Deceived & Honoured: The Baron's Vexing Wife

She had a list. He wasn't on it. Until he was. Lady Madeline knows precisely what she wants: an earl, status, stability. Derek McKnight offers none of it. Raised a farmer's son, now Baron Ainsworth by royal decree, Derek carries his title with integrity and grit-but not polish. One misstep, one chivalrous mistake, and suddenly they're married. Neither planned it. Neither is pleased. She thinks he's beneath her. He thinks she's unreachable. And somehow, they both begin to see the truth. Madeline wasn't meant to fall for a man with dirt under his nails. Derek wasn't supposed to want a woman who judges before she listens. But behind her pride is vulnerability. Behind his bluntness is a heart ready to be seen. And slowly, against their own expectations, the walls they've built begin to crack.They thought they knew what love looked like. They were wrong-and wonderfully so. What begins as indignation softens into fascination, then into something far deeper. Because sometimes life doesn't go according to plan-and that's the very thing that saves you. In the unexpected, in the inconvenient, in the places you swore you'd never look… love waits patiently.She wanted an earl. She married a baron. And her heart never stood a chance.🏰 If you've ever thought you knew exactly what you wanted-and life proved you delightfully wrong… this story is yours.Each love story in this series can be read as a stand-alone. However, most readers prefer to read them in order. About MeHi, I'm Bree Wolf-a USA Today bestselling author, former academic, and life-long lover of stories. I studied English and Specialized Translation, wandered the halls of universities, spending more years than I should have trying to be reasonable.Eventually, that quiet, persistent voice in my head said: It's time to write. I've since published over fifty historical romances, each one stitched together from pieces of my own heart: doubts, regrets, fears, and messy, hopeful dreams.I love chocolate (especially when chapters get emotional), cry far too easily at my keyboard, and have a deep spiritual bond with cats… which is tragically one-sided, as I'm terribly allergic. A lifelong heartbreak, truly. About What I WriteI write love stories-not the tidy kind with perfect timing and easy resolution.My stories are about the hearts that ache a little louder, fall a little later, and carry more than they ever expected to. You'll meet heroines who've been hurt, heroes who protect with patience, and love that heals in slow, steady pulses.Whether set in England's ballrooms, Scotland's wild highlands, or time-tossed ruins, these are journeys of emotional courage. They're layered, sincere, and full of the kind of hope you find after everything else. My romances aren't escape-they're refuge. About Why I WriteAt their core, my books are love letters-to anyone who's ever doubted they were enough, struggled to be seen, or wondered if healing would ever come. I draw from personal experience, yes-but mostly I write for connection. For restoration. For the reader flipping pages late into the night, whispering please let them be okay.My settings shift-Regency England, Scottish Highlands, sometimes a little magic-but the heartbeat stays the same: tenderness. Bravery. Love that doesn't fix you, but walks with you while you become who you were meant to be.And if any part of my stories finds a place in your own… then I've written what I was meant to. I've always believed stories have the power to heal-and Love's Second Chance is where that belief first took root. Across twenty-three titles, each marriage of convenience quietly blossoms into something deeper: a journey of trust, redemption, and emotional courage.These couples don't just fall in love-they learn to mend what's been broken inside. The grief they carry, the fears they hide, the pasts they think they've outrun... all of it finds space to breathe and, bit by bit, to heal.Over the years, readers have written t