Book Description:
She thought she was the luckiest woman in London . . .
Surviving on a seamstress' income and a steady stream of fantasies, Prudence Bosworth has always longed for love and romance. Then she inherits a fortune from the father she's never seen, with the stipulation that she wed in one year. Prudence is determined to marry for true love, and after seeing firsthand the splendid chivalry of a certain duke, only one man will do . . .
Rhys de Winter, the Duke of St. Cyres, hides his cynicism behind a quick wit and an even quicker smile. He must marry an heiress, and as luck would have it, the pretty little seamstress-turned-heiress is exactly what he needs. But he never expected to fall for Prudence, and when his shocking deception is revealed, he will stop at nothing to win her back . . . even if it means renouncing every last one of his wicked ways.
Book two in the author's Girl Bachelor Series, I really liked this story of Prudence, a hard working, girl bachelor on the plump size, who is a seamstress for a fashionable modiste in London in 1894 that unexpectedly comes into a vast fortune when her long lost father dies and leaves it to her. Never marrying her mother, Prudence was born illegitimate and never even knew about her father. Suddenly, Prudence's world is turned upside down. The one condition of her inheriting her millions is she must marry within one year and the trustees of the estate must approve of her husband. Enter Rhys, the Duke of St. Cyres, a known fortune hunter, rake and cad who is up to his eyeballs in debt. He must marry a girl with a fortune or else... Of course, it doesn't hurt he's tall, handsome, fair-haired and utterly charming.
I liked Prudence from the start, but I had trouble with Rhys. For the first half of the book he really is a cad. After rescuing a friend of Prudence's from being raped, he winds up seducing and bedding the girl himself! Although he admired Prudence ever since the first time he saw her when she is still a lowly seamstress working at a ball one night, he sets his sights on her once he learns of her fortune, but he lies about knowing about it. Their whole courtship on his part is one big lie, all the way up to his proposal, which she happily accepts. He does it so cleverly she doesn't suspect a thing, though he does tell her the truth about himself being in debt, etc. but he makes her think he loves her when (at this point) he really doesn't. This didn't sit well with me, but by the end, he redeems himself after she breaks their engagement and he decides he must win her back, money or no.
Prudence, a spinsterish 28 year old seems to be a bit too naive for someone that has lived on their own for 11 years, and even harder to believe she's managed to remain a virign that whole time. But, she is likable and has a good heart and is thrifty and sensible. But the duke turns her head and she stops thinking rationally when it comes to him. No matter how much if was just staring her in the face that he was only marrying her for her money, and no matter how much her relatives were telling her he has a terrible reputation and is nothing more than a gold digger - she wouldn't listen! She was star struck by him from the beginning and it's not until she learns of his deceit that she turns the tables on him and gives him back a taste of his own medicine. She breaks off the engagement and lets him know just what she thinks of him. Good for her!
A cute story that does end happily with a few steamy romance scenes thrown in for excitement. I recommend this series if you're unfamiliar with it. I loved the first in it, And Then He Kissed Her about Emma and her Viscount Marlowe who return in this for a few scenes. I enjoy reading about this period as well, just before the turn of the century, not the most common time period in romances.
4/5
6 comments:
Hey Julie....
I love Guhrke books - although you didn't like Rhys at the beginning, i do so love me a bad boy - who has no shame about being bad....
I am going through some back list of this author, I have Guilty Pleasures up next to read - I love how she phrases things and really let you think about some things we take for granted now...
Like Prudence - at 28 - virtually on the back of the shelf... I liked The Wicked Ways of a Duke...
Fun Review...
E.H>
He sounds like an ass after that first awful thing you said, and what girl jumps into bed with someone after a scare like that.
I think I would be too annoyed at him
E.H. - I've got Guilty Pleasures on my list too. One thing also that didn't help was the picture on the back of the paperwork was simply awful of Rhys - he was just ugly! Took me a while to get that image out of my head!
Blodeuedd - he does redeem himself eventually. It's a young seamstress who he beds after rescuing, he is a duke afterall and he has women falling into bed with him all the time. But as E.H. says above, he is a readl bad boy (if you like that sort of thing.)
Hm. I do like them bad boys ;)
But sometimes they can annoy me too. I guess it all depends on the redeeming part
Julie, I'd love for you to give me some JA P&P fan fiction suggestions! I have An Assembly Such as This on my shelf, and I've read Letters From Pemberley, but that's where it ends. Where do you think I should start?
As for the book you are reviewing above- I think, historically and still today, guys are allowed to be jerks and then somehow redeem themselves to a much, much greater extent than girls!
Aarti - I'd love to give you some of my favorites!
Derbyshire Writers Guild has G and PG rated stories, and Firthness has both. Both sites have good stuff. One of my favorite authors is Kerry N. She wrote, "Mr. Darcy Steals a Kiss". the G version is at DWG
http://www.austen.com/derby/old_2002/kerryn1.htm
and the R version is at Firthness
http://www.firthness.com/pond/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=13&id=85&Itemid=81
You have to join Firthness and then sign in to read it. It's worthwhile to do so.
Another story that I love is "A Most Convenient Mishap" it's very funny (and steamy) Rebecca E. at Lavender Girls. Anything by her is good, but alas, I think she stopped writing, as did Kerry N.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/fergal/AMCM_chapters/AMCM_ch1_5.html
Pam Aiden first posted at DWG, that's where I first read her trilogy online. It is considered some of the best out there.
Start with these ones, and then browse around. Others authors that are very good at Firthness are Tracey K. (great modern Action and Reaction), Lisa L is good at DWG too and my own (ha! got to give it a plug) I Saw Her Standing There at DWG (also a link on my sidebar) Not the best writing, but a P&P version meets Beatlemania in the 1960's. "Kitty" by Abby is also very good at DWG:
http://www.austen.com/derby/old_2002/abby2.htm
Enjoy! I was quite addicted to it all about 4-5 years ago. The best stuff was written around then, then after the new movie, a lot of trashy stuff came out. Another good site is Mrs. Darcy, owned by a good friend of mine. She has good stuff too, invited authors only. Tracey and Lisa L. are there as well as myself.
http://mrsdarcy.mrsdarcy.com/index.html
Beware of trashy stuff that came out roughly after 2006!
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