The Bachelor and the Bride

July 1, 2022

After Dr. Barnabus Milligan marries Gemma Kincaid in order to rescue her from her dangerous family of grave robbers, Gemma realizes he does not love her and abandons the marriage in heartbreak. When London's criminal underworld, headed by a man known only as the Mastiff, wreaks havoc throughout the city, the vicious Kincaid family is brought in to stop the carnage. Barnabus asks Gemma to come home because she can provide information that will help bring down her family and the Mastiff. Hopeful that Barnabus's request for her return means his affection for her has changed to love, Gemma is disappointed to learn that isn't the case but stays to help. While the two work together to bring violent criminals to justice, Barnabus discovers he could not only lose Gemma but also his heart. VERDICT Eden's fourth gripping Victorian "Dread Penny Society" romance (following The Merchant and the Rogue) centers on a heroine's unrequited love with lots of twists and turns before the hero recognizes his true feelings. The series is best read in sequence, as each novel builds on prior installments.--Eve Stano

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July 25, 2022
An estranged wife returns home at the request of her emotionally distant husband in Eden’s sweet and suspenseful fourth Dread Penny Society Victorian romance (after The Merchant and the Rogue). Physician Barnabus Milligan married his wife, Gemma, to save her from her criminal family. Though Gemma had hoped that a romance might blossom, Barnabus, orphaned at 12 and wary of love, vowed to her that their marriage of convenience would never be anything more. Brokenhearted, Gemma abandoned their home, determined not to return until Barnabus bid her. Three years later, he finally does, but when she arrives, it’s not the affectionate reunion she was hoping for. Instead, Barnabus and the Dread Penny Society, a secret organization that protects the less fortunate, need Gemma’s help to thwart the plans of her evil uncles, who are robbing graves and attempting to resurrect the corpses. With evil threatening to destroy London, Gemma and Barnabus are forced to work together—but will they live long enough to reach their happy ending? The close-knit members of the Dread Penny Society add some fun, and Gemma’s heart of gold is sure to win readers over. A plethora of secrets and a thrilling mystery make this fresh take on arranged marriage a treat.

September 15, 2022
Everyone always thought Dr. Barnabus Milligan was a bachelor, so it is a surprise to his fellow members of the Dread Penny Society when he introduces them to his wife of the last three years. Shortly after she married to escape her grave-robbing family, Gemma Kinkaid realizes that Barnabus will always care for her but never truly love her, so she leaves, vowing to return only for love. But now the Kinkaids are working for the dreaded criminal boss, the Mastiff, and Gemma is in danger. Plenty of suspense and drama force Barnabus and Gemma to confront their true feelings as they find their way back to each other, but first they have to survive. This exciting fourth installment in Eden's Dread Penny Society series, following The Merchant and The Rogue (2021), raises the stakes of the Mastiff's terrorizing of London's poor, building to a thrilling climax that gives some long-awaited and shocking answers. Much of the tension in Gemma and Barnabus's relationship comes from the Mastiff's looming threat, sweeping readers up in the action and cliffhanger reveals.

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