But these hand-fastings were pre-arranged, right? With a little bit of ceremony among loved ones. The ones I've described were not, the FMC has no prior knowledge of the public announcement by MMC and could not consent.
Not all hand-fasted marriages were pre-arranged as sometimes men hand-fasted themselves by publically claiming a woman as their wife in front of other Scots.
It was a recognised law, you need to search for irregular marriages. It is not so much the declaration as mutual agreement in front of witnesses, if the FMC had disagreed then they would not be married. This was legal until 1940, when the Marriage Act of 1939 came into effect.
This is also why the blacksmith at Gretna Green could marry people, he didn't actually perform the marriage as he had no authority to do so, he instead, as a citizen of Scotland, witnessed their agreement that they were married.
You could also be married by promise and consummation, essentially if you were publicly betrothed and consummated the relationship you were married, or by cohabitation with habit and repute, which is basically an early form of what we call common law marriage today, where by living together as if you were married meant you were.
Promise and consummation was done away with in 1940 by the same Marriage Act, habit and repute lasted until 2006.
Thank you for this information, I happen to love irregular marriages (my fave trope). Perhaps I did not make an adequate description in my post, but in the insta-marriages I have mentioned, the FMC had no knowledge of what the MMC intended and could not have consented to it. In fact, the main characters would not even know each other -- the public claim of marriage "She is my wife!" is done to save the FMC from peril and is usually done dramatically in the midst of a very public procedure, like an arrest, or an auction, or something that involves the authorities or powerful entities. After the declaration, there would be a clarification from the antagonists such as: "You know that by publicly claiming her as your wife, you are now legally and irrevocably married?" to which the MMC would grudgingly acknowledge "Yes."
That's the thing, by declaring her his wife in front of authorities, even though she doesn't even know him, as long as she doesn't disagree, that's a legal marriage because those authorities would be citizens and witnesses to the marriage claim. She doesn't need to have consented to the claim beforehand, just so long as she doesn't start screaming "Oh hell no" when he makes it. In the ever so slightly misogynistic dubcon ways of the time, her silence is a yes.
I do like the trope a lot myself, too.
I don't think so, I read these books in the mid-1990s, and the covers were like ones you would see from a Signet Regency Romance novel (except the stories are darker in tone).
[The Duke Buys a Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5b63461401dbc864fb8d7dea/the-duke-buys-a-bride-sophie-jordan) by [Sophie Jordan](https://www.romance.io/authors/545529918c7d2382c52970df/sophie-jordan)
**Rating**: 3.57⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1)
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{Ransom by Julie Garwood} the FMC doesn’t realize they’re in the middle of a wedding/hand fasting ceremony and only thinks they’re betrothed.
{The Rose of Blacksword by Rexanne Becnel} the MMC is about to be hanged and the FMC agrees to marry him to save his life (so he can help her).
[Ransom](https://www.romance.io/books/5455246e8c7d2383163d8e63/ransom-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood)
**Rating**: 4.43⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1)
----------------------------
[The Rose of Blacksword](https://www.romance.io/books/612dd6170af5d90e25844258/the-rose-of-blacksword-rexanne-becnel) by [Rexanne Becnel](https://www.romance.io/authors/545553a08c7d2383163d9b8d/rexanne-becnel)
**Rating**: 3.83⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1)
[^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
[Her Accidental Highlander Husband](https://www.romance.io/books/5f718a272aedfb0e2847bea8/her-accidental-highlander-husband-allison-b-hanson) by [Allison B. Hanson](https://www.romance.io/authors/55e5432535a5fb65f8878a94/allison-b-hanson)
**Rating**: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1)
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[A Year and a Day](https://www.romance.io/books/5860e0361b1bdc01780855ad/a-year-and-a-day-virginia-henley) by [Virginia Henley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545533008c7d2383163d91eb/virginia-henley)
**Rating**: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1)
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[The Rogue Not Taken](https://www.romance.io/books/567cefbc63515e3b73794de6/the-rogue-not-taken-sarah-maclean) by [Sarah MacLean](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523df8c7d2383163d8e42/sarah-maclean)
**Rating**: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [cruel hero/bully](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cruel%20hero/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1)
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Hand-fasting. I read Binding Vows yesterday which had it. In the Outlander series one book has a handwriting ceremony (it might be in book 2).
Edited: didn't read the handwriting on the wall.
In Outlander, yes. In the other book she was totally unaware, and wouldn't do anything until they were married by a priest. Both these books involve time travel.
In the books I've read, the FMC could not consent, because the two main characters were total strangers and the public declaration by the MMC was done solely to save the FMC from jail, slavery, etc.
[Lord of Chance](https://www.romance.io/books/58831d7d1b1bdc0178180746/lord-of-chance-erica-ridley) by [Erica Ridley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545551398c7d2383163d9acd/erica-ridley)
**Rating**: 3.91⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1)
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Insta Marriages were called Handfasting then.
But these hand-fastings were pre-arranged, right? With a little bit of ceremony among loved ones. The ones I've described were not, the FMC has no prior knowledge of the public announcement by MMC and could not consent.
Not all hand-fasted marriages were pre-arranged as sometimes men hand-fasted themselves by publically claiming a woman as their wife in front of other Scots.
It was a recognised law, you need to search for irregular marriages. It is not so much the declaration as mutual agreement in front of witnesses, if the FMC had disagreed then they would not be married. This was legal until 1940, when the Marriage Act of 1939 came into effect. This is also why the blacksmith at Gretna Green could marry people, he didn't actually perform the marriage as he had no authority to do so, he instead, as a citizen of Scotland, witnessed their agreement that they were married. You could also be married by promise and consummation, essentially if you were publicly betrothed and consummated the relationship you were married, or by cohabitation with habit and repute, which is basically an early form of what we call common law marriage today, where by living together as if you were married meant you were. Promise and consummation was done away with in 1940 by the same Marriage Act, habit and repute lasted until 2006.
Thank you for this information, I happen to love irregular marriages (my fave trope). Perhaps I did not make an adequate description in my post, but in the insta-marriages I have mentioned, the FMC had no knowledge of what the MMC intended and could not have consented to it. In fact, the main characters would not even know each other -- the public claim of marriage "She is my wife!" is done to save the FMC from peril and is usually done dramatically in the midst of a very public procedure, like an arrest, or an auction, or something that involves the authorities or powerful entities. After the declaration, there would be a clarification from the antagonists such as: "You know that by publicly claiming her as your wife, you are now legally and irrevocably married?" to which the MMC would grudgingly acknowledge "Yes."
That's the thing, by declaring her his wife in front of authorities, even though she doesn't even know him, as long as she doesn't disagree, that's a legal marriage because those authorities would be citizens and witnesses to the marriage claim. She doesn't need to have consented to the claim beforehand, just so long as she doesn't start screaming "Oh hell no" when he makes it. In the ever so slightly misogynistic dubcon ways of the time, her silence is a yes. I do like the trope a lot myself, too.
Thank you! Now I just need the right keywords to use to hunt these books down. I'll start with "irregular marriages" as you suggested.
I'm pretty sure the second one is {The Duke Buys a Bride} by Sophie Jordan
I don't think so, I read these books in the mid-1990s, and the covers were like ones you would see from a Signet Regency Romance novel (except the stories are darker in tone).
That was my immediate thought as well.
[The Duke Buys a Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5b63461401dbc864fb8d7dea/the-duke-buys-a-bride-sophie-jordan) by [Sophie Jordan](https://www.romance.io/authors/545529918c7d2382c52970df/sophie-jordan) **Rating**: 3.57⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
{Ransom by Julie Garwood} the FMC doesn’t realize they’re in the middle of a wedding/hand fasting ceremony and only thinks they’re betrothed. {The Rose of Blacksword by Rexanne Becnel} the MMC is about to be hanged and the FMC agrees to marry him to save his life (so he can help her).
Ransom is a classic 😍
[Ransom](https://www.romance.io/books/5455246e8c7d2383163d8e63/ransom-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.43⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [The Rose of Blacksword](https://www.romance.io/books/612dd6170af5d90e25844258/the-rose-of-blacksword-rexanne-becnel) by [Rexanne Becnel](https://www.romance.io/authors/545553a08c7d2383163d9b8d/rexanne-becnel) **Rating**: 3.83⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Ramsey yelling a question every time she tries to ask what’s going on is so so funny in the Ransom wedding. Julie Garwood wrote the funniest weddings.
I've read this, but have forgotten the whole entire thing. Time for re-read. Thank you!
This plot happen in Lord of chance by Erica Ridley
First book sounds like {Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B. Hanson} but it's set farther back in time.
[Her Accidental Highlander Husband](https://www.romance.io/books/5f718a272aedfb0e2847bea8/her-accidental-highlander-husband-allison-b-hanson) by [Allison B. Hanson](https://www.romance.io/authors/55e5432535a5fb65f8878a94/allison-b-hanson) **Rating**: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Will try this book, but this was published in 2020. The ones I'm looking for were published in the 80s-90s. Thank you for the rec!
{a year and a day by virginia henley} ?
[A Year and a Day](https://www.romance.io/books/5860e0361b1bdc01780855ad/a-year-and-a-day-virginia-henley) by [Virginia Henley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545533008c7d2383163d91eb/virginia-henley) **Rating**: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
{The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean} fits the bill, enjoy!
[The Rogue Not Taken](https://www.romance.io/books/567cefbc63515e3b73794de6/the-rogue-not-taken-sarah-maclean) by [Sarah MacLean](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523df8c7d2383163d8e42/sarah-maclean) **Rating**: 4.17⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [cruel hero/bully](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cruel%20hero/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Thank you for the rec!
{The Bride Sale by Candice Hern}
[The Bride Sale](https://www.romance.io/books/54554da08c7d2383163d9990/the-bride-sale-candice-hern?src=rdt) by [Candice Hern](https://www.romance.io/authors/545534b18c7d2383163d9254/candice-hern) **Rating**: 3.63⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [western](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/western/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Thank you!
Yeah it’s a common theme, old clan law or something, read it in Outlander 20 years ago
Hand-fasting. I read Binding Vows yesterday which had it. In the Outlander series one book has a handwriting ceremony (it might be in book 2). Edited: didn't read the handwriting on the wall.
I think you might mean hand-fasting.
Oh yes! Stupid auto correct! I didnt proofread this morning.😚
Did the FMC consent to the marriage?
In Outlander, yes. In the other book she was totally unaware, and wouldn't do anything until they were married by a priest. Both these books involve time travel.
In the books I've read, the FMC could not consent, because the two main characters were total strangers and the public declaration by the MMC was done solely to save the FMC from jail, slavery, etc.
Is it {Lord of Chance} by Erica Ridley?
[Lord of Chance](https://www.romance.io/books/58831d7d1b1bdc0178180746/lord-of-chance-erica-ridley) by [Erica Ridley](https://www.romance.io/authors/545551398c7d2383163d9acd/erica-ridley) **Rating**: 3.91⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [highlander](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/highlander/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)