The Rose Red Bride [Mass Market Paperback]

Claire Delacroix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2005

Following up "The Beauty Bride," this second title in Delacroix's trilogy about the three sisters of Alexander, Laird of Kinfairlie in medieval Scotland, finds Alexander arranging the abduction of stubborn Vivienne to guarantee a marriage for her. Original.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This leaden second entry in Delacroix's medieval-era Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy finds Alexander Lammergeier marrying off yet another sister for financial reasons—and, as in the first book, The Beauty Bride, he feels the need to trick the bride into participating. Playing upon his sister Vivienne's love of fairy stories, Alexander spins a tale—a mortal woman once fell asleep in the castle's highest tower and was seduced by a fairy prince—that compels her to climb the tower and await her own fairy prince. Unfortunately, the lover she meets, a mysterious man willing to pay her brother a hefty sum for her hand, is thoroughly mortal, and their passionate encounter leaves her compromised, sadly disillusioned and handfasted to the gruff Erik of Blackleith, who needs a noble bride and an heir to re-establish his claim to his family's estate. As the pair head for Blackleith, Vivienne strives to thaw her husband's icy heart, but Erik is so charmless that it's hard to root for her success. Vivienne, in turn, comes off as weak-willed, essentially accepting her role as broodmare until she can breach Erik's defenses. A prominent fairy subplot is knit throughout, but it serves more as a distraction than a complement to a love story that often feels like a recycled (and diluted) version of The Beauty Bride. (June)
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About the Author

The Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy is here! There was an excerpt of THE BRIDE AUCTION in the back of THE WARRIOR - but after that book went to press, the titles of all three books were changed. THE BRIDE AUCTION became THE BEAUTY BRIDE which published in January, 2005; THE BRIDE THIEF became THE ROSE RED BRIDE, coming out in June 2005; and THE BRIDE WAGER became THE SNOW WHITE BRIDE, coming out in November 2005. A confessed romantic dreamer, bestselling author Claire Delacroix always wove stories in her mind. Since Claire's first medieval romance - THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE - was published in 1993, she has won numerous awards and accolades. THE BEAUTY, part of her successful "Bride Quest" series, was her first book to land on the New York Times' Extended List of Bestselling Books. Claire has well over two million books in print, which include historical romances as well as contemporary and paranormal romances published under the name Claire Cross. Claire is an avid knitter and traveller (even though she can't knit on airplanes anymore) and lives in Canada with her husband.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446614424
• ISBN-13: 978-0446614429
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

NYT bestselling author Claire Delacroix always loved stories, both telling them and hearing them. She sold her first romance novel - THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE - in 1992 and has been happily writing romances ever since. She makes her home with her family, a number of incomplete knitting projects and a lot of overgrown houseplants. Claire loves to travel, to cook, to ride her bike and to read.

In 2011, Claire has been re-releasing many of her historical romances in digital format. For more information about these releases, please visit her website at http://www.delacroix.net. You can also search for Kindle editions of her books right here on Amazon.

Visit Claire's website, Chateau Delacroix, at
http://www.delacroix.net

Find Claire on FaceBook here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Claire-Delacroix/108553409224492

Claire also writes as Deborah Cooke:
http://www.deborahcooke.com

She blogs most weekdays at her blog, Alive & Knitting, at
http://www.delacroix.net/blog

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, January 22, 2006

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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

THE ROSE RED BRIDE by Claire Delacroix
January 22, 2006

This is the 2nd book in the trilogy that began with THE BEAUTY BRIDE. Set in Scotland in the 1400's, each book focuses on a different person in a family that had lost their parents a few years previous and brother Alexander is now Laird of Kinfairlie. The first book had the oldest sister, Madeleine, married off via an auction. This second book has Alexander asking "Nicholas" to take the next oldest sister, Vivienne, to bed, and then supposedly having them marry the following morn. What happens instead is that Nicholas is really not who he says he is, but is really the brother, Erik. Nicholas had been a suitor that Vivienne had spurned before, and Erik came for Vivienne, knowing of this fact. Instead of marrying Vivienne, he steals her away and finally tells her his story, of how he was left for dead and his wife had gone missing. He had two young children living with Nicholas, and Erik needed to save them from whatever fate Nicholas had in mind for them. As Vivienne has already fallen in love with Erik, she is willing to trust him and decides she will help him regain his rightful place at Blackleith, save his children, and hopes that Erik will fall in love with her and eventually marry her.

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first one. I think these books are enjoyable when read in the right frame of mind. They are historical romances, and I think period pieces are not for everyone. I do find that Delacroix does a great job writing these historical romances and I hope to read her third book in this series (The Snow White Bride).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original - A Wonderful Addition to a Marvelous Trilogy, June 3, 2005

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

Setting - Kinfairlie, coast of Scotland, 1421 --- In the second installment of the Jewels of Kinfairlie, Alexander, laird and brother of five sisters, is continuing his quest to marry off the two oldest sisters while pondering the fate of Kinfairlie's ability to manage over the winter. Having successfully married Madeline the eldest, Vivienne the second eldest was proving to be a more difficult challenge. Now as luck would have it a man claiming to be Nicholas Sinclair, a former suitor of Vivienne's, came to Kinfairlie not only requesting the hand of Vivienne but offering a pouch full of silver along with a condition that Alexander was finding totally objectionable. Nicholas wanted to BED THE BRIDE before the marriage took place! With severe misgivings and the fate of Kinfairlie weighing in the balance, Alexander agreed believing the man's word of honor that the wedding would take place the very next day. Alexander was convinced of the man's honorable intentions and believing Vivienne would be pleased with what he believed was her former suitor, he came up with a plan to meet the suitors demands. Unfortunately, this would be the second time Alexander's best intentions for wedding his sisters would fail miserably.

Knowing his sister Vivienne's predilection for adventure, Alexander that evening told a tale that was designed specifically to entice Vivienne into innocently sealing her own fate. Thinking that she would be meeting the man of her dreams Vivienne crept to the tower room that night ready to meet her destiny, a mystical `fairy' lover. Into the darkness a hooded lover crept thru the tower window and commenced to making slow sweet love to Vivienne. Unfortunately the morning light revelations would shatter her dreams. The dream lover turned out to be Erik Sinclair, older brother of Nicholas and his intentions did not include marriage, unless Vivienne could deliver him a son!

-- In a wonderfully ORIGINAL sequel to THE BEAUTY BRIDE, Claire Delacroix has fashioned an exciting action packed sensual romance. Our heroine, Vivienne was absolutely marvelous having every right to throw a HUGE hissy fit the next day when she discovered her `fairy lover' was no fairy and had taken her maidenhead with no immediate plans of marrying her! Instead, she was ready to go along with a hand-fast, believing deeply that the sweet loving person she laid with was truly the person that was hidden beneath the tortured and scarred warrior she discovered in the morning. Jam-packed with lively characters (such as Darg the impish spriggan and Elizabeth the youngest sister who was the only one to see and hear the naughty fairy), the author delivers non-stop action, amusing scenarios, and some poignantly loving reunions. This is Delacroix at her very magical best penning in the medieval / fantasy genre where in my opinion she simply shines! I am eagerly looking forward to the last of this trilogy when the two sisters team up to give their brother, Laird Alexander his well-earned comeuppance! [Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com]

4.0 out of 5 stars First rate fairy tale romance, June 27, 2008

By 

Melissa (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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

I was very pleasantly surprised in the Red Rose Bride. There were kidnappings, daring escapes, voyages and fairies in this magical romance. This novel is entertaining due to the plot and the characters.

Vivienne's brother Alex, Laird of Kinfairlie tells her a story about how a maiden can be wooed by an immortal man in the castle tower. Vivienne who loves fairy tales believes this wholeheartedly and awaits her dream lover in the castle tower that very night. She has no idea that her brother has made up this tale only to lure her into the tower so she can be stolen away by Eric Sinclair. Earlier, Alex had agreed to a marriage between Vivienne and Eric. But Alex was also fooled because Eric lied to him about his identity. He claimed to be his younger brother.

Vivienne, indeed, meets her dream lover and is utterly shocked the next morning when this man proves himself mortal. He kidnaps her stating they will not wed but instead have a handfast marriage of a year and a day. Vivienne is rightfully furious but when she discovers that Eric needs her assistance to free his two daughters from the clutches of his nefarious brother she is more than willing to aid his cause.

These two meet up with angry relatives and mischief making fairies and over the top servants. Through it all Vivienne never wavers in her support for Eric. She is loyal even in the face of adversity. Eric at first is secretive but as he spends more time with Vivienne, he cannot help but be charmed by her and soon shares the mysteries of his past. This is a fun novel full of magic and mayhem.