Bargaining for the Barrister

A barrister with a fear of being touched falls prey to a group of matchmaking mothers in this fun Victorian romance from Walker (Refining the Debutant). When Paul Sheldon and his fellow Rebels—a secret society bent on fighting injustice—learn of Paul’s adoptive mother and her friends’ intentions to find them all wives, the uninterested men set out to thwart their plans. The women’s true agenda is unknown to Louisa Cox, their intended match for Paul. Eager to free her brother of his responsibility to her, she’s undeterred by Paul’s subtle attempts to avoid her and determined to win his heart. The abuse Paul suffered at the hands of his birth mother may have left him too emotionally scarred to form an attachment, however, and Louisa fears she’ll have to face another season dodging the fortune hunters after her substantial dowry. But as Paul falls for Louisa’s angelic beauty, he must finally reckon with his painful past. Walker wins hearts with intensely loyal characters who are as complex as they are sweet, and uses their witty banter to balance out the darker moments. Readers will be eager to see the rest of the Rebels find their matches in future installments. (Mar.)