Search - The Admiral's Penniless Bride

Synopsis from Amazon: "Sally Paul is down to her last penny. As she spends it on a cup of tea—to stave off being at the mercy of the workhouse—the last thing she expects is an offer of marriage…from a complete stranger!
Admiral Sir Charles Bright's seafaring days are over—and according to society, that must mean he's in need of a wife! Discovering Sally's in need of a home, he offers a solution…. They marry in haste—but will they enjoy their wedding night at leisure?"

Good, but not one of Carla Kelly's best. As ever, her writing is good. I enjoy the dialog, and the way she gets into both the H&H's heads. Also there is a lot of realism in her historicals, you see the underside of those days. In this book, she touches on child abuse, anti-Semitism and political corruption. And just like real life, some problems can never be fixed, even though there is a HEA for the main characters.
So what didn't I like? Well, there was too much crying. The heroine cries, the hero cries, at various times just about every other character gets at least teary-eyed. Yeah, they both had tragic things happen in their lives, and I get it that a strong man can cry. But once or twice would be enough to show us that he's not afraid to show his emotions. This guy busted out in tears more than John Boehner.

If you're a fan of Carla Kelly you can overlook it. I'm glad I read the book, and I enjoyed it, it's just not a keeper for me.

At first, this story seemed agonizingly slow. Sophia and Charles (the Admiral) truly meant to stick to a marriage of convenience so things were a little stilted at first. They were absorbing characters, but I could see how their banter, although sometimes overlong, was the author's way of them getting to know each other in a more average sort of way. It wasn't until more than halfway through that the story really started to pick up where I could see and feel their emotional investment each contributed to the marriage. And then the waterworks began to flow and I could feel the anguish of being prematurely judged. Overall, it turned out to be a wonderful love story, albeit more subdued, almost quiet, but definitely a powerful testament to the healing balm of love, forgiveness, and second chances. 3.8 stars.