Lena Dowling

4.5 stars.

If you are a fan of historical romances then you are definitely going to want to purchase Lena Dowling's His Convict's Wife as soon as possible. It is a beautiful love story that I absolutely loved and hated to see end!!

Samuel Biggs is still deeply mourning the loss of his wife when he arrives in Australia and accepts a position as overseer on James Hunter's farm. When Samuel accompanies James's wife Thea to a local workhouse to procure a housekeeper, convict Colleen Malone pleads with Samuel to choose her. Due to Colleen's prisoner status, she cannot leave the workhouse unless Samuel agrees to marry her. The two wed, but neither are prepared for the unexpected attraction they feel for one another.

Both Samuel and Colleen are in for a big surprise once they are married. Colleen is shocked to learn that Samuel plans to keep their marriage in name only and Samuel is disconcerted by Colleen's transformation from a dowdy prisoner into a beautiful woman. Colleen has entered the marriage with a couple of big secrets that she desperately wants to remain hidden and Samuel is determined to protect his heart from any more loss.

I adored both Samuel and Colleen and I found them to a perfect fit for one another. Colleen is vivacious and undaunted by her wrongful incarceration and subsequent transport to Australia. She is not afraid to speak her mind and she is willing to take matters into her own hands whenever she needs to. Colleen is very much conflicted by what she feels she has to do in order to provide a better life for her unborn child and it is easy to sympathize with the dilemma she is facing. She is a refreshing breath of fresh air and I very much enjoyed her character.

Samuel's journey from England to Australia has brought many changes to his life. When the ship's crew became ill, he was forced into physical labor for the first time in his life and quite to his surprise, he discovered it suited him. Samuel eagerly accepts the overseers position and he is quite willing to work alongside his men. His decision to marry Colleen is a practical necessity and he is quite confident they can keep their marriage free of both emotional and intimate entanglements. Samuel is charmed by Colleen and they are soon enjoying all of the pleasures of marriage, both in and out of the bedroom.

Samuel and Colleen each have individual problems to overcome and while there is conflict between them, they work through it in a realistic manner. Colleen makes a precipitous decision that unintentionally puts her in harm's way and when Samuel is blindsided by a revelation about her past, their relationship is threatened.

His Convict's Wife is a sparkling gem that is light-hearted and delightfully angst-free. It is loosely connected to Lena Dowling's novella, The Convict's Bounty Bride, but it can be read as a standalone story. All in all, an absolutely fabulous read that I highly recommend.… (més)

I enjoyed the romance between the two main leads and the leads themselves. I felt they balanced each other out quite nicely. Samuel’s tender, protective heart and Colleen’s fierce spirit to survive kept me engaged till the very end. I was kept well engaged reading how their relationship grew from just a simple “arrangement” to a true love match. I’m sure that didn't happen all that often for the convict girls so it was a real treat to see it here in my introduction to Australian historical fiction.

And boy what an introduction! I've never read anything before historically speaking about Australia and how its convict female population lived. I've heard a bit on how it might have been like; a ton of watching “Who Do You Think You Are?” Australia version gave me those tidbits. But seeing characters placed in that situation and having the author giving us a very intimate window into that life was jaw-dropping. The author does a fantastic job in bringing that harsh world to life and making the reader want the characters to grow and overcome those very horrible obstacles. Kudos to the author for that attention to detail, historical and otherwise.

My only gripe would be the length. There just felt like there was so much more story present than the author gave us. At times, resolutions seemed rushed and almost cobbled together rather than occurring naturally. People forgave too quickly or rescuing happened too soon and left me blinking at times. This is one of those odd instances where I wish the author might have put in more drama that was actually present, not something I say every day.

I found this to be an enjoyable piece of Aussie historical romantic fiction. The details were superb, and the romance was smile-inducing. And while the length could have been extended with more fleshing out of the story, I feel that this is a historical romance I’d recommend to anyone, especially to a reader who doesn't mind some meat to her story.… (més)

Enjoyable battle of the sexes. Georgia is driven in her career. She has just made partner and does not need any emotional entanglements.

Brad is a player.He is rich and about to merge his firm with Georgia's, although she is not aware of this. A one night stand was supposed to be just that between them. Nothing goes as planned!

Two stubborn intelligent lawyers ... must seek a compromise and let their feelings flow.

Enjoyable story, full of emotion and endearing characters. Would recommend to all!… (més)