The Honorable Ismay Hampton, the quiet daughter of a viscount, never dreamed she would become the Marchioness of Ashford. Until a hunting accident thrusts her father into the path of a grateful duke. An arrangement is struck, and Ismay finds herself wed to the handsome and much coveted Marquess of Ashford. But Nathaniel Denham has no intention of embracing a loveless union and abandons her immediately after the wedding without so much as a glance beneath her veil.
Three months later, determined to salvage what little future she may have, Ismay journeys to London… only to suffer an accident that lands her in the arms of a kind stranger. A stranger who happens to be her own husband.
Haunted by his forced marriage, Nathaniel flees to Town, until he can gather his courage to face her and his fate. But when a captivating and brave young woman enters his life under dramatic circumstances, his resolve begins to waver. He cannot risk betraying his vows. That is until he discovers the girl who has awakened his heart is none other than the wife he left behind.
I originally found this story because the author posted a TikTok showing how they made the cover design themselves, and I loved not only the simplicity of the design, but also the little bit of story that was given with it. So much so, that I immediately went to download it.
And honestly? This novel had a lot of good parts. It was cute, it was clean, it was quick (I read it in just a couple of hours). I loved the premise of a husband being so disinterested in his wife that he doesn’t even bother to look at her on their wedding day. In a genre where so many husbands at least want to consummate the marriage before abandoning their wives, this felt like a genuinely fresh take.
Where this one lost me, though, was mostly in the length. Because it’s so short, there’s very little character development, and nothing really standing in the way of their happily-ever-after. Nathaniel and Ismay don’t meet or even exchange a greeting before their wedding vows, which, to be fair, is the entire point of the story. Nathaniel’s bitterness over being forced into the marriage by his father makes sense, especially since he wanted a true love match.
Fast forward a few months later to when Ismay finally comes to London on the advice of the one friend she's made while living in his country estate. Nathaniel meets her and doesn’t recognize her… yet it’s somehow love at first sight? Circumstances push them together, and Nathaniel spends most of the time internally battling himself because he’s promised to remain faithful to his wife, even though he’s drawn to this woman.
I really wish the author had explored that tension more. I would have loved to see Ismay get the “day” she asked for, or even have that stretched into several days. I feel like giving them time to actually get to know each other would have added emotional weight and given them something real to overcome. Especially when the letter from Nathaniel's wife finally arrived forcing Ismay to reveal the truth, as I suspect Nathaniel would have been far more irate than relieved when the truth finally came out. I feel as though this could have made for an even more satisfying resolution between the two (especially when you take into consideration the fact that Ismay had no problem standing up to him in the scene we did get).
That being said, I absolutely see the potential in this author, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more from them.
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