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Happy Ever Regency #1

How to Wake a Sleeping Lady

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In this fairy tale Regency romance by USA Today bestselling and HOLT Medallion winning author BREE WOLF, a star-crossed couple finds that sometimes Fate needs a helping hand.

A forgotten love.
A twist of fate.
And a second chance at a happily-ever-after.


After being swept out to sea, Nessa Barrett, Countess of Wentford, is nursed back to health at an abbey. While her body heals quickly, her mind remains lost to her. Without even the knowledge of her own name, she has nothing and no one to return to.

Three years pass and Martha—as the nuns name her—settles into her new life…until one day a man shows up on the abbey’s doorstep, claiming that she is his long-lost wife.

Grant Barrett, Earl of Wentford, has followed countless leads searching for his wife and, yet, he’d never allowed himself to believe that he would ever find her alive. And then after three years, he sets foot into a remote abbey and his heart reawakens.

Overwhelmed, Grant is shocked to learn that his wife remembers neither him nor herself. Still, after finding his other half a second time, Grant is unwilling to ever let Nessa go again.

What will it take to conquer her heart once more, to make her fall in love with him all over again?

Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2019

About the author

Bree Wolf

106 books898 followers
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An epic love story that spans across an entire series. Ensure that you have a good cup of tea, something to nibble on and perhaps a box of tissues at hand before you dive into this slow-burn Regency romance full of enchanting moments between Sarah and Keir, the little wisp and the highlander.

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5 stars
952 (49%)
4 stars
583 (30%)
3 stars
289 (14%)
2 stars
82 (4%)
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36 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
Profile Image for ~**Anna**~ A Romance Reader.
627 reviews317 followers
Read
October 6, 2019
DNF at 30%

I loved the Prologue but then the book went downhill. It bothers me that Grant (the H) married 2 years after Nessa’s (the h) disappearance. He doesn’t know if she’s dead or alive but got married nonetheless. He supposedly loves Nessa but got remarried pretty quickly. Oh! And his new wife is pregnant! When he finds out that Nessa is alive his second marriage is void (understandably) but he asks a friend to marry his second wife so that his child is not a bastard and they are both protected from social scorn. So basically his friend is going to raise his baby as his. This is just too much for me and I lost interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Debbie DiFiore.
2,400 reviews277 followers
December 13, 2021
Such a disappointment

I am so disappointed in the hero. He remarried after two years and slept with his new wife and created a child. That is not the guy in the prologue. And then he hid it from her and sent his pregnant non-wife and child to someone else. What a disgusting man. His great love was just not reflected in the book. How can you abandon a child?? I hated that he moved on no matter what. I was glad we had no descriptions of his intimate life with Eugenie. I wanted it but I didn't want it. That whole trope ruined it for me. There was enough going on that it was not even needed. And then the final revelation just annoyed me even more, even though I had guessed it, it was just horrible. The villain should have been punished far more. Okay, well, this book ruined my day. It is written well but never again. I swore I would never read it but I couldn't resist. And I must be punished. No more reading for at least one week...well maybe one day...Okay an hour but No more Bred Wolf. After I read the next book in the series. I need know what happens to the baby and I pray it's a girl.
Profile Image for ⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆.
602 reviews207 followers
February 2, 2020
Despite the title, this series hasn't much in common with Sleeping Beauty and in fact seems more to refer to "waking up" Nessa's memory than anything else.

Overall, it's a simply told story without much in terms of plot, character, or relationship development. I wouldn't call it a terrible book, but it just... didn't do much for me. I mostly only kept reading to see if the confrontation I knew was coming would be satisfying (it was okay; at least it wasn't a cop out because the author wanted the leads to be pure hearted to the point of stupidity).

It's like a middling, tepid 2.5 from me. Nothing great, but not awful.

Nessa and Grant falling in love the first time is skimmed over and we're merely told how grand their love was. The second time was a nagging repeat of Nessa doubting, Grant assuring, Nessa believing, Grant rejoicing, Nessa doubting again, Grant assuring again, and wash and repeat until love is rekindled and memory is restored. It was very repetitive and didn't offer me much reason to care for the characters.

I guessed the major reveal about why Nessa went missing immediately--and what was responsible for causing it.

The author also had to work in the next couple in the series, Eugenie and Adrian, making an already short book lacking on character developer have even less time to tell me why I should care about Nessa and Grant.

The writing was overall serviceable, but I noticed that the author is prone to repeating herself, forgetting what she's written, and contradicting herself.

For example, Milly says "Perhaps we can help each other remember." on two pages, one right after the other. There was no need for this to be stated twice. Then we have Nessa going "the heart never forgets" as if she's taken it to be fact, then later we see her asking "Is it true that the heart never forgets?" like... you just... believed that... five pages ago... And then we have the author first state that Eugenie is SUPER fragile and helpless and within a few pages tells us she's meek but resilient and strong. So... which is she? Is she weak or strong? There was nothing in between these two statements to suggest something happened to disprove the opinion she was weak, so, it's something that should have been fixed by a content editor.

As for any historical accuracy... it's so mildly "historic" in tone that I wouldn't say it's anything more than a romance with the aesthetic of history attached.

For anyone wondering, this book does have other woman issues in that Grant remarried and also had sex with his new wife, seeing as she's pregnant. This personally left a bad taste in my mouth. If you love your wife so much, what would possess you to have sex with the woman you married strictly to be a mother figure to your daughter? I know it's historical and what not, but Grant doesn't even care about having a son to inherit, so, the justification that he just needed a warm body doesn't fly. He may not have emotionally cheated, but, the physical cheating, even if he thought his wife dead, just sort of sours things a bit and I like Grant less for it.

Especially since him knocking up Eugenie did nothing but cause some strife between him and Nessa. Eugenie would've still needed to go marry Adrian even if she wasn't pregnant because she'd been living with a man for over a year without their marriage being valid. That alone would've been considered highly scandalous.

I probably won't read the next book, since romances with pregnancies that aren't in the epilogue really don't do it for me.

Profile Image for Nana .
1,201 reviews36 followers
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
July 20, 2020
DNF @25%

La sinopsis sonaba muy bonito y todo, un romance histórico de segunda oportunidad en donde un Esposo creyó haber perdido a su esposa en un accidente, pero años después se entera de que esta viva, solo que ella no recuerda quien es el, no sabe nada de si misma, entonces obvio quiere recuperarla porque la sigue amando, piensa volver a conquistarla.
Si muy bonito todo, el prologo me gusto, comenzó muy bien, ohh pero después se arruina la cosa.

El Heroe,(Grant) se vuelve a casar con otra mujer, no por amor si no mas bien por obligación y lastima, digo esta bien tenia derecho a rehacer su vida, no digo que no pudiera, pero lo que me molesto mas es que se menciona que cuando dieron por muerta a su esposa, sin embargo nunca encontraron su cuerpo, nunca la busco, se rindió demasiado fácil, y si no fuera por el padre de la heroína quien nunca dejo de buscar a su hija, entonces nunca habrían sabido que estba viva.

En el lapso de los tres años que la creyó muerta, como dije tiene a su nueva esposa y ella también educa su hija, ha porque sip, tuvo una hija con su primer esposa, no recuerdo bien la edad que tiene, pero es pequeña.

Después cuando ya sabe que es ella y esta viva, de inmediato se da cuenta de que matrimonio actual queda anulado completamente, pero ella le da la noticia de que esta embarazada, y para ahorrarse mas líos, hay que creen que hace, pues le dice que no puede estar con ella ni su hijo porque, ahora que regreso Nessa quiere estar con ella y que vuelvan a ser una familia solo ellos tres, y para solucionarlo la regala a ella y su hijo a un amigo de el, y yo era como, hmm que hombre tan desagradable, ya no pude con la situación y me ahorre la molestia de ver su HEA.

El segundo libro es precisamente con la historia de la madre de su hijo y el amigo, que por alguna razón si me suena interesante para leer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for 🦉Maggie Whitworth.
3,116 reviews100 followers
July 12, 2019
❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋
Nessa and Grant , what a wonderful couple.
They made me believe in true love , in love at first sight .
I really enjoyed this book, I hope so much the series continues with Adrian’s story.

Grant sees Nessa across a crowded ballroom, and can’t take his eyes off her , she’s not a stunner or young , but to him she’s perfect, nothing will alter his course .

Nessa doesn’t believe that he wants her , 17 marriage proposals later she finally agrees to marry him .
A happily ever after?
Maybe , but true love is never smooth .

Wonderful tearjerker that makes you wish you had their sort of love .

A friend to cherish who also needs the love of a good woman if you ask me.
A father like my own , always there for me .
And the mother in-law from Hell.
This is what made the book for me .
Loved every page, so good.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review
Profile Image for Viri.
1,235 reviews447 followers
August 18, 2020
El protagonista me cayó bien gordo y es raro porque siempre me pasa con ellas... además el libro es muy denso para mi gusto. Btw solo se dan como dos besos y se agarran las manos jajaj
Profile Image for Riz.
1,248 reviews132 followers
January 12, 2020
Baru kali ini nemu hisrom isinya "bersih" sekaleee, nggak ada adegan dewasanya selain kissing wkwkwkwk. Dan penulisnya bisa banget bikin karakter yang bucin kayak Grant ini. Parah sih tingkat bucinnya wkwkwk
Overall suka sama ceritanya, berasa chemistry-nyaaa.
Cuma gregetan aja sih secara otak awak udah terlalu lama terkontaminasi sama cerita luar dewasa yang adegannya wow-wow gilak gitu. Pas baca buku ini berasa, "awww nanggungggg" wkwkwkwk #plaks
Profile Image for Courtney Lyman.
Author 20 books851 followers
January 20, 2023
Melodramatic in a good way. I really enjoyed the romance of this book. The only thing that kept it from being a 5 star was repetition.
Profile Image for Carol Guthrie.
516 reviews5 followers
September 24, 2019
I loved how Grant and Nessi are introduced to us in the prologue. Their romance is charming. Then the book quickly takes a turn for the worse. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the speed with which Grant exercised his husbandly rights with a new woman. Within the short span of three years (not knowing if his wife was dead or alive) he had re-married and impregnated Eugenie. Ick. If Grant was determined enough to marry Nessi despite his mother's wishes, why did he cave when his mother insisted he marry again before he was ready? It is hard for me to imagine he was deeply in love with Nessi and devastated with her loss. It is a good thing that Nessi's father didn't give up - at least we are supposed to feel that way. I found the situation to be much too messy and annoying for enjoyment. I skipped to the last four chapters - right in time to have the story resolve somewhat happily. Eugenie is given a second chance at marriage. Grant gets another child (which he will keep secret), Nessi gets her memory back, and the evil mother conveniently disappears from the picture.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Elaine.
3,645 reviews90 followers
May 20, 2020
I found this story very emotional. At one point I had to put it down. A lovely happy and sad story at the same time. 4☆
Profile Image for Elodie’s Reading Corner.
2,517 reviews141 followers
July 16, 2019
If I do remember well, this is my second read of Mrs Bree Wolf’s work.
I can only say she is a great writer, with emotional characters facing harsh circumstances.
This book is a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty with a twist. Instead of sleeping for decades and venturing in a new world, the heroine lost her memory, she can’t recall who she is nor her family. Found after three years thought dead, she has to create a new path for herself in these unknown kinsfolks.
I do understand the devastation both parties felt and the difficulties they face to rekindle. But I would have loved to see Nessa’s spirit closer to her younger self, full of quips and wits.
Here, she was more a woman graving her obscur past than one willing to regain her place among her kin.
Sure with time, she is able to feel love again and fight for a future with her husband.
Still, her distrust for her husband upset me. Sure he made mistakes trying to spare her feelings but at no time did he wronged her. She should have gave him more credits and trust him more easily.
Grant is like a lovebird, one and only one woman was his destiny, so when life robbed her from him, it was like he continued living as an empty shell, only kept alive because of his daughter’s love.
I do know he did the right thing when he tried to find an answer to his new wife’s predicament as their marriage being declared void would bring only ruin in her life but exchanging her from one marriage bed to another felt so wrong.
I do know he remarried to give a mother to his orphan daughter but with no body to attest of her death, why to hurry, it had only been two years when he went back to the altar.
He is also too kind, unable to see his mother for the dark soul she is. Her bitterness taints everything around her, even putting a shadow over Nessa’s return.
In all it was a heartbreaking tale of second chance when two persons have to learn again to love, and let the past go in the hope of a new future together.
4.5 stars
Profile Image for Darbella.
614 reviews
January 9, 2020
2.5 -3 stars. Lots of eye rolling done by me in this one (as well as by the heroine). Heroine is older than hero. (No big deal). Instant love of hero to heroine. (not unusual in romance stories). Then... major spoilers do not read any further unless it is okay to see the spoilers. Hero (Grant) falls in love Nessa, after asking her to marry a lot of times she agrees, then Nessa disappears. After two years ago he is already married again because his MOM told him to, of course the new wife of over a year is newly pregnant and helping him raise his daughter by first wife. (Isn't the wait time 7 years for missing people before one can get remarried?) He then finds first wife (who had been missing three years with her memories lost--, brings her home just after he gives the second wife and his unborn child to his "old" friend, his mom is the villain who tried to get rid of his first wife, his first wife gets her memory back, and ta da happy ending at their stillborn son's tombstone with Milly their daughter playing as they discuss his mom killing herself. Too much! Not only that-the story of his second wife is in the sequel How to Tame a Beastly Lord. (O and somehow the jealously emotion does not exist in this world. The hero handing over his second wife (neither one loved each other) that is pregnant with your child (cared enough to be sexually active with) so causally to your Beast friend and telling him to marry her so your child will not be a bastard takes the cake. Perhaps do not marry until your first wife is actually dead or missing for more than a couple years. Meh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lori D.
4,025 reviews115 followers
July 12, 2019
"Why was he looking at her? Was he looking at her?" Agnes could not figure out why Grant,Lord Wentworth was looking at her from across the ballroom. She was decidedly on the shelf at eight and twenty, had no dowry and not much to recommend her. "In addition she possessed one of the most unfortunate names to ever reach ears. Agnes Bottombrook. Could it get any worse?" Then he made his way to her and asked her to dance. Agnes could not believe it and only tried to push him away, but in the end he convinced her he was serious and asked her to marry him! Love at first sight or at least first notice on his part. sigh...
Then fast forward to several years later and the real story begins! Everyone thought Agnes had died but she had actually been swept out to sea and when rescured, she ended up in an Abbey. No memory. Could you imagine? She settles into life there but does not regain her memory.
But what would happen if she was found and learns of her marraige and child? I loved this story so much. The first few pages drew me in and I could not wait to read more.
Bree Wolf, with her brilliant writing, has started an amazing series with a wonderful premise of a loose take on Sleeping Beauty which I adore. Engaging, mysterious, a love that endures and a few twist and turns not expected. I cannot not wait to read the rest of this series!
Profile Image for lilratboy.
96 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2020
This book was a huge missed opportunity. The outline of the plot is interesting, but the book doesn’t deliver on it at all. There is not a single scene in which the male lead is actually trying to woo his wife? When that’s... supposed to be the main thing? Am I missing something? They spend most of their time apart and then suddenly she loves him.

Just about every paragraph references the female lead’s amnesia, and every character’s thoughts are repeated multiple times. The book could probably be 2/3 the length of all the unnecessary and distracting repetition was removed.

Then, the most interesting conflicts in the book are just weirdly swept under the rug. It was all disappointing and bland for something that sounded so intriguing.
151 reviews
May 4, 2021
I really liked this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. And you'll even find the beginning of Beauty and the Beast (must continue with book 2 of this series). There were parts that seemed a little repetitive, as if the author was trying to fill some space, but all in all it was clean, sweet, and has mystery and suspense wound in.
Profile Image for ♡ Chera ♡.
123 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2020
4,5

For some reasons I can't explain I pictured Charlie Hunnam as Grant

I don't mind it lol 😏😏

Also this book is so well written it was far from shitty romance I am used to read

10/10 Amnesia romance
I recommend
Profile Image for Laurel.
21 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2021
Started out good. So much repetitive dialog and repetitive inner dialog of the two main characters. The wrap up was too quick.

What all was in the box!?!

No surprises kind of predictable.
Profile Image for Zubee.
667 reviews30 followers
September 5, 2019
2.5 stars
A surprising twist on a familiar plot ....
I get the main characters love and their suffering ... I get how much in love the H was with the h that the moment he found her alive the rest ceased to exist ...
The cunning and evil mother in law drama was well done ...
what I couldn't stomach ... H had remarried while believing h was dead ... when h comes back his second marriage was null and void .... which was ok ... what I didn't like ... his second wife was pregnant .... H marries off wife to a friend and she has a baby girl which is the H's ....
While it made the whole book more realistic ... I mean life is never neat and tidy ... things happen but that bit just made me really unhappy ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Petula.
2,874 reviews77 followers
July 11, 2019
Miss Agnes Bottombrook can't believe that such a handsome young man would even look at her. She has nothing to attract such a man. She's older than him with no dowry and too opinionated.
Grant Barrett, the Earl of Wentford knew who he wanted for his wife as soon as he set eyes on her.
Their world will get turned upside down several times. Many people will be affected by the actions of another, and suffer years of unhappiness. Can they ever get that loving family life they want or is it lost forever??
I must admit although I guessed the villian I didn't expect the way it would play out.
A very unusual, entertaing and sweet historical romance with fabulous characters.
Profile Image for Tricia Toney.
883 reviews7 followers
July 8, 2019
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Nessa has been at an abbey for the last 3 years. She has lost her memory and doesn't remember who she is. Through the efforts of her father, she is finally reunited with her family. Everyone is thrilled at her return except for her mother in law and the lady who her husband has since married... This book is filled with twists and turns, devastating revelations and the power of love to conquer all fears.
Profile Image for Samantha.
239 reviews3 followers
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 14, 2021
DNF @~20%

This had potential and ngl, I'm pretty upset about this one. Oh well. The cover is gorgeous and I need to find a different amnesia story because that's what I want to read now, but this one has which is such a big fat no for me that I can't even continue.

Hard pass

Also some weird writing quirks and lots of repetitions so I likely won't be reading any more from this author
Profile Image for Jana Oglesby.
214 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. I don’t give out 3 stars lightly & I hate to in this one, but it just lacks so much. The story started out confusing, got better, then fell flat. The author had the opportunity to makes some great changes with her twist on a classic fairytale & just missed the mark.
Profile Image for Brittany Filopanti.
253 reviews7 followers
January 20, 2020
So this was a solid three star read for me. I loved the story and the characters, but what made it stay at the three star was that I knew who the problem was from the beginning. I knew that Grant's mother was evil and with this being a spin on Sleeping Beauty, it was easy to guess. I am excited to read the next story, since Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite.
Profile Image for Jewlsbookblog.
2,158 reviews72 followers
Read
April 25, 2021
Dnf around 15% although I did read the last few chapters to see how things ended...

I skipped to the end once Grant had to decide what to do about Nessa, his previously believed missing 1st wife, and Eugenie, his current wife. The unexpected thread simply wasn’t my cuppa.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
2,804 reviews238 followers
July 21, 2021
Once I learned that the hero had remarried, I couldn’t keep reading. I don’t want to feel horrified by my romance novels and the poor second wife... how could I read a story that cannot go well for her!? It’s fiction. You didn’t have to do that!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews

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