Midnight’s Budding Morrow by Carolyn Miller

Midnight’s Budding Morrow, Carolyn Miller’s latest Regency romance, is a sweet marriage of convenience tale featuring a wallflower and a reformed rake.

Book Blurb

Can real love grow between a wallflower and an unrepentant rogue?

Sarah Drayton is eager to spend time with her best friend at her crumbling Northumberland castle estate. Matrimony is the last thing on her mind and the last thing she expects to be faced with on a holiday. Yet she finds herself being inveigled into a marriage of convenience with her friend’s rakish brother.

When James Langley returns to his family’s estate, he can’t be bothered to pay attention to his responsibilities as the heir. War is raging and he wants only distraction, not serious tethers. But his roguish ways have backed him into a corner, and he has little choice but to obey his father’s stunning decree: marry before returning to war, or else. Suddenly he finds himself wedded to a clever and capable woman he does not love.

Sarah craves love and a place to belong, neither of which James offered before returning to the battlefront. Now everyone around her thinks she married above her station, and they have no intention of rewarding her for such impertinence. It isn’t until her husband returns from war seemingly changed that she begins to hope they may find real happiness. But can she trust that this rake has truly reformed?

When tragedy strikes, this pair must learn to trust God and his plans. Will they be destroyed . . . or will they discover that even in the darkest depths of night, the morning still holds hope?

My Thoughts

Midnight’s Budding Morrow delves deep into the emotions of the two lead characters. Sarah and James have a memorable first meeting, setting up the main conflict between them quickly. Miller explores the depths of melancholy, grief, and insecurity.

With gaps in time, Miller gives the relationship a realistic time to develop without sacrificing the pacing of the story.

Miller also provides James a realistic change which helps the reader to root for him as he navigates his newfound relationship with Christ. And Sarah’s arc as she struggles with feeling out of place is a relatable journey that made her easy to root for.

As for the spiritual arcs, the novel explores faith and God’s love, as well as the transformation that comes with a relationship with Christ.

Overall, Midnight’s Budding Morrow is a compelling story of two souls finding the place they belong. Regency romance fans, especially those who love marriage of convenience stories, will be delighted by this book.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy for review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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