moving quickly and the main characters are well defined. So easy to read that I raced through it in under a month and I would highly recommend it to other readers. Her legion of fans will have no doubt already savoured this superb story, but anyone knew to her work, couldn't start with a better novel this as a an introduction to a hugely talented author.
International author Annie Burrows has produced a superbly plotted historical romance, which helps to confirm her status as of the stars of the HMB Historical series. The action is fast paced and gets moving quickly and the main characters are well defined. So easy to read that I raced through it in under a month and I would highly recommend it to other readers. Her legion of fans will have no doubt already savoured this superb story, but anyone knew to her work, couldn't start with a better novel this as a an introduction to a hugely talented author.
March 3, 2019
Fab story. Love this series. 4☆
November 22, 2021
I was so disappointed... The ending was so abrupt, I thought my book had missing pages.
August 2, 2022
Loved this book
Two misfit’s find each through a deception and solve a murder committed by the town cleric. In the end they find LOVE
Two misfit’s find each through a deception and solve a murder committed by the town cleric. In the end they find LOVE
March 13, 2025
Ahhhhhhhhh
I loved this one the most - two awkward people saving each other - what’s not to love? Adorable - especially the ending !!!!!
I loved this one the most - two awkward people saving each other - what’s not to love? Adorable - especially the ending !!!!!
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July 6, 2018Miniseries: Brides for Bachelors
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews