How the Lord Married His Lady

Matchmaking Madness #6

by Laura A. Barnes

One cannot force love, but must wait for the perfect moment to make their match.

The love she held for him was a burden she carried in her heart. His family’s legacy kept him from opening his heart to her love. Can they overcome their doubts and share a lifetime of love?

Abigail Cason was a dreamer. When she met her knight in shining armor, her heart only bowed to him. The friendship she shared with him led her to believe he would ask her to become his bride. Even with his promise to wed another, Abigail still dreamt of the impossible. After his broken betrothal, she thought her dreams would come true. With each stolen kiss, she eagerly anticipated his proposal. However, his request turned out to be an offer of obligation. She spent a lifetime as an obligation and she refused to spend her marriage in the same fashion. No matter how much she loved him. Will she ever be worthy enough for his love?

Lucas Gray felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. His heart pulled him in the opposite direction of where he must stand. But the tempting lure of sweet kisses drew him to seduce the lady who haunted his every desire. He had a duty to marry well and his father secured him a bride worthy enough for the match. When his intended abandoned him, he was free to make his own decision about who he wanted for a wife. Abigail made him dream of the impossible. However, she held no status in society. Only a heart full of love for him. Can he form a new legacy with the love he holds for her?
Destiny demanded for their two souls to intertwine. A family who risked everything to make the match a success. Will Abigail and Lucas allow their doubts to keep them apart? Or will they make their dreams a reality?

How the Lord Married His Lady is the final book in Laura A. Barnes’s Matchmaking Madness Series. If you enjoy the madness of love, then you’ll love Lucas and Abigail’s dream come true romance.

Devour How the Lord Married His Lady today!

Genres: Historical, Friends To Lovers

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2022

About the author

International bestselling author Laura A. Barnes fell in love with writing in the second grade. After her first creative writing assignment, she dreamt of becoming an author. Many years went by with Laura filling her head full of story ideas and some funny fish songs she wrote while fishing with her family. In 2017, she made her dreams a reality. With her debut novel Rescued By the Captain, she has set out on the path of a published author.​

When not writing, Laura can be found devouring her favorite romance books. Laura is married to her own Prince Charming (who for some reason or another thinks the heroes in her books are about him) who she enjoys traveling with and binging shows on streaming services. You can usually find her spending time with her children and grandchildren. Besides her love of reading and writing, Laura loves to travel. With her passport stamped in England, Scotland, and Ireland; she hopes to add more countries to her list soon.​

While Laura isn’t very good on the social media front, she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her on the following platforms:​

Website: http://www.lauraabarnes.com

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/lauraabarnes ​

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraA...​

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labarnesaut...​

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@labarnesauthor​

Twitter: https://twitter.com/labarnesauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/laura...

Reviews

[Lori D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a wonderful series and now this is the final story. Finally we find out what happens with Lucas Gray.

When Lucas's betrothed backed out on their union, he decided he was free to marry who he wanted.
The problem was he was attracted to Abigail, but she was the daughter of a maid. He could not do that could he?

Abigail had been in love with Lucas forever and at his broken wedding, she thought she might have a chance. But he let her know, she did not have any standing in the Ton.

Another great addition that hits all the right spots and we follow the journey to love for these two wonderful characters!

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading Laura A. Barnes books since 2019 and this is my 13th book by her and I can seriously say I have really enjoyed every one of her books. I love her writing and her characters are always interesting and have great storylines.

I was given this book as an ARC read. My first one :)

I love that Laura included a Character List because I did refer to it a few times at the beginning.
I read A LOT of books. I read 416 in 2020, 386 in 2021 and already at 46 books this year. With that being said, this book, is book 6 in a series. Book 1, I probably read over 400 books ago and even Book 5 which was the latest in the series, I've probably read about 120 books since then. Because of that it was hard to remember previous characters or storylines. As I read more, little things started reminding me of the previous storylines. It did not take away from the read if you don't remember.

I wish more authors would add a character list this because sometimes I have the same issue with other books, reading so many in between I don’t remember.

I have in my notes that I have loved every book in this series and they were all a great reads. Although I really didn't remember much about Lucas and Abigail from the previous books, I really enjoyed getting to know these characters all over again. I think Laura gives you a lot of depth in her characters and she doesn’t leave you wandering if you are missing anything.

I always find it a good sign, when reading a book, if you get mad, frustrated, cry and laugh at the characters. With Lucas, even though he thought he was doing right, per "ton" standards, which is always frustrating in itself, Lucas tended to be a bit of an ass towards Abigail and sometimes had no clue. Even though he loved her, he of course, always said the wrong thing, at the wrong time and just made matters worse. You know the typical male, "I can’t have her but don’t want anyone else to have her either" attitude. But I do like how these characters grew and matured throughout the read. The sex scenes were so well written. That had great chemistry. It was an overall great read.

I would definitely recommend this book but also I would recommend all the books previous in this series. They will not disappoint.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marry for Love or Status ? . . .

Abigail Cason was the daughter of a maid. She and Lucas Gray were more than just friends. She loved him and was sure he would ask her to marry him. But his father matched him up with another woman. When the woman left him, again Abigail figured this was her chance. He did steal kisses, but she still waited for a proposal that never came.

Lucas Gray felt it was his duty and responsibility to marry well, so he could not marry Abigail. She had no acceptable status and would be rejected immediately by the Ton. But he knew she loved him. And he loves her. Would he stop trying to please society and do the thing that would make Abigail and him happy?

[Edward Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost too late, the Lord realizes who is his true love and then marries her.

“How the Lord Married His Lady” is the 6th and final installment in Laura A Barnes’ “Matchmaker Madness” series and it is a fitting end.to the narrative. It continues the illustration of Ms. Barnes’ superb writing talent and fantastic storyline with the same wonderful characters from the previous books. This book can be read and a stand-alone novel, but you will get so much more from it having read the first five in the series. Do yourself a favor; put these books on your TBR list.
Lucas Gray, who previously was rejected in his arranged betrothal, is now able to marry anyone he pleases. His father, the Duke, has raised five of his nieces and Abigail Cason the daughter of his housemaid, as wards, with all the nieces now having successful loving marriages, mostly due to the Duke’s and his sister-in-law’s magic matchmaking manipulation. They now want to use their magic on the Duke’s son and his remaining ward, Abigail.
Abigail has been in love with Lucas for as long as she can remember, and Lucas has been smitten with her for almost as long. Because of her status as the daughter of a housemaid Lucas has some misgivings because he fears that society will never accept her. She also has some of the same doubts. Because words are not his forte, Lucas continues have issues by putting his “Foot-In-His-Mouth’ when talking to Abigail, so she never feels good enough about herself. The question is can they overcome these problems and come together or is it too late? The Duke, his sister-in-law and his cousins step in and help save the day convincing his to come to his senses when he makes a very public proposal showing he really loves Abigail and nothing will sop him professing his love, and ending the story with and HEA. This ending has the reader so happy that they are cheering for the couple as it happens. I highly recommend this book as well as the first 5 in the series.
Having received a free copy of this book via Booksprout, I have voluntarily left this review.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 6th book in the series Matchmaking Madness, but it can be a stand-alone book, but if you read the other books in the series, you will not want to miss this one. This series is about a Duke who has a son and took in his nieces and their friend as his wards when their parents died. The Duke, who is very loveable, with the help of his Sister-in-Law, tries to play matchmaker to all of his wards and his son. This is the story of his Son, Lucas. Abigail has been in love with Lucas for many years, and Lucas deep down loves her, but he does not want to marry her because she is a daughter of a maid who was not married. He is afraid the ton will not treat her nice. Sometimes Lucas says mean things to Abigail, even though he does not really mean it. Their chemistry is wonderful and the love this whole family has for each other is amazing. I have to tell you, this is the book I have been waiting for the most, from the first book you knew there was something between Lucas and Abigail and it is great to read their story.
I received an ARC of this book and am giving my honest opinion.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas has been in love with his father’s ward Abigail for as long as he can remember. It seemed an impossibility that they would ever be able to be together, until his betrothal was broken. Maybe now they will be free to love each other. That’s what should have been. Abigail wants it. Lucas wants it. The entire family is scheming and waiting for it to happen. So, what’s holding them back? Lucas is concerned with how the ton will treat Abby due to her family history (daughter of a servant). No matter that his powerful family affectionately accepts her, and will support the couple in society, Lucas still worries. It doesn’t help that every time he tries to talk about his feelings and concerns with Abby, he manages to hurt her feelings or insult her or both. That is no way to win the lady. This is the final story and a wonderful addition to the Matchmaking Madness. It is beautifully written, is full of fun familiar characters, a romance with a few problems. There a couple of schemes that go awry, but in the end, love wins and we have the sixth Colbourne happily ever after. Great story, awesome series.

I received an ARC of this book via BookSprout. My review is voluntary.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such wonderful madness
Lucas is a man who lives by society rules yet his heart is not wanting him to live with those rules. Abigail loves Lucas and has for sometime but his changing moods and attitudes have her confused. Are they friends, lovers, or does he feels that she is not of the right societal standing for him? I have really enjoyed this series of books. If you have read any of the other books than the characters will all be friends of you’re by now, but never fear you can read this one as a stand-alone the other books will only enhance your pleasure. Good writing, wonderful characters, awesome twists, and a super cool ending. I adored this book and I loved the series. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.

[CATHERINE BURHANS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been such a wonderful series to read . Each one is a stand alone story but since the characters are present in each story it truly is more enjoyable to have been involved in each couples love story from the beginning. We now come to Abigail and Lucas’ story. He is the Duke’s son and heir apparent while Abigail was raised as his Father’s ward, her Mother being a servant. This presents great problems for the couple, as she never feels good enough, and he fears that she will never be accepted in ton society. Her hurt feelings and super sensitive reactions made her a bit tedious to me at times, but overall, I loved their romance, and even their over the top matchmaking relatives. An enjoyable read and a great series.

[Mia Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura A. Barnes
How the Lord Married His Lady (Matchmaking Madness Book 6)

Abigail and Lucas is we’re wonderful characters, well developed and easy to like. I adored Abigail and how steadfast her love was. I enjoyed Lucas but thought at times he was unkind to Abigail. I wanted to smack him…lol. Still I enjoyed this delightful story.

The author pens a well written book with an interesting storyline, great characters, and really good dialogue. I especially appreciate the character list having not read her previous books. This is my first and won’t be my last.

Thank you Ms. Barnes for this delightful

[Sara K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful end to a lovely series. I've been anticipating Abigail and Lucas' book from the start and it didn't disappoint! After some stumbling blocks along the way the longing both felt for the other throughout the whole series finally comes to head. I'm always sad to see then end of a great series, but was excited to see there will be a spin off series from for the siblings of Reese the hero from book 2.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She fell in love with him and she hoped he would become hers but things were not going to go her way. His family expects him to marry someone else but it does not happen. He is now free to marry who he wants but she has no status in society. She will not just marry for the sake of it, she wants love in her marriage. Can he offer her that love? Will they become a couple? Will he marry her? See if she gets him in the end

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abigail has loved Lucas for a long time but he is an arrogant a$$. Some parts of the story are almost comedic with everyone playing matchmaker. Both of the characters were remarkably likable. This is book six in the series but I only found a few occasions when it would have helped to keep track of the secondarys.
This is my first book by this author and I will probably read some of her other books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Cason and Lord Lucas Gray are helped find their love from a matchmaking father, an aunt and uncle who acted as co-conspirators, and interfering cousins and their spouses. I enjoyed seeing their story come together, I especially like his proposal. The story is well written with a good storyline. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas was always inserting his foot in his mouth around Abigail. Making her feel less as a ward with no title. But Lucas and Abigail have loved each other a long time. It's time for Lucas' father and aunt and uncle to start their matchmaking. There will be a lot of confessing and asking for forgiveness on Lucas' part. He is lucky Abigail is a forgiving woman with a lot of passion. Their love story is not without problems but in the end it is so passionate and romantic.

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so just like that….the series ends! All throughout the series, Abigail and Lucas danced around their attraction. Lucas had been betrothed to Selina as a child, and even though they never got along, Lucas was determined to do his duty. Abigail had been the daughter of the Duchess’s ladies maid, but when tragedy struck, Lucas’s father, the Duke of Colebourn, took her in and raised her with the rest of his neices. Lucas believed that Society would never accept her and he loved her too much to put her throught that. So even when it became an option, he did not offer her marriage. There is so much going on in this story. Lucas had to reconcile his feelings with his beliefs, and Abigail had to realize that she was more than just a servant’s daughter. This story has Abigail and Lucas on an emotional rollercoaster. He constantly sticks his foot in his mouth, and Abigail vascilates between loving him, wishing she didn’t love him, forgiving him, and avoiding him. The interference of his cousins and their spouses is quite annoying, but necessary. The person in this story who is a big surprise is Selina. She’s done a complete turnaround, and is hardly recognizable from the woman who entered the series. Each family member from the previous stories makes an appearance, as is fitting for the series finale, and the author gives us a brief refresher regarding their personalities and situations. This is well written, well conceived and oh so bittersweet. Fabulous series!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in the matchmaking series and it was bittersweet. Over the past year, we have watched the Duke of Colbourne, his sister-in-law, and her husband play matchmaker for his wards and their children. This book is Lord Lucas Grey's, heir to Colbourne, and orphan of lady's maid, Abigail Carson. Grey and Abby are childhood friends and in-love though neither acknowledges it to the other.

Earlier in the series they are kept apart because Grey is engaged to someone else but after that engagement is broke off, they are still apart. Abby thinks it's because Grey doesn't think she's good enough and Grey doesn't want to subject Abby and her unsuitability to the ridicule of the ton.

There's a lot of personal things they both have to work through in order to be together. I thought this book was the perfect ending to the series and loved how the author finished out their story. The whole series was fun to read and I am sad it's over.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story continues with the saga of Abigail and Lucas, two friends who love one another deeply, but do not move forward due to Lucas’ preoccupation with how the ton would treat Abigail (the daughter of a servant), if they were to wed. Lucas’ family- who affectionately adopted Abigail as a young girl- were determined to act as matchmakers. The antics of the meddling family was a bit overreaching, yet also endearing.

The dynamic that kept me from rooting for Lucas was his reasoning and his behavior. The backstory from the previous book showed him to be immature, possessive, and too concerned with what others thought. He was the one holding all of the cards and I wish that Abigail had more agency.

I enjoyed Barnes’ writing style and I count this novel as a success in engaging me in wanting to further analyze the characters and their motivations. This would be a good book to have featured at a book club, there would be a lot to discuss. I have more of Laura Barnes’ books on my list to read and I look forward to starting at the beginning of this series and seeing if my opinions of the characters in this review still hold weight.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book thanks to Laura A. Barnes via Booksprout. All opinions are my own.

[Sajal · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'd think that after Selina and Duncan's wedding, these two would've finally confessed, but nope. Why did it take this long for Abigail and Lucas to finally get together??? I was hanging on by a thread.

If Lukas had said/done any stupid thing one more time, I would have dnf'd instantly. He finally pulled himself together in the last quarter, but I wanted to shake him for majority of this book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the end of a series. It was fun with only Uncle Theo's son left to make his match. Lucas can't seem to open his mouth and have the correct thing come out. Abigail keeps forgiving him and as much as the men who married his cousin have tried to help him, he keeps messing up. Finally Lucas finds the correct words in a romantic venue that impresses everyone.

[Rebekah Carulli Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m kind of sad that this is the last book in the matchmaking madness series. The characters have all become like real friends. R. K. Hanson