The Husband Dilemma

by Jessica Nelson

She must marry for duty…

unless she finds her perfect match

When Lady Ingrid Beauchamp’s parents give her a list of potential husbands, her musical ambitions are plunged into jeopardy. Busy dreaming of studying piano at the Paris Conservatoire, she has no time for marriage. Desperate, Ingrid hires London detective Gideon West to find fault in each suitor. With orphaned children to care for, Gideon is grateful for the fee. But as each name is crossed off the list, could this charming detective be the one man Ingrid might fall for?

Genres: Regency, Love Inspired

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

My heart is filled with romantic stories, my shelves are loaded with chocolate and my lips are always longing for one more cup of Starbucks. Besides that, I write for Love Inspired Historical and am a happy mom to a bunch of little boys. I love connecting with readers and writers.

Reviews

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Regency

I do love a good Regency and this one is mighty fine. When I pick up a book and am drawn in so quickly, I am so happy. I could barely put it down for necessary tasks. Most well done.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good historical romance. I liked the premise of this one-Ingrid’s musical abilities and ambitions intrigued me and I was curious at how her story would play out. Gideon was a great match for her with his own mysteries regarding his past. The story held my attention throughout and I enjoyed this story!

I received a copy of this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

[Jennifer Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy your sleep and hate it when a book keeps you up late because you are so caught up in reading it, this book is not for you. Lady Ingrid Beauchamp does not wish to get married; she wants to study piano at a conservatoire in Paris. Her parents have other ideas. All they want for her is a love match, so they give her a list of men to try to make a connection with. Enter Gideon West, a detective for Bow Street. Who could better foil her parents attempts at marrying Ingrid off than a detective? He can find proof for her to give to her parents on how every single man on their list isn't worth wasting her time on. Ingrid hires Gideon to help her get rid of her would be suitors and escape to Paris to play the piano. Gideon, having orphans living with him, takes up the case, as he needs to provide the little kids with a warm place to sleep and some food. As Gideon helps her cross names off of the list Ingrid starts to fall for Gideon, but he is only a commoner, as the daughter of an earl, she cannot have a possible future with him. Will she toss aside social propriety for him? Give up on him? Or will there be one new man who comes along to catch her eye? Will she give up on Paris for love? Will anyone want to go to Paris with a female pianist? What will happen to the poor orphans that Gideon takes care of? Does he make enough money to continue to feed and house them? To get the answer to all of these questions, grab a copy of The Husband Dilemma and help Ingrid get past this dilemma.

[Kelly Catlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful historical romance! This Love Inspired novel is filled with wit, humor, great characters and eloquent writing. Jessica Nelson has a unique style and her rich prose pull you fully into the time period and story. If you enjoy rich historical romances, read The Husband Dilemma.

[Megan McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sweet romance from Jessica Nelson! These were two characters worth rooting for as they found their happily ever after!

[Georgianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this one!

[Paige Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite charming. While the FMC has the usual qualms about marriage. This didn't annoy me as I found her reasoning quite sound and I fell in love with her no nonsense attitude built around a love for the arts. Her bad boy love interest was quite cute as well. Still, nitpicky things kept this one from being a five. The realistic awkward kiss was less endearing and more off putting. I also found, the MMC, idea of an orphanage profoundly problematic. Yes, he was feeding them, but offered very little structure. And while in those times he probablybwasnt expected too, I would think someone with a love of children would want to give them every opportunity to be children with a schedule and actual guidance. The ending is a tad predictable. There is another man thrown into the mix, but only to show our hero to stop being so stubborn.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Historical Romance that checks all the boxes, inspiration, romance, plus two people with different social statuses in life. Is it possible they have more in common than they realize? Lady Ingrid Beauchamp has a passion to study piano at the Paris Conservatoire with no plans for marriage. Her parents have made a list of potential suitors. She hires Gideon West, a Bow Street Detective, to investigate the men on the list in order to dig up something uncomely that would make them unsuitable. Gideon’s main priority is doing his job and caring for little street urchins. This is quite an adventure and an engaging story.

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I absolutely adored Ingrid and her entire family. I loved how strong her faith was, and I also really liked the twist on the overbearing parent stereotype. I do wish that Gideon's change of heart would have more clearly included repentance and faith, but I think it was implied to have occurred. I just wanted it to be a bit more explicit.

Content warning: Gideon is the illegitimate child of someone in the nobility. Also, a woman (not a main character) is nearly assaulted, but nothing explicit happens on page.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the interaction between Ingrid and Gideon. I even loved Ingrid’s parents’ scheming. This was an interesting look at the class system at the time, and how it was for a woman who didn’t want to fit Into it. I thought this was a great book and recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Shirley Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few pages were rough, but after that, the book was a wonderful story. The characters grew through the story without completely changing. The relationships were given time to evolve (no one-day romances). And the children were children.

[Diane Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always leery of these smaller-sized books. Will it feel complete? Will it feel rushed? Will it be enough?

Thankfully, in this case, the answer is a resounding yes!

The author packed A LOT into this tiny book without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. The characters were complex, facing very real (and painfully large) things in their lives, but she was able to perfectly balance out the heaviness with regular doses of sweetness and witty banter. The author truly understands and lives out her faith in real life, and is able to show those highs and lows accordingly with her characters. She is a favorite author of mine for these very reasons. Congrats on another book, well-done!

I purchased this book for myself.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I like books where the couple is mismatched society-wise, but still end up together.
Gideon was an awesome character with the way he took care of street orphans