Wedded by Scandal: Book 4
Release Date: September 14, 2020
When Hugh Winthrop, the future Earl of Albury, decides to advertise for a wife in the London paper, he never expected an anonymous response from a woman who matches him wit for wit. Their back-and-forth letters on the true nature of love, something they disagree on wholeheartedly, leave him shocked—and intrigued. But then the woman he’s been corresponding with shows up on his doorstep, enticingly beautiful and offering a marriage of convenience in exchange for his protection…
Lady Phoebe Maitland expected to marry for love and nothing else, until the man she gave her trust betrayed her. The more intrigued she becomes by the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Hugh, however, the more she realizes he’s holding back from opening his heart due to long-held secrets she struggles to understand. As passion flares wickedly between them, their marriage bed is quick to heat up. But when Phoebe’s past threatens to destroy the fragile bond they’ve formed, even a budding belief in love might not be enough to save them.
*This review is based upon an ARC copy of the book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
It has only been a year or so since I first read one of Stacy Reid’s stories and then immediately gobbled up every title available with her name on it. She has quickly become one of those authors, that I rarely bother reading the story synopsis before buying the latest title and I’ve never regretted it.
When the Earl Met His Match only made me love her work more!
Hugh Winthrop, the future Earl of Albury is in need of a wife to fulfill a loved ones dying wish, but with a family secret that is not so secret and a disability holding him back from a traditional pursuit, he places an advertisement that a certain young lady quickly takes exception to.
Lady Phoebe Maitland has the heart of a romantic and is in love with a young man she hopes to marry when she reads a curiously cold description of marriage in a newspaper and immediately writes to the anonymous gentleman to read him the riot act, hardly expecting to get an immediate reply.
The letters back and forth are still flying furiously when Phoebe’s ideals of romantic love are shattered and she quickly finds herself in need of a husband, so it’s a good thing she just happens to know a particular gentleman who is in desperate need of a wife.
When Phoebe unexpectedly shows up on Hugh’s doorstep sparks immediately fly as identities are revealed, the heroine’s scandalous plight uncovered and the most obvious of the hero’s secrets is exposed. What should be a sure recipe for disaster is handled beautifully and the story only gets better from there.
The pace in which this couple’s romance blossoms is absolutely perfect, with plenty of smiles and tears of sadness (and joy) along the way. I seriously wanted to go back to page one and read this one all over again immediately when I finished but will wait until the next book in the Wedded by Scandal series arrives to “refresh my memory”. 😊
