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Vawdrey Brothers #2
His Forsaken Bride
Fenella Thane is a desperate woman. Her absentee husband of eight years has served her with divorce papers and she looks likely to lose her beloved home and be forced into a convent.
There is just one slim chance to avoid this fate, one person of prominence at court who she knows has the ear of the King. Oswald Vawdrey, the man who cruelly jilted her when she was a starry-eyed fifteen year old with a head full of romantic dreams.
Fen swallows her pride and rides to the King’s court at Aphrany to beg for Lord Vawdrey’s intercession. But Lord Vawdrey is not the charming boy she remembers, and he has no interest in halting her divorce. Instead, he has quite different plans for his former intended bride.
Fenella is about to discover there is more to Oswald Vawdrey than meets the eye. And she may not be quite so forsaken as she once thought…
This is a stand-alone full length novel of over 150,000 words set in a medieval style landscape in the fictional kingdom of Karadok. Please do not purchase if you are offended by strong language and or sex scenes.
There is just one slim chance to avoid this fate, one person of prominence at court who she knows has the ear of the King. Oswald Vawdrey, the man who cruelly jilted her when she was a starry-eyed fifteen year old with a head full of romantic dreams.
Fen swallows her pride and rides to the King’s court at Aphrany to beg for Lord Vawdrey’s intercession. But Lord Vawdrey is not the charming boy she remembers, and he has no interest in halting her divorce. Instead, he has quite different plans for his former intended bride.
Fenella is about to discover there is more to Oswald Vawdrey than meets the eye. And she may not be quite so forsaken as she once thought…
This is a stand-alone full length novel of over 150,000 words set in a medieval style landscape in the fictional kingdom of Karadok. Please do not purchase if you are offended by strong language and or sex scenes.
667 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2018
486 people are currently reading
2223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews
June 2, 2025
Trust me, no one's more upset with this rating than I am. 😭 At the end of the day, there was just too much court politics and not enough romance for me. I also found it really difficult to connect with the characters this time. The only highlight of this story was seeing Mason and Linnet (MC's from the last book) again. Their kids were adorable!
Rating: 2.5/5
Rating: 2.5/5
February 10, 2019
You know, I'm not one for liking books where the hero treats the heroine badly. That's not the best description for this series though. Their words are cutting and they start out selfish, but their actions are protective and they are very jealous and possessive. It's a combination that you wouldn't think mix and yet the author pulls it off.
It's that protective, possessiveness they show that kept me going in the beginnings. I think it's the transformation you see unfold that makes me love these books. It's like they fall instantly for their heroines and they are clueless about it. They use shallow/selfish excuses to why they behave they way they do. As the story unfolds, you see the love that they are trying so hard to hide. I find that I really love that. It makes the endings so much sweeter.
I've only read book 1 and 2 so far, but I'm loving the heroines as well. They are very sweet and kind characters. They don't have a mean or manipulative bone in their bodies. I think in other scenarios, I would think they were doormats to the hero, but it really doesn't come off that way in this series. I put that down to the magic of this authors writing.
I'm really not a fan of the 3rd brother but this author has proven that she is worth the read so I will be diving into it very soon. I was also very glad to see a side character in this book has her own book coming. I'm looking forward to more from this author.
It's that protective, possessiveness they show that kept me going in the beginnings. I think it's the transformation you see unfold that makes me love these books. It's like they fall instantly for their heroines and they are clueless about it. They use shallow/selfish excuses to why they behave they way they do. As the story unfolds, you see the love that they are trying so hard to hide. I find that I really love that. It makes the endings so much sweeter.
I've only read book 1 and 2 so far, but I'm loving the heroines as well. They are very sweet and kind characters. They don't have a mean or manipulative bone in their bodies. I think in other scenarios, I would think they were doormats to the hero, but it really doesn't come off that way in this series. I put that down to the magic of this authors writing.
I'm really not a fan of the 3rd brother but this author has proven that she is worth the read so I will be diving into it very soon. I was also very glad to see a side character in this book has her own book coming. I'm looking forward to more from this author.
October 22, 2022
*4.5* I haven’t read this series or any of Coldbreath’s books in order. Not that it matters, but it was delightful to hear about characters from other books I’ve read and go ‘Oooooh, that makes sense now!’ LOL!
This story was a beautiful, a slow moving, character driven, no-big-drama kinda story. It was also a second chance of sorts as these two were betrothed as teens. (I think she was 15 and he 19.) Separated by unknown acts, but most certainly a battle where the H was wounded so badly he almost didn’t survive and he lost some of his memories.
Fenella Thane has been married to an ass. She’s been celibate for over two years, and unbeknownst to her, he’s been cheating and plans to replace her, requesting an almost unheard of divorce from the King.
Oswald Vawdry is the King’s spy master. He’s quiet, but incredibly intelligent. He’s been celibate for ten years, and focuses most of his attention on running the kingdom behind the scenes for his King.
Fenella and Oswald grew up together as neighbors, and he was her first love. She wrote him poems, made detailed tapestries she gifted to him, and then he disappeared after a horrific battle when he was only 21. Fenella comes to him for help with her marriage/divorce issues, Oswald decides he will keep her.
As with most Coldbreath books, the steam here is perfection, and quite emotionally hot. Oswald is utterly taken with her, it’s delicious.
Listening to this book was so much fun. It made my working hours go by much faster! Anne Flosnik does such a great job at the male voice. Oswald’s voice just flows so smoothly at times I forgot I was listening to a women speaking!
This story was a beautiful, a slow moving, character driven, no-big-drama kinda story. It was also a second chance of sorts as these two were betrothed as teens. (I think she was 15 and he 19.) Separated by unknown acts, but most certainly a battle where the H was wounded so badly he almost didn’t survive and he lost some of his memories.
Fenella Thane has been married to an ass. She’s been celibate for over two years, and unbeknownst to her, he’s been cheating and plans to replace her, requesting an almost unheard of divorce from the King.
Oswald Vawdry is the King’s spy master. He’s quiet, but incredibly intelligent. He’s been celibate for ten years, and focuses most of his attention on running the kingdom behind the scenes for his King.
Fenella and Oswald grew up together as neighbors, and he was her first love. She wrote him poems, made detailed tapestries she gifted to him, and then he disappeared after a horrific battle when he was only 21. Fenella comes to him for help with her marriage/divorce issues, Oswald decides he will keep her.
As with most Coldbreath books, the steam here is perfection, and quite emotionally hot. Oswald is utterly taken with her, it’s delicious.
Listening to this book was so much fun. It made my working hours go by much faster! Anne Flosnik does such a great job at the male voice. Oswald’s voice just flows so smoothly at times I forgot I was listening to a women speaking!
August 28, 2022
First let me say that I gave the first book in the series 5* and enjoyed another book by the author. Many others have loved this book, BUT this book bored me. The story started off with so much promise. The heroine went to court to stand up for her rights in the first chapter and that was it, for the rest of the book she was a passive participant in everything that happened to her. Oliver started off as a great tactician and spy master and turned into a raging hormonal teenager. Was there a plot to this book? I rate it 2.5* and moved it to a 3*.
March 26, 2022
Third read: may as well just go with 5 stars because I love this story. I actually cried a bit at the angsty parts while listening to the audiobook… a first for me with this book…I think I’m PMSing though.
I’m also sad that this book didn’t have an epilogue. I’m glad we get glimpses of this couple in future books, but I still want more!
Safety details… Hero has been celibate 10 years, heroine celibate 2. Heroine was married to OM who she hasn’t seen in 2 years when he requests a divorce from her. Heroine is cheated on by her first husband. No cheating between H/h. No major OW drama, although some jealousy. OM drama from the ex husband but it’s mostly just jealousy too. No scenes with OM/OW. This is technically a second chance romance since they were betrothed as children.
Second read: 4.5 stars. I don’t know what I was thinking the first time around, but I definitely appreciated this book more the second time. I absolutely LOVE the hero, he’s fantastic. All his scheming and plotting made him all the more delicious. Also, the sex scenes were 🔥🔥🔥.
Safety is great 👍🏻
4 stars, I’m writing this review after already having finished the third book in this series as well. For me, this was my least favorite in the series. I think this was mostly due to the fact that it moved a little slower. There was more “talking” than anything else going on. That being said, this book was still really good. And based on reviews, this is a favorite for some.
I loooooved the hero in this book, Oswald Vawdrey. He is such an interesting character, so unlike his brothers in the other two books. He’s my favorite brother by far. I wish they had paired him with a different heroine, because I didn’t love Fenella. She seemed dim to me, which just didn’t seem like a good combo for him. I wanted a heroine who was just as quick thinking as him... not someone who doesn’t seem to understand a word he says until he uses kindergarten level words. Should I also mention that Oswald is celibate for 10 years prior to this book?
Anyways, these books need to be read in order, imo.
They really are such good reads!
I’m also sad that this book didn’t have an epilogue. I’m glad we get glimpses of this couple in future books, but I still want more!
Safety details… Hero has been celibate 10 years, heroine celibate 2. Heroine was married to OM who she hasn’t seen in 2 years when he requests a divorce from her. Heroine is cheated on by her first husband. No cheating between H/h. No major OW drama, although some jealousy. OM drama from the ex husband but it’s mostly just jealousy too. No scenes with OM/OW. This is technically a second chance romance since they were betrothed as children.
Second read: 4.5 stars. I don’t know what I was thinking the first time around, but I definitely appreciated this book more the second time. I absolutely LOVE the hero, he’s fantastic. All his scheming and plotting made him all the more delicious. Also, the sex scenes were 🔥🔥🔥.
Safety is great 👍🏻
4 stars, I’m writing this review after already having finished the third book in this series as well. For me, this was my least favorite in the series. I think this was mostly due to the fact that it moved a little slower. There was more “talking” than anything else going on. That being said, this book was still really good. And based on reviews, this is a favorite for some.
I loooooved the hero in this book, Oswald Vawdrey. He is such an interesting character, so unlike his brothers in the other two books. He’s my favorite brother by far. I wish they had paired him with a different heroine, because I didn’t love Fenella. She seemed dim to me, which just didn’t seem like a good combo for him. I wanted a heroine who was just as quick thinking as him... not someone who doesn’t seem to understand a word he says until he uses kindergarten level words. Should I also mention that Oswald is celibate for 10 years prior to this book?
Anyways, these books need to be read in order, imo.
They really are such good reads!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2022
A listen this time, and for some reason, maybe listening, it really brought home that the heroine is thick as a plank.
Still 3 stars.
First review
A good read, just not as good as Her Baseborn Bridegroom.
The heroine is a nice girl, the hero is a conniving boy.
The heroine is ditched by her dreary first husband and a marital contract from the past comes in handy.
I think all the court maneuvering dropped it a little plus I'm not quite sure why he fell in love with her and vice versa, but I'm glad they did.
Lots of sequel bait which leads me to my next read, Wed By Proxy.
Still 3 stars.
First review
A good read, just not as good as Her Baseborn Bridegroom.
The heroine is a nice girl, the hero is a conniving boy.
The heroine is ditched by her dreary first husband and a marital contract from the past comes in handy.
I think all the court maneuvering dropped it a little plus I'm not quite sure why he fell in love with her and vice versa, but I'm glad they did.
Lots of sequel bait which leads me to my next read, Wed By Proxy.
July 24, 2022
Oh. My. Gawd. This book was so mind numbingly boring. This was a more than 17 hour audiobook with over 20 side characters, and so much palace intrigue and maneuvering yet still I don’t even think it had a plot. I didn’t feel anything for Fenella and Oswald and didn’t get how they even felt anything for each other. This could have been good. The jilted betrothal and him being grievously injured in battle and forgetting about their time together then remembering as they got to know each other again but that was not explored at all and was only revealed at the end in a brief confession from him. This was just a story about a woman trying to figure out court after living in the country and a man who had been celibate for ten years who finally got a wife to bed. Everything else was just world building and set up for the next series of books. I listened to the audiobook at double speed at times just to make it through but I don’t know why I did. I should have abandoned this book and not wasted my time. This one was a fail.
December 16, 2019
I love how these Vawdrey's brother loose their heads and their emotions go over the top when they mee the right woman! LMAOOO
Here we have Oswald's, the level-headed spy, story!
But I have to say that he didn't remind me of Jarvis as he ahd my firend Ira! *wink* He was too bewildred - Jarvis would never do these things! LOL
Oswald lost his head since the beginning: he became jealous-crazy! He manipulated poor Fenella until she didn't understand anything at all!!!
The poor woman was so out of her confort in court! She didn't know anything about the court life and intrigue, so she just fell into one bad situation after another! And nothing was her fault because she did everything with the best intentions!
It was sometimes hilarious read and somtimes I wanted to strangle her and yell to her to just put her foot down and stand for herself.
Obviously Oswald, being the jealous idiot, completly misunderstood everything and blamed Fenella!
Still this is a good read because you'll never get bored! :-)
Here we have Oswald's, the level-headed spy, story!
But I have to say that he didn't remind me of Jarvis as he ahd my firend Ira! *wink* He was too bewildred - Jarvis would never do these things! LOL
Oswald lost his head since the beginning: he became jealous-crazy! He manipulated poor Fenella until she didn't understand anything at all!!!
The poor woman was so out of her confort in court! She didn't know anything about the court life and intrigue, so she just fell into one bad situation after another! And nothing was her fault because she did everything with the best intentions!
It was sometimes hilarious read and somtimes I wanted to strangle her and yell to her to just put her foot down and stand for herself.
Obviously Oswald, being the jealous idiot, completly misunderstood everything and blamed Fenella!
Still this is a good read because you'll never get bored! :-)
January 10, 2020
Audio - 5 stars
Story - 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed the romance. The relationship development was similar to that of book 1. Alpha male, and a clueless wonder but accepting bride. It's cute and humorous at times but not as humorous as book 1. And there is a lot more to Oswald then I expected. He is definitely more complicated then his character suggested in book 1.
Book 2 is a lot longer than book 1 because there is a lot of court life and drama. It was mostly entertaining, but could have been cut down.
The ending was sweet but rushed. As long as the book is, there was no need for a rushed ending.
Like book 1, book 2 could have used some editing, but the story is such a good one and the narration was exceptional so it's forgivable.
Story - 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed the romance. The relationship development was similar to that of book 1. Alpha male, and a clueless wonder but accepting bride. It's cute and humorous at times but not as humorous as book 1. And there is a lot more to Oswald then I expected. He is definitely more complicated then his character suggested in book 1.
Book 2 is a lot longer than book 1 because there is a lot of court life and drama. It was mostly entertaining, but could have been cut down.
The ending was sweet but rushed. As long as the book is, there was no need for a rushed ending.
Like book 1, book 2 could have used some editing, but the story is such a good one and the narration was exceptional so it's forgivable.
April 20, 2023
All the stars, one of my favourite books ever. The wimpy h had been betrothed to the super spymaster H years ago. She's at court to ask him to intercede with her wayward husband. The cold H makes up his mind as soon as he sees her, she's his and nothing will get in his way. There are so many good moments with the couple and the ever increasing Vawdrey family.
December 10, 2018
While I didn’t like Oswald’s story as much as I did Mason’s, I truly enjoyed it! These brothers are proving to be perfect in the possessive alpha hero department.
Fen has been tossed aside by her husband and in an attempt to salvage herself she carries her betrothal papers to court in an effort to force Oswald to champion her before the King. Within moments of entering his office, she discovers some most astounding news that turns her life upside down.
Feeling pressure from predicted actions of the King, Oswald uses the opportunity with Fen to save himself from a situation he has no desire to find himself in. With every intention of carrying on with his life as it has been, he soon realizes that he cannot imagine a day, much less a night, without Fen at his side. What was once a well-organized life becomes filled with inopportune thoughts of her when he should be giving everything to the intrigues that surround court life.
I loved this couple and the disjointed way they come together. It was so much fun watching Oswald yield to love and devotion when that was the very last thing he had wanted. This had just enough angst in it to make my heart hurt for Fen. Her interactions with the other ladies kept me an edge as I waited for what tidbit might be dropped regarding her husband or even gossip about herself.
The chemistry between this couple was sizzling and while it’s obvious this was an insta story, it was not at all over the top. Secondary characters are amazing in all that they bring to the story. So many characters that I want more from. I’m the last to want a long drawn out series, but I’m wishing/hoping there is more regarding the various individuals who brought so much life and color to this story. This is a long book…very long. But I never once skimmed or became bored. There is little to no repetition and introspection is given in appropriate amounts and times.
I’m definitely a fan of this series and I’m hoping so very much that I’m going to love Roland’s story as much as I have these first two.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Fen has been tossed aside by her husband and in an attempt to salvage herself she carries her betrothal papers to court in an effort to force Oswald to champion her before the King. Within moments of entering his office, she discovers some most astounding news that turns her life upside down.
Feeling pressure from predicted actions of the King, Oswald uses the opportunity with Fen to save himself from a situation he has no desire to find himself in. With every intention of carrying on with his life as it has been, he soon realizes that he cannot imagine a day, much less a night, without Fen at his side. What was once a well-organized life becomes filled with inopportune thoughts of her when he should be giving everything to the intrigues that surround court life.
I loved this couple and the disjointed way they come together. It was so much fun watching Oswald yield to love and devotion when that was the very last thing he had wanted. This had just enough angst in it to make my heart hurt for Fen. Her interactions with the other ladies kept me an edge as I waited for what tidbit might be dropped regarding her husband or even gossip about herself.
The chemistry between this couple was sizzling and while it’s obvious this was an insta story, it was not at all over the top. Secondary characters are amazing in all that they bring to the story. So many characters that I want more from. I’m the last to want a long drawn out series, but I’m wishing/hoping there is more regarding the various individuals who brought so much life and color to this story. This is a long book…very long. But I never once skimmed or became bored. There is little to no repetition and introspection is given in appropriate amounts and times.
I’m definitely a fan of this series and I’m hoping so very much that I’m going to love Roland’s story as much as I have these first two.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
August 5, 2025
Oswald? Eldest son? Green eyes? Tall, dark, and educated? Marriage of convenience? Childhood neighbors? Yes, yes, yes. Oswald, you better not disappoint. 🙂↕️
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
He did not, in fact, disappoint.
—4.75 - 5 stars.
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Tropes and things that I loved:
💍 second-chance romance
📜 marriage of (Oswald's) convenience
💜 soft-spoken but feral hero
💍 jaded heroine
📜 she makes him crazy just by existing
💜 his mind is a steel trap, hers is a whirlwind (It works)
💍 possessive over-the-top hero
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
✦⭑⋆༉₊˚ Oswald Vawdrey
Oswald Vawdrey - soldier, former hostage, courtier, and now the king's most trusted advisor and royal spymaster - is basically the realm's most terrifyingly competent man. Cunning as a fox in the henhouse, brilliant, and far too cutting for anyone's peace of mind. He is all charm when it serves his ends, and colder than a widow's bed when it does not. He is most certainly not the sort of man one ought to provoke, deceive, or - heavens help you - fall in love with. And yet. And yet.
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
✿₊˚⊹༉ Fenella Thane
Fenella Thane is the kind of woman who will cry if you look at her a bit sternly, the type who feels everything all at once and expresses it in lace, frantic hand gestures, and ill-timed tears - all dimples and dramatics. She's anxious, adorable and I loved her. Basically the personification of a stress headache. The storm to Oswald's unruffled stillness, the shriek to his sigh, the chaos to his calculated calm, always testing his patience, his sense of reason, and mayhap the limits of his blood pressure. And truly? She reminded me so much of myself it was a little alarming (save for the part where she accidentally ensnares Oswald - that was all her, bless her).
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
The Premise
So, Fenella receives a missive from her sister-in-law. And apparently, her disaster of a husband - who has not graced their home in two years - has taken up with some floozy and now plans to divorce Fen. And does he ride out to break this news in person? Nay. The knave sends letters aplenty, stuffed with commands: do not wear costly fabrics, do not consume this or that, do not spend a penny without his leave - all this, whilst he gallivants afar like some great lout.
Instead of sitting around, waiting for him to show up with legal papers and betrayal, Fenella does what any self-respecting woman would do - she rides straight to court, ready to divorce him first. And to do this, she seeks aid from the one man she ought never again entangle with: Oswald Vawdrey.
To win his support, she reminds him of their past contract - for they were once betrothed. She presents him with the betrothal document, and he, with that wicked glint in his eye, peruses it... then calmly declares the most unhinged thing imaginable: "According to this document, I am your husband."
And lo. From that moment onward, Oswald does what any emotionally repressed Vawdrey would do - he steps into the role of husband with all the devotion. He properly divorces her from her ex-pest-husband, moves her straight into his chambers at court, showers her with fine silks, belts, veils, and - naturally - insists she sleep in his bed, because what kind of husband would he be if he did not?
In his mind, he decides it's best to let her stay at court for a week or two, and then send her away to his childhood estate and keep her far from the chaos. Out of sight, out of mind. Problem solved. But, as it turns out, he cannot stand the thought of her being anywhere but by his side. And just like that, the spymaster loses the one thing he never intended to risk: his heart.
It's delicious, the way he dotes on her, the looks he casts her, the respectful yet not-so respectful way he treats her. He's the definition of 'a gentleman in the streets, a freak in the sheets'. He is a Vawdrey, after all, same breed as his brother Mason, which means once they fall, they fall hard and completely.
See? Do you see what I am saying? I am wholly obsessed with this man.
And do not even get me started on Mason and Linnet and the tiny Vawdrey brood. I was literally giggling like a fool every time they showed up. The kids were adorable, Roland was a ruffian and a darling both, and it all felt like one big dysfunctional happy family I would fain to be apart of. Oh, and Cuthbert? Grossly undervalued and comedy gold.
I do love this book and the whole of this series most fiercely. These characters have taken up residence in my mind with no intention of paying rent, and they felt like real people to me.
Very well, that is the review. How does one end these things anyway? Farewell.
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
He did not, in fact, disappoint.
—4.75 - 5 stars.
"What do you want me to direct my effort at then?" she asked in puzzlement.
"Loving me," he said simply.
"Oh." Fen found tears were pricking her eyes. "But that takes no effort at all."
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Tropes and things that I loved:
💍 second-chance romance
📜 marriage of (Oswald's) convenience
💜 soft-spoken but feral hero
💍 jaded heroine
📜 she makes him crazy just by existing
💜 his mind is a steel trap, hers is a whirlwind (It works)
💍 possessive over-the-top hero
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
✦⭑⋆༉₊˚ Oswald Vawdrey
Oswald Vawdrey - soldier, former hostage, courtier, and now the king's most trusted advisor and royal spymaster - is basically the realm's most terrifyingly competent man. Cunning as a fox in the henhouse, brilliant, and far too cutting for anyone's peace of mind. He is all charm when it serves his ends, and colder than a widow's bed when it does not. He is most certainly not the sort of man one ought to provoke, deceive, or - heavens help you - fall in love with. And yet. And yet.
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
✿₊˚⊹༉ Fenella Thane
Fenella Thane is the kind of woman who will cry if you look at her a bit sternly, the type who feels everything all at once and expresses it in lace, frantic hand gestures, and ill-timed tears - all dimples and dramatics. She's anxious, adorable and I loved her. Basically the personification of a stress headache. The storm to Oswald's unruffled stillness, the shriek to his sigh, the chaos to his calculated calm, always testing his patience, his sense of reason, and mayhap the limits of his blood pressure. And truly? She reminded me so much of myself it was a little alarming (save for the part where she accidentally ensnares Oswald - that was all her, bless her).
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
The Premise
So, Fenella receives a missive from her sister-in-law. And apparently, her disaster of a husband - who has not graced their home in two years - has taken up with some floozy and now plans to divorce Fen. And does he ride out to break this news in person? Nay. The knave sends letters aplenty, stuffed with commands: do not wear costly fabrics, do not consume this or that, do not spend a penny without his leave - all this, whilst he gallivants afar like some great lout.
Instead of sitting around, waiting for him to show up with legal papers and betrayal, Fenella does what any self-respecting woman would do - she rides straight to court, ready to divorce him first. And to do this, she seeks aid from the one man she ought never again entangle with: Oswald Vawdrey.
To win his support, she reminds him of their past contract - for they were once betrothed. She presents him with the betrothal document, and he, with that wicked glint in his eye, peruses it... then calmly declares the most unhinged thing imaginable: "According to this document, I am your husband."
And lo. From that moment onward, Oswald does what any emotionally repressed Vawdrey would do - he steps into the role of husband with all the devotion. He properly divorces her from her ex-
In his mind, he decides it's best to let her stay at court for a week or two, and then send her away to his childhood estate and keep her far from the chaos. Out of sight, out of mind. Problem solved. But, as it turns out, he cannot stand the thought of her being anywhere but by his side. And just like that, the spymaster loses the one thing he never intended to risk: his heart.
It's delicious, the way he dotes on her, the looks he casts her, the respectful yet not-so respectful way he treats her. He's the definition of 'a gentleman in the streets, a freak in the sheets'. He is a Vawdrey, after all, same breed as his brother Mason, which means once they fall, they fall hard and completely.
"I've bought a townhouse," said Oswald. 'In Aphrany. A huge black and white timbered monstrosity. The kind a very rich merchant lives in."
"Why in God's name?"
"Because Fenella once said she likes them," "In a purely throwaway conversation. But for some reason, every word she speaks is seared on my brain."
"Bit impulsive for you, isn't it?"
"A bit?" echoed Oswald. "I forced the King to sign annulment papers to an eight-year marriage. Simply because I feel sick to my stomach at the idea of her ever belonging to another man. And the worst of it is, that the annulment is the least drastic course of action that occurred to me. For the last three months, in my head I have been drawing up legal papers to sue Thane for the eight years he spent at my wife's side, masquerading in my rightful place. In her life, in her heart, and in her bed." "Each time I mentally draft the petition, I request a more severe punishment befitting of his crime."
"What kind of punishments?" asked Mason.
"In the latest version, it was beheading."
See? Do you see what I am saying? I am wholly obsessed with this man.
And do not even get me started on Mason and Linnet and the tiny Vawdrey brood. I was literally giggling like a fool every time they showed up. The kids were adorable, Roland was a ruffian and a darling both, and it all felt like one big dysfunctional happy family I would fain to be apart of. Oh, and Cuthbert? Grossly undervalued and comedy gold.
I do love this book and the whole of this series most fiercely. These characters have taken up residence in my mind with no intention of paying rent, and they felt like real people to me.
Very well, that is the review. How does one end these things anyway? Farewell.
┈┈・୨✦୧・┈┈
June 20, 2020
Almost a 4*.
The second in the series and with a completely different kind of H from the first.
“Oswald is a slithering snake at court”
He didn't seem -at all - H material in book #1 but here he's been transformed (from super beta-ness) into a cold and callous spy-courtier, the king's confidante/manipulator.
Now our sweet, ingenuous and plump h begins as a married woman on the verge of being divorced by her pompous ass husband of 8 years. She rushes to court with a vague idea of stopping the divorce by appealing to the H -her once upon a time fiancé/secret love. Now, instead of stopping the divorce, the H eggs on the divorce because?!
The second in the series and with a completely different kind of H from the first.
“Oswald is a slithering snake at court”
He didn't seem -at all - H material in book #1 but here he's been transformed (from super beta-ness) into a cold and callous spy-courtier, the king's confidante/manipulator.
Now our sweet, ingenuous and plump h begins as a married woman on the verge of being divorced by her pompous ass husband of 8 years. She rushes to court with a vague idea of stopping the divorce by appealing to the H -her once upon a time fiancé/secret love. Now, instead of stopping the divorce, the H eggs on the divorce because?!
January 6, 2019
Did I really just read over 500 pages?? That just flew by!
Fenella and Oswald were betrothed when he was 19 and she was 12. She loved him with a massive school-girl crush. But then Oswald went to war and his father ended the betrothal in favour of other more lucrative betrothals for his oldest son.
Now Fen is placed in a most precarious position by her current husband's perfidy. She is to be divorced without his even consulting her. She hasn't even seen the bugger in over 2 years! But when she goes to Oswald to seek help stopping the divorce she finds a VERY different outcome...
...she is now married to Oswald!!
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book about Mason and Linnet. And as a bonus Mason, Linnet and Roland all play large roles in the story, but without stealing the stage from Fen and Oswald.
Oswald we find, is the proverbial 'still waters'. And Fenella finds her curiosity seeking out their depths.
Oswald who starts the union with a cool calculation soon finds himself full of possessiveness and lust. Fen who is used to being cast aside and treated like an old shoe, finds new confidence and makes new friends.
There's not really a bad guy in this one. I love the way the author can take everyday life and weave it through the renewed acquaintance of lost loves. And that is all that is needed to make an interesting and romantic read. You feel like you know where the story is going, but it never plays out like you think it will. Thank goodness!
There is a dash of mysticism that doesn't really add much to the story except in suggesting that Oswald's affections for Fen were already engaged at 19.
The ending was wonderfully romantic with a sweet little epilogue that takes place not long after.
Safety is fine
Fenella and Oswald were betrothed when he was 19 and she was 12. She loved him with a massive school-girl crush. But then Oswald went to war and his father ended the betrothal in favour of other more lucrative betrothals for his oldest son.
Now Fen is placed in a most precarious position by her current husband's perfidy. She is to be divorced without his even consulting her. She hasn't even seen the bugger in over 2 years! But when she goes to Oswald to seek help stopping the divorce she finds a VERY different outcome...
...she is now married to Oswald!!
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book about Mason and Linnet. And as a bonus Mason, Linnet and Roland all play large roles in the story, but without stealing the stage from Fen and Oswald.
Oswald we find, is the proverbial 'still waters'. And Fenella finds her curiosity seeking out their depths.
Oswald who starts the union with a cool calculation soon finds himself full of possessiveness and lust. Fen who is used to being cast aside and treated like an old shoe, finds new confidence and makes new friends.
There's not really a bad guy in this one. I love the way the author can take everyday life and weave it through the renewed acquaintance of lost loves. And that is all that is needed to make an interesting and romantic read. You feel like you know where the story is going, but it never plays out like you think it will. Thank goodness!
There is a dash of mysticism that doesn't really add much to the story except in suggesting that Oswald's affections for Fen were already engaged at 19.
The ending was wonderfully romantic with a sweet little epilogue that takes place not long after.
Safety is fine
November 21, 2025
August 2021
March 2023
April 2025
I love this book. I don't know why I only gave it four stars last time.
My original review said that I didn't like the end of the book, and that the characters frustrated me. But I better understood the main conflict this time and understood why Oswald and Fenella acted the way that they did. Both characters have some problems, but I loved them together at the end.
I will say that the story is a bit slow in the middle, but not for very long.
This book does a great job setting up for two of the later books in the series, "An Ill-Made Match" and "Wed by Proxy". Plus, Roland was a twit in "Her Baseborn Bridegroom", but was much more likable in this book, which is great considering that he's the hero in "An Ill-Made Match".
********************
Original review:
I loved most of His Forsaken Bride, but the end didn't work for me. I'm very excited to read the next book though, and the books from the Brides of Karadok series. Alice Coldbreath is becoming one of my favorite authors.
I liked Oswald in Her Baseborn Bridegroom and for most of this book. He made some mistakes with the heroine and hoped that he would make them right by the end. Then the main conflict happened and he just doubled down on his bad qualities. The resolution wasn't good enough to make up for it.
Fenella is a great person, but she's sometimes a bit of a doormat. She has had problems with men not treating her very well and now she seems to think that she deserves it. She works hard to do well in her new life and make her husband proud, but she doesn't always succeed.
I really liked the friendships in this book. Fenella makes some friends with women at court and Oswald improves his relationship with his brothers. The non-romantic relationships add a lot to both characters.
March 2023
April 2025
I love this book. I don't know why I only gave it four stars last time.
My original review said that I didn't like the end of the book, and that the characters frustrated me. But I better understood the main conflict this time and understood why Oswald and Fenella acted the way that they did. Both characters have some problems, but I loved them together at the end.
I will say that the story is a bit slow in the middle, but not for very long.
This book does a great job setting up for two of the later books in the series, "An Ill-Made Match" and "Wed by Proxy". Plus, Roland was a twit in "Her Baseborn Bridegroom", but was much more likable in this book, which is great considering that he's the hero in "An Ill-Made Match".
********************
Original review:
I loved most of His Forsaken Bride, but the end didn't work for me. I'm very excited to read the next book though, and the books from the Brides of Karadok series. Alice Coldbreath is becoming one of my favorite authors.
I liked Oswald in Her Baseborn Bridegroom and for most of this book. He made some mistakes with the heroine and hoped that he would make them right by the end. Then the main conflict happened and he just doubled down on his bad qualities. The resolution wasn't good enough to make up for it.
Fenella is a great person, but she's sometimes a bit of a doormat. She has had problems with men not treating her very well and now she seems to think that she deserves it. She works hard to do well in her new life and make her husband proud, but she doesn't always succeed.
I really liked the friendships in this book. Fenella makes some friends with women at court and Oswald improves his relationship with his brothers. The non-romantic relationships add a lot to both characters.
December 3, 2018
Oswald takes the prize for being a manipulative S.O.B and getting exactly what he wants - and then some. The king's spymaster is in a bit of a pickle, and in walks naive Fenella. Oswald takes advantage of her situation and her gullibility, and even her kindness. Luckily, Alice Coldbreath has a way with taking a heretofore unfeeling man and turning him into the most romantic of husbands - after the nuptials are blessed. Honestly, Coldbreath just might be the queen of "marriage of convenience" tropes.
This book is much longer than book one (which I had to re-read after seeing one of my favorite couples pop up in this novel), and the court intrigues are legion. Secondary characters are heavily involved, with some extremely diverting stories themselves. Servants and courtiers alike get interesting subplots. I enjoyed every second of this long book. Character development is outstanding and the steam level is high. I especially enjoyed seeing brainy Oswald, who is usually manipulating the situation five moves ahead of everybody else, get blind-sided by his own jealousy. Love snuck up on him, and it was fun to watch. Fenella comes into her own, too. I loved how steady she is in the chaos of her life.
It should be noted this has the feel of a medieval setting, but takes place in a fictional land.
I immediately downloaded book three in the series.
Book source: purchased.
This book is much longer than book one (which I had to re-read after seeing one of my favorite couples pop up in this novel), and the court intrigues are legion. Secondary characters are heavily involved, with some extremely diverting stories themselves. Servants and courtiers alike get interesting subplots. I enjoyed every second of this long book. Character development is outstanding and the steam level is high. I especially enjoyed seeing brainy Oswald, who is usually manipulating the situation five moves ahead of everybody else, get blind-sided by his own jealousy. Love snuck up on him, and it was fun to watch. Fenella comes into her own, too. I loved how steady she is in the chaos of her life.
It should be noted this has the feel of a medieval setting, but takes place in a fictional land.
I immediately downloaded book three in the series.
Book source: purchased.
December 30, 2021
My favourite Alice Coldbreath novel so far!! Loved, loved, loved this one!!! Did not want it to end. Also one of my favourite H+h pairings. Review to come.
Some more thoughts:
I just loved everything about this. The set-up was a little bit longer than I expected but once Oswald and Fenella are married, I was so hooked on everything. I loved Oswald's obsession with Fenella and his machinations behind the scenes. I loved Fenella learning the ways of the court. I loved every miscommunication.
This was a longer novel but it absolutely flew by for me, and I did not want it to end. I wanted more Oswald being possessive and secretive. More of courtly life. In fact, I wish that there was more about Oswald's trauma making him forget he wore Fenella's key on a necklace he wore. I think it was just explained by his trauma blocking out a lot of his past.
This is my favourite AC novel that I've read! Thank you so much, Alice Coldbreath!
Some more thoughts:
I just loved everything about this. The set-up was a little bit longer than I expected but once Oswald and Fenella are married, I was so hooked on everything. I loved Oswald's obsession with Fenella and his machinations behind the scenes. I loved Fenella learning the ways of the court. I loved every miscommunication.
This was a longer novel but it absolutely flew by for me, and I did not want it to end. I wanted more Oswald being possessive and secretive. More of courtly life. In fact, I wish that there was more about Oswald's trauma making him forget he wore Fenella's key on a necklace he wore. I think it was just explained by his trauma blocking out a lot of his past.
This is my favourite AC novel that I've read! Thank you so much, Alice Coldbreath!
January 6, 2021
Fenella (Fen) Thane has been tossed aside by her husband, who didn't have the guts to tell her face to face, refusing to just be set aside, she carries her betrothal papers to court in an effort to force Oswald Vawdrey to champion her before the King. Her meeting with Oswald does not go as planned and she finds her life/reality drastically altered.
Oswald uses the opportunity with Fen to untangle himself from an unwanted situation, intending to carry on his life as usual., but he soon finds that he wants Fen as close as possible, and is determined that no one can dispute his relationship with her.
Oswald's brother Roland irked me a little once or twice. I enjoyed seeing Mason and Linnet from book one in this.
The ending was sweet but could have been teased out a bit more.
An enjoyable re-read that I'll pick up again.
Oswald uses the opportunity with Fen to untangle himself from an unwanted situation, intending to carry on his life as usual., but he soon finds that he wants Fen as close as possible, and is determined that no one can dispute his relationship with her.
Oswald's brother Roland irked me a little once or twice. I enjoyed seeing Mason and Linnet from book one in this.
The ending was sweet but could have been teased out a bit more.
An enjoyable re-read that I'll pick up again.
January 10, 2020
4 STARS
Again, fantastic story. I am all-in on the Vawdrey Brothers!
Oswald, though, I have to admit, was not an easy man to like. In fact, I still haven't quite forgiven him for his ill treatment of Fen. And speaking of Fenella, I would have liked to see just a tad more backbone from her. Yes these were different times, and yes, she was a naive country bumpkin. But she was still a woman, and one with pride. But, all's well that end's well, so they say. This one was probably a bit longer than it needed to be, with many characters at court that I could have done without. But in the end, I still loved it. I'm dying to jump into Roland's story.
Again, fantastic story. I am all-in on the Vawdrey Brothers!
Oswald, though, I have to admit, was not an easy man to like. In fact, I still haven't quite forgiven him for his ill treatment of Fen. And speaking of Fenella, I would have liked to see just a tad more backbone from her. Yes these were different times, and yes, she was a naive country bumpkin. But she was still a woman, and one with pride. But, all's well that end's well, so they say. This one was probably a bit longer than it needed to be, with many characters at court that I could have done without. But in the end, I still loved it. I'm dying to jump into Roland's story.
July 24, 2022
At first this was a very slow read for me but once I settled in more, the details of court life, machinations of characters, and the relationship of the h and H became more interesting. This is a character-driven story and primarily takes place at the palace so there's a large focus on court life. The story is written in third person, dual POV. No ow drama, some om drama from h's ex-husband but not because he wants her back, no virgins, and no bc.
Oswald (H) was my favorite in the story and I kept thinking he was layered, like an onion and then laughing at my own Shrek reference. But he was and what I liked most was that he didn't realize he had these layers until he was having to deal with all the feelings and changes as he adjusted to having a wife. Sometimes I did want to shake him though. Fenella (h) was sadly not as enjoyable of a character for me. She made an interesting foil against Oswald (I don't think pairing him with a lady more like him would have been better), but her growth just wasn't substantial imo and her reactions to all the changes were often more frustrating than sympathetic. I didn't want her to turn into a court savvy lady suddenly since that would be unrealistic but something was lacking here for me. I loved that both were jealous of each other and I liked the steamy scenes. I did feel sometimes that their current relationship hinged more on their past betrothal than where they were now. There were also some elements of their past I wish were explored more though.
Side characters play a big role throughout the story, as support and conflict. Several have stories at this point in this world, continuing in this series and then in her other Karadok series. Not all of the side characters sparked my interest but a couple have me curious. The more I think about this read as I write this review though, the more my brain is turning over some of what happened and wondering.
There's an epilogue, but it's not much of a jump ahead in time and I would have liked more of one, even with these characters making appearances in other books. Ms. Coldbreath's Prizefighters series is definitely my favorite of her books still.
Oswald (H) was my favorite in the story and I kept thinking he was layered, like an onion and then laughing at my own Shrek reference. But he was and what I liked most was that he didn't realize he had these layers until he was having to deal with all the feelings and changes as he adjusted to having a wife. Sometimes I did want to shake him though. Fenella (h) was sadly not as enjoyable of a character for me. She made an interesting foil against Oswald (I don't think pairing him with a lady more like him would have been better), but her growth just wasn't substantial imo and her reactions to all the changes were often more frustrating than sympathetic. I didn't want her to turn into a court savvy lady suddenly since that would be unrealistic but something was lacking here for me. I loved that both were jealous of each other and I liked the steamy scenes. I did feel sometimes that their current relationship hinged more on their past betrothal than where they were now. There were also some elements of their past I wish were explored more though.
Side characters play a big role throughout the story, as support and conflict. Several have stories at this point in this world, continuing in this series and then in her other Karadok series. Not all of the side characters sparked my interest but a couple have me curious. The more I think about this read as I write this review though, the more my brain is turning over some of what happened and wondering.
There's an epilogue, but it's not much of a jump ahead in time and I would have liked more of one, even with these characters making appearances in other books. Ms. Coldbreath's Prizefighters series is definitely my favorite of her books still.
August 29, 2018
Talk about steamy!!
This was a very good romance. I loved the heroine so much. She never knew her own true worth. And I adored Oswald! He was a great hero and he really was good to the h, well at least most of the time. There was a small part around the 65% Mark where he was mean to get And I just wanted to kick him in the seat of his pants but he turned himself around. She had been married before to this jerk who divorced her for a younger woman. She found out he was going to do it and grabbed some old, broken betrothal bargain that she had with Oswald when she was 15 and she tore off to court to have him stop it.It was too late and the hero ended up married to her through some wily plans of his and it was off and running. The love scenes were very steamy I thought yet still romantic. I loved them and normally I skip over them but the urgency of his passion/lust captured my imagination and I fell in love with the hero. I loved how he came to find her beautiful and he was very possessive and jealous. I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one. Can't wait for the next two. And this will definitely be on my re-read list. Hope you enjoy it too.
This was a very good romance. I loved the heroine so much. She never knew her own true worth. And I adored Oswald! He was a great hero and he really was good to the h, well at least most of the time. There was a small part around the 65% Mark where he was mean to get And I just wanted to kick him in the seat of his pants but he turned himself around. She had been married before to this jerk who divorced her for a younger woman. She found out he was going to do it and grabbed some old, broken betrothal bargain that she had with Oswald when she was 15 and she tore off to court to have him stop it.It was too late and the hero ended up married to her through some wily plans of his and it was off and running. The love scenes were very steamy I thought yet still romantic. I loved them and normally I skip over them but the urgency of his passion/lust captured my imagination and I fell in love with the hero. I loved how he came to find her beautiful and he was very possessive and jealous. I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one. Can't wait for the next two. And this will definitely be on my re-read list. Hope you enjoy it too.
September 11, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I was initially into this one but it fizzled hard for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡ (I feel like there’s not much tension. They have sex because they’re married and there wasn’t build up for me )
Romance: 💞💞💞 (there were more romantic things to me in the first half – he said and did things I found romantic, but then he did unromantic things to me in the latter half….
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (There’s something about these sex scenes that leaves me wanting. Is it more detail? More emotions? I don’t know, but I am always just a touch disappointed...)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit, yes
Perspective: third person from the hero and heroine (mostly heroine) and I think there might have been some side characters?
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: takes a little bit – 9% in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: Yes, not too far in the future
Format: listened to the audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I liked a lot about book 1 of this series and wanted to read more
Mains: Oswald Vawdrey and Fenella Thane – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This book takes place 4 years after the end of book 1. I guess it’s not totally necessary, but Oswald has page time in book 1 and I think you will appreciate the scenes with the mains from book 1 more if you have read their story.
Basic plot:
Fenella is trying to avoid her fate of being divorced and sent to a convent – she asks her former betrothed from her teenage years for help.
Give this a try if you want:
- this is a fantasy novel but done in a medieval style
- Karadok setting (fictional kingdom)
- arranged marriage with a twist
- pets – heroine has a dog
- he nurses her back to health
- size difference – he’s taller
- he spoils her
- celibate hero – it’s been 10 years
- mid to higher steam – 4ish full scenes but a couple that were shorter and I didn’t count as full scenes – might feel hotter to you
Ages:
- I want to say the hero was mentioned to be around 33 but I didn’t note it and now I’m doubting my memory...heroine is around 26
First line:
Fenella Thane dropped her embroidery into her lap and stared at her sister-in-law in disbelief.
My thoughts:
Sadly I struggled with this one. I liked book 1 more.
In this one, I was annoyed that the mains are separated SO much. It felt like Fenella was talking to her maid, the queen, the king, his brothers, her dog….literally anyone except the hero. I felt like the parts they were together I could really love. But then they would be apart again for long parts of the book and I just got so bored! There was more focus on the court procedings and all these assumptions and misunderstandings between the mains. I wanted way more romance.
I did love the heroine in this one. The hero I loved in the first half then for some reason he just got really mean and I hated that. I need mean in the beginning if it’s going to happen, then have him melt. It was jarring and confusing for me why he seemed nicer in the beginning and spoiling her and doing sweet things then out of nowhere in the second half he was a jerk.
I think I could really love Alice Coldbreath. She has these elements that I really love – I like that her books are more character focused. I like that her mains have these moments of vulnerability that I feel like I am missing in a lot of other books. I love how the heroes seem to fall hard for their heroines. I love that.
But there also just seems to be something missing here for me with her, especially with the sex. I think it’s the tension for me. There’s no tension. In both books I read by her, they seem to have sex because it’s expected and they are married and there’s no build up or wanting to it. Then they keep having sex and there is an emotional factor that grows as the heroes become more obsessed...but it’s still just not enough. I am left unsatisfied with something here. I am really hoping it all falls together in perfection for me in one of her books though because I think I could really love one.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating from me: 3.5 stars
Favorite book: Her Baseborn Bridegroom
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I was initially into this one but it fizzled hard for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡ (I feel like there’s not much tension. They have sex because they’re married and there wasn’t build up for me )
Romance: 💞💞💞 (there were more romantic things to me in the first half – he said and did things I found romantic, but then he did unromantic things to me in the latter half….
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (There’s something about these sex scenes that leaves me wanting. Is it more detail? More emotions? I don’t know, but I am always just a touch disappointed...)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit, yes
Perspective: third person from the hero and heroine (mostly heroine) and I think there might have been some side characters?
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: takes a little bit – 9% in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: Yes, not too far in the future
Format: listened to the audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I liked a lot about book 1 of this series and wanted to read more
Mains: Oswald Vawdrey and Fenella Thane – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This book takes place 4 years after the end of book 1. I guess it’s not totally necessary, but Oswald has page time in book 1 and I think you will appreciate the scenes with the mains from book 1 more if you have read their story.
Basic plot:
Fenella is trying to avoid her fate of being divorced and sent to a convent – she asks her former betrothed from her teenage years for help.
Give this a try if you want:
- this is a fantasy novel but done in a medieval style
- Karadok setting (fictional kingdom)
- arranged marriage with a twist
- pets – heroine has a dog
- he nurses her back to health
- size difference – he’s taller
- he spoils her
- celibate hero – it’s been 10 years
- mid to higher steam – 4ish full scenes but a couple that were shorter and I didn’t count as full scenes – might feel hotter to you
Ages:
- I want to say the hero was mentioned to be around 33 but I didn’t note it and now I’m doubting my memory...heroine is around 26
First line:
Fenella Thane dropped her embroidery into her lap and stared at her sister-in-law in disbelief.
My thoughts:
Sadly I struggled with this one. I liked book 1 more.
In this one, I was annoyed that the mains are separated SO much. It felt like Fenella was talking to her maid, the queen, the king, his brothers, her dog….literally anyone except the hero. I felt like the parts they were together I could really love. But then they would be apart again for long parts of the book and I just got so bored! There was more focus on the court procedings and all these assumptions and misunderstandings between the mains. I wanted way more romance.
I did love the heroine in this one. The hero I loved in the first half then for some reason he just got really mean and I hated that. I need mean in the beginning if it’s going to happen, then have him melt. It was jarring and confusing for me why he seemed nicer in the beginning and spoiling her and doing sweet things then out of nowhere in the second half he was a jerk.
I think I could really love Alice Coldbreath. She has these elements that I really love – I like that her books are more character focused. I like that her mains have these moments of vulnerability that I feel like I am missing in a lot of other books. I love how the heroes seem to fall hard for their heroines. I love that.
But there also just seems to be something missing here for me with her, especially with the sex. I think it’s the tension for me. There’s no tension. In both books I read by her, they seem to have sex because it’s expected and they are married and there’s no build up or wanting to it. Then they keep having sex and there is an emotional factor that grows as the heroes become more obsessed...but it’s still just not enough. I am left unsatisfied with something here. I am really hoping it all falls together in perfection for me in one of her books though because I think I could really love one.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating from me: 3.5 stars
Favorite book: Her Baseborn Bridegroom
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
July 25, 2025
Rating: 4.75
⭐️
A woman thinking she's unwanted and an unconvenience;
And a man being unrevocably under his wife's spell, and want to please her;
Are bound to fall in love.
To all the people pleasers who read this book, am I the only one who felt rather called out by Fenella's behavior?
No, just me then? Alright.
~•~ ~•~ ~•~
❤️ 𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
His Forsaken Bride was an amazing read.
The story was long, with a lot of details that weren't particularly relevant, but did I care? Not really.
I believe it was necessary to develop the universe of Karadok. In a way, it felt more complete and believable.
Alice Coldbreath is a great writer; she managed in a few chapters to transform a initial three stars rating to a four and more stars rating.
This time we're following Oswald and Fenella, bound in a marriage of convenience. Well, more like a marriage of Oswald's convenience. That man is a true devil. Seriously, tricking your ex-betrothed into believing that they're still married and doing everything so that her current (ex) one is null and void is wild.
Oswald You set me ablaze Vawdrey was a complicated man. It's probably the only adjective I can think of to describe him. He had a lot of unresolved trauma, and his coping mechanism? Sharp words, sarcasm and lies. What can I say? He's a devil, after all, and definitively a morally grey character. I wouldn’t classify him as an unreliable narrator, but denial was something he was quite familiar with troughout the story.
Nonetheless, I found him fascinating. He was so sure Fenella would be a mean to an end, but he slowly fell for her, and became the one who can't bear to stay away from her. How sweet!
The fact that Oswald's the spymaster, secretly running the kingdom? A very smart man, indeed. I like that.
And Fenella Bernard, my dear Fenella, I've a lot of thoughts about her. I related to her on many levels. It was eye-opening, because I understood her very well. Always apologizing, trying to be our best version every day, seeking acceptance; Fenella tried everything in her power to be the best wife for Oswald, without knowing that her true self was enough. She broke my heart a few times. However, her development? The way she slowly became more and more herself? I was here for it.
Oswald and Fenella's dynamic was really sweet, despite Oswald's coldness and guardedness.
They're also soulmates; you can’t change my mind. Oswald kept Fenella's locket 🔐 without remembering it was hers in the first place (he thought it belonged to his mother). I found that detail so beautiful.
Can we also talk about the family's dynamics? Roland and Fenella were the best siblings-in-laws duo I've ever met! Their interactions were the funniest. And when Roland took Fenella's defense over his own brother's? Yes, that's a real man.
Alright, I guess it's time for me to come out as a Roland's defender. Of course, he's rude and silly, so what? There’s still time for him to come to his senses.
Mason and Linnet’s cameos were everything, of course. They're described as the epitome of a happy marriage, and I couldn't agree more. Mason's mantra is basically happy wife, happy life, and I can’t blame him. Good for him.
Sadly, I can't give this book a full five-stars rating. Oswald's actions at the end hurt me, probably more than Fenella, and his apology felt underwhelming. I appreciated his honesty and devotion, but I wanted more from him.
Overall, I strongly enjoyed His Forsaken Bride, but not as much as Her Baseborn Bridegroom. Mason's greatness is unmatched for now, but I’m still counting on Roland.
❤️ 𝕊𝕒𝕗𝕖𝕥𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤:
Totally safe. Despite some jealousy on both parts, there's no other people after reuniting with each other. Oswald has been celibate for a decade, and wasn’t interested in anyone else.
“I don’t care if you have a dozen plays written about our marriage.”
He took firm hold of her upper arms. “I’m never - ever - letting you go. Do you understand? Your face is so puffy I can barely see your eyes, but I still think you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever beheld and I have no intention of relinquishing you while there’s breath in my body.”
A woman thinking she's unwanted and an unconvenience;
And a man being unrevocably under his wife's spell, and want to please her;
Are bound to fall in love.
To all the people pleasers who read this book, am I the only one who felt rather called out by Fenella's behavior?
No, just me then? Alright.
~•~ ~•~ ~•~
❤️ 𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
His Forsaken Bride was an amazing read.
The story was long, with a lot of details that weren't particularly relevant, but did I care? Not really.
I believe it was necessary to develop the universe of Karadok. In a way, it felt more complete and believable.
Alice Coldbreath is a great writer; she managed in a few chapters to transform a initial three stars rating to a four and more stars rating.
This time we're following Oswald and Fenella, bound in a marriage of convenience. Well, more like a marriage of Oswald's convenience. That man is a true devil. Seriously, tricking your ex-betrothed into believing that they're still married and doing everything so that her current (ex) one is null and void is wild.
Oswald You set me ablaze Vawdrey was a complicated man. It's probably the only adjective I can think of to describe him. He had a lot of unresolved trauma, and his coping mechanism? Sharp words, sarcasm and lies. What can I say? He's a devil, after all, and definitively a morally grey character. I wouldn’t classify him as an unreliable narrator, but denial was something he was quite familiar with troughout the story.
Nonetheless, I found him fascinating. He was so sure Fenella would be a mean to an end, but he slowly fell for her, and became the one who can't bear to stay away from her. How sweet!
The fact that Oswald's the spymaster, secretly running the kingdom? A very smart man, indeed. I like that.
And Fenella Bernard, my dear Fenella, I've a lot of thoughts about her. I related to her on many levels. It was eye-opening, because I understood her very well. Always apologizing, trying to be our best version every day, seeking acceptance; Fenella tried everything in her power to be the best wife for Oswald, without knowing that her true self was enough. She broke my heart a few times. However, her development? The way she slowly became more and more herself? I was here for it.
Oswald and Fenella's dynamic was really sweet, despite Oswald's coldness and guardedness.
“Well – you’d be perfectly entitled to have-”
“How many times, Fenella Vawdrey?” he demanded.
“Have I told you that if something is bothering you, you are to come directly to me?”
“Yes, but-”
“No,” he said firmly. “I would not be entitled to plan a future that did not include my wife in it.”
They're also soulmates; you can’t change my mind. Oswald kept Fenella's locket 🔐 without remembering it was hers in the first place (he thought it belonged to his mother). I found that detail so beautiful.
“There is just one thing I ought to say,” said Oswald reluctantly. “I lied earlier. When I said I didn’t feel guilty about jilting you over our betrothal. I do. I think we should renew our wedding vows at the earliest opportunity.”
Can we also talk about the family's dynamics? Roland and Fenella were the best siblings-in-laws duo I've ever met! Their interactions were the funniest. And when Roland took Fenella's defense over his own brother's? Yes, that's a real man.
Alright, I guess it's time for me to come out as a Roland's defender. Of course, he's rude and silly, so what? There’s still time for him to come to his senses.
Mason and Linnet’s cameos were everything, of course. They're described as the epitome of a happy marriage, and I couldn't agree more. Mason's mantra is basically happy wife, happy life, and I can’t blame him. Good for him.
Sadly, I can't give this book a full five-stars rating. Oswald's actions at the end hurt me, probably more than Fenella, and his apology felt underwhelming. I appreciated his honesty and devotion, but I wanted more from him.
Overall, I strongly enjoyed His Forsaken Bride, but not as much as Her Baseborn Bridegroom. Mason's greatness is unmatched for now, but I’m still counting on Roland.
“I’m going to make our home the happiest in all Aphrany.”
He squeezed her tight. “My love,” he whispered. “You already have.”
❤️ 𝕊𝕒𝕗𝕖𝕥𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤:
Totally safe. Despite some jealousy on both parts, there's no other people after reuniting with each other. Oswald has been celibate for a decade, and wasn’t interested in anyone else.
September 12, 2020
I like historicals and the medieval era is a nice change from the traditional regency romances. Alice Coldbreath is becoming one of my favorite authors in this genre. Happily, this book was everything I was hoping for.
Fenella was a country girl who tried to please everyone. All that got her was a divorce from her weasel of a husband. Oswald was in dire need of a wife and Fenella just fell right into his lap.
I really liked both MCs in this book. Fenella was surprisingly fierce when it was called for. And Oswald lived the bachelor life married to his job. He has trouble adjusting to having a wife and is shocked at his reaction to her. I really enjoyed reading about Oswald's grudging fascination with his wife as she tries to find her way amidst castle politics and intrigue. She's been married before but her husband was rarely at home and was whiney and critical. She is also learning how to act around a husband. (The one place they get along fantastically is in bed).
This book had the perfect mix of romance, castle politics, insecure H/h adjusting to their new circumstances. I did think Oswald was too cold and unfeeling towards Fenella and she was too quick to accept blame. Luckily, Oswald had his brother nearby to help him see his errors and share some blunt honesty. He grovels well. ;)
I'm excited to continue the series and read the other medieval books written by this author.
Safety
Fenella was a country girl who tried to please everyone. All that got her was a divorce from her weasel of a husband. Oswald was in dire need of a wife and Fenella just fell right into his lap.
I really liked both MCs in this book. Fenella was surprisingly fierce when it was called for. And Oswald lived the bachelor life married to his job. He has trouble adjusting to having a wife and is shocked at his reaction to her. I really enjoyed reading about Oswald's grudging fascination with his wife as she tries to find her way amidst castle politics and intrigue. She's been married before but her husband was rarely at home and was whiney and critical. She is also learning how to act around a husband. (The one place they get along fantastically is in bed).
This book had the perfect mix of romance, castle politics, insecure H/h adjusting to their new circumstances. I did think Oswald was too cold and unfeeling towards Fenella and she was too quick to accept blame. Luckily, Oswald had his brother nearby to help him see his errors and share some blunt honesty. He grovels well. ;)
I'm excited to continue the series and read the other medieval books written by this author.
Safety
October 29, 2022
Fenella and Oswald were arranged to be married over a decade ago so when her husband wants a divorce to marry another, she turns to Oswald for help.
I really liked reading about Fenella and Oswald but surprisingly, I enjoyed the other parts of this book too. I found it entertaining watching Fenella balance court life and the politics that surround it. While there were a lot of characters to remember, I found myself following each of their side stories fairly easily too.
Oswald was great. He was a little rude at times but I just couldn’t help but like him. He never had any malice behind it and I loved watching him slowly adapt to behave better after Fenella came back into his life. He always seems to be thinking about Fenella and it was the small things that made him so loveable like hanging up her portrait she gave him when she was a teen. Also, we love a long time celibate man. Please I need more of these now!
Fenella was such a sweetheart. She was always just trying to do the right thing and make everyone happy. She was soft and kind but still very impressive with all the crap she had to put up with in the past. Often times these types of characters can get a little annoying with their doormat behaviour but it worked with her. She still had her own thoughts and opinions but just wanted to be a good wife and fit in and there’s nothing wrong with that.
It was a little slow at times, but having listened to it rather than read it, I never really minded the slower parts. Some slow parts I actually loved like the romance ( Slow-burn romances are >> ). It had low angst/drama but the parts we got were perfect. It wasn’t too much but it fit well with the development of the story. I just really enjoyed reading this book and now I have to jump back to the first one! I’ve heard it’s even better so I’m very excited!
I really liked reading about Fenella and Oswald but surprisingly, I enjoyed the other parts of this book too. I found it entertaining watching Fenella balance court life and the politics that surround it. While there were a lot of characters to remember, I found myself following each of their side stories fairly easily too.
Oswald was great. He was a little rude at times but I just couldn’t help but like him. He never had any malice behind it and I loved watching him slowly adapt to behave better after Fenella came back into his life. He always seems to be thinking about Fenella and it was the small things that made him so loveable like hanging up her portrait she gave him when she was a teen. Also, we love a long time celibate man. Please I need more of these now!
Fenella was such a sweetheart. She was always just trying to do the right thing and make everyone happy. She was soft and kind but still very impressive with all the crap she had to put up with in the past. Often times these types of characters can get a little annoying with their doormat behaviour but it worked with her. She still had her own thoughts and opinions but just wanted to be a good wife and fit in and there’s nothing wrong with that.
It was a little slow at times, but having listened to it rather than read it, I never really minded the slower parts. Some slow parts I actually loved like the romance ( Slow-burn romances are >> ). It had low angst/drama but the parts we got were perfect. It wasn’t too much but it fit well with the development of the story. I just really enjoyed reading this book and now I have to jump back to the first one! I’ve heard it’s even better so I’m very excited!
July 4, 2025
-1 for that stupid STUPID 3rd act breakup it made me so mad and sad for FMC, he acted so shitty to her
the book was tad bit too long
I loved the MMC but like I said, 3rd act just made me slam my kindle shut
Celibate MMC for 10 years in my second chance romance ???
the book was tad bit too long
I loved the MMC but like I said, 3rd act just made me slam my kindle shut
Celibate MMC for 10 years in my second chance romance ???
October 29, 2024
*2.5/2.75
Wow I have thoughts, and I’m sad to say that this was a big disappointment for me. I loved the first book in this series when I read it early in the year, Her Baseborn Bridegroom and have eagerly been anticipating this book. So it being mediocre was a big let down. And trust me, no one is as sad by this news as me because I wanted to love this one so badly.
But there’s just a lot of elements about this one that I didn’t get into. The heroine Fenella becomes a jilted bride after her husband of almost a decade throws her to the side for a younger, prettier bride. Fenella, tucked away in the country side, rides to court with a document containing a betrothal she had to Oswald Vawdrey as a young girl. Upon her meeting with Oswald, they realize that they have actually been married since the document was procured, and Oswald immediately brings in the cast-aside Fenella. But Oswald has his own nefarious plans for immediately accepting Fenella as his wife and introducing her to court, some worse than others. So if you can’t tell already, the tone is super different in this book than in book 1.
Now the first 40% of this book is pretty great. In fact, I’d even call it five star material. It sets up our story, introduces our characters, and gives them an interesting dynamic. Oswald is a very intelligent and slithering sort of character, which I feel is rare to find in historical romances. I liked him a lot, until I felt his personality got in the way of how he treated Fenella. He’s so different from his characterization in book 1, which I guess could be attributed to him being scene through the eyes of his brother, but it felt a little jarring. Now Fenella on the other hand has…well really no personality from the get-go, and nothing defining her unfortunately. She’s meek and shy for a good portion of the book, described as plain looking with brown hair and eyes…that’s about it. I couldn’t even really picture her in my head because she lacks a clear voice. She doesn’t do anything with her hobbies she says she has, he doesn’t have a motivation, she’s just boring. And I guess I didn’t even really notice how boring she was until I had to sit through over 600 pages of almost entirely her monotonous voice.
And yeah can we also talk about how fucking insane it is that this book is almost 620 pages??? Like are you kidding me? The first book is your standard 300-something pages, and this one adds 300+ to that. It’s nuts. It’s deranged. It actually made me dislike this book so much. Like I said, I really enjoyed the first 50% ish of this book, but it drags, and drags, and drags. I can already tell Alice Coldbreath is a very clear “slice of life” author, which I enjoy her style, but 620 pages of absolutely no plot instead of the 300-something of no plot immediately made me change my opinion. Especially with a heroine that does nothing, and a hero that I only liked every other scene. By the 70% mark I had to start skimming on what was important, and what was not important (and I really didn’t miss much).
I think the tone change for this could have been so good if Alice Coldbreath got an editor here. His Forsaken Bride had such a different feel to book one, especially with this one set almost entirely at court where book 1 is set almost entirely in the country. This one had court politics, and scheming which were interesting side plots until the same thing happened over and over again with them.
And I haven’t even really talked about the romance. That’s mostly because it definitely took a back burner on—yet again I say—this 620 page book. Fenella and Oswald don’t even really interact all that much for how long this book is. I think they had a solid foundation, especially with this being a second chance romance, but they just don’t do a lot besides talk about their day and have sex. I mean, I guess maybe that’s what most couples do, but they just don’t interact a lot besides that? And don’t get me wrong, the sex was hot and well written, but I just needed more to fully believe this connection. Especially with the third act breakup which just completely ruined Oswald’s character for me. I won’t go into specifics because of spoilers, but upon my skimming, I was just desperately hoping for a good grovel after the awful way Oswald treated Fen, and I was severely disappointed. He even calls her a ‘bitch’ in his internal monologue, which just made me lose all the previous respect I had for him.
This book felt more like a book setting up future characters stories rather than the actual romance between our MC’s. There’s so many characters introduced that become friends or acquaintances with Fenella and have Fenella introduced to the ways of court life with the reader, which is why the romance in here takes a major backburner. I was invested in more of the side characters (as well as seeing the Mason and Linette appearance) rather than the main couple at hand. Which is such a shame because I think this book could have been really great.
And I know I’m making it out to everyone that I hated this, but I did give it three stars because I loved the beginning so much! Like I said, it was 5 star material. Unfortunately the last 50% of this book was just such a slog, and made my rating go from an ambitious 5 to a measly 3. I’m still excited to read more Coldbreath, especially the ‘Brides of Karadok’ because some of our characters introduced in here appear in that one! Unfortunately this one was a miss, and I’m so sad to say it.
Wow I have thoughts, and I’m sad to say that this was a big disappointment for me. I loved the first book in this series when I read it early in the year, Her Baseborn Bridegroom and have eagerly been anticipating this book. So it being mediocre was a big let down. And trust me, no one is as sad by this news as me because I wanted to love this one so badly.
But there’s just a lot of elements about this one that I didn’t get into. The heroine Fenella becomes a jilted bride after her husband of almost a decade throws her to the side for a younger, prettier bride. Fenella, tucked away in the country side, rides to court with a document containing a betrothal she had to Oswald Vawdrey as a young girl. Upon her meeting with Oswald, they realize that they have actually been married since the document was procured, and Oswald immediately brings in the cast-aside Fenella. But Oswald has his own nefarious plans for immediately accepting Fenella as his wife and introducing her to court, some worse than others. So if you can’t tell already, the tone is super different in this book than in book 1.
Now the first 40% of this book is pretty great. In fact, I’d even call it five star material. It sets up our story, introduces our characters, and gives them an interesting dynamic. Oswald is a very intelligent and slithering sort of character, which I feel is rare to find in historical romances. I liked him a lot, until I felt his personality got in the way of how he treated Fenella. He’s so different from his characterization in book 1, which I guess could be attributed to him being scene through the eyes of his brother, but it felt a little jarring. Now Fenella on the other hand has…well really no personality from the get-go, and nothing defining her unfortunately. She’s meek and shy for a good portion of the book, described as plain looking with brown hair and eyes…that’s about it. I couldn’t even really picture her in my head because she lacks a clear voice. She doesn’t do anything with her hobbies she says she has, he doesn’t have a motivation, she’s just boring. And I guess I didn’t even really notice how boring she was until I had to sit through over 600 pages of almost entirely her monotonous voice.
And yeah can we also talk about how fucking insane it is that this book is almost 620 pages??? Like are you kidding me? The first book is your standard 300-something pages, and this one adds 300+ to that. It’s nuts. It’s deranged. It actually made me dislike this book so much. Like I said, I really enjoyed the first 50% ish of this book, but it drags, and drags, and drags. I can already tell Alice Coldbreath is a very clear “slice of life” author, which I enjoy her style, but 620 pages of absolutely no plot instead of the 300-something of no plot immediately made me change my opinion. Especially with a heroine that does nothing, and a hero that I only liked every other scene. By the 70% mark I had to start skimming on what was important, and what was not important (and I really didn’t miss much).
I think the tone change for this could have been so good if Alice Coldbreath got an editor here. His Forsaken Bride had such a different feel to book one, especially with this one set almost entirely at court where book 1 is set almost entirely in the country. This one had court politics, and scheming which were interesting side plots until the same thing happened over and over again with them.
And I haven’t even really talked about the romance. That’s mostly because it definitely took a back burner on—yet again I say—this 620 page book. Fenella and Oswald don’t even really interact all that much for how long this book is. I think they had a solid foundation, especially with this being a second chance romance, but they just don’t do a lot besides talk about their day and have sex. I mean, I guess maybe that’s what most couples do, but they just don’t interact a lot besides that? And don’t get me wrong, the sex was hot and well written, but I just needed more to fully believe this connection. Especially with the third act breakup which just completely ruined Oswald’s character for me. I won’t go into specifics because of spoilers, but upon my skimming, I was just desperately hoping for a good grovel after the awful way Oswald treated Fen, and I was severely disappointed. He even calls her a ‘bitch’ in his internal monologue, which just made me lose all the previous respect I had for him.
This book felt more like a book setting up future characters stories rather than the actual romance between our MC’s. There’s so many characters introduced that become friends or acquaintances with Fenella and have Fenella introduced to the ways of court life with the reader, which is why the romance in here takes a major backburner. I was invested in more of the side characters (as well as seeing the Mason and Linette appearance) rather than the main couple at hand. Which is such a shame because I think this book could have been really great.
And I know I’m making it out to everyone that I hated this, but I did give it three stars because I loved the beginning so much! Like I said, it was 5 star material. Unfortunately the last 50% of this book was just such a slog, and made my rating go from an ambitious 5 to a measly 3. I’m still excited to read more Coldbreath, especially the ‘Brides of Karadok’ because some of our characters introduced in here appear in that one! Unfortunately this one was a miss, and I’m so sad to say it.
March 25, 2018
I enjoyed this book but not as much as I enjoyed the first one of this series. Call it book chemistry or whatever, but I just like Alice Coldbreath's writing. It clicks with me and once I start something by her, I have a hard time putting it down. It's lighthearted enough without making everything seem like a joke, and I appreciated her light touch when it came to certain issues. I didn't like this H as much as the H from the first book, but the story was engaging nonetheless. Let's start with what worked for me.
The h. Oh, she was such a dear. I wish that the author didn't make her so clueless in court politics, but she was wonderful in the things that counted. She was loyal, firstly to her scoundrel of a husband, her friends and relation from her first marriage, and to her dog. I liked how she wasn't easily persuaded to transfer her allegiance to someone else; it made her a much worthier heroine. She was also a kind person, even to people I thought she should've given a kick in the rear. Somehow she managed to win over nearly everyone in her sphere of influence without appearing like a Mary Sue. She had plenty of issues: self esteem, self worth, and body issues being some of the big ones, and I liked that too. Who likes a perfect h who's beautiful, smart, cunning, and loved by everybody? Certainly not this flawed reader. Finally, she wasn't superficial and was able to see beyond someone's appearance and manners to the heart of a person. I really liked this h a whole lot.
The slow burn romance was quite nice. The circumstances surrounding the MCs reunion was believable enough and the transformation of the austere and slightly grumpy H into a besotted idiot was pretty satisfying. Unfortunately, the deception was a little disappointing. Honest being the best policy and all that.
Seeing Mason and Linette, the MCs from the previous book, was lovely. I enjoyed their story immensely and seeing its continuation was an unexpected pleasure.
Now there are some reasons why I'm only giving this 3.25 stars. First, the H left much to be desired. He wasn't a bad guy. Indeed, he had been celibate for over a decade, which means he deserves a reward in my book. He treated women with respect and once he figured out he'd hurt the h, he tried his best to make amends. However, he was a serious jerk. While his brother, Mason, was a jerk because he didn't know any better, Oswald was purposely a jerk in order to manipulate the situation into what he wanted. He hurt the h on purpose under the guise that "it would be better for her this way" and he never apologized for manipulating her. He was a complex character, but I never felt like the author fleshed him out enough. Indeed, if she had maybe I would have been able to empathize with him more.
I also didn't like Roland. Seriously. What is that dude's problem? It was a little bit OTT how mean he was to the h and the ending only made a small inroads in our understanding of why he was such a jerk. Which leads me to my last point: the ending was too abrupt. There was not nearly enough for me to feel satisfied with how things ended. I wanted to see inside the MCs marital bliss, after all the misunderstandings were swept away. I guess I will just have to wait for Roland's book. Hopefully the author won't include details of how much of a manho he is. :(
The h. Oh, she was such a dear. I wish that the author didn't make her so clueless in court politics, but she was wonderful in the things that counted. She was loyal, firstly to her scoundrel of a husband, her friends and relation from her first marriage, and to her dog. I liked how she wasn't easily persuaded to transfer her allegiance to someone else; it made her a much worthier heroine. She was also a kind person, even to people I thought she should've given a kick in the rear. Somehow she managed to win over nearly everyone in her sphere of influence without appearing like a Mary Sue. She had plenty of issues: self esteem, self worth, and body issues being some of the big ones, and I liked that too. Who likes a perfect h who's beautiful, smart, cunning, and loved by everybody? Certainly not this flawed reader. Finally, she wasn't superficial and was able to see beyond someone's appearance and manners to the heart of a person. I really liked this h a whole lot.
The slow burn romance was quite nice. The circumstances surrounding the MCs reunion was believable enough and the transformation of the austere and slightly grumpy H into a besotted idiot was pretty satisfying. Unfortunately, the deception was a little disappointing. Honest being the best policy and all that.
Seeing Mason and Linette, the MCs from the previous book, was lovely. I enjoyed their story immensely and seeing its continuation was an unexpected pleasure.
Now there are some reasons why I'm only giving this 3.25 stars. First, the H left much to be desired. He wasn't a bad guy. Indeed, he had been celibate for over a decade, which means he deserves a reward in my book. He treated women with respect and once he figured out he'd hurt the h, he tried his best to make amends. However, he was a serious jerk. While his brother, Mason, was a jerk because he didn't know any better, Oswald was purposely a jerk in order to manipulate the situation into what he wanted. He hurt the h on purpose under the guise that "it would be better for her this way" and he never apologized for manipulating her. He was a complex character, but I never felt like the author fleshed him out enough. Indeed, if she had maybe I would have been able to empathize with him more.
I also didn't like Roland. Seriously. What is that dude's problem? It was a little bit OTT how mean he was to the h and the ending only made a small inroads in our understanding of why he was such a jerk. Which leads me to my last point: the ending was too abrupt. There was not nearly enough for me to feel satisfied with how things ended. I wanted to see inside the MCs marital bliss, after all the misunderstandings were swept away. I guess I will just have to wait for Roland's book. Hopefully the author won't include details of how much of a manho he is. :(
August 28, 2019
4.6 stars.
In a way, this is a second chance story.
I met Oswald in Mason’s book and to be honest, I’m not too crazy to start reading his book, because he sounds so proper and boring! Lol.
What did I know?
Just like his brother Roland said, not many people realised, he is actually a slithery snake!
If you read Sebastian St. Cyr series, you must know Jarvis. Sure, he wasn’t as bad as Jarvis, because hello, this is a romance story, but you’ve got an idea 😘.
Yup! Oswald exactly like that, he is The King’s Spy Chief! Lol.
This hero have no problems doing the dirty things to get what he wants, and he wants the heroine, badly:)
❤️❤️❤️
In a way, this is a second chance story.
I met Oswald in Mason’s book and to be honest, I’m not too crazy to start reading his book, because he sounds so proper and boring! Lol.
What did I know?
Just like his brother Roland said, not many people realised, he is actually a slithery snake!
If you read Sebastian St. Cyr series, you must know Jarvis. Sure, he wasn’t as bad as Jarvis, because hello, this is a romance story, but you’ve got an idea 😘.
Yup! Oswald exactly like that, he is The King’s Spy Chief! Lol.
This hero have no problems doing the dirty things to get what he wants, and he wants the heroine, badly:)
❤️❤️❤️
September 10, 2020
I did not enjoy Oswald's story as I enjoyed Mason's but it was still good. The most surprising matter was I never thought Oswald would be such a cunning man. In Mason's book, he was polite and the most responsible brother. However, in this book his true nature showed which isn't bad, but also surprising.
Fanella was a bit weak protagonist but her circumstances were different and sometimes I felt really bad for her. I wanted to smack Oswald for treating her rudely at the beginning. I also understand him because he was confused for his feelings towards her. The problem is this book is very long. The romantic development was good and it concluded nicely even though the ending was a bit abrupt.
Fanella was a bit weak protagonist but her circumstances were different and sometimes I felt really bad for her. I wanted to smack Oswald for treating her rudely at the beginning. I also understand him because he was confused for his feelings towards her. The problem is this book is very long. The romantic development was good and it concluded nicely even though the ending was a bit abrupt.
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