Review: Nearly a Bride (Lords of Hazard #2) by Sabrina Jeffries

                                                                 

Print Length: 280 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books (April 28, 2026)

From Goodreads.com:  After more than a decade separated from his home and family, the Earl of Heathbrook returns to his London townhouse to face a new reclaiming guardianship of his younger brothers. His reputation as a rakehell, it seems, has followed him from detention inside Napoleon’s France and caused his own father to block Heathbrook’s rightful custody in his will. However, the clever rogue concocts a plan to restore respectability and rescue his siblings . . . by finding a “fiancée” with no strings attached.

Giselle Bernard is not looking to wed an earl with a wild past. All she seeks is a connected nobleman who can legally secure her new life in England and head off a mysterious stranger’s threats. Posing as Heathbrook’s bride-to-be would surely benefit them both. But as revelations come to light—the ill-fated young affair that left Heathbrook embittered, and the mademoiselle’s own guarded secrets—their engagement charade may unexpectedly blossom into a promise to love, honor, and cherish . . .

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Usually, I’m a big fan of this author, which honestly made this one an even bigger disappointment because it’s not at all what I’ve come to expect when picking up one of their books.

I understand this is the second installment in a series, but there felt like there was a lot missing when it came to Heath and Giselle’s relationship. Their shared past is talked about constantly; we’re told they formed a deep friendship while he was stranded in France during the war, that they shared a kiss, and that he was later warned away from her by her father, yet we never actually see any of it. Because of that, their present-day feelings never felt grounded in anything meaningful and instead came across as fairly superficial.

Heath himself was also confusing as a character. He’s repeatedly described as a notorious rake, yet we never see evidence of that reputation beyond a brief courtroom mention of six past relationships, some dating back to when he was sixteen. That hardly paints the picture of an irredeemable rogue, and more like a young man who behaved exactly as many young men of the era did. Which then left me wondering what his supposed great “secret” was even meant to be about. Was it the failed elopement? The ruined girl he didn’t marry? His belief that he was incapable of love? Because the one genuinely significant secret tied to him is something he doesn’t even learn about until nearly the end of the book.

And even then… it adds almost nothing to the story. The revelation doesn’t create conflict between Heath and Giselle, it doesn’t meaningfully change their relationship, and the explanation they eventually present to society makes very little sense. If anything, it feels like it would cause more harm than good for two of the people involved. Meanwhile, genuinely interesting plot threads, like Heath discovering who betrayed him and his friends, or Giselle’s forged travel papers, are brushed aside when they could have added real tension and stakes to an otherwise dull story.

The characters themselves didn’t help matters eithers. Heath could be downright insufferable at times, particularly during an engagement they attended where Giselle clearly wanted to dance, and he refused to ask her, only to become angry when she danced with other men because it reflected poorly on their engagement. Sir… perhaps you should have simply danced with her instead of sulking about it afterward.

Giselle wasn’t much easier to like. Her temper flares quickly and often without justification, such as when Heath and a friend are calmly discussing who might have betrayed them years earlier. The moment her relative is mentioned as a possibility, by someone who didn’t even know of their connection, she lashes out immediately, forcing repeated apologies over what was, frankly, a reasonable assumption.

All things considered, this was a frustrating read from an author I normally enjoy. I’ll absolutely pick up more of their work in the future because I know they’re capable of stories I love, I’m just not entirely convinced I’ll be continuing with this particular series.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.