Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Jo Putney (Author), Merline Lovelace (Author), Gayle Wilson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Three of the genre's notable authors join forces in this nicely done trilogy of 19th-century historical romances, which focuses on weddings, brides, and the various matrimonial arrangements, convenient and otherwise, of the times. In Putney's reprise story, "Wedding of the Century," a young, wealthy American with a title-hungry mother and a young, impoverished duke eventually turn their arranged marriage into a love match. In Merline Lovelace's lively "Mismatched Hearts," a pair of protagonists engaged to others honorably fight their growing attraction, with the expected results. Finally, a blind earl and a widowed mother find that a marriage of convenience doesn't have to remain that way in Gayle Wilson's warm, poignant "My Darling Echo." Diverse, emotionally involving, and well written, this collection will please Regency and Victorian romance fans alike.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373834373
• ISBN-13: 978-0373834372
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming read, June 7, 2001

By 

Susan Smith (A small rural village in the English Midlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo (Mass Market Paperback)

Right - straight up front - I adore Gayle Wilson's books so that was reason enough to buy and read this book! Mary Jo Putney is also a favourite whose work I greatly admire. Merline Lovelace's contribution was OK but not particularly memorable. It is really Gayle Wilson's story which was for me, my raison d'etre for writing this review.

Gayle Wilson unashamedly specialises in imperfect heros and, for those of us who prefer this type of man, she has given us one to die for in the Earl of Huntington. It is interesting that in her story "My Darling Echo" the hero has been blind for ten years and, on the whole, has learnt to cope with this disability which in the 1820s must have been incredibly difficult. Therefore there is none of the usual "nursing" scenario of the heroine giving the hero a reason to live; Huntington has a full, rich and vigorous life well established when we first meet him. The heroine, Mrs Arabella Simmons, is delightful, intelligent and responsible and how she and her little son, Kit, spread some light, love and laughter into the Earl's life is wonderful to read. The valet, Ingalls, is another Wilson speciality - the devoted and convincingly loving manservant - another of her well drawn deus ex machinae!

I think that I know of only one other novel which portrays a blind hero in this time frame so well: Marjorie Farrell's "Miss Ware's Refusal". In this novel, as well as this novella by Ms Wilson, the utter lack of sentimentality gives real honesty and forthrightness in the character portrayals.

My only complaint, as another reader has said, is that "My Darling Echo" was too short and so much deserved a full length novel; I could see so many paths for development. Or, perhaps, if I am honest, the very briefness of this story added to its poignancy anc charm.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the average anthology, but..., August 29, 2000

By 

Dr W. Richards "wmr-uk" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed all the separate stories in this anthology, not surprisingly since they're written by great authors including Mary Jo Putney. But they suffer from the flaw attached to all such stories, which is that they are insufficiently well developed.

I loved Wilson's 'My Darling Echo,' but it felt to me as if at least fifty pages had been cut out towards the end. When both characters had been so determined to maintain their business relationship regardless of their marriage, what made her decide to go to him? The motivation simply was not established. We had the beginnings of motivation, but given the characterisation Wilson had established, that wasn't enough. She needed to flesh out the story more, which would have taken more than the 100 pages in total which she had.

Putney's story, as always, was well crafted and very enjoyable; it was interesting to see a story set in the late 1800s as opposed to some years earlier. Again, though, I felt that she ended it too abruptly; despite her story being the longest of the three, she seemed to run out of time.

Anthology editors, please make these stories longer in future!!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gayle Wilson - My Darling Echo ... wonderful romance!, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo (Mass Market Paperback)

Gayle Wilson has done it once again! She never fails to deliver a romance full of love and emotion. All three stories are jewels for the romantic heart. I recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. I also recommend this book to anyone who is a devoted Gayle Wilson fan!