Choosing the lesser of two evils.

Synopsis

Marriage…To the highest bidder

Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems―like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counter-offer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections? Or does Lydia dare hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?

My review

Lady Lydia Barton finds herself part of a bidding. Due her father’s bad finances, he sees no other option than offering his daughter to the highest bidder.
When the highest bidder at the moment is just a nasty man, Lady Lydia is truly disgusted.
But when suddenly Owen Wolfe is also a contender, she has to choose which one will be the better choice.
Because Owen Wolfe is part of her past, and they did not separate on good terms…

Will Lady Lydia and Owen find a way to put the past behind them?

Oooh, Virginia Heath did it again!!! She wrote a story that I found hard to put away!
She wrote not only a story about lost loves, broken hearts trying to be mended, but also about family dynamics, and how ugly it was in that period!

I totally loathed Lydia’s father! I honestly cannot comprehend how a man can be so heartless… The only thing he cares about is money, his own wellbeing and maybe a little bit his son. But Lydia is nothing to him, just a pawn in his game to stay in his wealth.
And even when Lydia did everything in her powers to satisfy her father, even then he turned away from her and didn’t care about her!
Whenever he appeared in the story, I just wanted to slap him in de face!

I don’t understand how Lydia is the total opposite, thinking about how she grew up… She is a kind young woman, wanting to do whatever she can to help her family, even if that means to marry the man she despises… Yet she tries to make the best of her situation. And she has a sense of righteousness.

Owen may sound like a scumbag, but from the very start I liked him. Despite being accused of theft, and being convicted, he wants to make something of his life, and he is managing it with his friend. Even if he denies it in every way, and makes up excuses for his behaviour, he still cares about Lydia.

The way Lydia and Owen act towards each other made me laugh, as I felt that the attraction of the past was still there, no matter how hard they denied it!
And how Randolph is there with his banter, just hilarious! He just speaks out what everyone is thinking! And yet he is a caring husband towards Gertie!

Again a masterpiece added to the list of books I love by Virginia Heath! A story about lost love, trusting your heart, and how true love always finds his way back, even if it starts with a forced marriage!