The Bachelor and the Bride
(The Dread Penny Society #4)
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 secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers.
But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.
When Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But unfortunately, 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, 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 follows the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London's criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma's life might now save Barnabus—and his lonely heart.
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.
My review: 8/10
These are *not* stand alone novels. If you haven't read the previous books, put this one on pause and go grab book #1 The Lady and the Highwayman
Like all the prior stories in this series, it is split: part focusing on the personal lives of two main characters and part sharing the latest Penny Dreadful offering. I'm not much for mythical monster stories, so I mostly skipped this particular one and kept to Barnabus and Gemma. I did have to read it in pieces and leave off reading before bed because it was so suspenseful. The stakes have just kept raising higher and higher with each successive story, and this one was near boiling - a page turner for sure.
Several mysteries were revealed - one of which I saw coming a mile away and the other I did not. Makes me want to go back and reread with new eyes. I can't wait to get my hands on what looks to be the grand finale: book #5.
