The Bachelor and the Bride by Sarah M. Eden

The Bachelor and the Bride

This is another book in the Dread Penny Society and Proper Romance series.

Let’s begin with the summary:

London,1866

Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society.

Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by marrying her in secret to protect her from her family, notorious grave robbers who were intent on keeping her working in the trade.

But their unconventional relationship is nearly over before it begins when, six months after they exchange vows, Gemma realizes her love for Barnabus is unrequited. To protect her heart, she leaves, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grow beyond a sense of duty.

When Gemma finally receives a letter from Barnabus, inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But she quickly learns that he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids, who have been terrorizing the boroughs of London, eager to gain both money and power.

Heartbroken once more, Gemma agrees to help, but she warns Barnabus that she will not stay for long, and once she goes, he’ll never see her again.

Yet as the couple follow the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London’s underground criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus both realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma’s life, might prove the means of saving Barnabus—and his lonely heart—as well.

But before the once-confirmed bachelor can properly court his secret bride, they’ll need to evade the dangerous forces that are drawing ever closer to the hopeful lovers and the entire Dread Penny Society itself.

And now, my review:

Sarah is such a skilled romance writer! She’s one of my favorites.

If you’re like me and you don’t read summaries before choosing a book, I’d like to offer a heads-up. This novel includes a grave-robbing component.

First, that element fits with this Dread Penny Society series, which is at times macabre. Sarah’s one of my favorite authors, but as I’ve read this series, I’ve skipped the ghost story penny dreadful chapters when they’re spooky. This story fits right in with the others.

Next, Sarah does a great job with character relationships in her fiction. I loved the setup—that these two are married, but theirs isn’t a typical relationship. The bride has been living elsewhere for a while, with no expectation that she’ll move back in!

I liked that Gemma is full of joy and exuberance—what a twist since she comes from a grave-robbing family and is starved for affection. She loves her freedom, and she longs to be cherished. She also tempers her expectations and hopes, due to her past.

The hero, Dr. Barnabus, is burdened by his heavy thoughts and his sober-minded approach to life. I made this note: he’s verbose, and dry, and intelligent. He’s also clueless of her affection toward him. A fun aspect as well because he’s drawn to her buoyant personality and wants to be closer to her.

We get to revisit earlier characters, who are part of the Dread Penny Society—they’re all authors of the short, haunting reads. They’re also secretly heroic in rescuing or helping those in need. In this story, they take on a formidable foe.

As always, Sarah’s voice in character is excellent, using realistic (or true) colloquialisms. The author also invents several stories to include in each book as written by the characters, which means using several different characters’ voices. She does this very skillfully!

One of the novel’s themes is rejection, or assuming one’s being rejected. There’s a lack of communication that keeps the main characters in the dark. More themes include freedom, safety, service, and overcoming one’s family history.

I liked the layered characters who had already overcome a lot but had more growth ahead. However, because of the grave-robbing aspect, and because my guess is that it gets more involved, I did not finish this novel.