"The Lieutenant's Bargain" by Regina Jennings

 


Lieutenant Jack Hennessey has found himself thriving as he serves the Indian nations surrounding Fort Reno. He's learning their languages, earning their trust, and helping build bridges between the tribes and the troopers. Though his heart has always pined for his childhood friend Hattie Walker, he knows she has never really taken him seriously.

Pursuing her career as an artist has always been important to Hattie, and when her parents begin insisting it is time for her to leave it behind and find a suitable man to marry, Hattie decides to venture west to improve her scope of experience. Though one might mistake her determination for stubbornness, deep down Hattie is sweet and vulnerable. She is shattered when misfortune befalls her travels, and her only ray of sunshine is the man who is able to come to her rescue - her former schoolmate Jack.

Surprised to see her, Jack senses a chance to make a favorable impression on Hattie, but things go sideways when he finds out that the celebration he initiated ended with an Indian marriage ceremony to which neither of them consented! When he tries to untangle the mess, Jack is dismayed when his commanding officer says that due to his work with the tribes, it would be damaging and disrespectful to annul the vows spoken over them. How can he possibly break the news to Hattie that they are married, and even worse, that there will be no easy release from their union?

The predicament these two find themselves in is quite intriguing, and Regina writes with such a fun style that I often found myself laughing out loud. I liked the fact that Jack and Hattie had grown up together, giving an air of depth to their relationship when they must make a bargain about their unusual marriage. There are threads of mystery and danger woven in, and it was interesting to read about Jack's work with the Indians. I would highly recommend this story to all fans of historical romance. I could hardly wait to find out how it would come together in the end!

I received my copy of this book from the author. All opinions in this review are my own.