Deceived & Honoured: The Baron's Vexing Wife

Love's Second Chance Complete Series #6

by Bree Wolf

A simple man. A vexing lady. And an unforgettable night.

LADY MADELEINE has vowed not to marry below the rank of an earl. Using her clever wit and fierce determination, she has passed up several marriage offers as well as successfully sidestepped the occasional scandal. Ultimately, her choice falls on the Earl of Townsend who is handsome, rich AND an earl and thus everything she’s ever desired in a husband.
Until one night when her plans go horribly wrong, and she is compromised by the wrong man.

DEREK MCKNIGHT, BARON AINSWORTH, is a self-made man. As a farmer’s son, he gained glory in the war and was given a run-down barony for his service to the crown. Now, he only wishes to keep a safe distance from the peers he despises and rebuild his estate to see his family and tenants well settled.
Until one night when he sees a raven-haired lady on the arm of a man from his past.
Determined to protect her, he takes a wrong step, dooming them both.

Will Madeline ever be able to see past his title? Can Derek come to love a woman of high standing?



This reversed Cinderella story by a USA TODAY bestselling author proves that the best things in life find you no matter what your plan is.

If you like marriage of convenience stories with a touch of mystery, a dash of humour as well as heartfelt emotion, then you’ll love this instalment of Bree Wolf’s emotionally charged Love’s Second Chance Series. Buy DECEIVED AND HONOURED, grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading spot and start this swoon worthy romance now!



Love's Second Chance Series

#1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife (Rosabel & Graham)
#2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife (Anna & Edmond)
#3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife (Ellie & Frederick)
#4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife (Henrietta & Connor)
#5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (Charlotte & Sebastian)
#6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (Beth & Tristan)
#7 Deceived & Honoured - The Baron’s Vexing Wife (Madeline & Derek)
More to follow:
#8 Sacrificed & Reclaimed - The Soldier's Daring Widow (Meagan & Edward) (Bonus Novella)



A Forbidden Love Novella Series

#1 The Wrong Brother
#2 A Brilliant Rose
#3 The Forgotten Wife
#4 An Unwelcome Proposal
#5 Rules to Be Broken
#6 Hearts to Be Mended
To Follow:
#7 Winning her Hand
#8 Conquering her Heart

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance, Amazon

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2018

About the author

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Excited for my new series? The Flames of Winter Series:

An epic love story that spans across an entire series. Ensure that you have a good cup of tea, something to nibble on and perhaps a box of tissues at hand before you dive into this slow-burn Regency romance full of enchanting moments between Sarah and Keir, the little wisp and the highlander.

Reviews

[Debbie DiFiore]

A reverse Cinderella story

The heroine was so awful at the beginning, I wanted to just return the book to KU but I persevered and she totally did a 180 or it a 360? I don't know but by the end she had changed for the better. I liked seeing her lose her haughty airs and become a better person. Derek was a good hero too but definitely not swoon worthy, well at least not for me but he was a good and decent man. He had been appointed as a Baron after the war and The estate was crumbling. He accidentally compromised the snooty heroine and they married. The story was very slow though and I was bored several time during the book. I did like like the ending and epilogue and it is safe. Free in KU

[Jiji · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought ladies of the peerage were taught to deal with tenants, visit them, etc. This one is completely useless. And as she is doubting her place and looking for something of value to add I kept on wondering why she wasn't thinking about using her dowry.

The author created unecessary secrets. How long would it have taken to say "I saw you and I liked you but I knew I couldn't have you, but I needed to tell you this about the Earl". Or for her to say "Nothing happened with the earl" and clear the air?

And the whole situation with Widow Dunning is completely ridiculous. She would have been introduced to everybody - doesn't look like a huge town. And she would know any special link there was between the widow and the husband.

I also think that Madeline changed way too easily. Not enough character development there.

The whole think just felt like the author's contract asked her to write a certain number of chapters and she had to. At half the length it would have been ideal.

Frustrating, illogical.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Wolf has taken two of her secondary characters from her loves second chance series to create the class divide romance.

Madeline is the daughter of an earl and refuses to marry beneath her station and she has her eyes on the perfect man. Derek has recently been given the title of baron for his services during the war and only wants to help his family and his tennents. A surprise meeting leads to all kinds of complications.

I was a little board with this one, but Wolf's writing is as good as ever. The next book in the series (we meet one of the MCs in this book) looks very interesting.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short review. Not my favorite by the author but still enjoyable. I liked Derek thought he was a very patient and good man, Madeline on the other hand took quite sometime for me to warm up do to her snobby behavior. There lack of connection was definitely frustrating at times that I just wanted to lock them both in a room for a week until they talked everything through.

[K B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
I received a free copy of Deceived & Honoured: The Baron's Vexing Wife (Love's Second Chance: Tales of Lords and Ladies, #5) by Bree Wolf and this review was given freely.
Cunning, subterfuge, and well intentions help Derek achieve his goal, the hand of Lady Madeline. The romance of Derek Ainsworth and Lady Madeline flows easily. This clean and sweet romance has a strong theme of doubt of self worth but a reformed Rogue, a cute three year old and loving interfering family and friends provide both balance and humor.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think you have your future planned out? Nothing is going to make you stray from your path? Think again. Before you can count to ten, something happens, and not only have you been knocked off of that path, you can no longer find that said path. Is this a bad thing? Or maybe it’s the best thing that ever happened to you. This is what happens to Madeline. Where will this new path lead her? To a life of unhappiness or a life of bliss? Great story.

[Joann Herley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceived & Honoured was an enjoyable read. I liked how characters from previous stories were brought into this story. It took me a while to warm up to the female lead, Madeline. She was a little snobbish, and I did enjoy how she was forced to work her way through her predicament. Looking forward to another read from Bree Wolf.

[Mary Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far one of my favorites💚

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorites from this series thus far. We get to see some characters from a couple of previous books, which I always love to see little snippets of their lives after and how they all mix together. Plus we get to meet several new characters all of which are dears.

Madeline is quite uppity and tedious at the start, she looks down on anyone below her station and believes herself deserving of status and a life of ease without having done anything to deserve it first. As the book progesses we see her pushed out of her comfort zone and she gains perspective and humility. Derek is a dear and is always looking out for the people around him, however he's not the best at expressing his feelings and relating with others that he does not know. But he learns that he has to be a bit more open and demonstrative with the people in his life or he could lose them.

This book just felt so realistic, both in their interaction with each other and how their relationship developed, platonically and romantically. Many books will depict their characters as jumping from zero familiarity to total intimacy/trust/love/bliss/ect which is just completely unrealistic, especially for a couple that had not actually planned to wed one another. In this book however, they have several false starts to their relationship. They give a little and share in a little trust and vulnerability, but then shy away and put their walls back up, unsure of how to proceed. The weariness of learning how to trust another peron and dependon them made their relationship more realistic. This felt so much more believable and made me that much more invested in how their story would turn out.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone inteested in the genre. This book can work as a stand alone, so you don't truly need to read the books before it, but I would still recommend it as they all are interconnected in regard to the characters.

Many thanks to Bree Wolf, who sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, this book touched me in a way that I didn’t expect. Most Regency romance novels either take the stance of a relationship between a couple of equal status or that the heroine moves from rags to riches. It’s unusual to find the heroine having to take a step down into poverty from riches. When Madeline finds herself being compromised by the wrong man, she is furious. She never gave Derek a chance to explain why he came after her at the ball, and he had too much pride to force the issue. We first met Derek, protector to his best friend, in a previous novel in this series, and he remains as honourable and steadfast throughout this book. After their marriage, Derek gives Madeline a choice. Initially, she thinks she has won first prize, but it quickly becomes evident that in choosing to satisfy her own desires, she has made a grave error of judgment. Arriving at Derek’s run down home, Madeline finds herself ill-equipped to meet the challenges facing her. With time she begins to realise that there is goodness in people of all walks of life, and as she experiences a growing acceptance both by Derek’s family and his tenants, she discovers the joy of a meaningful life and making a difference in the lives of the people she interacts with. At first, Madeline appears to be a selfish aristocrat, with no thought for anyone else apart from her own selfish desires. Life with Derek and his family teaches her the reality of a pride in the work of one's hands and making the best of a situation. Derek has his own issues to work through, resulting in him coming to the conclusion that he has had his own set of prejudices. I enjoyed reading about the characters that appeared in previous books in this series, however, this novel is a stand-alone with a happy ending. The story is also clean, making it suitable for most age groups. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Lady Madeleine has vowed not to marry below the rank of an earl. Using her clever wit and fierce determination, she has passed up several marriage offers as well as successfully sidestepped the occasional scandal. Ultimately, her choice falls on the Earl of Townsend who is handsome, rich AND an earl and thus everything she’s ever desired in a husband then things go horribly wrong & she is compromised by Derek Mcknight, Baron Ainsworth a farmer’s son, he gained glory in the war and was given a run-down barony for his service to the crown. He sees a raven-haired lady on the arm of a man from his past & is determined to protect her, he takes a wrong step, dooming them both.
A delightful read from an author who is a must read for me. The characters are very well fleshed, I loved Derek from the start, I thought Madeleine a typical empty headed title seeking debutante at the start but as the story developed so did she & soo I was routing for them to have their HEA. The pace of the book is very good & held my interest all the way through, in fact I was so engrossed the pages flew over & I read it in under a day. Derek leaves Madeleine in town but she follows him & finds herself at his dilapidated Huntington House. A lovely story of second chances & of two people learning to love & to grow in confidence & find their inner strengths. There are some twists on the way to their HEA

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore this sweet, wholesome series. Bree Wolf’s writing is captivating. I know what to expect when I pick up one of these books. They are refreshing and light in a lot of ways.

The main characters in this book are Madeline and Derek. They’ve both appeared in previous books in this series but they can all be read as stand alone books as well. I loved that both Derek and Madeline are thrown out of their comfort zones. Derek has grown up a farmer’s son, not anywhere close to being friends with anyone in England’s peerage class. Yet he’s made into a Baron after serving his country and now he’s thrust into a new life he wasn’t expecting. While Madeline has grown up not only in the upper class but as an Earl’s daughter. She’s determined to not marry anyone lower than an Earl so she doesn’t have to change much about her life. She makes a choice that ends up with her compromised and she now has to marry Derek.

I loved watching Madeline grow into a whole new person throughout this book. She’s always been a bit of a snob and not really caring to learn about people, as well as, selfish. In reality, she’s just insecure and jealous. I loved watching her not only find her confidence and self worth but also realizing how right she is for Derek.

Derek has always been too proud and judgmental. It was nice to see him come around to seeing that not everyone is as bad as he expects them to be. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Danker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unbelievable Compromise
The blurb for this story attracted me. A farmer’s son (recently elevated to become a Baron because of heroism in war) is forced into marriage with a haughty aristocratic beauty (who had been determined not to marry below her status). This is sufficiently out of the ordinary to be interesting.
It might be a good story line, but I very soon gave up on reading it. And why? Because the scene where she is “compromised” is downright ludicrous. I certainly agree that she would have been censured for being found alone with a man. But he was masked and unknown to her. More importantly, he was unknown to her father and yet he immediately announced that they should marry?
He could’ve been anyone. Even someone who had no invitation to be there.
She didn’t believe it was happening, despite saying she didn’t invite him into the room and didn’t know him.
I also don’t believe that this is the way the father of an heiress would think or behave. Because she had previously rejected so many marriage offers, the father (without taking her aside to ask what happened, and without even checking the identity of the H) suggests a forced marriage may be a good thing? I don’t think so.
If he had been a rich Duke, and well known to the father, it would’ve been another matter. Marriage in the ton was, after all, about money and estates and useful connections. Or if she had been madly in love with him, or found in a passionate embrace. But none of that.
I couldn’t get past such a glaring weakness in the story so DNF it.

[Avis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author to read in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's.

Derek McKnight, newly Baron Ainsworth wasn’t looking for wife, nor did he want one from the Ton. But low and behold, he now has a wife of the Ton. This whole thing was an accident that was not planned by him, regardless to what she thinks. He knows he has nothing to offer his new wife, certainly, not the lifestyle she has grown accustomed to. So what do you do with someone who is not a good fit in your life. You leave them in London, and go to the country. And that is what Derek did with this unwanted wife of the Ton.

Lady Madeline was determined not to marry below her station, since her Father was an Earl, it could not be anyone less. So how did she get “trapped” into marry a lowly Baron. A Baron who does not have anything. A Baron who just became a Baron. This was not how her life was suppose to go. But maybe, she be happy after all, he left her here in Town on her own. Or is this really the life Madeline wants?

I have read every single historical romance book that Bree has written. And she never has disappointed me. I finish her book just waiting for the next book. I am die hard fan of Bree Wolf. If you read this book, you will definitely want to read her other books. Great Job, Bree!!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Instafreebie and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is what a would call a reverse Pride and Prejudice. Lady Madeline grew up privileged and took many things for granted. She was an intelligent woman who knew what she wanted and what she wanted was to marry equal to or above her station. Lord Derek was just a Baron but it was the title given him for his service in the war to the crown. Before he was just a farmer. He despised the Ton and felt they did not know what real life was all about. The sacrifices, the hard work, the comraderies, the loyalty the poverty. Then his eyes fell apon Madeline and he was lost. His best friend Tristen warned him against her telling him she had set her sights on higher titles than theirs. Then he saw Lord Townsend and he grew angry. Derek held a secret and he could not in good conscience let Townsend take advantage of Madeline. What ensued was a mixup, confusion, a compromising situation and thus Derek was obliged to marry Madeline. She hated him. She accused him of ruining her life. Little did she know it was just the beginning of a new life for her. I really enjoyed reading this book. H and h were of hearty stock and were noble through and through. This is excellently written and the characters had personality and were well developed. I highly recommend this book

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A farmer, turned soldier, earning a baroncy for his service, falls for the earl’s beautiful daughter, Madeline. What could be wrong with this picture? Only that the young beauty is determined to marry no one lower than an earl, as she feels this is her due. So, she falls for an earl, but unbeknownst to her, this particular earl is unscrupulous, desirous only of her dowry, and has ruined other young girls. Seeing trouble coming as the young debutante leaves the ballroom with the earl soon following her, our gallant baron Derek gallops to the rescue. After thwarting the earl’s advance, Derek goes searching for Madeline, finding her alone in the Library. Before he can say much to her, in comes Madeline’s aunt Odelia, announcing that due to them being alone, Madeline is compromised and they must marry. Odelia leaves to find her brother, Madeline’s father, and thus the stage is set for Madeline to marry this man, whose name she does not yet know!
Thus begins this delightful story, of the struggles of these two strangers trying to cobble together a marriage. The manor Derek was given, Huntington House, is a run-down place, barely fit to inhabit. The former baron had let his home and his entire estate fall to ruin, cared nothing for the well-being of his tenants whose cottages were even worse than the manor. Derek leaves his new wife in London, as he realizes she does not want to be with him, giving her permission to live as she wishes. He want her as a wife, only if she truly wants him. He goes to his manor, where his sister & her family and his mother have already started living. After seeing the deplorable condition of the tenants, Derek begins helping them repair their homes first, doing the bare minimum to keep his house going.
Finding herself at a loss of what to do and where to go after the season is over, Madeline packs some belongings and is taken to Huntington House. Never in her worst nightmare did she think her husband’s home would be as terrible as she found it, and that her life would be without servants from this point on. Culture shock-that is what Madeline faces.
The story then shows how slowly, each person finds their way to developing a working relationship with each other, while sleeping separately, neither wanting to open themselves up to possible rejection by the other. Life goes on dand they become involved in the cares of the tenants, the well-being of the animals and the others living in the household. Madeline finally finds the courage to face small fears and conquers them, building her Connecticut to face bigger challenges. At times each fears the other harbors secret feelings and desires for another, which sabotages their efforts to draw close. Mistaking the comfort Derek gives to his friend’s widow for unfaithfulness to her, Madeline draws away from Derek just when they are starting to have marital relations, putting them back to square one.
Life-threatening illness in Derek’s nephew gives Madeline the opportunity to show her love for the family and strength of character to have the courage to do what needs to be done to try to save the child’s live-riding alone to London for the doctor in the dead of night. This helps Madeline to have confidence in herself and to see she does have abilities that make her have worth as a person.
One thread running through this story, is of an insecure young woman, born to wealth, who feels her only worth is measured in how well she can marry. Madeline is too young and immature to have developed any sense of self worth outside of how the ton views her. Her journey to finding herself successfully comes about as she seeks to find a place in her husband’s life. Her values, her skills in homemaking, in caring for the needs of the animals and tenants are all challenged in this story. Growth comes as a result of her being willing to change both her abilities and her values. By the end of the story we see the emergence of a competent young baroness who is willing to work alongside the farmers and their families as they work to overcome life’s hardships and problems.
Derek, on the other hand, has developed a sense of worth and competency by helping to care for his family since age 10 when his father died. Then, in the army, he further developed leadership abilities that made him stand out from among his peers. However, he still carries in his mind prejudices against those born into the peerage, thinking they all have a sense of entitlement, and do not want to get their hands dirty doing the work of the common man. Both Madeline and Derek come to a more balanced view of others, trying to see the value in each person for what he is rather than on to what rank he was born. This is a good lesson for all of us.
Although some passionate kissing takes place, it is only vaguely described and no objectionable scenes are included, allowing even younger readers to enjoy this journey of self-exploration.

Sent from my iPad

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about a seemingly mismatched couple who find they have a lot more in common than they thought. While I usually review Christian books, this was classified as a clean story and there wasn't really a faith element. There were a few swear words. There was some romance and while it did get passionate, it didn't go too far and I agree this was a clean story overall. I liked how Madeline grew from a spoiled rich girl into a strong, capable woman. Her values got a little off course for a while but she came to her senses. Derek seemed like a great guy who was just trying to do the right thing and it got misinterpreted. I loved how he encouraged Madeline in her growth and took care of his family so well. It was interesting learning more about the time period, such as learning how to light the tinderbox or some of the medical practices of the day. I liked a lot of the secondary characters, too, and am interested to read their stories. I would recommend this story if you like Regency romances.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Madeline at first seemed like a spoiled brat. She wants what she wants and now. I enjoyed the story but I really began to wonder about her. Then she is compromised and she and Derek Connor, Baron of Ainsworth must marry. He didn't want to, there were so many responsibilities. But he had loved watching her dance. He returned to Tristan Turner's Townhome, to tell Tristan what had happened. He was staying at Tristan's townhome. He had none and was a poor Baron. He wanted to get home to his family in the country. He married her a few days later and it was a small affair and a small wedding breakfast. She couldn't believe all her hopes and dreams gone, her perfect husband Lord Townsend gone, her perfect wedding, everything, gone.
There were a lot of misunderstandings and secrets between them. It added to hard feelings, Anger and arguing. She was frightened, scared and so out of place. The problem was she didn't know how to fix it. I thought the characters were engaging, trying to be helpful and encouraging. I felt it was entertaining, easy to read and definitely kept my attention. You could definitely see that Ms. Wolf loved what she did. I highly recommend this Novel.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! As with most of Bree Wolf books this one had so many completely unexpected twists and turns that it made it hard to put down. At the beginning it’s very hard to like Madeline for more than just a pretty face. But as her world begins to change out of necessity we get to see a transformation from the pretty face that everyone expects her to be to a strong confident responsible woman not afraid of hard work. I haven’t read a book that is quite like this. It was entertaining to see the struggle of a regency breed woman having to learn to do the everyday tasks that most do without thinking about. In this story of personal growth and transformation is also a tender love story (okay maybe not so tender at first, rocky at the beginning and then tender). Derek also has to learn about pride and communication. Serious communication problems here which got frustrating at points. But most importantly it has a superb ending.
This is a sweet clean romance with no open door bedroom scenes. I volunteered to read this book from the author. However this review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being well-written and clean with a lovely cover, this book proved to be troublesome to me. Derek, newly appointed Baron via King with a run-down estate for his military service, becomes infatuated by a debutante at a ball and concerned by her chosen intended. So he deliberately compromises her, does not provide any explanation resulting in a marriage and then shuns her with no explanation. With nowhere else to go, she joins him, his elderly mother, pregnant sister and her husband on their rundown estate who are trying to make-do. Refusing to use her dowry for some paid help to alleviate need for massive repairs or assist his family in any way, he relegates his wife to menial tasks in which she has no training what-so-ever. Sounds like an abusive situation all around, especially when giving a widowed tenant more attention than his wife. Demeaning and underhanded in so many ways, when she becomes totally contrite under his control, their marriage improves. And all it would take to resolve everything initially was some honest communication and the use of her dowry to hire some help to make life much easier for everyone involved in the transition......

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number 7 in Bree Wolf's Love's Second Chance series is an enjoyable read. It has suspense, treachery, secrets, love and desire. However, it is a clean read and I like that about Bree's books. This book has two characters from a few other of Bree's books as the H and h. Lady Madeline and Derek McKnight are discovered in a room without a chaperone at a ball. Lady Madeline's father insists they be married right away. Neither wants to marry the other, well maybe.

You may find Lady Madeline is a selfish, spoiled, immature brat and doesn't deserve a man like Derek, however, things that happen to her over the first few months of her marriage to Derek that will see a change in her. Will this change be for the better or for the worse?

The relationship between the H and h is tense enough to make you want to bang their heads together, but the kissing scenes make you want to swoon. Check out this book and see what you think. Enjoy!

I received this book free for my honest opinion. These words are purely my own and not influenced by anyone.

[Crazychriss889 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't love this so much in the beginning but in the end, I guess it grew on me.

I loved the overall idea for the plot: A woman who wants to affect the world, who wants to make a dent in this society in which women have nothing to say and how do you achieve this? By marrying an important nobleman.
Unfortunately, she then ends up with a lowly Baron and his impoverished estate. A Baron who has no 'servants' but works with his own hands which quickly earns him respect among his underlings.

I didn't like the execution so much, though, that is the way the love story develops cause their main problem is that they don't talk - even though all of their friends and family urge them to finally talk everything out.
So yeah, it took a bit too long until everything was resolved...

Plus, I must admit that I have a problem with double standards and in this book, you could say that if the hero had done what the heroine did, then we probably would have judged him more severely. But I must say I can't blame the heroine for doing what she did. The hero acted abominably towards her...

[Diana Aden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful 4 1/2 to 5 Stars Read!

This is probably now my favorite of all of the Love’s Second Chance Series. The characters of Derek and Madeline, who appeared in earlier books, really resonated with me. Derek, raised as a common man but new to a title, finds himself with Lady Madeline in a compromising situation and they have to marry to save both their reputations. Lady Madeline’s upbringing and demeanor were completely different from Derek’s. Madeline had planned and expected to marry someone from her class and background. Derek had no plans to marry until he saved and repaired the run-down barony he was gifted for his outstanding military service. Their story is a testament to how difficult it was for two strong-willed individuals from different backgrounds to make their marriage work. As said by Derek “Opening one’s heart to someone makes one vulnerable.”
I received an ARC of this book from the author for a fair and unbiased review.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreaming of a marriage to none less than an Earl, Lady Madeline chose Townsend. Baron Ainsworth knew Townsend was unworthy of Lady Madeline and took measures to warn her of his true character. Madeline's beauty captivated Derek yet they had never been formally introduced at any of the balls they both attended. He felt unworthy of her since all knew that her ideal gentleman's traits must include a title and fortune. Madeline's Aunt Odelia came upon them in a compromising situation and had her brother Lord Carlton notified. Her dream was crushed as was her reputation if she declined to marry Derek, Baron Ainsworth. Arriving at the Baron's dilapidated Huntington House, Lady Madeline's life of luxury ended. Would she resign herself to her fate or would she achieve the respect, success and love she craved?

[Elda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fifth book in the Love’s Second Chance series we become more acquainted with Derek. We get to see his whole person not just the bodyguard that saved Tristan so many times in book four of this series. He is fiercely loyal, genuine, sincere, I could go on with all his positive traits. However, he does have some disappointing traits as well. For such a brave soldier as he had proved himself to be, it turns out he was really a coward when it came to expressing his feelings for Madeline. I say this with a big smile on my face as he finally gathered his courage again before Madeline (only after sooo many frustrating tries!) and declared his love for her). I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue where Townsend....well, ahem, Townsend’s true colors faced the light of day. Or should I say the dark of night? (Insert huge smile!)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 🌟s!

So I have been reading through the series, and I almost stopped. Eek! What if I had stopped and never read this story?!?

Okay, so thankfully, we are friends, and I can be honest with you. I skipped doing some of my chores yesterday because I kept reading this book! I feel like, "I couldn't put it down," which is overused, BUT I didn't WANT to stop reading.

This reminded me of the Poldark series, a hero who is good and honest, and despite having a title, he has next to nothing in the way of finances. I couldn't find a more romantic hero. I thought I knew (I've stopped reading the synopsis prior to the books) the female lead he would find himself matched with based on the story prior to this one, but I was wrong. I am still hoping for a match for her, so on I go.

Highly recommend this one!

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a young lady who is born into the life and a young gentleman who is awarded the status of Baron by the Crown for his war efforts, put them together and shake well - the result is an extremely interesting one with lots of 'Should I?' or 'Shouldn't I?' by both of them and yet neither of them seems able to say those three magic words to one another.
Throw in a bit of jealousy, a lot of 'I'm useless' and the story gets even more intriguing.
Then make sure that the story is written by Bree Wolf and you have a page-turner that will entertain you and keep you wanting more and more stories by her.
Have you guessed that I loved this book?
I voluntarily read a free advance copy and this has been my unbiased review.

[Sue Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Communication Needed

This sixth book in the series continues a pattern of characters that are too much in their own heads. They project their own fears onto those they love and fail to have the honest conversations that could eliminate a lot of angst and heartbreak. Unlike previous books there is less emphasis on psychological issues. Instead we get a glimpse of the societal pressures surrounding class rank and wealth that are part of everyday life for both the haves and have nots. Still, I cheered the changes in the two main characters as they make a life that is truly their own. I enjoyed the story but I'll be stepping away from the series now as the voices are becoming too predictable.

[Ana C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author Bree Wolf in exchange of a honest and fair review.

This is the Derek and Madeline tale; Derek is a farmer’s son, a self-made man whom was given a run-down barony for his service to the crown. Madeline was a earl’s only daughter that spend all her live attending ballrooms and tea parties.

Even though I loved the story, and the author, was hard for me to believe it was historical romance from 1800. A few liberties as call almost everyone from their given name, kiss near the ton..
And if I could give a small advice to the author it would be, every first time you mention a character it would be helpful to remind the reader who he is.
HEA
No Cliffhanger

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, another story of an unwanted marriage-by-accidental-compromise. Lady Madeline puts on a uppity veneer to hide her insecurity. Her insecurity is so great she misses clear signs and words of Derek's affection for her. She's also spoiled and a bit immature. Derek is a humble and quite patient man. He physically works hard to restore the run-down estate awarded to him for his service to the Crown. The story gets interesting when Madeline finally leaves London for the estate and starts contributing after overcoming her shock. She can rightfully take pride in her change of attitude.
I read an advance copy and voluntarily reviewed it.