The Unlawful Wife: A Temporary Vow

By Amaya John

What happens when survival demands a marriage neither heart is ready for?
And what if the vow was never meant to be temporary at all?

Anna Wellesley has lost everything except her dignity. Once a gifted scholar, she now works long nights in a riverside tavern, struggling to care for her failing grandmother. Invisible to society and cornered by debt, Anna survives on restraint, pride, and sheer will.
Emrys Ashcroft has money, influence, and ambition-but no legitimacy. As the unacknowledged son of a powerful industrialist, he is tolerated, never accepted. When a single condition threatens to strip him of his inheritance, Emrys makes a calculated offer to the one woman who despises him most.
A lawful marriage.
One year.
No affection. No promises.
For Anna, the bargain offers protection and security she can't afford to refuse.
For Emrys, it is a strategic move to claim what was always denied him.
But London society is watching-and waiting to tear them apart.
As whispers sharpen and rivals circle, the boundaries between contract and desire begin to blur. Old resentments resurface. Trust fractures. And when a hidden truth threatens to undo everything, Anna must decide whether she was chosen-or merely used.
And Emrys must confront the cost of ambition when the one thing he didn't plan for refuses to remain temporary.
The Unlawful Wife: A Temporary Vow is a slow-burn Victorian historical romance filled with tension, quiet defiance, and emotionally charged power struggles-Perfect for readers who love marriage-of-convenience romances, strong and intelligent heroines, brooding morally complex heroes, high-stakes inheritance drama, and passion built on restraint rather than excess.
If you enjoy richly atmospheric historical romance where love grows under pressure-and choice matters more than contracts-this story will stay with you long after the final page.
Start reading The Unlawful Wife today and discover what happens when a vow meant to protect becomes impossible to escape.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GHP49PR3
• ISBN13: 9798244567311
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"