In the depths of winter, Lady Genevieve Burnsby, her pet piglet, and her septuagenarian husband travel to a haunted abbey in the Scottish Highlands. Evie is excited to meet a ghost (perhaps one of her husband’s three previous wives), but didn’t expect the funny, quirky guests to become the friends she’s never had. And she certainly didn’t imagine meeting Sir Godric Everly, a sardonic, witty solicitor who loathes her husband.
Yet as secrets and lies turn Evie’s world upside down, Sir Godric becomes the one person whom she can trust.
When ghosts, multiple wills, and a shocking marriage certificate bring Lord Burnsby’s past crashing into his present, Burnsby promptly dies, leaving Evie free to remarry…though as a virgin wife, now a virgin widow, she is more unnerved by the marriage bed than a spectral visit.
More importantly, she has to figure out whose identity is false, whose vows are dishonorable, whose truths could destroy her reputation—and where her heart belongs.
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Series: Accidental Brides
Book: 3
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Gallery Books
Price: $13.99
A new historical romance with a touch of gothic mystery from Eloisa James… don’t mind if I, yes.
It’s been a hot minute since Eloisa James released a book, let alone a historical. Her latest borders on gothic mystery mixed with plenty of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed myself once I got past the first ten percent. Yes, this one was a bit of a slow start. I think it was the fact that this isn’t the run-of-the-mill romance. Our heroine, Genevieve, is married to an old man thrice her age.
She’s not even the first wife, but the fourth in a string of wives that have all died previously. Funny story, they all died at the Scottish Highland manor that her husband has whisked them away to for his birthday celebrations. Add in that Genevieve is stranded in the highlands with a slew of characters from her husband’s recluse sister, his son and new wife, a cast-off daughter from his second marriage, and Sir Godric Everly, her husband’s best friend. There are a few juicier deets, but I’ll let you enjoy the reveals.
This story was as twisty as any gothic adventure, and just when I thought I had the entire sordid tale figured out, another new element would reveal itself. Genevieve is also an entertaining storyteller, often breaking the fourth wall and bringing you directly along for the ride. She’s adventurous, courageous, and completely relatable.
Overall, this one was worth the bit of a slow start. I found myself wondering about ghosts, manors, and longing for Genevieve to get a happily ever after when she’s facing a future married to an awful man. For readers who enjoy Tessa Dare or Christy Carlyle.
~ Landra
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