The Impossible Bride [Mass Market Paperback]

Allie Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2002

He made a promise she couldn’t refuse.
She became a bride he couldn’t resist.

To start a new life, Deborah Edgerton takes a job far from the wagging tongues of Austin, Texas, where everyone is aware of her scandalous past. But soon after stepping off the train in Galveston, Deborah is shocked to discover that the “position” she is expected to fill is that of wife—to a man desperate enough to deceive a woman into becoming his bride.

A ruggedly handsome man who defies convention, Patrick O’Connor promised his young son a new mother by his sixth birthday—and marrying Deborah was part of the plan. Falling in love with her was not. When business calls Patrick away from home, he decides to bring his new wife and son with him on the adventure of a lifetime—knowing full well that it may be his only chance to persuade his reluctant wife that he is her one true love . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A follow-up to Shaw's first book, The Impossible Texan, this 19th-century romance strives to be funny and airy, but it's weighed down by a far-fetched premise and flat characterizations. In an attempt to escape her scandalous past in Austin, Tex., prim and pretty Deborah Edgerton takes a job as a secretary and companion to Pat O'Connor, whom she believes is a female. As she soon learns, however, Pat is really Patrick "Trick" O'Connor, and he's fooled her into traveling to Galveston in order to fulfill a promise he made to his son, Duncan, when his wife died two years earlier. He promised Duncan another mother by his sixth birthday. After tying Deborah up and forcing her to marry him, he takes her to his home and foolishly expects that she'll agree to play house. Despite her attraction to Trick, she wants no part in his charade, but she can think of no way out of the marriage. Not long after their hasty nuptials, Trick, an exporter who has been searching for "La Roja," the red pearl, hears of its location and decides to take Deborah and Duncan with him on his quest to retrieve it. Shaw uses the journey to build the romantic tension between the two and sprinkle in a little suspense. While the couple's colorless chatter fails to move the story forward, Shaw's skillfully written love scenes help flesh out the book's thin plot.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Allie Shaw is destined to climb the charts.”
—JODI THOMAS
Author of To Tame a Texan’s Heart

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804119651
• ISBN-13: 978-0804119658
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,658,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Summer Fun, August 19, 2002

By 

mabel_a (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

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

Really enjoyed this funny & romantic adventure. It's perfect summer reading. Lots of love and laughs from Allie Shaw's not-so-impossible heroine, Deborah Edgerton. She's a character borrowed from Shaw's first book, The Impossible Bride -- which I also recommend highly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, fun and breezy!, August 19, 2002

By 

"marmnyc" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

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

Shaw's sophomore effort is every bit as satisfying as "The Impossible Texan," but with a quirky twist that adds an extra element of fun. Revisiting the "ever after" of a familiar character from "Texan," we find Deborah Edgerton still trying to put a humiliating episode behind her and build a new life. Lured to a strange place by what she thinks is a job offer, Edgerton finds herself unwillingly married to the aptly-named "Trick" O'Connor before you can say "I do." Even after you've absorbed this wild plot element that kicks off the novel, the surprises keep coming - with exotic settings, delicious love scenes, funny repartee and sharply drawn characters you'll be thinking about for a long time to come. I loved it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, sexy and unique plot equals lots of fun, August 16, 2002

By 

Melody Thomas "irish1975" (USA) - See all my reviews

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

Patrick O'Connor has promised his son a mother by his sixth birthday. Deborah Edgerton is running away from her scandalous past. She is the perfect candidate for an unorthodox shotgun wedding. What neither expects is that they are also perfect for each other. Allie Shaw has crafted a wonderful novel of two damaged souls who find love in the most unlikely of circumstances. Throw in a dangerous journey to search for a legendary red pearl, a cast of great secondary characters, and you have a well-stirred mixture of love and adventure that follows.