Almost a Bride [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Feather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

In this spectacular new romance from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather, fate deals one stubbornly single young woman and one deceptively heartless man a shocking hand in a high-stakes bet. But is love in the cards?

Jack Fortescu gambles to win, and this time his prize is not only his rival’s lavish mansion but everything in it–
including the man’s beautiful sister! But when it comes to games, Jack has met his match. . . .

Left homeless by her brother’s escapade, Arabella Lacey has two appalling choices: pack her bags–or agree to marry the lunatic who’s taken over her house. Why would such a handsome–and outrageously wealthy–man want such an unromantic arrangement? Arabella intends to find out, and have a little fun in the process at Jack’s expense . . . literally. As Jack discovers that his reluctant bride is no ordinary beauty, he feels a stir of admiration, among other emotions, that wasn’t part of the bargain. Now he’s the one with everything to lose. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this boundary-pushing page-turner, bestseller Feather (The Bride Hunt) forsakes the familiar terrain of the Regency era for an earlier decade, that of the French Terror. Englishman Jack Fortescu, the duke of St. Jules, lost his sister in the Terror. Determined to take vengeance on Frederick Lacey, the man who betrayed her to the securité, Jack ruins him at cards, gaining his fortune after Lacey kills himself. With the estate, however, comes Lacey's 28-year-old half-sister Arabella, who's self-confident, blunt and wary of the intentions of the polished but arrogant duke. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, deciding that possessing his enemy's sister is his final revenge, Arabella's suspicions redouble. But she's without support in the world, and marriage would bring her into the London political circles she has always wished to join. While their marriage is more satisfying than either expects, the distrust on both sides and Jack's silence on his past create obstacles that only Arabella's emotional bravery can overcome. Rich with details that put the "historical" back into historical romance, this tale seethes with breathtaking tension even as it explores the aches and joys that a true emotional union brings. (Mar. 29)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Jack Fortescu, Duke of St. Jules, seeks to ruin Frederick Lacey; then, after Lacey's death, he goes to Lacey's country estate to inform his vanquished foe's half-sister, Arabella, of her brother's demise. He then proposes marriage, and is surprised by her unwillingness to accept his generous offer. But Arabella realizes immediately that Jack has ulterior motives, and she is not sure that she is willing to give up the little independence she has at the ripe age of 28. She knows that her brother was a coward, but she doesn't understand why the duke wants her after ruining Frederick, even as she realizes that a woman without a male relative has very few options. When Jack finally claims Arabella, his plans for revenge are complete, yet he finds that he is getting far more than he bargained for. Feather explores the dark side of the early Regency period and the French Revolution in this moving and complex romance, one of her best yet. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Reissue edition (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553587552
• ISBN-13: 978-0553587555
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #892,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her best, bar none., May 23, 2005

By 

shereads - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost a Bride (Mass Market Paperback)

Jane Feather sometimes soars and sometimes disappoints. In this case, she's simply flawless. A classic theme of historical romance - innocent woman entrapped by a man bent on revenge - receives a surprisingly mature and original treatment.

I hesitated to read about another coldly calculating alpha male; these characters are great for setting up sexual tension and emotional conflict, but too often they remain cruel and heartless almost to the end, and are paired with heroines who seem to thrive on humiliation. In "Almost A Bride," the heroine is disarmingly wise and realistic, and her dignity begins to awaken at our alpha male's conscience before we can develop a serious dislike of him. He's appropriately arrogant, of course. The prospect of seeing him humbled by love is what makes such rogues irresistable.

It takes a deft hand to provide moments of lightness at the right time, in the right amount, to relieve tension without destroying it. With "Almost A Bride," Jane Feather reminds me for the first time of Christina Dodd, Connie Brockway and Judith Ivory - authors who can be trusted to lead me safely through the most wrenching romantic conflicts without plunging me into masochistic misery. (We all know love hurts. But it shouldn't frustrate us to the point where we throw the book across the room.)

"Almost A Bride" is a sheer pleasure to read, and irresistably sexy. Bravo.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 stars really, the romance is a bit weak., April 6, 2005

By 

Estelle "Historical romance reader" (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost a Bride (Mass Market Paperback)

After being disappointed by her latest offerings, I'm very happy to see the 'real' Jane Feather is back.

The book is well-written and fast paced. All in all it's an entertaining read. But I didn't care for the subplot about the sister, and especially what happens when Jack and Arabella leave for France toward the end of the book; it was totally uncessary in my opinion, not to mention a waste of space. It's obvious the hero's tortured about it but it keeps the romance from being totally satisfying. Well, that and the fact that Jack never has to work for his happy ending. Arabella was an amazingly strong character but she turns into little miss Saintly in the last quarter of the book and it was a real let down. She doesn't even bat an eyelash when she's told that she's been subjected to and humiliated by the Ton's malicious gossips so that Jack's ex-mistress wouldn't have to suffer from it! When she's told that the hero only married her so that he could get his revenge on her half-brother, who has wronged him, and appropriate his title, she immediately decides to make ammends for her half-brother's misdeeds. It's painful to watch her ascension to sainthood.

All in all Almost A Bride is a vast improvement on Feather's recent books but it's still weak in the romance department: no real passion, tension or even equality in the relationship. If you can get past that you'll surely love it. If not, spend your money on Feather's older books, Vice for example.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book, April 15, 2005

By 

Mkath - See all my reviews

This review is from: Almost a Bride (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read other books by Feather and really was disappointed, not this time. I loved Arabella and Jack. I loved the hint of danger in Jack and Arabella's good sense. She carefully planned her actions and didn't engage in the usual historical romance virginal silliness. No wacky friends or over the top villians. The book could have used more suspense or more tension. Don't skip this one.