This is the final book in the Marriage by Fairytale Series.
I’m going to miss this series. It was fun to explore some gothic elements within the romance genre, but my ideas have run out. As a result, I’ll be returning to the romances you’re used to reading from me.
A caution about The Duke’s Secluded Bride: it has a strong villain in it. A couple of my beta readers told me they were surprised by how wicked the villain was. One accurately pointed out that it reminded her of a Twilight Zone episode. It was hard to tell what was really going on. That was the thing I was hoping for when I wrote the book. I wanted people to keep guessing what the truth through the book. If you liked the other books in this series, I think you’ll like this one, too.
With that disclaimer aside, here’s where you can find the book and the description I finally settled on. 🙂
Description:
Most gentlemen wait to get married because they want time to enjoy being a bachelor before taking on the responsibilities of a married gentleman. Baldwin Darby, the Duke of Edmondstone, isn’t one of them. The life of a rogue never appealed to him. He’s wanted nothing more than to fall in love and live a quiet and uneventful life ever since he could remember. It wasn’t by choice that he hasn’t married yet. He’s just not very comfortable around ladies, which makes the marriage mart difficult for him.
So when his acquaintance mentions a sister at his country estate who is ready for marriage, he jumps at the chance for an arranged marriage. He’s been told she is extremely shy and that it takes her time to open up around strangers, so he might find her a bit strange when he initially meets her. But this doesn’t bother him. He’s a patient gentleman and can give her time to get used to him.
What he doesn’t count on, however, is just how strange everything is when he gets to the country estate. She refuses to leave her section of the manor, she has to go to bed before it’s dark, and she has an unusual fascination for monsters. Despite all of that, she is beautiful and possesses a sweet temperament. He wishes he could figure out a way to help her embrace a normal life.
If he keeps pressing for her to have a normal life, he just might get his wish. But nothing will prepare him for the truth.
*This is loosely based off the Rapunzel fairy tale.
If interested, you can find it here:
Payhip (Use coupon code 6ZNNQ5T7WP to save 50% off the $3.99 asking price!)
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Congratulations! I hope it does well.
Thanks, Rami!
Anytime. 😊
When I first started reading romance novels many years ago, they were Gothic. When it got harder to find new stories, I switched to Regencies. I would like to thank you for bringing the Gothic tale back even if it was just for this one series. They have been great fun, suspenseful and enjoyable reads. I must admit that for the first time though, you had an ending that I actually wish had been different. It was in The Wedding Pact. I really thought that Julian was going to solve the mystery sooner, figure out his friend had poisoned his eldest brother, saving James at the last moment, and allowing them to heal their relationship giving Julian the forgiveness he deserved. The story twisted in a different direction, but I loved it anyway. I look forward to finishing this last book in this series, and eagerly await all the books to follow whether they be Regencies or Historical Westerns. Thanks for writing and stay safe.