OUT NOW: Brock and Bloom from USA Today bestselling author Esther E. Schmidt. Life is hard enough for a single mom without adding a man to it. Yet, when a stubborn biker appoints himself as her personal protector there’s no running him off. Get it here: https://books2read.com/Brockandbloom Author & Cover Design: Esther E. Schmidt Release Day: October 6, 2026 Brock – Relocating our motorcycle club to a small town entails switching from outlaws to upstanding citizens. My president and I hit a roadblock when a threat from his past unexpectedly becomes relevant again. An innocent chance meeting lays a foundation, one I find myself fully committed to the more time I spend protecting the woman and her daughter. Bloom – I consider my mother’s funeral the final step in the closure I need for our lacking and distant relationship. Except, where I assume I’m the only one paying my respects, a group of bikers show up and change my life as well as my daughter’s. Enjoy the light suspen...
Synopsis
Frederica Burghley wants to be married by Yuletide. Or else her father will set her up with one of his friends. The bonbon-loving illegitimate daughter of the duke wants to choose her own husband. Advertising in the newspaper seems like the way to go. But a sinister response, with threats against her life, leads her to enlist the help of her very handsome, dear friend Jasper Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartwell.
A father and widower, Jasper is not only tasked with keeping Frederica safe but also with helping his vibrant friend choose a suitable husband. The more he tries to keep the ever-surprising woman alive and find her a good match, the more Jasper realizes he cares for her. The two friends risk their lives for each other, so they should be able to risk their feelings for a chance at a deep and true love together. But he's not looking for marriage and she's not looking for convenience.
Review
All in all, it's a good read, but there were some parts that bored me while I was reading and I had to take a break before continuing with the story. I found it a little bit slower for my taste. Other than that I liked it a lot. The story is good, characters are well-developed and it's quite intriguing. I especially enjoyed the whole mystery/danger aspect of it.
Frederica Burghley is an illegitimate daughter of a Duke. All her life she has tiptoed around society, careful of not causing any scandals, she fears being compared to her mother and just wants a respectable life. That's why she must marry now because the Duke himself has a new bride and her status in his household has become precarious. She is hoping to find a husband among the candidates who responded to her newspaper advertisement. There is only one problem; one of them could be a potential psychopath bend upon hurting her. That isn't going to deter her though, she must marry soon and she will find a husband for herself at any cost. Love can wait until after marriage.
Jasper likes Frederica and hates the thought of her marrying someone else. However, he can't marry her. So, he must let her go. He can only ever be a friend to her. The kind of friend she deserves. When he finds out that she is in danger he appoints himself as her guardian. But will he be able to keep his distance, find her a husband, and keep her safe all at once? Or are they both running towards an imminent disaster?
It's an enjoyable read that I would recommend to all historical fiction fans. Although, it's a standalone novel, it is better to read the series in order if you plan to read all the books in this series because characters from previous books made an appearance in this one. And it will be more fun to know their backgrounds and history as well.
P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.