A guarded widow. A steadfast protector. A voyage that will change them both.

Alice Ashcombe is a widow determined never to trust a charming gentleman again. After years trapped in a cold and controlling marriage in Calcutta, Alice is suddenly free—and utterly alone. With three young children to protect and a gruelling voyage to England ahead, the last thing she needs is the scrutiny of a perceptive and dangerously attractive stranger.

Simon Reeves has spent years navigating the world on family business. The guarded widow he once encountered in the East should be none of his concern. Yet when fate reunites them in Colombo, Simon finds himself unable to walk away—and drawn into a family he never expected to claim.

Trapped together on the high seas, an uneasy closeness grows between them. While Alice keeps her distance, her children have no such reservations. Before long, Simon finds himself drawn into their world in ways he never expected—and slowly breaching the walls around Alice’s carefully guarded heart.

But Simon is more than simply a merchant, and his origins are further from England than Alice could ever imagine. As they sail beneath the stars, Alice may discover that the man who saved her family carries a secret that challenges everything she believes about the world. 

A Most Reluctant Widow is a slow-burn historical romance with a sci-fi twist, book 4 in the Reeves of Reeves Hall series, but it can also be enjoyed as a standalone. 

Perfect for readers who love: Forced proximity voyage • Protector hero • Slow-burn with a deeply sensual payoff • Found family • Healing from a toxic past • Genre-bending romance with heart

Thank you for your interest in this title!
In this Regency romance with sci-fi elements, a mistrustful widow learns to open her heart again to a man who is nothing like the ghosts of her past.
Tropes include:
• Forced proximity on a ship voyage
• Protector hero of alien origin
• Widow healing from a toxic past
• Found family
• Slow-burn with a sensual payoff
Content notes: This story contains references to marital coercion and emotional abuse, as well as a brief flashback to a distressing wedding night. While these elements form part of the heroine’s past, the central arc focuses on healing, agency, and a relationship built on trust, respect, and mutual desire.
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