Customer Reviews

Royal's Bride (Thorndike Basic)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I finished this book, and I might even read Reese's story if I happen upon it at the library. But despite the enthusiastic teasers for Reese's book on both the first and last pages of Royal's Bride, I'd be unlikely to purchase it after reading this tepid intro to the trilogy. I felt like I got to know Lily, the heroine, pretty well, but I didn't have the same connection to Royal, the hero. I just couldn't understand how someone who was supposed to be so honorable that he'd unwaveringly obey an ill-conceived deathbed request could at the same time be so lacking in honor as to seduce his intended's cousin, subsequently carry through with solidifying the engagement and then repeatedly choose to continue the affair. I also didn't understand how a father who so stupidly lost the family fortune could inspire such unquestioning faith in his deathbed schemes. Actually, that whole plot setup really gnawed at me, because it seemed that Royal and his brothers had been raised to follow their own paths and be independent. So I couldn't see why a father-- open-minded enough to raise an heir who would leave the estate and work in the fields to save his Barbados plantation-- wouldn't trust his sons to find their own ways to restore the family fortune. For this to work for me, I really needed a point where Royal went ahead and fought for his relationship with Lily, or vice versa. I liked Jocelyn and Christopher, but it was just a little too convenient (and a little too unromantic) that Lily gets her man because someone outside the relationship decides to take a risk in order to be happy. I just couldn't shake the feeling that Royal was willing to give up on her if things hadn't magically worked out. Not really so romantic, in my opinion.

I have to get off my chest that Lily is a watering pot! If the Duke turned her tears into money he would be filthy rich! I don't understand what is up (or down) with Kat Martin! I have read all her historical romances...she was one of my favorite authors. With her ability to bring the historical time period alive one feels like you're living in those times with the social life , the dresses, etc.
The Necklace Trilogy was great! Then she ruined everything with the Heart Trilogy being awful. Now, the Bride Trilogy is not off to a good start. Yes Royal is handsome and honorable and Lily has some good qualities. But, they are NOT a very exciting couple and the plot is long and convoluted and NOT very satisfying. There is a lot of DOWN time where Royal and Lily don't interact much. The on-going plot is rather boring and drags on and on... Fortunately, the sex is very good and hot.
Overall, it's readable.

I lost of lot of hours of sleep over this book - I went to bed with ¼ of the book left and dreamt all night if Royal was going to honor his father last wish and marry Jocelyn or if he would follow his heart and marry his cousin Lily. I was concerned that Royal and Lily con to get Royal's family money back from a evil con-artist was going to backfire and then I wondered if Jocelyn (Royal fiancé) was going to run away with her true love... and if it would have a happy ending. It was a long night - I won't tell you how it ended but I closed the book happy and satisfied and wondering about things would work out for the rest of the brothers... I will just have to wait for her next book Reese's Bride due out Jan 2010 & Rule's Bride due out May 2010.

Royal's Bride was more the sex and lust, it was a story. The characters have depth and color.

The Sixth Duke of Bransford made a death bed pledge with each of his three sons. Royal was to marry for wealth and restore Bransford Castle, Reese to live at and restore Briarwood Manor, and Rule to create an alliance with the Americas. All three sons pledged their oaths to their father before his death.

This book was based on Royal's pledge. Kat Martin built the characters so you understood their unspoken feelings. Royal, an honor bound man, was also determined to find out how his father had lost his fortune. Lily, the cousin of Royal's betrothed Jocelyn, had a seamy past. Not at all what the Seventh Duke of Bransford should fall in love with.

This book had honor, loyalty, intrigue, laughter, tears, suspense, victories, failures, romance and more. The friendships were solid and real. The plot tracked well, with no story lines unfulfilled. Even the side characters had depth that made you care about them too. I personally enjoyed Aunt Agatha, the Oarsman, Jack Moran, and Tommy. I look forward to reading Reese's Bride.

In 1854, Royal Dewar comes home after spending several years in foreign countries to pay his respects to his dying father, the duke of Bransford. His dad insists Royal make a death bed promise to marry an heiress to restore the family's dwindling fortune that was devastated by a con artist. Unable to say no or even ignore the plea Royal acquiesces.

Although he knows no one but himself is aware of his pledge, the honorable new duke proposes to wealthy snooty Jocelyn Caulfield; she accepts. However, he falls in love with her impecunious feisty cousin, Lily Moran, who has a criminal history when they team up to recover the money his father lost. While Jocelyn also falls in love with Christopher Barclay, Lily is abducted by their adversary; Royal vows to rescue his beloved and find a way to marry her.

This is a terrific Victorian romantic suspense starring a strong lead pair and a solid support cast especially the heroine's arrogant cousin and the villain. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Royal comes home and never slows down. Although the post game show is too perfect, fans will enjoy the tense game. Kat Martin always entertains the audience with her fantastic romances.

Harriet Klausner

This first book of the series is my favorite. I love Lily and Royal and I love them together. I also liked the sub-plots with the other characters as well. It's a good story with some twists, but nothing deep or particularly surprising. A pleasant, light read with good characters, an interesting plot and a few delicious love scenes thrown in for good measure.

This author always starts out strong and my interest gets sparked and I'm looking forward to getting more into the book, but as I read on somehow the story seems to sidetrack itself with too many elements. The basic story of a Noble who gives his dying father his vow to marry an extremely wealthy woman his father has chosen. Their estate has fallen into ruin with bad investments made by his father when he was ill. Bring in the spoiled bride to be and her sweet cousin and the story begins to move along nicely until the author introduces a sub-plot which burdens down the story. Eliminate the young street urchin, eliminate half of the sub plot, and eliminate every reference to "Sherry's crooked bottom teeth" and you'd have a better story, one that has some flow to it. The same errors occurred in "Reese's Bride" which was a poorer read. If you want a great well written story, check out Julie Garwoods "The Prize". Julia Garwood can write historicals.

Royal's Bride by Kat Martin
Historical Romance- August 25th, 2009
4 stars

This book light regency is one that Kat Martin readers will be sure to enjoy.
Royal is the suffering hero who loves another, Lily the ultimate good girl and Jocelyn the spoiled, selfish heiress that you just want to punch. Then there is the usual cast: the guy's best friends who would do anything for the hero, the old crazy aunt who is the Fairy Godmother, the aforementioned slimy bad guy, and the girl's only last remaining relative who loves the heroine like a father despite his shady past.
Royal Dewar is a penniless duke who must marry the rich heiress, Joselyn Caufield, in order to rebuild his estate. His father, the old duke, makes Royal swear on his deathbed that Royal will marry Joselyn. Unfortunately, Royal has fallenl in love with Joselyn's poor cousin Lily Moran!
There's plenty of side twists in the novel involving the villainous con artist who scammed the old duke and cause the Dewar family's current financial dilemma and include how Lily and Royal must team up to get the money back.

Royal's Bride is light-hearted and optimistic. If you don't feel like reading about human fallacies, this is the book to read. No matter how dubious a character is, he/she will invariably be coated with a layer of sugar - except for the main evil guy of course. It is not a bad read, it's just predictable. Personally, I like a book that is a bit darker, edgier - a novel where the author makes no apologies for creating unsavory characters. Strangely, I found the best character in Royal's Bride is the spoiled heiress: she's has a lot of spunk!

Royal's Bride is good escape, a comfortable read that readers of light regency will enjoy.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Royal Dewar, duke of Bransford, promised his father as he lay on his death bed that he would marry Jocelyn Caulfield and bring the family's estate back from ruins. Royal doesn't want to marry, but he will, for his father's sake. Jocelyn is wealthy and breathtakingly beautiful, except Royal is more attracted to Jocelyn's cousin Lily Moran. Royal tries to ignore his attraction to Lily, but once he tasted her lips, he cannot get enough. And now, with Lily helping to catch the man responsible for his father's ruin, denying his feeling for her is even harder. Royal loves Lily, however with so much at stake, is love enough?



Royal mistakenly thinking Lily is his bride-to-be, and Lily's candid admission of her past and Royal's reaction to it, are just two of the many wonderful moments in Royal's Bride. From fun to exciting and romantic to erotic, Royal's Bride is a lovely historical novel with not one, but two heart-warming romances. Things seem a little unfair to Jocelyn at times, even if she is a brat, but watching Royal and Lily together is delightful. By the middle of the story I was as captivated by Jocelyn's plight as Royal and Lily's. I love how things work out for all of them. Royal's Bride is a charming love story rich in tradition and full of angst.


Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I really enjoyed this book! To me this is vintage Kat Martin. I felt that Royal and Lily fell in love right from the start. I loved the side story of Jocelyn and Christopher. Can't wait for the other books to be released.