Stevie‘s review of The Baron’s Betrayal (Marriage Mart Mayhem, Book 4) by Callie Hutton
Historical Romance published by Entangled: Scandalous 12 Jan 15
There are three things that will almost always throw me out of a story: a main character with the same name or title attribution as a real person, particularly a person alive at the time the story takes place; a hero or heroine with a disability or injury that they use as far more of an excuse to avoid commitment than it merits; and a story title that’s enough of a mismatch with the plot that I keep on waiting for a big turn-around that never comes. This story has all three. However, stories have overcome bigger obstacles and still gained my regard, so I gave this one a fair chance, especially since the first issue was one I could have recognised and avoided if I’d checked whether this was part of a series (the character whose name caused me problems is central to all the books as far as I can see).
Marion is one of the sisters of the Duke of Manchester (and that’s a title with a very long pedigree indeed – hence my being thrown out of the story by the appearance of this one even without him being called Drake), whose husband was created Baron Tunstall for his services to the Royal Navy. The baron in question disappeared shortly after his marriage to Marion following another battle at sea. Now, two years after being declared dead, Tristan reappears at a ball which Marion is also attending (at this point I found myself wondering why he had no distant cousin who’d stepped forward to claim the barony and was understandably pissed off at his not being dead, but no, it’s just Marion’s feelings that have been hurt).
Tristan has been blinded in the incident in which he was thought to have been killed, and that’s why he’s been avoiding everyone all this time – he believes that his disability makes him incapable of taking care of his family, and that, therefore, Marion would be better off remarrying and having children with someone else. I nearly stopped reading again at this point: the blurb had led me to expect a far more dramatic injury than that – almost certainly one below the waist – but I persevered. Tristan wanders round feeling sorry for himself, and Marion pursues him, trying to persuade him that she still wants him – and only him – in spite of his blindness.
To make things worse from my point of view, almost every plot twist results from someone’s irresponsible behaviour, except those that result from people not telling each other the truth. The dramatic scenes leading to the story’s conclusion strike me as pretty unlikely to have turned out quite as well for the characters as is portrayed, and I got a little cross with the rather anachronistic route the characters then went down in order to help others, following their reconciliation.
All in all, I won’t be reading any other books in this series, even if I could talk myself into believing in a Duke of Manchester separate to the real historical one.
Grade: D
Summary:
It’s been two years since Lady Marion Tunstall lost her husband at sea. Two years of sorrow and grief. Only now has the young, comely widow finally re-entered society. It isn’t until she and her family attend the merriment of a country dance that Lady Marion sees her dead husband, alive and well… and faints dead away.
Lord Tristan Tunstall has no choice but to confess – he is alive, yes, but not a whole man who can be a husband and father. When he offers her a divorce, however, Marion stubbornly refuses. Now she has forced herself back into his life, and into his home and (oh, God forgive his weakness) his bed. He cannot stop himself from wanting her. Loving her. But can he live with the secret she is keeping from him?
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
