Secrets of a Scandalous Bride
The Widows Club series
By Sophia Nash
Take an emotionally damaged horse trainer on the brink of bankruptcy
and a desperate young woman on the run from a ruthless general who
wants to marry her, and you've got Secrets of a Scandalous Bride.
Elizabeth Ashburton, known for her beauty, outspokenness, good cooking,
and horse-riding ability, pretends to be a young widow living under
the protection of others. While escaping from the soldiers who are
searching for her on orders from General Leland Pymm, Elizabeth
jumps into the nearest carriage for shelter. The owner of the carriage,
the notorious womanizer Rowland Manning, decides to punish her as
payment for his aid in helping her elude the General.
Short on staff due to financial woes, Rowland puts Elizabeth to
work cleaning his home. With her love of cooking, Elizabeth naturally
ends up in the kitchen trying to befriend the workers and cook a
few meals. Hoping to save money by serving shabby meals, Rowland
becomes infuriated with her gourmet cooking that wastes his money
and spoils his servants. This is just one of many battles fought
between the two before the relationship between Elizabeth and Rowland
evolves into a romance.
Although Rowland comes across as quite harsh in the early chapters,
when we learn of his background and his current circumstances, it's
possible to generate some understanding – if not sympathy
for the man. Despite his apparent power and strength, he needs helps
as desperately as she does, and most readers will enjoy watching
them find ways to help each other with their rather significant
troubles. The author presents Pymm as a classic one-dimensional
villain to be outdone by the hero and heroine. However, just when
you think you have it all figured out, you'll be surprised and delighted
to discover that you don't.
|
The
Book |
Avon Books |
March 2010 |
Mass Market Paperback |
978-0-06-149330-0 |
Romance – Historical (London, 1814) |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt
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NOTE: Violence, Sexuality
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The
Reviewer |
Leslie Halpern |
Reviewed
2010 |
NOTE:
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