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The Bride Sale
A Cornish woman auctioned off to pay her husband’s debts soon finds herself at the manor of an enigmatic widower in this gripping Regency romance.A Bartered LadyLord James Harkness is shocked to discover a “bride sale” taking place in his small English village—and surprised by the depth of his feelings for the unfortunate gentlewoman being auctioned off by a disreputable husband. But is it honor and nobility that compel James to outbid the townfolk for the proud, beautiful lady—or is it something more akin to . . . desire?A Mysterious LordVerity Osborne is not sure whether good fortune or ill brought her to this dark, brooding man and his lonely manor house on the moors. Local talk brands James Harkness as evil—but Verity senses a gentleness underneath. She dearly longs for her liberty, but his sensuous touch causes her to stay. However, James must first trust Verity with his secrets if they are ever to share love’s rapturous freedom. And will the promised passion she sees flaming in his eyes warm Verity’s heart . . . or burn her?
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
250 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Candice Hern
32 books248 followersCandice Hern is the award-winning, bestselling author of historical romance novels set during the English Regency period. Her books have won praise for the "intelligence and elegant romantic sensibility" (Romantic Times) as well as "delicious wit and luscious sensuality (Booklist). Candice's award-winning website (www.candicehern.com) is often cited for its Regency World pages, where readers interested in the era will find an illustrated glossary, a detailed timeline, illustrated digests of Regency people and places, articles on Regency fashion, research links, and much more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 23, 2025
1.5 stars
This book started well, with the horrifying scene of a woman being sold by her husband on market day in a town square, attracting the attention of the town’s brutish, hygienically-challenged blacksmith and the local baron, believed to be a lunatic and murderer.
Once the baron had won the auction, neither he nor the author knew where to go from there and the story stalled and I skimmed and skimmed some more. Both the main characters had interesting backstories filled with tragedy, but the salient points and plot progression were buried beneath the interminable internal dialogues and descriptions of the castle, the moors, the village and its inhabitants. The over analyzing by both characters bored me to tears.
Something interesting happens at the 80% mark and then the story jumped the rails for good at the 95% mark, as the author decided to play the old insanity card.
Even skimming, this was a sad waste of time.
This book started well, with the horrifying scene of a woman being sold by her husband on market day in a town square, attracting the attention of the town’s brutish, hygienically-challenged blacksmith and the local baron, believed to be a lunatic and murderer.
Once the baron had won the auction, neither he nor the author knew where to go from there and the story stalled and I skimmed and skimmed some more. Both the main characters had interesting backstories filled with tragedy, but the salient points and plot progression were buried beneath the interminable internal dialogues and descriptions of the castle, the moors, the village and its inhabitants. The over analyzing by both characters bored me to tears.
Something interesting happens at the 80% mark and then the story jumped the rails for good at the 95% mark, as the author decided to play the old insanity card.
Even skimming, this was a sad waste of time.
March 23, 2025
Loved this, it popped up on KU and the cover caught my eye! A gothic romance that felt like a true beauty and the beast adaptation (sorry I need to stop bringing it up in every romance novel I read). CW for PTSD and just dark themes in general (I mean the book starts with a woman being sold to the highest bidder).
It’s not really marketed as such, but this has the all the elements of a gothic romance: it starts with the literal sale of a woman from her husband, our MMC James decides to buy her at the last minute to save her, she’s taken to a scary rainy castle by a dark scary man in the moors. He might possibly be a monster, neither of them know what the intentions of the others are, or if they can trust each other, so they are constantly engaged in a tug of war of having intimate, warm moments (I don’t mean sexual, like being friendly with each other) and then moments of intense dislike/distrust. There’s nothing murderous villains and superstitious village folk.
This opening scene was the best part of the book, upon reflection. I don’t mean it as an insult. But it was done so well. The tension, the chemistry between the two leads, the descriptions of the sale and the vicious crowd, well paced and well written.
Neither will just outright ask the other what they are thinking, instead they make assumptions and misunderstand each other. It all technically falls under the trope of miscommunication, but it’s done well and makes sense for this story, and isn’t annoying (well it gets a little annoying toward the end).
Miscommunication is fine when it’s done well, though I’ll admit at the like 60% mark both are mopeing because they are assuming the other doesn’t like them, and I was like JUST ASK EACH OTHER JESUS. At that point the book lost its edge a little bit and the gothic vibe goes away, I wished the author had just doubled down on James being a bit aggressive and an asshole instead of the weird middle of the book where they are just trying to be friends.
Both feel that neither of them could be desirable to the other (or other people, asked on past trauma) so they can’t allow themselves to be open. It’s very intense and dramatic, lots of yearning and to me at least, very in the vein of a gothic romance. There is also the power dynamic that James technically owns her, and she owes her safety to him, he is both her rescuer and her captor (though he never tries to stop her from leaving, but she has no where else to go).
I loved Verity and her internal struggles.
“She had never been much of a fighter, but neither had she worn her disappointments on her sleeve. She quietly tucked them away and went about her life, head held high, as if they had never happened.”
Verity, who is essentially powerless, does what she can to retain what agency and dignity she has, despite the circumstances she finds herself in. Because pride is her only weapon, it keeps her from expressing her true wants and needs to James, even after she starts to form a friendship with him.
James on the other hand is extremely traumatized from his past, and would rather be an asshole than be seen as cowardly, which also hinders his ability to speak openly. He’s almost jealous of verity in a way because he thinks she’s incredibly brave, which is an element of their relationship that I liked a lot and found interesting. You don’t usually see a hero in a HR being actually jealous of his love interest.
There’s a little bit around the 60% mark where the story drags a bit, and it’s kind of just “people doing stuff” that got a bit annoying, I’ll go further in spoilers. I don’t think this will be for everyone, but personally I really liked it for the most part.
.
.
.
Spoilers!
.
.
First off wtf wasn’t Agnes sent to rot in some hellhole, is it not implied that she basically tried to help that man kill Verity??? Plus she was a horrid old hag throughout the entire book, why was she at their wedding breakfast???
I saw a review shit on this for the plot point of verity thinks she’s disgusting because her gay husband vomited when trying to have sex with her, and she can’t believe James is attracted to her, and when she finds out she is attractive to him, she becomes extremely happy and fulfilled from it. I get why that might put a bad taste in someone’s mouth, but here is my counterpoint: first of all, feeling unworthy and unattractive sucks, especially when it’s by someone who you are about to be intimate with, it can really devastate self-confidence. Second of all, she talks about how she thinks her body doesn’t work, that she doesn’t experience passion the same other people do, IE she doesn’t know how to orgasm. When she finds out that she can experience that, it’s an incredibly joyful moment for her. Lots of women struggle with “getting there”, especially with male partners, so idk I didn’t think of it as “oh the man has to show her how worthy she is” and more “she’s finally coming (pun not intended) into her own fully and has become way more confident “. ALSO James also is “cured” by her magical vagina, because after they finally bang, his nightmares and blackout stops, and it’s only because of verity that he ALSO regains his confidence and stops calling himself a coward. So idk, they both helped each other (i think verity did way more work than he did which annoyed me a bit) but I didn’t get the messaging of “woman can only feel empowered through male attraction” personally.
It’s not really marketed as such, but this has the all the elements of a gothic romance: it starts with the literal sale of a woman from her husband, our MMC James decides to buy her at the last minute to save her, she’s taken to a scary rainy castle by a dark scary man in the moors. He might possibly be a monster, neither of them know what the intentions of the others are, or if they can trust each other, so they are constantly engaged in a tug of war of having intimate, warm moments (I don’t mean sexual, like being friendly with each other) and then moments of intense dislike/distrust. There’s nothing murderous villains and superstitious village folk.
This opening scene was the best part of the book, upon reflection. I don’t mean it as an insult. But it was done so well. The tension, the chemistry between the two leads, the descriptions of the sale and the vicious crowd, well paced and well written.
Neither will just outright ask the other what they are thinking, instead they make assumptions and misunderstand each other. It all technically falls under the trope of miscommunication, but it’s done well and makes sense for this story, and isn’t annoying (well it gets a little annoying toward the end).
Miscommunication is fine when it’s done well, though I’ll admit at the like 60% mark both are mopeing because they are assuming the other doesn’t like them, and I was like JUST ASK EACH OTHER JESUS. At that point the book lost its edge a little bit and the gothic vibe goes away, I wished the author had just doubled down on James being a bit aggressive and an asshole instead of the weird middle of the book where they are just trying to be friends.
Both feel that neither of them could be desirable to the other (or other people, asked on past trauma) so they can’t allow themselves to be open. It’s very intense and dramatic, lots of yearning and to me at least, very in the vein of a gothic romance. There is also the power dynamic that James technically owns her, and she owes her safety to him, he is both her rescuer and her captor (though he never tries to stop her from leaving, but she has no where else to go).
I loved Verity and her internal struggles.
“She had never been much of a fighter, but neither had she worn her disappointments on her sleeve. She quietly tucked them away and went about her life, head held high, as if they had never happened.”
Verity, who is essentially powerless, does what she can to retain what agency and dignity she has, despite the circumstances she finds herself in. Because pride is her only weapon, it keeps her from expressing her true wants and needs to James, even after she starts to form a friendship with him.
James on the other hand is extremely traumatized from his past, and would rather be an asshole than be seen as cowardly, which also hinders his ability to speak openly. He’s almost jealous of verity in a way because he thinks she’s incredibly brave, which is an element of their relationship that I liked a lot and found interesting. You don’t usually see a hero in a HR being actually jealous of his love interest.
There’s a little bit around the 60% mark where the story drags a bit, and it’s kind of just “people doing stuff” that got a bit annoying, I’ll go further in spoilers. I don’t think this will be for everyone, but personally I really liked it for the most part.
.
.
.
Spoilers!
.
.
First off wtf wasn’t Agnes sent to rot in some hellhole, is it not implied that she basically tried to help that man kill Verity??? Plus she was a horrid old hag throughout the entire book, why was she at their wedding breakfast???
I saw a review shit on this for the plot point of verity thinks she’s disgusting because her gay husband vomited when trying to have sex with her, and she can’t believe James is attracted to her, and when she finds out she is attractive to him, she becomes extremely happy and fulfilled from it. I get why that might put a bad taste in someone’s mouth, but here is my counterpoint: first of all, feeling unworthy and unattractive sucks, especially when it’s by someone who you are about to be intimate with, it can really devastate self-confidence. Second of all, she talks about how she thinks her body doesn’t work, that she doesn’t experience passion the same other people do, IE she doesn’t know how to orgasm. When she finds out that she can experience that, it’s an incredibly joyful moment for her. Lots of women struggle with “getting there”, especially with male partners, so idk I didn’t think of it as “oh the man has to show her how worthy she is” and more “she’s finally coming (pun not intended) into her own fully and has become way more confident “. ALSO James also is “cured” by her magical vagina, because after they finally bang, his nightmares and blackout stops, and it’s only because of verity that he ALSO regains his confidence and stops calling himself a coward. So idk, they both helped each other (i think verity did way more work than he did which annoyed me a bit) but I didn’t get the messaging of “woman can only feel empowered through male attraction” personally.
January 28, 2013
3.5 stars. The Bride Sale begins with a bang, as Verity Osbourne is auctioned off by her husband, Gilbert the Gambling Wimp. The scene was appalling and engrossing. According to Wikipedia, such sales really did occur in England, up through the mid 1800s.
I liked this book. What a novel plot, with such sympathetic characters! The Cornwall setting was neatly illustrated. Baron James Harkness -- labeled "Heartless" after the suspicious death of his wife and child -- owns a castle, called Pendurgan (bit much like Pendragon, ya think?) and several mines. Lots of time spent with the superstitious Cornish miners, farmers, and villagers -- especially the old Granny. Scattered here and there are italicized words, written to mimic the local accent. These phrases added some linguistic curiosity.
My heart went out to Verity and James from chapter one, and their character development was handled well. I liked seeing Verity overcome her meekness to become a tigress, a champion for the much maligned James, defending little Davey from a leech doctor, standing up to Agnes the shrew, and making friends with the wary villagers. I loved James, too. He had to overcome his own phobia of fire (tidily portrayed), his public disgrace, and his general PTSD (with blackouts) from a horrendous explosion that occurred while battling Napoleon seven years ago, in Spain.
Love overcomes all, in the end. (Nice love scene, too).
Pacing is fine, except for some slow parts. Decent suspense. I did not determine the identity of the villain, because Hern dropped bread crumbs mixed with red herrings, but I narrowed it down to two or -- possibly -- three options.
Minor Flaws: The book felt a little dated. It was dark and rather gothic. I like more humor. Some of the story was told in a passive voice. I especially wish the scenes with them riding together in the countryside -- becoming friends -- had been told in vivid and active voice, and included more dialogue.
Thank to Blacky for the recommendation!
No thanks to Goodreads for eating my detailed review. I wish GR had an option to save as a draft.
For a lighthearted Regency by this author, I recommend The Best Intentions.
"C'mon, me laddies. What'm I bid fer this fine bit o' flesh?"
"Give us a better look at 'er, then!" a man's voice shouted.
Old Moody tugged on the halter attached to the woman's neck, causing her head to jerk up for a brief moment. "C'mon, dearie," he said. "Show 'em wot yer offerin'."
James's gaze darted warily through the crowd as he moved closer. No one had yet noticed him...A wife sale. He had read of wife sales among the lower classes who could not afford a legal divorce...But here were the good people of Gunnisloe, steeped in their salt-of-the-earth Methodist prudery, now sunk so low.
And they dared to judge him? The self-righteous, hypocritical prigs. These same people who dashed into doorways at the very sight of him, clutching their terrified children to their breasts...
I liked this book. What a novel plot, with such sympathetic characters! The Cornwall setting was neatly illustrated. Baron James Harkness -- labeled "Heartless" after the suspicious death of his wife and child -- owns a castle, called Pendurgan (bit much like Pendragon, ya think?) and several mines. Lots of time spent with the superstitious Cornish miners, farmers, and villagers -- especially the old Granny. Scattered here and there are italicized words, written to mimic the local accent. These phrases added some linguistic curiosity.
My heart went out to Verity and James from chapter one, and their character development was handled well. I liked seeing Verity overcome her meekness to become a tigress, a champion for the much maligned James, defending little Davey from a leech doctor, standing up to Agnes the shrew, and making friends with the wary villagers. I loved James, too. He had to overcome his own phobia of fire (tidily portrayed), his public disgrace, and his general PTSD (with blackouts) from a horrendous explosion that occurred while battling Napoleon seven years ago, in Spain.
Love overcomes all, in the end. (Nice love scene, too).
Pacing is fine, except for some slow parts. Decent suspense. I did not determine the identity of the villain, because Hern dropped bread crumbs mixed with red herrings, but I narrowed it down to two or -- possibly -- three options.
Minor Flaws: The book felt a little dated. It was dark and rather gothic. I like more humor. Some of the story was told in a passive voice. I especially wish the scenes with them riding together in the countryside -- becoming friends -- had been told in vivid and active voice, and included more dialogue.
Thank to Blacky for the recommendation!
No thanks to Goodreads for eating my detailed review. I wish GR had an option to save as a draft.
For a lighthearted Regency by this author, I recommend The Best Intentions.
June 28, 2012
I’ll do my best to steer clear of spoiler territory, here, but I don’t think the mystery relating to the heroine is at all important to the overall story line. So here’s the deal. The heroine was married by an arranged marriage to a gay man (not that anyone besides the gay man and his partner knew about that), and he, on their wedding night, was so grossed out by the heroine’s girl parts that he couldn’t do the deed and actually vomited next to the bed. Isn’t that nice. The heroine, who remained a virgin after all of this, didn’t know her husband was gay, didn’t know anything about sex, really, and was convinced that she just had some seriously nasty girl parts that would drive any man to cast up his accounts and then leave her alone in a moldering house for two years. Totally reasonable, right?
Anyway, at some point her lame-ass husband realizes that he can make some money off of her, so he takes her to the wilds of Cornwall and sells her (that’s the Bride Sale) in an open auction where she is bought by the seriously messed-up hero. The heroine assumes that she will be installed as his mistress (because what other value is there in a woman?), but he’s an honorable man, serious issues notwithstanding, and he does his best to treat her with the respect he feels she deserves. Ordinarily, that would be wonderful, but his apparent lack of interest is enough to convince the heroine that she really is a worthless human being, even though she has skills as a healer, saves the life of a young boy, and eases all the medical complaints of an entire village. Blah blah blah, and we get to the part that pissed me off, when it is revealed that, in fact, the hero does find the heroine very attractive. All of a sudden, the heroine finds her identity and raison d’être, both originating in her value as an attractive female that the hero wants to nail. Awesome.
And, I’m not kidding, the book devotes a lot of time to explaining the heroine’s happiness at being found attractive. Considering that she’s just been kidnapped by her husband, has stood up for herself for the first time in, like, ever, then was rescued by the hero, and then discovered that her husband is gay and that there’s a chance she could get the marriage annulled, you’d think she’d have all sorts of interesting things to dwell on in her mind, but no. The only thing she can think about is her relief to discover that her girl parts aren’t nasty. "Thank God! Men want to have sex with me! That means I do have a purpose in this world!" UGH!!!
That one page of the book made me hopping-up-and-down-Yosemite-Sam angry. If I'd been reading a paper copy of the book, I would have thrown it against the wall and then jumped up and down on top of it.
To be fair, the rest of the book is actually quite good. I loved the hero (James) and all the technical elements of the book were well-executed. It's well-paced, has interesting secondary characters, and a well-written mystery element. But all of that enjoyment was completely destroyed by the importance that the author (through Verity) placed on sex being a woman's true vocation. Maybe it's historically accurate, maybe it's what reality is like anyway, but we don't really read romance novels for their historical accuracy or their connection to reality. We read them to escape, and why in the hell would anyone want to escape to a world where women are worth nothing beyond their desirability to men?
Anyway, at some point her lame-ass husband realizes that he can make some money off of her, so he takes her to the wilds of Cornwall and sells her (that’s the Bride Sale) in an open auction where she is bought by the seriously messed-up hero. The heroine assumes that she will be installed as his mistress (because what other value is there in a woman?), but he’s an honorable man, serious issues notwithstanding, and he does his best to treat her with the respect he feels she deserves. Ordinarily, that would be wonderful, but his apparent lack of interest is enough to convince the heroine that she really is a worthless human being, even though she has skills as a healer, saves the life of a young boy, and eases all the medical complaints of an entire village. Blah blah blah, and we get to the part that pissed me off, when it is revealed that, in fact, the hero does find the heroine very attractive. All of a sudden, the heroine finds her identity and raison d’être, both originating in her value as an attractive female that the hero wants to nail. Awesome.
And, I’m not kidding, the book devotes a lot of time to explaining the heroine’s happiness at being found attractive. Considering that she’s just been kidnapped by her husband, has stood up for herself for the first time in, like, ever, then was rescued by the hero, and then discovered that her husband is gay and that there’s a chance she could get the marriage annulled, you’d think she’d have all sorts of interesting things to dwell on in her mind, but no. The only thing she can think about is her relief to discover that her girl parts aren’t nasty. "Thank God! Men want to have sex with me! That means I do have a purpose in this world!" UGH!!!
That one page of the book made me hopping-up-and-down-Yosemite-Sam angry. If I'd been reading a paper copy of the book, I would have thrown it against the wall and then jumped up and down on top of it.
To be fair, the rest of the book is actually quite good. I loved the hero (James) and all the technical elements of the book were well-executed. It's well-paced, has interesting secondary characters, and a well-written mystery element. But all of that enjoyment was completely destroyed by the importance that the author (through Verity) placed on sex being a woman's true vocation. Maybe it's historically accurate, maybe it's what reality is like anyway, but we don't really read romance novels for their historical accuracy or their connection to reality. We read them to escape, and why in the hell would anyone want to escape to a world where women are worth nothing beyond their desirability to men?
March 31, 2025
The Unplanned Rescue
This was a lovely, clean romance about two people who needed both love and purpose and found those things in each other.
James, with a war ravaged mind and Verity sold by her husband from an unwanted marriage come together to make both their lives more rich and full.
Solid four star read.
This was a lovely, clean romance about two people who needed both love and purpose and found those things in each other.
James, with a war ravaged mind and Verity sold by her husband from an unwanted marriage come together to make both their lives more rich and full.
Solid four star read.
November 19, 2008
This book, which held such promise in the beginning, became such a chore to read that I actually considered literally throwing it against the wall. Both the hero and heroine were whiny and had a constant "oh poor me" mentality. I'd rather clean toilets than attempt to read this again.
January 17, 2025
The Bride Sale by Candice Hern
.
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Steam: 🔥 (+kissing, brief encounter not in count)
Ending: HEA with epilogue
Publication: 2002
.
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone.
.
England, Regency (1818)
Notorious Brooding Baron
Deeply Wrong Woman
Bride Sale
Forced Proximity
Loath to Love
Cornwall Setting
Slower Burn
Gothic Vibes
Higher Angst
Small Village Setting
Fall/Winter
Spooky Moors
Herbal Healing
PTSD Rep
Mutual Pinning
Former Military Hero
Widowed Hero
Danger & Peril
Emotional Toils & Trauma
.
The Bride Sale is such an underrated historical romance. Period. That could be my full review, but allow me to overly explain.
No shade to anyone, but insta-love is an easier way to go for a romance, but allowing a slow burn to ignite takes some serious skill. As a reader, the passing of time makes a relationship/love more believable for me. Likely, this is because I have just never experienced "love at first sight." It feels so unattainable. Hern writes the passing of time in a natural, fluid way. It helped to develop the relationship between the MCs, and I found what they were doing to occupy their time charming. In many ways, it was like courting without all the flare of London. Hern also does a phenomenal job setting the tone for a gothic-ish historical romance with he descriptions of the creepy, old estate and the dark moors.
I feel like this is a bit of a crutch that is used in romance - heroine loves the unloved hero, so now he is magically healed and whole. James wasn't healed from his trauma because suddenly someone loved him. He began to become whole again because he had to, actually, come face to face with his deepest fear and overcome it by himself. He was able to overcome the fear because of HIMSELF. His love for another was greater than the fear that was trapping him in the past. Does Vertiy's love help? Well, duh- after being told you are the worst person alive for six years, someone being nice to you is likely a great change. But James and James alone have to find the way to move on with his life.
I saw in some poor reviews that they didn't like that the main conflict is that Verity thinks she thinks she is totally disgusting because her (shitty ex-) husband repeatedly s*xually rejects her. Some reviewers felt she only found her worth once James made love to her, and she realized there wasn't anything wrong with her. However, I didn't feel the same way as those reviewers. I felt like it wasn't that she only found worth once someone desired her, but rather, she had been sitting for two years, thinking she was just so absolutely disgusting and unlovable. That would do something horrid to a person! Yes, she finds some healing by someone sexually desiring her, but I think, most of all, she really wanted to be deeply loved and to be important enough to someone to not be just cast aside. She wanted to be simply wanted, plain and simple.
Hern also introduces a number of potential villians and plants numerous little seeds here and there to make you believe each person is capable of the crimes. While, if the reader is paying attention, you will know who the villain is right before the climax of the story, I still felt this outrage over the level of betrayl to be a real gut punch. Like any good historical romance should, the villain WILL pay for their wrong doings. I loath when terrible, hurtful people do not see vengeance for the hurt they caused others, and Hern let's the villain really have it.
Honestly, I could just keep going on and on about this book. Characters are great, the plot is interesting, and the pacing is great. Just go read it. If you don't like it, I don't want to hear about it because this was such a good read for me.
As for steam, this is a low steam read with one lengthy scene. Hern uses non-explict terms that create a passionate encounter after a great dealing of pinning. There is a brief encounter not included in my steam count.
.
Read as a physical copy. Honest review left voluntarily.
.
Content Warning (spoilers likely)
.
.
.
.
.
Warfare- memories with details
De*th- multiple, off page
Mental health issues- PTSD
Physical vi*lence- hero bruises heroines arms from hard gripping, yanks her braid
Fire
Attempted m*rder- on page
De*th by fire- on page, no real details
M*rder- in the past
.
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Steam: 🔥 (+kissing, brief encounter not in count)
Ending: HEA with epilogue
Publication: 2002
.
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone.
.
England, Regency (1818)
Notorious Brooding Baron
Deeply Wrong Woman
Bride Sale
Forced Proximity
Loath to Love
Cornwall Setting
Slower Burn
Gothic Vibes
Higher Angst
Small Village Setting
Fall/Winter
Spooky Moors
Herbal Healing
PTSD Rep
Mutual Pinning
Former Military Hero
Widowed Hero
Danger & Peril
Emotional Toils & Trauma
.
The Bride Sale is such an underrated historical romance. Period. That could be my full review, but allow me to overly explain.
No shade to anyone, but insta-love is an easier way to go for a romance, but allowing a slow burn to ignite takes some serious skill. As a reader, the passing of time makes a relationship/love more believable for me. Likely, this is because I have just never experienced "love at first sight." It feels so unattainable. Hern writes the passing of time in a natural, fluid way. It helped to develop the relationship between the MCs, and I found what they were doing to occupy their time charming. In many ways, it was like courting without all the flare of London. Hern also does a phenomenal job setting the tone for a gothic-ish historical romance with he descriptions of the creepy, old estate and the dark moors.
I feel like this is a bit of a crutch that is used in romance - heroine loves the unloved hero, so now he is magically healed and whole. James wasn't healed from his trauma because suddenly someone loved him. He began to become whole again because he had to, actually, come face to face with his deepest fear and overcome it by himself. He was able to overcome the fear because of HIMSELF. His love for another was greater than the fear that was trapping him in the past. Does Vertiy's love help? Well, duh- after being told you are the worst person alive for six years, someone being nice to you is likely a great change. But James and James alone have to find the way to move on with his life.
I saw in some poor reviews that they didn't like that the main conflict is that Verity thinks she thinks she is totally disgusting because her (shitty ex-) husband repeatedly s*xually rejects her. Some reviewers felt she only found her worth once James made love to her, and she realized there wasn't anything wrong with her. However, I didn't feel the same way as those reviewers. I felt like it wasn't that she only found worth once someone desired her, but rather, she had been sitting for two years, thinking she was just so absolutely disgusting and unlovable. That would do something horrid to a person! Yes, she finds some healing by someone sexually desiring her, but I think, most of all, she really wanted to be deeply loved and to be important enough to someone to not be just cast aside. She wanted to be simply wanted, plain and simple.
Hern also introduces a number of potential villians and plants numerous little seeds here and there to make you believe each person is capable of the crimes. While, if the reader is paying attention, you will know who the villain is right before the climax of the story, I still felt this outrage over the level of betrayl to be a real gut punch. Like any good historical romance should, the villain WILL pay for their wrong doings. I loath when terrible, hurtful people do not see vengeance for the hurt they caused others, and Hern let's the villain really have it.
Honestly, I could just keep going on and on about this book. Characters are great, the plot is interesting, and the pacing is great. Just go read it. If you don't like it, I don't want to hear about it because this was such a good read for me.
As for steam, this is a low steam read with one lengthy scene. Hern uses non-explict terms that create a passionate encounter after a great dealing of pinning. There is a brief encounter not included in my steam count.
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Read as a physical copy. Honest review left voluntarily.
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Content Warning (spoilers likely)
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Warfare- memories with details
De*th- multiple, off page
Mental health issues- PTSD
Physical vi*lence- hero bruises heroines arms from hard gripping, yanks her braid
Fire
Attempted m*rder- on page
De*th by fire- on page, no real details
M*rder- in the past
February 10, 2013
3.5 stars
Not bad. A lot of brooding, Mary Sue, slow burn and evil backstabbers galore. There was also a healthy and modern view of PTSD, women's rights, and sexual orientation (from the hero, not society. Gotta love his forward thinking, eh?) Not a single hard limit to be found. Enjoy!
May 19, 2020
Mam mieszane uczucia. Niby nie była zła, ale jakaś taka... Fabuła rozkręcała się bardzo powoli. Niby coś się działo, ale akcja uparcie nie chciała posunąć się naprzód. Po mocnym pierwszym rozdziale wszystko zaczyna się rozwlekać. Przy końcu oczywiście wszystko ładnie przyspiesza a opowieść robi się interesująca, ale pierwsza połowa jest raczej mało porywająca. Myślę, że książka może się podobać, ale spodziewałam się czegoś lepszego.
July 5, 2013
4.5 stars!! :) I loved the book,the writing, the characters EVERYTHING! :) And the greedy girl I am, I wanted a little more of epilogue.. :D
Overall my reaction for the book --->
Overall my reaction for the book --->
December 26, 2014
I reached far back in my stash and found this book by Candice Hern. I hadn't read any of her books in a while. The title intrigued me. Boy, was I surprised. I have read a lot of Regency Romance novels and have not come across such a thing as a bride sale. This is not a spoiler because the book begins with the sale...and I mean a man really selling his wife. Of course, I am assuming that Ms. Hern did her research and there is truth in the story. I liked exploring Cornwall. (Aside: The scenery and characters reminded me of Barbara Taylor Bradford's, 'Woman of Substance'...love that book.)This book is a Stand Alone so you won't need to wait for the next one to see how all the characters fair. All issues are settled by the end of the book. Hope you enjoy it!
December 16, 2015
The story starts with a bride sale, at which Verity Osborne is being sold by her husband to any buyer who can pay. Along comes Lord Harkness, or Lord Heartless as many call him, as he is suspected of killing his wife and son. He buys her and although he's tempted by her, as no intention of acting on it - he rescues her, but refuses to take any credit, believing himself to be a monster and dishonorable. Verity isn't trusting at first, but soon realizes he's just a tortured soul and sets out to heal him and become his friend.
I did like the characters quite a bit. Verity, is kind of a self-proclaimed doormat (and for that I forgive her, at least she knows it) and is working on building her courage and strengthening her backbone. Her greatest virtue is that she is overly outgoing and quick to make friends. Her greatest flaw is her insecurity and constant belief that she is defective because no man wants her. James Harkness is the classic tortured soul with PTSD, guilty, morose, grumpy and all that nonsense. He's not a bad hero. I especially liked reading about how he came to value Verity - not love, lust or need, but value as in friendship. In many ways, the friendship which they later realized had become love was the best part of the book. I think I love that there was only one moment when James began to doubt Verity and not trust her, but it lasted a minute and he never doubted her again. A romance novel in which the hero trusts the heroine and doesn't think she's a lying jezebel is always a refreshing change of pace.
And yet, there were quite a few slow parts. It felt like the book lagged at points where Verity is wandering around town, planning parties, clearing James's name...Not so much action by this point, but daily routine. It's not boring detail after boring detail, but we do get an idea of things that happen over an 8 month period. So, I could have used a bit more excitement. Also, the bit about the annulment was just a bit too deus-ex-machina. I mean
I did like the characters quite a bit. Verity, is kind of a self-proclaimed doormat (and for that I forgive her, at least she knows it) and is working on building her courage and strengthening her backbone. Her greatest virtue is that she is overly outgoing and quick to make friends. Her greatest flaw is her insecurity and constant belief that she is defective because no man wants her. James Harkness is the classic tortured soul with PTSD, guilty, morose, grumpy and all that nonsense. He's not a bad hero. I especially liked reading about how he came to value Verity - not love, lust or need, but value as in friendship. In many ways, the friendship which they later realized had become love was the best part of the book. I think I love that there was only one moment when James began to doubt Verity and not trust her, but it lasted a minute and he never doubted her again. A romance novel in which the hero trusts the heroine and doesn't think she's a lying jezebel is always a refreshing change of pace.
And yet, there were quite a few slow parts. It felt like the book lagged at points where Verity is wandering around town, planning parties, clearing James's name...Not so much action by this point, but daily routine. It's not boring detail after boring detail, but we do get an idea of things that happen over an 8 month period. So, I could have used a bit more excitement. Also, the bit about the annulment was just a bit too deus-ex-machina. I mean
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2019
If you are a fan of Regency Romance novels and want to be captivated by one then I highly recommend Candice Hern’s book, Bride Sale. From the onset, the opening scene, Ms. Hern grabs the reader’s attention. We witness a snapshot of life in a small English village in Cornwall. In the middle of a raised platform stands a young woman, Verity Osborne Russell, in a leather harness. Her husband, Gilbert Russell, stands off toward one side as Verity is auctioned off in a wife sale. Stunned and humiliated, Verity’s future looks dismal until a local Baron, James Hargreaves, stumbles onto this atrocity. He is inextricably drawn to intervene and put an end to this young woman’s pain and plight. Without contemplating the consequences of his actions, he offers a bid no one can match. Now, faced with the responsibility of this woman, reality hits sets in. What is to come? How will they proceed? What will become of their lives?
Ms. Hern masterfully unfolds their journey through her well-sculpted plotline and her multi-dimensional characters. Her protagonists, Verity and James, are complex and flawed personalities. Each one knows various degrees of pain and disappointment. They experience a gamut of emotions, such as fear, sadness, and feelings of inadequacies and snippets of happiness. They both share a common personality trait—perseverance. It is this trait that carries them through the ebb and flow of their struggles. Through the use of descriptive language and dialog the reader develops empathy for these two. I particularly enjoyed the way Ms. Hern uses actual facts like the Bride Sale to add authenticity to her story. The same applies to the details of Verity’s knowledge of herbal medicine to assist villagers with health issues.
The plot line is a credible one. The protagonists’ quest lies in their journey toward healing. To build interest there are several twists and turns which contribute to the rising action of the plot. Likewise the interplay of the secondary characters with the protagonists helps to build intrigue. I found it fascinating how Ms. Hern used several characters as antagonists. This strategy adds to the intrigue and keeps the reader’s interest and perplexes them as to who the real villain is. I also enjoyed the interaction of the primary and secondary characters which helped to build tension.
This was definitely a good read.
Ms. Hern masterfully unfolds their journey through her well-sculpted plotline and her multi-dimensional characters. Her protagonists, Verity and James, are complex and flawed personalities. Each one knows various degrees of pain and disappointment. They experience a gamut of emotions, such as fear, sadness, and feelings of inadequacies and snippets of happiness. They both share a common personality trait—perseverance. It is this trait that carries them through the ebb and flow of their struggles. Through the use of descriptive language and dialog the reader develops empathy for these two. I particularly enjoyed the way Ms. Hern uses actual facts like the Bride Sale to add authenticity to her story. The same applies to the details of Verity’s knowledge of herbal medicine to assist villagers with health issues.
The plot line is a credible one. The protagonists’ quest lies in their journey toward healing. To build interest there are several twists and turns which contribute to the rising action of the plot. Likewise the interplay of the secondary characters with the protagonists helps to build intrigue. I found it fascinating how Ms. Hern used several characters as antagonists. This strategy adds to the intrigue and keeps the reader’s interest and perplexes them as to who the real villain is. I also enjoyed the interaction of the primary and secondary characters which helped to build tension.
This was definitely a good read.
October 9, 2014
4 STARS
"Shocked to discover a "bride sale" taking place in his small English village, Lord James Harkness, a gentleman with a dangerous reputation, purchases Verity Osborne, the beautiful gentlewoman being auctioned off by her disreputable husband." (From Amazon)
A bit of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast - James is called "Lord Heartless" by the the townspeople and think he had something to do with the death of his wife and child. Feeding on his own guilt and being haunted from the war James has isolated himself to his castle and whims of his mother-in-law. Verity whose marriage was arranged by her father just before his death has been passed on again to another man - who may be dangerous. Yet, he is gentle with her and lets her go about her way. When Verity treats a young boy with her knowledge of herbs the townspeople start to trust and like her. Verity in turn wants them to see the good in James she sees.
I was not sure how I would like this novel but I could not stop reading. I was just swooped in the plot and characters. If you like strong heroines and tortured heroes and a good villain READ THIS!
"Shocked to discover a "bride sale" taking place in his small English village, Lord James Harkness, a gentleman with a dangerous reputation, purchases Verity Osborne, the beautiful gentlewoman being auctioned off by her disreputable husband." (From Amazon)
A bit of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast - James is called "Lord Heartless" by the the townspeople and think he had something to do with the death of his wife and child. Feeding on his own guilt and being haunted from the war James has isolated himself to his castle and whims of his mother-in-law. Verity whose marriage was arranged by her father just before his death has been passed on again to another man - who may be dangerous. Yet, he is gentle with her and lets her go about her way. When Verity treats a young boy with her knowledge of herbs the townspeople start to trust and like her. Verity in turn wants them to see the good in James she sees.
I was not sure how I would like this novel but I could not stop reading. I was just swooped in the plot and characters. If you like strong heroines and tortured heroes and a good villain READ THIS!
July 9, 2019
Great Book !!
I was pleasantly surprised with this book - it was a delightful read.
The only problem is it ran on and had no “breaks” to let you know you where the story line temporarily stopped and another story began with other characters.
That needs fixed.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book - it was a delightful read.
The only problem is it ran on and had no “breaks” to let you know you where the story line temporarily stopped and another story began with other characters.
That needs fixed.
December 9, 2015
A lord rumored to have murdered his wife purchases out of pity a lady being auctioned off by her husband. That's pretty much all there is to it. The rest is pretty predictable; he brings her back to his castle and she slowly falls for him and helps him get over some past traumas.
I skimmed the first third or so of the book. With romance novels, I like there to be a lot of interaction between the two mains, but the lord avoided her too much toward the start and my interest waned. It did get better, though. My biggest complaint is that I wanted to see her husband get the pulp beaten out of him by the hero, at the very least. He got off WAY too easily. The hero didn't even punch him once.
I skimmed the first third or so of the book. With romance novels, I like there to be a lot of interaction between the two mains, but the lord avoided her too much toward the start and my interest waned. It did get better, though. My biggest complaint is that I wanted to see her husband get the pulp beaten out of him by the hero, at the very least. He got off WAY too easily. The hero didn't even punch him once.
April 17, 2016
There's nothing like a dark, brooding hero and The Bride Sale features a good one in James.
There's a lot packed into this novel. The titular bride sale, PTSD, murder, mystery, and a very unfortunate first marriage leading to a whole host of misunderstandings on the heroine's part.
I was unsure how a husband could sell his wife but it's concisely explained and really rather disturbing.
It took me a bit to figure out the villain of the novel - there were several to choose from - and I thought the book was headed in a different, even darker, direction.
This is my first novel by Hern and I get the feeling based on other reviews that the majority of her works are more humorous. I'll no doubt try another of her works when I'm ready for some lighter fare.
There's a lot packed into this novel. The titular bride sale, PTSD, murder, mystery, and a very unfortunate first marriage leading to a whole host of misunderstandings on the heroine's part.
I was unsure how a husband could sell his wife but it's concisely explained and really rather disturbing.
It took me a bit to figure out the villain of the novel - there were several to choose from - and I thought the book was headed in a different, even darker, direction.
This is my first novel by Hern and I get the feeling based on other reviews that the majority of her works are more humorous. I'll no doubt try another of her works when I'm ready for some lighter fare.
August 26, 2011
I'm generously giving this one a 3 although 2.5 is more like it. This book read like a series of highway car accidents, where everyone slows down to gawk at the damage. Wife sales, homosexuality, post traumatic stress syndrome, psuedo-rape and victim blaming - this one had it all. I'm surprised the hero and heroine actually liked each other.
October 24, 2015
Verity is sold by her husband. James buys her to protect her from going to the creepy blacksmith. There is a ton of mystery surrounding James. Did he kill his wife and young son? I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way Verity was written. She was strong, but not bitchy. Well-written book.
April 20, 2016
Fun, if predictable - which at this point is all I really want from my historical romances. The "Beauty and the Beast" underpinnings (and sometimes overpinnings) of this story gave it the "don't want to put it down" quality because in theory I know how that story ends, but I wanted to know how it unfolded with Verity instead of Belle.
February 27, 2019
Good read
Good story, but confusing to follow. It skips from one scene to another, with no reasoning. It's probably because it's an ebook and no one thought to insert a gap between scene changes. Strong main characters. It would been nice to know why Harkness put up with his mother in law. I didn't buy the reason or her attitude.
Not Me. Herons best, but not bad either.
Good story, but confusing to follow. It skips from one scene to another, with no reasoning. It's probably because it's an ebook and no one thought to insert a gap between scene changes. Strong main characters. It would been nice to know why Harkness put up with his mother in law. I didn't buy the reason or her attitude.
Not Me. Herons best, but not bad either.
December 24, 2016
It took me a long time to get into this, but once I did, I liked it. Kathleen (below) did an excellent job of saying what I wanted to say, so I won't repeat it.
There were twists & turns that reminded me of "old school" historical romance books, but with some "new school" twists.
There were twists & turns that reminded me of "old school" historical romance books, but with some "new school" twists.
June 23, 2025
Rather grim setting with grumpy H and a very innocent h. They both trying to hide their shame. So her 'husband' is mean, and the introverted H valued her kindness. Nice couple who eventually get their HEA.
July 27, 2019
My first read by this author and I was very pleased. Ms. Hern does her historical research and the characters are very well drawn. I will certainly read more of her books.
February 15, 2020
A SOLID 3.5 STARS!
THIS WAS NOT BAD, BUT MAYBE BECAUSE I'VE READ PLENTY OF ALMOST SIMILAR PLOTS THAT I DIDN'T FIND THIS OUTSTANDING.
JAMES suffers from PTSD after his tour in Spain and has come back a man changed, one haunted by guilt, sorrow and perhaps ghosts of his comrades. It made him violent and also a drunkard, to the point when mysterious fires started to break out around the land, and one day his wife and son were trapped in the fire, he failed to save them. Paralyzed by the guilt of his past, he couldn't save the woman he loved. For years, he blamed himself. People called him a murderer, and he'd rather let them believe that fact than to realise that he was a coward. One day, entering the village for a rare shopping task, he stumbles upon a bride sale. Shocked by the fact that a man could sell his wife, an indescribable emotion urged him to buy the poor female and goodness knows what he's going to do with her now but call her his 'distant' cousin. I rather enjoyed the idea of James falling for the beautiful and kind Verity, but I'd say James can be a beast with his actions, and words. Maybe that's what put me off him as a hero.
VERITY is enraged and appalled that her own husband is selling her off like cattle. Driven by pride, she refuses to cower in the eyes of the crowd. Of course, she's uncertain about this dark haired Lord who purchases her and everyone assumes that she will be warming his bed. Nevertheless, that's not the case. Being a guest in James's home, she learns to make a place for herself amongst the people, becoming a healer of sorts and bringing the villagers together. Verity has always thought that she's not worth loving, in terms of sex because her husband preferred men but she never knew the truth. Her first time with James was nothing worth mentioning and the poor girl was almost traumatized by it.
OVERALL it could have been better and it's sad that while the characters were drawn out, it wasn't in depth enough. Or maybe I just wasn't satisfied with how James treated Verity....or maybe I'm just too damned picky.
THIS WAS NOT BAD, BUT MAYBE BECAUSE I'VE READ PLENTY OF ALMOST SIMILAR PLOTS THAT I DIDN'T FIND THIS OUTSTANDING.
JAMES suffers from PTSD after his tour in Spain and has come back a man changed, one haunted by guilt, sorrow and perhaps ghosts of his comrades. It made him violent and also a drunkard, to the point when mysterious fires started to break out around the land, and one day his wife and son were trapped in the fire, he failed to save them. Paralyzed by the guilt of his past, he couldn't save the woman he loved. For years, he blamed himself. People called him a murderer, and he'd rather let them believe that fact than to realise that he was a coward. One day, entering the village for a rare shopping task, he stumbles upon a bride sale. Shocked by the fact that a man could sell his wife, an indescribable emotion urged him to buy the poor female and goodness knows what he's going to do with her now but call her his 'distant' cousin. I rather enjoyed the idea of James falling for the beautiful and kind Verity, but I'd say James can be a beast with his actions, and words. Maybe that's what put me off him as a hero.
VERITY is enraged and appalled that her own husband is selling her off like cattle. Driven by pride, she refuses to cower in the eyes of the crowd. Of course, she's uncertain about this dark haired Lord who purchases her and everyone assumes that she will be warming his bed. Nevertheless, that's not the case. Being a guest in James's home, she learns to make a place for herself amongst the people, becoming a healer of sorts and bringing the villagers together. Verity has always thought that she's not worth loving, in terms of sex because her husband preferred men but she never knew the truth. Her first time with James was nothing worth mentioning and the poor girl was almost traumatized by it.
OVERALL it could have been better and it's sad that while the characters were drawn out, it wasn't in depth enough. Or maybe I just wasn't satisfied with how James treated Verity....or maybe I'm just too damned picky.
May 4, 2019
4 out of 5 stars.
It started out strong and I hoped that this would be a new favorite historical book. And while I definitely loved the first 200 pages, the last half of the book seemed to fall into the "I don't care about that, I want more of this" category.
Still, the writing is strong, Verity is awesome, and I quite liked the name Lord Heartless even if the plot didn't go where I expected at all.
May definitely try more of the authors books in the future.
Further Review:
First half of this book started off strong, and I very much fell in love. And then the plot took a direction about 200 pages in that I didn’t want or care about and the rest of the book was just a ‘meh’ experience, which is very disappointing. Verity is a strong character, the villagers are cruel and harsh, and the bride sale was a fascinating new historical detail that I hadn’t heard or read of before.
This was is going on my ‘must buy at once’ shelf, because I just really adored the first half of this book. I should also note that I’ve never read Candice Hern before, at least not that I recollect, and so I’m definitely interested in reading more of the author’s works because she definitely has talent in regards to writing. The romance also wasn’t surprisingly heavy in this book, there was very little smut scattered throughout which made for a pleasant change as well.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars, and hoping to discover more good books by this author in the future. I highly recommend reading this if y’all like learning about old Scottish villages, herbalists, scary castles by the sea, and a guy named Lord Heartless.
{Review also posted on my blog and through Twitter.}
It started out strong and I hoped that this would be a new favorite historical book. And while I definitely loved the first 200 pages, the last half of the book seemed to fall into the "I don't care about that, I want more of this" category.
Still, the writing is strong, Verity is awesome, and I quite liked the name Lord Heartless even if the plot didn't go where I expected at all.
May definitely try more of the authors books in the future.
Further Review:
First half of this book started off strong, and I very much fell in love. And then the plot took a direction about 200 pages in that I didn’t want or care about and the rest of the book was just a ‘meh’ experience, which is very disappointing. Verity is a strong character, the villagers are cruel and harsh, and the bride sale was a fascinating new historical detail that I hadn’t heard or read of before.
This was is going on my ‘must buy at once’ shelf, because I just really adored the first half of this book. I should also note that I’ve never read Candice Hern before, at least not that I recollect, and so I’m definitely interested in reading more of the author’s works because she definitely has talent in regards to writing. The romance also wasn’t surprisingly heavy in this book, there was very little smut scattered throughout which made for a pleasant change as well.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars, and hoping to discover more good books by this author in the future. I highly recommend reading this if y’all like learning about old Scottish villages, herbalists, scary castles by the sea, and a guy named Lord Heartless.
{Review also posted on my blog and through Twitter.}
February 17, 2019
This was a good story of Verity and James, Lord Harkness( or Lord Heartless as the villagers called him). James had been to war in Spain, was injured in a horrible fight involving fire, returned home to witness the death of his wife and son in a fiery blaze. He buys Verity from her husband at the auction in the village. She hears the whispers and fears what has happened. But as she resides at James's home, she becomes involved in village life and sees James also needs her help. They grow closer as they live together. Verity begins to try to clear his name and bring back traditions the villagers had given up because of their fear of James. The ending is surprising.
February 24, 2019
Bargain price for a bride
Verity was married and left in the country for 2 years until her worthless husband thought to sell her to pay his debts! James was wounded in the war and the sight of fire immobilized him! Verity husband returns when he has need of her! But Verity skills as a herbalist turns the villagers in her favor and she slowly convinced them that James is not a monster at all! Friendships are not all what the seem and when the truth is revealed James and Verity have a love tried by fire!
Verity was married and left in the country for 2 years until her worthless husband thought to sell her to pay his debts! James was wounded in the war and the sight of fire immobilized him! Verity husband returns when he has need of her! But Verity skills as a herbalist turns the villagers in her favor and she slowly convinced them that James is not a monster at all! Friendships are not all what the seem and when the truth is revealed James and Verity have a love tried by fire!
November 15, 2025
This book was different from other regency romance novels I have read. I enjoyed it, my first time reading this author. She writes very well. The book was engaging. James tragic past was definitely sad, it is hard for someone who has never been to war to really understand or imagine the horror that is seen by the soldiers. It must have been even worse in the period of the Napoleonic Wars. James was a tragic hero but Verity was his salvation. What a perfect heroine Verity turned out to be. Loved the story would read again.
February 18, 2019
The Bride Sake By Candice Hern
Five stars, now were talking!!!.. This book held everything sensuality, drama and a who done it..James was scarred from the war, Verity' s for sale my a husband who did not want her..James bought her, life was a different story..But who killed his first wife?..This Book was truly a thriller, the only problem was she which scenes right on same page..So you had to keep up..Surprise ending but a good one.
Five stars, now were talking!!!.. This book held everything sensuality, drama and a who done it..James was scarred from the war, Verity' s for sale my a husband who did not want her..James bought her, life was a different story..But who killed his first wife?..This Book was truly a thriller, the only problem was she which scenes right on same page..So you had to keep up..Surprise ending but a good one.
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