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sophiarose1816's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A couple’s wedding celebrations in the country draw their friends and family to the estate, but also a mystery that might sabotage their romance for good. The Lovers and Ladies series represents some of the late and talented Jo Beverley’s earlier works and employs a blending of the historical romance and suspense genres for this series of stories about a group of old school friends who each find their romance.
The Stolen Bride is the third book in the Lovers and Ladies series. Each story is standalone for the romance and suspense element, but connected by the cast of characters being friends and family. In the case of The Stolen Bride, there are two romances. Randall is Wrayborne’s school friend and Sophie is Wrayborne’s younger sister and it is their nuptials for which the others are gathering. The main romance is for Beth, who was Jane’s (Wrayborne’s wife) governess, and Sir Marius who is another of Wrayborne’s school friends who are both older and don’t think romance can touch them. Actually, both deny romance for what they think are practical reasons though it is most definitely touching them while the other couple’s romance which was established in an earlier story not of the series, I think, is unraveling from doubts and someone acting for mysterious malicious purpose.
I read the first two books in the series a while back and honestly can’t remember much more than a vague impression of enjoying the stories and liking the people. So, I was glad the author caught up on who was whom and how they were attached to each other.
This was a story where I could see the connection in both couples and didn’t really engage in the development through the conflict to see them together. Sophie’s struggles with seeing trouble between her and Randall seemed more of an immature miffed girl more than anything else so I lost patience with her a lot. Fortunately, there was the suspense. It wasn’t hard to see who was behind it, but not the why. This is where my vague memory got in my way because in the end, the answer was connected to earlier events they were all involved in.
I liked Beth and Marius’ romance much better. He was a charmer and worked to get past her prim reserve. He was fun and flirty, but a solid gold character. She just had to see past her sense that she was a governess and he a baronet and believe that he could really be interested in her. The flirty dialogue and their antics against the backdrop of country house party was fun stuff.
The big drama was old school gothic suspense style though a little lighter in tone since the romance was most prevalent through most of the book. Now, I’m back in the swing with this series and look forward to progressing toward the ‘Dark Angel’s story.
clare_s2395's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
bookadventurer's review
1.0
Terrible. Awkward, cliche, boring, unconvincing... a disappointment, surely.
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