A Worthington Wedding

An earl finds the perfect bride in Quinn’s satisfying Here Come the Grooms Regency series starter, a spin-off of her Worthington Brides series. Charlie, Earl of Stanwood, is an advocate for women’s rights. After overhearing a man at his gentleman’s club gambling away the estate where his dependent female relatives live, Charlie joins the card game hoping to win the deed and save the ladies from homelessness. He succeeds, but upon arriving at the estate to give it back to the lady of the house, Oriana Ognon, he learns that the deed he won is a fake and Oriana is already the rightful owner. Charlie immediately admires Oriana’s pluck and her forward-thinking efforts at staffing her home entirely with women. After getting to know her better, he proposes. Though previously marriage averse, Oriana agrees, appreciating his view of her as his “helpmate.” But the road to their wedding day is bumpy, as mishaps on Oriana’s property possibly orchestrated by her cousin and a lord demanding that Charlie honor a potentially fake marriage contract with his daughter threaten the couple’s happy ever after. Quinn keeps the plot moving swiftly as her refreshingly forward-thinking characters navigate these challenges. It’s a joy to watch this perfectly matched couple fight for each other. (Dec.)