Marriage Historical Romance Book Series by Cathy Maxwell

Married in Haste by Cathy Maxwell (1999)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Marriage series. Heiress Tess has been stalling on settling down since she seems to enjoy the attentions of the marriage mart, but when she starts a scandal at a ball, her brother forces her to marry the earl that offers for her. Brenn needs a wealthy heiress to rebuild the decrepit estate he’s inherited and has gotten lucky with Tess, even though he suspects she’s pregnant with another man’s child. She’s not pregnant but has just learned that her brother has lost her entire fortune, so now she’s keeping that a secret from Brenn. He also has not disclosed that he’s poor since he doesn’t want to seem like a fortune-hunter. It’s bound to be a huge mess when they both find out the truth about the other person. I enjoyed this book a lot and how the relationship develops between Brenn and Tess. I appreciated that Tess was a lot tougher than she seemed and was able to adapt to her circumstances quickly.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Scandalous Marriage by Cathy Maxwell (2000)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marriage series. Super interesting set up here with a prologue that starts with Devon running into a pregnant Leah in the countryside unexpectedly. We then jump a year backward to their first meeting, initial flirtation and secret relationship, until it ends in a duel between Devon and Leah’s brother. We then go back to the present where Leah is having a difficult labor for her baby and things seem dire. It’s interesting to follow these two people and the mistakes they both made in their initial encounters, especially knowing the history of their family rivalry. I loved seeing Devon become the true hero of the story saving Leah from her situation and opening up to a second chance with her, even with a baby that isn’t biologically his.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Marriage Contract by Cathy Maxwell (2001)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Marriage series. Poor overlooked Anne is forced into an arranged marriage by proxy to the mad Earl Tiebauld, who lives in Scotland. Aiden doesn’t want anything to do with her when she lands on his doorstep, so he tries his best to run her off. But Anne is super resilient and stubborn and makes herself useful to the estate. It’s pretty much a battle of wills, until they grow to respect and then like each other. Meanwhile, Aiden is involved in some possibly treasonous activity and a nearby Major is making trouble for them all. We get to read a fairly fast-moving plot here between the unwanted marriage, Anne’s hard work and integration into the clan, and then the threat of being arrested for treason.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.