The Indebted Earl

Erica Vetsch

Mar 2021 · Serendipity & Secrets Book 3 · Kregel Publications

About this ebook

Can Captain Wyvern keep his new marriage of convenience all business--or will it turn into something more?

Captain Charles Wyvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life--especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero's dying wish is for Wyvern to escort the man's grieving fiance and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell.

When he and the ladies arrive at his new manor house in Devon, they discover an estate in need of a leader and a gaggle of girls, all wards of the former earl. War the new earl knows; young ladies and properties he does not. Still wishing to provide for the bereaved Lady Sophia Haverly, Charles proposes a marriage of convenience.

Sophie is surprised to find she isn't opposed to the idea. It will help her care for her betrothed's elderly mother, and she's already fallen in love with the wayward girls on the Rothwell estate. This alliance is a chance to repay the captain who has done so much for her care, as well as divert her attention from her grief. When Wyvern returns to his sea commission, she'll stay behind to oversee his property and wards.

It sounds so simple. Until the stalwart captain is arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and Sophie realizes how much he's come to mean to her. Now she'll have to learn to fight, not only for his freedom but also for his love.

Ratings and reviews

God, what is it You require? I long for order and clarity, but both elude me. Why won’t You make Your demands plain to me? War has a strange way of choosing who survives and who does not. Captain Charles Wyvern falls in the first category and his best friend, Major Richardson into the second. Wishing to ease his friend’s suffering, Charles promises to watch over Rich’s fiancée, Lady Sophia Haverly. What follows is a wonderful story that brings three people from totally different walks of life into a very strange world - one that has a navy Captain longing for the sea. Add three more to the mix and you end up with a ‘family’. Throw in some shenanigans in the town and on the coast and you have an adventure full of action, love, loyalty and faith. I thoroughly enjoyed this Regency novel which certainly can be read without reading the first two books in the Serendipity & Secrets series. However, since I am remiss in not reading the first two narratives before I read this one, I will have to rectify that as soon as possible. This ARC was received through Kregel Publications and NetGalley. The well deserved 5 star rating, comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

About the author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota. Learn more about Erica at ericavetsch.com.