Never Courted, Suddenly Married by Christi Caldwell

Publisher & Release Date: Self-published, April 26, 2014

Time and setting: 1818, London

Genre: Historical Regency Romance

Length: 269 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

Christopher Ansley, Earl of Waxham, has constructed a perfect image for the ton--the ladies love him and his company is desired by all. Only two people know the truth about Waxham’s secret. Unfortunately, one of them is Miss Sophie Winters. 

Sophie Winters has known Christopher since she was in leading strings. As children, they delighted in tormenting each other. Now at one and twenty, she still has a tendency to find herself in scrapes, and her marital prospects are slim. 

When his father threatens to expose his shame to the ton, unless he weds Sophie for her dowry, Christopher concocts a plan to remain a bachelor. What he didn't plan on, was falling in love with the lively, impetuous Sophie. As secrets are exposed, will Christopher’s love be enough when she discovers his role in his father’s scheme? 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Never-Courted-Suddenly-Scandalous-Seasons-ebook/dp/B00JZ29KKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1441122886&sr=1-1&keywords=never+courted+suddenly+wed

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Never-Courted-Suddenly-Wed-Audiobook/B013U1M0XU

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Vikki’s Musings

I am so glad I discovered Christi Caldwell. I thoroughly enjoy her writing style, and she is a truly gifted author. Never Courted, Suddenly Wed is an emotionally-charged story. This is the second book in the Scandalous Seasons series, and I enjoyed it even more than I did the first book.

Sophie Winston and Christopher Ansley have known each other since she was an infant and he was an eight year old boy. An incident from their childhood has caused a rift between them. When Christopher’s father insists that he court and wed Sophie, he flatly refuses. Then his father threatens to expose his secret to the ton. Desperate, he enlists the help of his best friend, the Duke of Mallen, asking the duke to court Sophie, so she will not chose Christopher.

There is one problem with his plan. As he gets to know the adult, Sophie, he soon finds himself enchanted by her. Should he throw caution to the wind, and court Sophie, even though it will give his father what he wants, or should he let the duke win her affections?

Sophie Winston is one of the most endearing characters I have had the pleasure getting to know. She is introduced in the first book, and I immediately liked her, but I had no idea she would be such a delightful and funny character. Ms. Caldwell truly brings Sophie to life, giving me a heroine to love. From her quirky personality to her charming affinity for mishaps, she is a wonderfully fleshed out character.  I loved her compassion for her sweet little dog, Duke and her loyalty to her friends. Her insecurities touched my heart.

Christopher Ansley, the Earl of Waxham was also introduced in the first book of this series as the rejected suitor for the Duke of Mallen’s sister. I am so glad he finds true love. I became completely enmeshed with his character, and could feel his pain concerning his secret. After being abused, verbally, emotionally and physically by his father, he definitely deserved to have such a wonderful character as Sophie in his life. They suit each other so well.

I also listened to the audio version as well as reading the book and the narrator is fantastic. Tim Campbell reads with a great deal of emotion, and has the perfect British voice for the characters. He does an outstanding job with the female voices, which normally come across quite insipid when the reader is a male. I thoroughly enjoyed his narrating style and will look for other books performed by him.    

If you enjoy a well-written regency romance with unforgettable character and a great plot, then you will love Never Courted, Suddenly Wed as much as I did. Happy reading!