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It's bad enough that seventeen-year-old Portia Worth is taken in by her uncle, the marquis of Granville, after her father dies. As the bastard niece, Portia knows she can expect little beyond a roof over her head and a place at the table. But it truly adds insult to injury when the Granvilles' archenemy, the outlaw Rufus Decatur, hatches a scheme to abduct the marquis's daughter - only to kidnap Portia by accident.
Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town's marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn't as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon's heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
A best-selling author of more than 25 historical romances, Jane Feather boasts more than 10 million copies of her books in print. Rushed to the Altar kicks off a new trilogy in high style. In order to inherit a fortune, Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, must rescue a “fallen woman.” So when a lady of the night attempts to pick his pocket, he makes a daring proposal. Everything seems to have dropped into place for Jasper—but he may have made a colossal blunder.
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities...and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house - along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.
Lady Guinevere Mallory has been married four times in 12 years, and each of her husbands has died mysteriously. Adept in the laws of property, she has secured the land of each of her late spouses, vastly increasing her personal wealth. After the death of her fourth husband, this trend raises some eyebrows at the royal court, and Hugh of Beaucaire is sent to investigate these puzzling events.
She turned his life into chaos even as she melted his heart.... The injured "boy" Sir Daniel Drummond rescues from a British battlefield is no boy at all, but a vivacious young enchantress fleeing her tyrannical father. Moved by her plight, herspirit, and her mesmerizing beauty - and his own young daughters' need for a mother - the dashing nobleman impulsively offers towed Henrietta "Harry" Ashby, who promptly throws his life and household into disarray.
It's bad enough that seventeen-year-old Portia Worth is taken in by her uncle, the marquis of Granville, after her father dies. As the bastard niece, Portia knows she can expect little beyond a roof over her head and a place at the table. But it truly adds insult to injury when the Granvilles' archenemy, the outlaw Rufus Decatur, hatches a scheme to abduct the marquis's daughter - only to kidnap Portia by accident.
Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town's marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn't as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon's heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
A best-selling author of more than 25 historical romances, Jane Feather boasts more than 10 million copies of her books in print. Rushed to the Altar kicks off a new trilogy in high style. In order to inherit a fortune, Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, must rescue a “fallen woman.” So when a lady of the night attempts to pick his pocket, he makes a daring proposal. Everything seems to have dropped into place for Jasper—but he may have made a colossal blunder.
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities...and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house - along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.
Lady Guinevere Mallory has been married four times in 12 years, and each of her husbands has died mysteriously. Adept in the laws of property, she has secured the land of each of her late spouses, vastly increasing her personal wealth. After the death of her fourth husband, this trend raises some eyebrows at the royal court, and Hugh of Beaucaire is sent to investigate these puzzling events.
She turned his life into chaos even as she melted his heart.... The injured "boy" Sir Daniel Drummond rescues from a British battlefield is no boy at all, but a vivacious young enchantress fleeing her tyrannical father. Moved by her plight, herspirit, and her mesmerizing beauty - and his own young daughters' need for a mother - the dashing nobleman impulsively offers towed Henrietta "Harry" Ashby, who promptly throws his life and household into disarray.
When Elizabeth Hotchkiss stumbles upon a copy of How to Marry a Marquis in her employer's library, she's convinced someone is playing a cruel joke. With three younger siblings to support, she knows she has to marry for money, but who might have guessed how desperate she's become? A guidebook to seduction might be just the thing she needs - and what harm could there be in taking a little peek?
Growing up behind the impenetrable walls of an English fortress, young Magdalen does not know that she is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful English prince and his murdered French mistress - or that she has been a pawn in the struggle between England and France ever since she slipped from her dying mother's womb. All she knows is that she longs for excitement. And then one day, as if in answer to her prayers, the splendid figure of Guy de Gervais, a true knight in shining armor, rides into her cloistered world and spirits her away.
Best-selling author Jane Feather brings to life the glamour, sophistication, and intrigue of Regency-era London in this captivating novel of unexpected passions and dangerous secrets. Pooling their meager resources, Lady Cornelia Dagenham, her sister-in-law Aurelia, and their friend Liv Lacey arrive in London's Cavendish Square to spend a month at the home Liv has just inherited. But why anyone would show a fervent interest in purchasing the rundown property - particularly the arrogant Viscount Bonham, who clearly could afford the finest of homes, is a puzzle.
Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart - and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection, nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart.
The last thing Lord Nicholas Kincaid expected to see in the gloom of a London tavern was a vision of loveliness. And when she led him to a bedchamber with a come-hither smile, there was no question of resisting - until he realized the lying wench meant to render him senseless so the landlord could rob him blind!
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earl's guardian is interested in Anna.
Lord Alaric Wilde, son of the Duke of Lindow, is the most celebrated man in England, revered for his dangerous adventures and rakish good looks. Arriving home from years abroad, he has no idea of his own celebrity until his boat is met by mobs of screaming ladies. Alaric escapes to his father's castle, but just as he grasps that he's not only famous but notorious, he encounters the very private, very witty Miss Willa Fynche.
Life for Victoria Lacey should be perfect. And it is - perfectly boring. Agree to marry a lord who has yet to inspire a single, solitary tingle? Why, of course. Smile as though this is not the thousandth time he's mentioned hounds and hunting? It's all in a day's work for the oh-so-proper sister of the Duke of Blackmore. Surely no one would suspect her secret longing for heart-racing, head-spinning passion. Except, perhaps, a dark stranger...on a terrace...at a ball where she should definitely not be kissing a man she has only just met.
When Sophie, the least interesting of the Talbot sisters, lands her philandering brother-in-law backside first in a goldfish pond in front of all society, she becomes the target of very public aristocratic scorn. Her only choice is to flee London, vowing to start a new life far from the aristocracy. Unfortunately, the carriage in which she stows away isn't saving her from ruin. It's filled with it.
The eligible dragon shifter males must hunt a handful of females. It's first catch, first serve. The biggest problem is that the females are human. Despite feedback to the contrary, Coal thinks they are weak and breakable. In his opinion, not capable of surviving the hunt, let alone the mating that will follow. He doesn't believe that a lowly human is capable of birthing him a royal heir, so why has his brother, the king, tasked him with claiming one?
Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband...someday.
Torn between a true love and family duty, Ariadne "Ari" Carfax has never been one to play by the rules. She's an heiress to the Carfax family, banished from London when Oliver Cromwell seized the throne from King Charles, who has since gained notoriety for pillaging, thieving, and ruling the Carfax Valley with an iron glove. All too soon, Ari finds herself in her family's legendary vise, forced into a marriage to Ivor Chalfont, Ari's childhood friend and confidante, against her wishes.
The second book in Jane Feather's "Bride Trilogy" follows the romantic and sensual transformation of Phoebe, the awkward sister-in-law of a dashing and handsome widower (Cato, the Marquis of Granville). Young Phoebe, an unlikely heroine, is forced to marry Cato and soon finds that her anti-connubial principles aren't as fixed as she thought.
Actress Jenny Sterlin seems as invested in this historical romance as the characters themselves. Sterlin takes copious notes on books before she begins recording (more than 70 titles to date), bringing a textured, fully realized interpretation to her performances. This English actress (and author) is an Earphones Award winner, adept at bringing to life a wide range of literary genres.
Dear Reader,
In my Brides Trilogy, three unconventional young women vow they will never marry - only to be overtaken by destiny. The Accidental Bride could only be the story of Phoebe, the "awkward" one. For four years, Cato, the Marquis of Granville, had been just another man - the uninteresting, somewhat intimidating husband of Phoebe's older sister. But then her sister died, and Phoebe seemed a reasonable substitute. Her forced engagement to him should have been quite a cold-blooded arrangement...except that one day Phoebe looked at Granville - really looked at him - and saw what she'd never seen before: he was darkly, breathtakingly attractive.
Once she'd noticed, she couldn't seem to stop noticing, and suddenly, Phoebe was disastrously in love. It would be nothing short of torture to be married to Granville, knowing he didn't love her and never would. After all, Phoebe was not the kind of woman men fell in love with - Phoebe with her untidy hair, her rumpled clothes, and her fingers forever ink-stained from the poetry she wrote. When running away does not solve her problems, Phoebe decides to try something a little different - something that involves a little change in wardrobe, a daring new attitude, and a bit of brazen seduction. Granville is about to discover that his awkward Phoebe is woman enough even for him.
Warmest wishes,
Jane Feather
As the second book in the Bride Trilogy, I came in to this book so curious to see what transformation Cato's character would take on. After all, he marries his daughter, Olivia's friend, Phoebe (his widow's sister) and if that's not too close for comfort, I don't know what is. But, I suppose that Cato can easily take on Phoebe, as his wife because it's a calculated decision and it's much like picking out another hen from the henhouse, at least initially.
Cato is interesting because he plays an important role in the politics and constant shifting in the civil war in England. You definitely get the sense that his is a man's world and Phoebe, especially, is a pawn in this game between men, properties, and power. But, Phoebe, sweet, lovely Phoebe is a fierce, little one. Her clothes may get disheveled, but its only because she constantly on the move with her creative mind and giving heart. And, it's all of these qualities that eventually bring Cato out of his cold existence. Cato comes to experience passion and love with his wife, Phoebe and that was a pretty big accomplishment considering his starting point.
There were times when my 21st sensibilities sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment of this book (I thought I would scream if Phoebe referred to Cato as "my lord" one more time during a disagreement when he's being a complete ass). Yet, overall you can't complain much about Feather's writing, because it's simply superb. She develops this very interesting world, layered with danger, lurking villains, and she does friendship and romance well. Also, Jenny Sterlin was an excellent narrator. I very much enjoyed her performance as she brought this world to life.
I initially read these books out of order and gave the last book a terrible review, I have since revised that review.
This book was not as good as the "Hostage Bride", for me, but I admit that was because the main female character irritated me to no end. But, the ability to make the reader enjoy a book, despite disliking the characters, is one of the things that makes Ms. Feather such a talented writer
Phoebe's personality is so intense and the things she does makes the reader want to reach in and give her a big shake! But then, when I was 17 I'm sure my parents frequently wanted to shake some sense into me!
Several other reviewers complained about the age difference between Phoebe and the Earl, and the fact that Phoebe is his daughter's best friend. I think we have to remember the time period and the importance of marriages of convenience during that time period.
I did not particularly like the Earl either! Yes, he is cold and remote, but, he too is a man of his time period. I liked the way Phoebe "seduced" him after having been married to him for a while at that point. Ms. Feather illustrates that although older and married 3 times previously, his perceptions of what women thought of the marriage bed was flawed, and he could learn from a 17 year old girl!
Yes, I recommend this book, but only after reading the "Hostage Bride". Then finish the series with the "Least Likely Bride". I think these characters will be with me a long time.
Oh, and I too wonder why Ms. Feather included the 2 little girls from the Earl's marriage to Phoebe's evil sister Diana. I find myself wondering if she plans to have them grow up totally evil due to being so totally ignored! I guess I just don't want to see this series end! Hmmm, are you listening Ms. Feather?