Accidental Brides, Book 2
From the publisher:
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Accidental Brides series with a romance about a forced marriage between a feisty heroine and a Scottish laird… neither of whom have plans to marry, let alone fall in love.
Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland.
The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match—but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement.
To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and again…yet again.
When her true identity is revealed, and they’re forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge.
He finally has Clara’s hand—but how will he ever win her heart?
“With a fast-paced plot, dynamic leads, and plenty of heat, this proves unputdownable.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The second in James’s “Accidental Bride” series will be an instant favorite of friends-to-lovers romance fans, and readers of the first book, Viscount in Love, will delight in this sequel.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“James cleverly constructs another whimsically witty addition to her superbly entertaining Accidental Brides series that is graced with a delightfully book-obsessed heroine with a flair for designing animal-inspired drawstring bags and a smolderingly sexy Scottish hero with a penchant for clothes-free fly-fishing.” — Booklist
“James has long been one of the masters of zany, witty Regencies, and for much of the story she’s in top form. The second novel in her Accidental Brides series starts strong, with a setting that fans of Scottish romances will fall for… James’ many fans will be happy to add this laird to their shelves.” — Kirkus Reviews
James remains my favorite author of historical romances, and usually they are set in England. This time, the English lady, Clara, has a problem. She is not built like most aristocrats; she is not thin and willowy, but rather curvy instead. Unfortunately, she catches the eye of the very married crown Prince, and his lewd behavior towards her is unsettling, to say the least. He makes it well known that he is waiting for her to marry so that he may make her his mistress, and no one wants to marry her under those circumstances. Things come to a head when the very drunk Prince paws at her, shredding her gown, and she hits him, which is simply not done. Now in disgrace, Clara’s mother is beside herself and decides to send Clara to live with an aged aunt she’s never met in Scotland. Instead, Clara decides to take herself on an adventure. Instead of boarding the coach to her aunt’s home along with her maid, she convinces a hired coach that she is the housekeeper he has been sent to fetch back to Scotland.
Clara has never lifted a finger to do any kind of manual labor, but she is bright and friendly and doesn’t mind the idea of hard work. Clara is a dreamer and a lover of books, but she gets lost in her stories and tends to romanticize life because of that. When she arrives at the castle in the Scottish Highlands, it is exactly what she always dreamed of living in. What she hadn’t dreamed of is the Scottish laird who is buck naked and fishing in the loch behind the castle.
Caelan lost his wife a few years earlier and they never had children. His sister lives nearby with her family, and she is growing concerned about how he is living. Most of the staff has taken off, leaving the housekeeper who is a terrible cook and robbing him blind. She is fired, and his sister sends to England for a new housekeeper. There isn’t anyone in Scotland who would consent to work in the castle – it is in deplorable shape, filthy and overrun with vermin. And that is what Clara is entering into.
Caelan is bright, well-read, and wealthy, but that isn’t apparent to Clara. She thinks he’s poor because his clothes are dingy and not maintained, and of course, there is the condition of the house. Eventually, they both realize the truth about one another and a great friendship is formed. Except Caelan wants more – he wants to marry Clara but she is not having him. The romantic in her wants a man who will fall madly in love with her, and Caelan readily admits that while he feels lusty towards her, love is not on the table.
When one of their neighbors, a British couple, sees them in church, the jig is up. It turns out the lady is Clara’s sister’s best friend, and she is appalled that Clara has been living unchaperoned with Caelan. The next thing you know, they are married, and Clara is in big trouble – she has fallen head over heels in love with her husband.
Caelan has this reputation as a tragic figure, but it’s really not true. He and Clara delight in one another’s company, whether they are reading, fishing, eating, or kissing. Lots and lots of kissing. There is so much joy here, some serious heat, and a very happy ending. This terrific sequel may be read on its own, and I loved it.
Note: I hated this cover for the same reason I hated the cover of the first book in the series, Viscount in Love. This is a historical romance, and you really can’t tell from the cover. The male model has trimmed chest hair, like that was a thing in the early 1800s, and where the hell is his kilt??
4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HARDLY A GENTLEMAN by Eloisa James. Avon (April 29, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063347465. 384p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 