The Hostage Bride [Unabridged] [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Feather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

Dear Reader,

Here is the first of my new "Brides" trilogy, in which three unconventional young women vow they will never marry--only to be overtaken by destiny.  Bride #1 is the outspoken Portia....

It's bad enough that seventeen-year-old Portia Worth is taken in by her uncle, the marquis of Granville, after her father dies.  As the bastard niece, Portia knows she can expect little beyond a roof over her head and a place at the table.

But it truly adds insult to injury when the Granvilles' archenemy, the outlaw Rufus Decatur, hatches a scheme to abduct the marquis's daughter--only to kidnap Portia by accident.

Portia, who possesses more than a streak of independence as well as a talent for resistance, does not take kindly to being abducted--mistakenly or otherwise.

Decatur will soon find himself facing the challenge of his life, both on the battlefield and in the bedroom, as he contends with this misfit of a girl who has the audacity to believe herself the equal of any man....

Warmest wishes,

Jane Feather


P.S.  Phoebe, the "awkward" one, will be next, in The Accidental Bride.  Watch for it in early 1999.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Prolific Jane Feather launches another lively trilogy, this one set during the English Civil War (mid-17th century) and featuring the first of three misfit girls who pledge their friendship and mutual distrust of men. Portia Worth, a bastard offshoot now dependent on the marquis of Granville for support, is mistaken for Granville's daughter and accidentally abducted by Rufus Decatur, Granville's archenemy and leader of a militia group whose purpose is to support the king against Parliament and avenge the wrong done to Rufus's family years ago. Both outcasts, Portia and Rufus develop a mutual understanding and admiration that blossoms into heartfelt passion. But Rufus's need for revenge puts Portia precariously on the opposite side of a battle he's determined to see through to the death. Readers will love the well-drawn characters, both major and minor; action scenes that move swiftly and vividly; and Portia's humorous plot to vanquish a particularly vile male villain, which may leave readers laughing out loud. An especially appealing tale that's sure to raise anticipation for the next book in the Brides series. --Ellen Edwards

From Publishers Weekly

Feather, whose latest series were the V series (Vanity, Vice, Violet, etc.) and the Charm Bracelet trilogy (The Emerald Swan, The Silver Rose, etc.), sets her new Brides trilogy during the English Civil War. Each installment will focus on one of three young women joined by friendship and fate. Portia Worth's uncle, Cato Granville, is a Roundhead and mortal enemy of Rufus Decatur, a nobleman who has sworn fealty to King Charles in hopes of winning back his family's property and honor. Rufus's men mistakenly kidnap Portia, but when no money is forthcoming, the two outsiders?an unwanted hostage and a dispossessed noble?find a common bond. It's a fine romantic convention though rather marred by Portia's unduly prickly and bellicose nature. The author does a good job of capturing the period?the class differences; life in a military encampment and during a siege; and the fickle loyalties of the day. But Feather can also stumble into breathless melodrama in dialogue and description: "He'd nurtured his anger with a fierce flame, but now as he tried with his own breath to return the living warmth to her face, to her eyes, that anger was as if it had never been."
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1st edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553578901
• ISBN-13: 978-0553578904
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #383,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I fell in love with these characters, January 15, 2001

By 

"joyinbooks" (Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

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

This is your standard historical romance book, but I really felt a connection to the characters in this one. Even when the three girls meet at the beginning, I attached to each of them in their own special way. Portia is a very loving, intelligent and strong woman who fights for what she believes in. I found myself really liking this woman and cheering her on. I also really wanted her and Rufus to get together...I laughed and cried right along with the ups and downs of their relationship. The pinnacle scene in this book where they finally get together can put me in tears every time I read it. If you read these books for the historical/battle scenes, you may be a bit disappointed. The battle scenes are somewhat realistic, but are pretty glossed over in that everyone makes up and becomes friends in the end after years of hatred. That was a bit amusing, but is really a small part of the overall story. I also purchased the other two books in the series and look forward to reading them.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First of an English Civil War series - good one-time read, May 19, 2002

By 

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

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

At the beginning of this book we meet the three young girls who are the heroines of this series: Portia, Phoebe and Olivia. This introductory scene appears in all three books, just in case anyone's missed it.

Portia is the bastard daughter of the Marquis of Granville's bastard brother. When her father dies, Granville offers her a home within his household, but he isn't that interested in her, and his wife, Diana, makes it clear that she is to be an extra servant, helping take care of the infant children. Olivia, Granville's daughter from an earlier marriage, befriends Portia, however.

An old enemy of the Granville household, Rufus Decatur, former Earl of Rothbury, has sworn revenge on the family of the man who was responsible for his father's death and disgrace. Olivia is to be kidnapped and used as a bargaining tool. However, a mistake is made and Portia is kidnapped instead. Rufus isn't sure what to do with her, so he keeps her prisoner.

However, Portia then decides that she wants to train and to join his militia as a soldier - even though she knows that Rufus intends to attack her uncle's household! That part was difficult to swallow; war is a serious business, and even if Portia isn't particularly loyal to either King or Parliament, the thought of striking against her uncle's home, and especially her cousin, should surely not have come so easily to her.

Like another reviewer, I wasn't convinced by the 'falling in love' part of the book, and the resolution in particular was unconvincing.

Finally, Rufus at one point used the term 'bourgeoisie'. Isn't early seventeenth-century England a little early for that term to be in common currency, since it's normally associated with the French revolution?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm hooked!, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

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

This book is a great read, with well-developed and lovable characters and a pretty good plot. I love the heroine's spunk, independence, and determination, and I will most definitely buy the next two books of the trilogy when they come out. I also like the settings--a drafty castle, a frozen moat, a freezing countryside, a secluded criminal camp, a cozy cottage. I also liked that the heroine is not absolutely perfect in looks; she is realistic, like the rest of us, and her beauty comes from her heart and personality. The sexual tension is believable every step of the way, and the plot never slows down. My favorite scene is the practical jokes that Portia and Olivia play at one point.