An Accidental Marriage - Review

An Accidental Marriage (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?)

By: Deborah M. Hathaway

Expected Publication: March 19, 2026 by Draft Horse Publishing

232 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--He expected a quick visit. He left with a wife instead.

He expected a quick visit. He left with a wife instead.

Charles Shepherd is in no rush to marry. With good looks, a comfortable fortune, and considerable charm, he’s certain love will find him eventually. Unfortunately, his mother has other plans.

Returning home for a short visit, Charles reluctantly agrees to meet Miss Marie Oakley—a woman as fortunate as he in both looks and manners. What is meant to be a simple introduction, however, ends in a sudden marriage, and Charles, who values his freedom above all else, is livid.

Mercifully, Marie is as uninterested in the marriage as he is. After a disastrous first day together, they strike a mutual bargain: do whatever it takes to end the marriage as quickly as possible. Charles is determined to reclaim his independence and find love on his own terms. But as forced proximity turns into reluctant understanding, he must face an unsettling possibility—what if the woman he’s trying to leave is the very one he can’t live without?

***The Gentlemen's Gamble is a series about seven men racing to the altar in order to avoid losing a wager. Starting January, the books will release in surprise order so as not to give away who the final bachelor and loser of the wager is.***

Now this was a fun book to read! I've never read Deborah M Hathaway before, but I definitely will now.

Charles and his 6 friends (including his twin brother) made a wager in the heat of a moment several years ago when they all thought they might very well die. Charles's friend Thomas has written to let the group know that he has now married and is ready to collect on their wager. The last gentleman to marry will owe the other six 100 pounds each. Not to mention that Charles's other friend, Andrew, is now married too. Meaning, two down and five to go. To make matters worse, Charles's mother is constantly trying to marry him off. She has been writing him for about two years about marrying a neighbor, Marie Oakley. Charles responds to his mother in letter form, dripping in sarcasm. The trouble is: sarcasm is hard to detect in written form, particularly if the reader is unfamiliar with the author.

Marie has no intentions of trapping anyone in a marriage. It's simply that she is of an age where suitors are less and less likely. She believes that Charles has decided to enter into a marriage of convenience willingly. She doesn't know that his mother has tricked him. And now her reputation may be on the line. At least before, marriage to someone else was possible. But now, her reputation likely won't survive being spurned. Marie feels she has no choice but to proceed. Yet she is willing to annul the marriage if that is what Charles wants.

These two go on their honeymoon to a secluded cottage. They do have servants with them, but even I knew there would be no way to annul the marriage without Marie's reputation suffering from it. Yet they find that maybe they don't want to annul the marriage afterall.

I tell you. I enjoyed this book much more than I was expecting to. And it's possible that this might end up being my favorite of the series, even though we are only two books in.

Favorite quotes:

-“Actions reveal far more.” “Cannot actions be feigned, as well?” he countered. “Not for long. In the end, a person always reveals who he or she is on the inside by their actions.”

-“Sooner or later,” she replied, “as the night wears on and propriety and politeness wane, the drink becomes stronger and the tired eyes become weaker, a person reveals his true character. How he treats others during those late hours is very telling.”

-“Why would I ever reveal to you who I truly am if you are simply to reject that version of me, too?”

-Childish Charlie had met his match in Immovable Marie.

The banter was fun. The fountain scene was delicious. And I just thoroughly enjoyed this entire book. I can't wait to continue the series, as well as delve deeper into Deborah M Hathaway's other books. Have you read An Accidental Marriage? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 06/07/26

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was the first day I got in the pool with the kids. Big Girl had pitching practice. Tuesday I went to my parent's house to spend the day, but I ended up dropping the kids and taking my car to get a tire patched that was leaking. Wednesday, we were supposed to have routine maintenance on our power lines, but they ended up rescheduling that for Thursday. Husband had taken the day off work because there was no point to him trying to work with no power, but then he went to the dentist in the afternoon. The kids and I walked for the first time this summer. Well I walked and they rode bikes. Thursday, I took the kids to return library books. We checked out some new ones. And then we went by Hobby Lobby. I wanted to look at the 4th of July decorations, and ended up buying a door hanger for my front door. I also got some birthday wrapping paper. Their wrapping paper is so much better than Walmart's. The boys also bought a toy each with their own spending money. We picked up fast food on the way home because our power was still out, but of course, as I was in the drive thru line, Husband texted me that the power was back on. Friday, we went for a walk again. And I vacuumed the pool while my kids went swimming. There was a lot of bigger leaves and debris from the storm that came through Monday. After lunch they asked if a friend could swim, and so I sat at the pool to read while they swam. Saturday, we had our quarter 2 women's devotion with the ladies from church. I got home and got a whim to work on cleaning out the garage. Mostly, I just moved things to sweep around them while listening to an audiobook.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: April & May 2026 EOM Wrap Ups
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Trust Fall by Lynn Painter
Thursday: Review of First and Forever by Lynn Painter (3.5 Stars)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Clifford's Manners

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of An Accidental Marriage (A Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?) by Deborah M Hathaway
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Reivew ?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - ?

NEW BOOKS:

Kiss of the Black Flame (The Bookbinder's Bargain, #1)

By: Helen Scheuerer

Expected Publication: September 22, 2026 by Alchemy

464 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Some bargains are sealed with blood...Others with fire...The deadliest are sealed with a kiss...

Saige Grayson has always believed stories could heal—even when her own body refuses to. As the most promising bookbinder in the capital, she’s learned to work through chronic pain and crushing debt, restoring other people’s treasures while trying not to fall apart herself. But when the man she owes decides her rare talent is worth more than her payments, Saige is traded to the Azkari—an immortal race forged by the gods for war—and imprisoned in their ancient stronghold.

Her only chance of survival lies with Archer, a fallen Azkari general imprisoned beside her —cursed, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. He offers her a way out, and in return, Saige must help him retrieve and restore an ancient book. But the book is made of living magic, powerful enough to stop a great evil—or unleash it. And as Saige works with Archer, the tome begins to awaken something dark and dangerous—both in the realm and within her.

As their enemies close in and buried memories resurface, Saige and Archer must decide what they’re willing to their freedom, their fragile trust…or the spark that could ignite the world.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Clifford's Manners

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Clifford's Manners (Clifford the Big Red Dog)

By: Norman Bridwell

Publication: April 1, 1987 by Cartwheel

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-1, Level-2, Family, Manners

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Clifford, the big red dog, displays his good manners by saying "please" and "thank you," waiting his turn, sharing, and being a good sport in games

I absolutely love Clifford's Manners. If you are familiar with Clifford the Big Red Dog, then you already know the characters involved in this book. The book starts off with Emily Elizabeth saying that everyone loves Clifford because he has good manners. Good manners definitely make one more enjoyable to be around than someone without them. And so every page is dedicated to a different manner. There is an example of Clifford using the manner and then instructions for everyone. For example: "Clifford says 'please' when he asks for something. Say please." with a picture of Clifford pointing to bags of dog food and holding a sign that says "please."

Saying thank you. Writing thank you notes. Waiting your turn. Not littering. Saying excuse me. Not talking during a movie. Using a handkerchief. Sharing. Putting away toys. Following the rules. Talking without hitting. Being a good sport. Calling ahead before a visit. Not being late. Knocking before entering. Wiping your feet. Shaking hands. Washing up before you eat. Not talking with your mouth full. Helping clean up. Saying good-bye. If these are manners that you appreciate in your kids, then read Clifford's Manners with them. Over and over. The examples are simple and show the ideal.

Clifford's Manners gets 5 Stars from me. This is an easy book to read. The words aren't complicated or complex. AR Book Finder rates is a level 1.9. Have you or your child read Clifford's Manners? What did you think? Let me know!

First and Forever - Review

First and Forever

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: May 12, 2026 by Berkley

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.

The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring this secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

First and Forever feels like it's inspired by T. Swift and T. Kelce. I'm not a fan of either by the way. And I will say that I liked First and Forever more than what I know of the other two. For one, Duffy is just a football fan, not a celebrity. Yet she has an incident with the team mascot that makes her a viral celebrity. Connor is a football player celebrity. The two have a brief encounter on a talk show and have a flirty banter. Connor and his team's PR people push him to ask Duffy out on a date. He does. And he finds that he's enjoying himself.

Duffy is a non-celebrity, and she is intimidated by the negative attention she's gotten from the mascot incident. And so she is hesitant to accept a first date with Connor. Yet she goes and does enjoy herself as well. The two keep getting deterred from a second date. And I have to say that I never understood the point of the fake dating for her father's sake, given they were already headed in the direction of real dating. It was just an unnecessary plot point if you ask me.

First and Forever was a fun book that didn't feel high-stakes to me. Most of the spicy action was off-page, which I did appreciate. Language, however, was very much on-page. So many unnecessary f-bombs. I just don't understand why this is present.

First and Forever was a sweet read without much required from me in the form of investment. It was fine. I read it quickly. But I don't think it'll be a book I remember very well in the coming months. First and Forever gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read First and Forever? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Trust Fall

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Trust Fall

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: September 29, 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.

It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.

To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.

As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!