The Bride Hunt [Unabridged] [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Feather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

In Jane Feather’s dazzling, irresistible romance, London’s most charming matchmakers are faced with a ruinous lawsuit—and now Prudence, the brainy, beautiful middle sister, must save them.
 
Soon after the Duncan sisters’ personals service turns a profit, their controversial newspaper The Mayfair Lady offends a powerful earl—who is now determined to demolish them in court. In dire need of counsel, the women turn to England’s most sought after young barrister. Sir Gideon Malvern is notorious for his aggressive style—and his love of a challenge. Spirited Prudence, with her beauty unsuccessfully hidden behind spectacles and frumpy clothes, provides him with exactly that. But how in the world will the Duncan sisters be able to afford Gideon’s fee? Prudence proposes a barter: Gideon defends their case; they find him a bride. It’s an exchange of services even this most cynical single barrister cannot refuse.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second entry in Feather's Matchmaker trilogy (following The Bachelor List) is a charming romp through 19th-century London featuring the Duncan sisters, who are trying to hold their family together financially by running a matchmaking service and producing the suffragist scandal sheet The Mayfair Lady. When the paper is sued for libel, Prudence Duncan enlists the help of fierce barrister Sir Gideon Malvern. Gideon is convinced their case is hopeless, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for stubborn, strong-willed Prue. Because she can't afford his fees, Gideon agrees to argue the case if she finds him a suitable bride, but before long, Gideon finds himself as involved with Prue as he is with the Mayfair Lady case. Readers may be surprised by the setting, which is unusual for historical romances; here the automobile and the telephone have already been invented. One amusing scene centers on a drive to the country, which takes three hours in Gideon's car (moving at its top speed of 20 miles an hour). Though this is Prue's story, both Constance and Chastity ably carry their portions of the novel, which will ensure that readers snap up the other two books in the series (each focusing on a sister and conveniently appearing in consecutive months).
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The second installment in Feather's trilogy about the Duncan sisters focuses on Prudence, the most practical of the three. The paper that the sisters publish to maintain their aristocratic lifestyle in early twentieth-century London is being sued for libel by the very man who caused their economic downturn, and Prudence has approached the best lawyer their nonexistent funds can buy. Tenacious barrister Sir Gideon Malvern almost refuses the case until he decides that Prudence herself is a challenge worth taking. She sees Gideon as a disagreeable means to win the suit and offers to find him a bride in exchange for his services. Amused, he agrees. While Prudence tries to figure out what kind of woman will interest the divorced father of a 10-year-old daughter, Gideon tries to discern what kind of woman Prudence really is behind her prim facade. Interesting characters keep the sensual story lively, proving once again why Feather is so very popular. Readers will eagerly anticipate the adventures of the third Duncan sister. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055358619X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553586190
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd in the series is even more delightful, April 9, 2004

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bride Hunt (Mass Market Paperback)

I truly enjoyed the first in this series - "The Bachelor Hunt", the story of the Duncan sisters and their practical approach to love, romance and marriage. But this one was even better.

The sisters are trying to hold their family out of poverty by running a matchmaking service in 19th London, while producing a strongly suffragist scandal sheet called "The Mayfair Lady". Sister Prudence must retain Sir Gideon Malvern when the paper is sued for libel. Of course Gideon and Prudence immediately set sparks off each other, but he feels his romantic suit will come to cropper because the civil suit is hopeless. Prudence cannot pay his solicitor's fees, so she talked Gideon in to accept the matchmaking services instead. Of course, romance will ensue!

It's amusing, witty and utterly delightful. Refreshing period for hitorical romance going against the long (and ridiculous) thought that this more "modern" historical turns off readers.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine who-done-it, March 2, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bride Hunt (Mass Market Paperback)

While their oldest sister Lady Constance is on her honeymoon, Siblings Prudence and Chastity Duncan continue to publish The Mayfair Lady. They do so to honor their deceased mother, founder of the paper, and to bring in money to cover their father's wastrel ways.

However, Falstaff, Harley and Greenwold law firm sues the anonymous owners of the Mayfair for defamation of character having slandered their client Earl of Barclay. Needing a barrister to defend them, Pru as the paper's business person, dresses to hide her beauty, visits attorney Gideon Malvern. He informs her she deserves the libel suit. Angry at his dismissal, Pru lashes out at Malvern, who sees the beauty and brains hidden behind the spinster garb. As the lawyer and the client fall in love, he tries to get the case tossed out without the court seeing any of the Duncan sisters, who cannot afford the scandal of being the authors of the Mayfair.

Like the first novel (see Con's tale, THE BACHELOR'S LIST) the second Mayfair sibling romance is a fun tale starring delightful assertive females walking a thin line. Malvern is a wonderful protagonist and the trio of females ganging up on aristocratic England is pleasure to follow. As their father becomes aware of the fiscal mess he caused, readers will gain immense pleasure from this charmer (in spite of the back stabbing abhorrent Barclay) and look forward to Chastity closing out the so far terrific trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Will the Real Jane Feather Stand Up?, April 16, 2004

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Bride Hunt (Mass Market Paperback)

Has Ms. Feather become lazy? Is she trying to test her loyal fans to see if we will buy her books even if she makes no effort to write a good book? I have read every one of Ms. Feather's books and this trilogy is terrible. Where is the author who wrote Beloved Enemy one of the best romances I have ever read? I read The Bachelor List and started the Bride Hunt but couldn't get past the first few pages. The Duncan sisters are too unlikeable and the heros are 1 dimensional. How could Constance and Max from Bachelor List even like each other let alone fall in love. I can't overlook the dishonesty of the sisters who in today's world would be in jail for misrepresenting themselves as a charity! In the future I will be more wary of Ms. Feather's books.