The Gamekeeper's Reluctant Bride by Elva Cobb Martin

 She fled from a gilded cage, only to find herself trapped in a marriage of obligation.

The Gamekeeper's Reluctant Bride by Elva Cobb Martin

(Charleston Brides Book 6) (Buy Now)

Wild Hearts Books

Kindle (Released September 6, 2024)

Paperback (Released September 10, 2024)

244 pages

Helena Allston had it all—wealth, beauty, and a life of luxury on her family's plantation. But when her father arranges a marriage to a man she despises, Helena takes matters into her own hands, fleeing on horseback, only to find herself half-drowned and memory-less in a simple cottage. And when her memory returns, Helena ends up back where she began—arranged to marry, this time to the handsome gamekeeper who rescued her.

Could there be more than obligation to this marriage? Or is he only after the Windemere Plantation her father promised him?

Gideon Falconer is at a loss when it comes to the stubborn, beautiful woman he rescued from the Ashley River. His predicament only worsens when he returns her to her family's plantation, where her father shocks him with a demand that Gideon marry his daughter to prevent a scandal. As a man new to his faith, he feels compelled to do the right thing, but his own secrets and the past left behind in England threaten to complicate matters further.

In a marriage that began as a mere obligation, can Helena and Gideon find the strength to let love and trust conquer all, despite a determined enemy's schemes to wreck their hope?

Reviewer comments:

Helena Allston’s father has signed a contract for her to wed George Beauregard, thing is, Helena finds him a detestable prig and vows to never wed him. When Beauregard finds her out riding her horse, Stormy, along the Ashley River Road, he chases her to try to make good on her father’s promise. To escape the rogue, Helena drives her horse into the river, but the jump forces her underwater where her clothing catches on a rock. Beauregard gives her up for dead, but Gideon Falconer, a religious man and once a wealthy man until the family fortune was lost, jumps in to save her. He pulls her out, but she has temporary lost her memory, and since he doesn’t know who she is, she stays the night without a chaperon and thereby hurting her reputation. Her father presses Gideon to marry his daughter with the promise of Windemere Plantation. But Helena’s beauty and grace steel Gideon’s heart, he just doesn’t know how to convince Helena when she only thinks of him in terms of a deal to keep her reputation intact. Gideon has a kind heart and must prove his love for Helena.

 A tender and touching story of losing self and all their hurt and prejudice to find what they’ve been missing, if they’ll open their hearts and forget the past. Well-written and a story that will grab your heart and pull you into the past on the first page and not let you go until the end. It’s a lively and entertaining story that takes the reader into plantation life and introduces them to some wonderful characters. Highly recommend. 

About the author                                                   

 

Elva Cobb Martin is a multi-published Christian author and former founder and president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her latest historical romance series: Charleston Brides, 6-book series, and her mini-book Bible study, Power Over Satan: How to Discern and Defeat the Enemy's Plans Against You, always available on Amazon for $.99. For more info on her books, click here.

Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have published her articles. She is a graduate of Anderson College (later University) and Erskine College, and a former schoolteacher. A mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband Dwayne in upstate South Carolina, USA.

Elva enjoys baking, gardening, and chocolate anything. She always stops to pet puppies, love on babies, and smell the roses.

 

She would love to connect with you on her blog:   https://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com/

And on Facebook and Twitter @Elvacobbmartin

 

 For more about Elva and her books, visit her at:  https://www.elvamartin.com/