Customer Reviews

The Notorious Bridegroom (Zebra Debut)

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

 

 

They call him the "Black Ghost" Lord Londringham, Bryce, was once a spy for the Crown. Now he is determined to find the French spy who is threatening his country.

Patience Mandeley will do anything to protect her family, even pose as a maid to find information to stop the misjustice of one of her brothers being accused of treason and murder. When she first starts her search she is convinced that Bryce is the guilty party, until she gets to know the Lord and realizes that it isn't him and she is in much more danger that she ever thought she would be. Now it is up to Bryce to find the real traitor and protect Patience, the woman he has come to love.

This is a well written historical with an eclectic array of characters. Kit Donner definitely knows her subject matter and all things from the Regency era. I really like Patience intelligent and strong will, as well as the fact that she is naive because it shows her vulnerability and dedication to her brother's cause. I also thought Bryce was a played a great role for the hero. It is also interesting working through the clues that the author leaves for the mystery with the fumbling criminals.

Description:

Ever since the horrible day her brother was accused of treason, Patience Mandeley hasn't recognized her own behaviour. Under normal circumstances she would never be disguised as a maid, skulking around an earl's estate for secrets she isn't meant to find. But now the situation is desperate, and Patience will do whatever it takes to spare her beloved brother the noose, even if it means finding the true spy herself.

To do that, she'll have to gain access to the estate of Lord Londringham, the most desired bachelor in all of England-without him knowing who she really is. But even in her maid's uniform, she can't miss the looks of unsuppressed desire she receives from her employer, and she finds to her dismay that the attraction is quite mutual. Though she knows she must ignore her feelings for this dark-haired rogue to save her family and escape ruin, his close proximity is making all reason impossible...and Patience may find that the real traitor is her own body.

I love reading debut authors. I always approach their books with the great hope of discovering a new MUST HAVE author. The Notorious Bridegrooms started so promisingly. The first chapter was entertaining, the initial meeting between the hero and heroine promising an entertaining tale to follow, only to drag for the next 30-40% of the book, the promise unfilled as the hero and heroine's meetings were so brief and superficial I could not feel a true relationship develop. I kept reading hoping for better to come; only to realize I no longer cared when the hero and heroine finally started to interact regularly. I found Prudence ,the heroine, tstl at many points throughout the book. Bryce, the hero, had more promise yet still managed to fall flat of the tortured hero the author seemed to intend. Despite my hopes I have found an author to ignore rather than one to seek eagerly.

I guess this was okay for a first book. Frankly, it didn't do that much for me. But it did keep my occupied for a few hours, so it served its purpose. I didn't think that much of Patience; I found her to be quite irritating. I wasn't that impressed with the hero, either. I got the impression that the author wasn't sure if she wanted this to be a comedy or a serious story. Hopefully she'll improve with time. Especially since I have her follow-up book!

I loved the interactions between the hero and heroine. In some novels I feel like the main characters are just stupid, for lack of a better term. You want to see them get together but there just being stubborn, that was not the case in this novel. There was also some humor in their romance which made the story all the more fun. I'm excited to see what Kit Donner will write next.

This was a lot of fun to read and enjoy. It's got lots of adventure and humor and the passion between Patience and Bryce is palpable. This is a good "beach read."