Customer Reviews

The Bride's Necklace

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Setting - England 1804 --- Realizing that time had run out, Victoria Temple Whitting, knew she had to save her sister Claire from their lecherous stepfather, Baron Harwood. There was no time to think it through before she was forced to knock him out with a bed pan. Fleeing in the night, with little more than they could carry, Victoria grabbed her family's heirloom necklace believed to hold the power of great happiness or terrible tragedy, to sell so they could finance their flight to London. Gaining a mere pittance of it's value, Victoria was forced to pose as Tory Temple, widow, and seek employment, though this proved to be a difficult feat for one so young and without references. Things were dire indeed until she stumbled into the handsome Earl of Brant, Cordell Easton.

Having tired of his mistress, Cord was in the market for a new bit of muslin to replace her and the enchanting beauty of the very innocent and naïve Claire was intriguing. Cord hired Tory as his new housekeeper and Claire as a maid, believing he would soon be offering Claire a more lucrative position. It didn't take Cord long to realize that while Claire's beauty masked an innocence even he would felt obligated to safeguard, it would be the elder sister, Tory, who would challenge and pique his desire in a way no woman ever had before. By the time Cord uncovered the truth of the sisters noble birth, their stepfather discovered their whereabouts and had come to take them away. Furious at having been deceived, and never before allowing himself to feel, Cord could only save Tory by marrying her but would he be able to put aside his stubborn pride and admit to love.

*** In a new dramatic trilogy, Kat Martin gives the reader tremendous bang for the buck in this very enjoyable romance. I loved the character studies of the two sisters and the devotion and love Tory had for the childlike naivety of Claire, who at times seemed more child than woman. Tory was an incredibly courageous young woman, who in spite of the love she felt for Cord, would willingly sacrifice it all in her attempt to protect Claire. Cord himself was again another complex and fully developed character, whose lusty and sensual appetite for Tory was truly a joy to behold, yet he held back so much of himself he almost lost the most important thing of all. Introducing several lively romantic sub-plots kept the action going in the this captivating novel including Tory trying to prove her stepfather guilty of murdering her father; Cord trying to rescue his best friend and cousin from the French; and of course, the introduction of the next protagonists for the second novel in this trilogy, Tory's best friend Grace and Cord's cousin Ethan. All in all, this was a delightful and well-rounded romance with tasteful sensuality and enough twists and turns to keep the action at a fever pitch while enticing and leaving her legion of fans and myself anxious for the second novel in this highly enjoyable new trilogy......

*** Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

I will skip the plot review because there are so many here. A friend gave me the entire Necklace trilogy, so I was very disappointed when i could barely get through the first book in the series. The first half was painfully slow with too many characters. Victoria's sister, Claire, just seems like a complete waste of time (other than serving a quick reason for Tory to run away). The hero was fairly one dimensionsal (and has been done before too many times to count). The story was just too predictable in general. It seemed that Ethan's story was just thrown in to get us ready for The Devil's Necklace and didn't really fit with the rest of the story. I doubt I would read another Kat Martin book if I didn't have the whole series already here, but I have read so many good reviews of her that I am determined to give the next book a shot. If you are a fan of her writing you will probably like this novel. If you are new to Kat Martin, some other amazon reviews could probably point you towards a better book of hers.

From the back cover:

Is her heart pure enough to survive the necklace's curse?

Knowing that she alone can protect her sister from the Baron Harwood, their lecherous stepfather, Victoria Temple Whiting snatches the family's heirloon necklack, believed to hold the power to bring great happiness or terrible tragedy, to pay for their escape to London. Terrified that the baron will find them, Victoria poses as Tory Temple and finds employment as a servant in the household of handsome Cordell Easton, the scandalous Earl of Brant.

The sisters' arrival couldn't have been more welcome. In need of a new mistress, Cord turns to Tory, whose wit and intellect intrigue him. But when the baron discovers that girls' whereabouts, Cord learn Tory's secret--her noble birth. Furious that he has compromised the daughter of a peer, Cord must decide--marry Tory and keep her safe, or allow his stubborn pride to deny his heart.

And my review:

This was the first book that I tried to read by this author, and if I didn't have a couple of other novels by Kat Martin on my 'to be read' shelf, I wouldn't give her another try. This novel was uninspiring, uninteresting, and downright annoying at times.

My problems? First: the author's writing style. She wrote this book in tons of tiny little sections and pieces. Just when things would start to get interesting, the section would be over and the story would jump to the next day. The focus was so choppy that I was never able to get drawn into the book.

Second: the hero was nothing more than a sex fiend, in my humble opinion. Honestly, he seemed to think about nothing but getting laid! A healthy sexual appetite in a hero? Fine. A hero who thinks about nothing but getting a woman (any woman, it seems) horizontal? Gross. This just made him into a lecherous scum, to me. I couldn't like him. Put it this way: I want a hero who thinks with the head on his shoulders, instead of the one...well...you get my drift.

Third: the heroine's constant lies. I know that she felt it was necessary to lie in order to protect her sister, but this just got to be really grating after a while. In fact, the only character in this book that I liked was Tory's sister, Claire.

Fourth: the whole reason that they have to get married made me hate the hero even more. He's seduced the daughter of a peer, and he's angry because he has to make it right. Oh, I see: if Tory was really a servant, then his seducing her would be okay? What a revolting attitude. Every woman deserves respect, not just the ones of noble birth. Yes, I know that this is a historical novel, but this attitude of the hero's really spoiled the book for me, and I quit reading it. After reading the other reviews, about how Tory and Cord love each other, but won't admit it (I HATE that in a romance novel), I'm glad I didn't waste any more of my time reading this. Even the lure of finding out about the curse of the necklace wasn't enough to inspire me to finish this book.

I will try some more of this author (since I bought a couple of her other books at a garage sale) and see if she can redeem herself. Unless you're a die-hard fan of this author, or of books where no own can ever say what they mean, I wouldn't recommend "The Bride's Necklace".

I thought it was fantastic. The characters were all fasinating.
One of the better historical romance books I read in awhile.

Spoiler Alert

Like a number of the people who posted a review the premise for this story appeared to make for a good read but it didn't happen that way. Unfortunately, the hero spent a great deal of his time in this novel bemoaning his fate to have married a woman who could not help him fulfill a promise he made as repayment to his deceased father. Don't get me wrong Cord seemed a likeable sort however, he made a choice when he decided to engage in intimacy with Victoria (the heroine). When he learns that she wasn't a servant he could take in as his mistress but a peer, he marries her but he does so as if he has just sacrificed himself for the greater good (retribution for taking her virginity). This attitude didn't entice me to want to read any further but I did. After long periods of ignoring Victoria beyond amorous consideration he becomes distrustful and upset that someone else had decided to pay attention to his wife when he refused to. When he learns that the man who was spending a great deal of time with his wife was his equal physically (as in attractiveness) and financially he practically had an apoplexy of his own. Throughout the remainder of the novel he believed his wife was sleeping with this man and because of this and his fear of developing feelings for Victoria the marriage suffered. Victoria was a likeable heroine and given everything that had happened to her with the death of her mother and father and the inclusion of a sadistic step-father, I could understand why she was very distrustful of anyone outside her sister. The circumstances that called upon her to make a decision on whether she should trust Cord or lie and she chose to lie I can't say I wouldn't have done the same if I was faced with the same situation. Why should she confide in someone who felt and showed his resentment of having married her? Regarding her position before the marriage, when she chose to keep quiet about her true status because of her assumption that he would turn her and her sister over to their step-father if he knew the truth sound like a pretty likely estimation of what would have happened when they initially met. I suppose the only thing at issue with Victoria was that she did not speak to Cord about her concerns once they were married. Deciding not to say anything about his neglect of her only made things worse.

Someone here mentioned how the abrupt end to this novel made this story worse and I have to agree. I also had the impression that the author suddenly wrapped things up quick, fast, and in a hurry toward the latter part of the book. Making Mr. Fox suddenly gay seemed such a convenient out to get past Cord's unyielding belief that Victoria and he had had an affair. What better way to swiftly remove any suspicion of marital deception than to cut the b@lls off the other man in question :| This, I have to say, greatly upset me. Mr. Fox had the makings of a man who could have had his own story but instead the author thought more to accommodate Cord's insecurities. I felt Mr. Fox was cheated and sacrificed just to bring an abrupt end to this story without losing credibility but I have news...It didn't work.

Because of the way this story played out from beginning to end I won't be buying the other two installations of this trilogy which is too bad because Ethan's story also has a great premise that seems to promise a good read. I generally like Kat Martin's novels but this book has generated doubt in wanting to take the chance on buying anymore of her books. If we as readers were able to pick up on so many shortcomings in this story than I would imagine that literary professionals would have read the same. I guess deadlines were more important than submitting a good manuscript.

I am a Kat Martin fan, but this book was a shock. This book had some interesting events, but Martin's abrupt ending to those scenes only made the book worse. The main man was not someone I would consider a hero, because of his mistrust of the main heroine. The main woman was constantly lying, which always made the situation worse... I mean, man she couldn't confide in someone she loved, and that only made him mistrust her more, making her lies annoying. My opinion would be to get this book at a local library, insteading of buying it if it is one that you really want to read.

The Bride's Necklace by Kat Martin is fun historical mystery romance novel. Tory and Claire escape their abusive step-father and find themselves servants for the Baron Harwood. Cord the Baron Harwood is the market for a new mistress and find himself with two young options living in his own home. This book has some great twist and has some amazing heartache. Enjoy!
Check out The necklace trilogy:The Bride's Necklace (1), The Devil's Necklace (2) and The Handmaiden's Necklace (3).

You are guaranteed a good read when you pick up Ms. Martin and this story is no exception. Her newest series starts with all of the fire and sensuality that Ms. Martin is known for.

One of the things that makes this such a good read is the characters! Victoria, Cord, Claire and the rest of the cast are all characters that you will care about and want to invest time in reading and knowing. I found this book to be a quick read and I very much look forward to the next in the series.

Victoria has a step-father that has been looking at her younger sister is a way that he shouldn't. He has been beating Victoria for just about any imagined crime. When the time presents itself for Claire and Victoria to make their escape it comes with a price. The girls steal "The Brides Necklace" and leave the estate thinking that Victoria has killed the man. Needing to find a job they head to London and make their way to the home of Earl of Brant. None other than the handsome Cord. Cord takes pity and gives the girls jobs knowing that they are being less than honest but he figures eventually he will learn their secret. The fact that he is attracted to the fiery Victoria is just an added bonus. But before either of them realize it fate will take a hand and for these two people into a marriage that might just be the best thing that ever happened to either of them. Will they be able to find a happy ending or will the curse of the necklace bring them tragedy?

This was a very good read. Although Victoria acted like a twit a few times and Cord reciprocated and acted the fool these two still manage to be a very engaging couple and one that readers will root for a happy ending. Claire, Miles, "Chez", and the rest of the secondary cast are wonderful additions to this story. My only complaint? We must wait until Aug. '05 for the next in the series! I highly recommend Ms. Martin if you are a fan of historical romantic fiction.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

This book was interesting and the hero Cord was very likable, but there were a few times there where he acted as badly as his friend Rafe (The Handmaiden's Necklace).

Victoria did a wonderful job trying to protect her sister; they definitely loved one another. The author did a great job with Victoria - very realistic.

No dull pages here. It was all good.

The first of a trilogy by Kat Martin set in the early 1800s in England. It was unusual for women to have much spunk in that day and age, but Ms. Martin gives us beautiful women with plenty of sass and handsome men to chase after them. The Devil's Necklace, second in the trilogy is also good reading. I'd recommend them both for a cold rainy afternoon and a warm fire.