Customer Reviews

Society Weddings (Mills & Boon Romance)

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

 

 

The Duke's Secret Wife, by Kate Walker is just another example of what this author can do.

Isabelle's marriage is over. She's finally sent the divorce papers. But Luis de Silva is back. He's not ready to call it quits...as a matter of fact, he wants her to come back to Spain with him. Isabelle and Luis have to start all over again, and maybe this time they can find what was missing in the marriage first time around. It wasn't love, they always had plenty of that. It was trust. If they can learn to believe in each other, maybe they can truly end their story with a happily-ever-after.

From the back cover:

Society Weddings: they're gorgeous, glamorous--and they're getting married!

"Promised to the Sheikh" by Sharon Kendrick
Sheikh Rashid of Quador finally wants to marry his arranged bride. But Jenna has discovered what a playboy he really is! She has to get out of their wedding, so she pretends she's no longer a virgin. But Rashid discovers the truth...

"The Duke's Secret Wife" by Kate Walker
Isabelle's secret marriage to Don Luis de Silva seems to be over. But the heir to the dukedom demands she pretend to be his fiancee, then his wife! What does Luis have to gain from his reunion--except Isabelle?

And my review:

The first story was so stupid! I couldn't even finish it. What woman pretends to be a slut when she's really a virgin? Doesn't it usually work the other way around? And you can guess just how he finds out the truth about Jenna. That scene made me lose all interest in the book. One star.

Kate Walker's story was much more enjoyable. I love stories of estranged spouses reconciling, and this one was quite well done. Both characters were likeable, and they didn't just fight all the time (which seems to happen in romance novels nowadays). Their reunion was very heartwarming. While not a story that I would re-read, it was still worth the one-time read. Four stars.

Society Weddings by Sharon Kendrick and Kate Walker
Harlequin Presents # 2268 - August 2002
Society Weddings themed series

Promised to the Sheikh by Sharon Kendrick

Sheikh Rashid's people are restless for their Sheikh to marry and produce heirs. So he calls his arranged bride home from America. But Jenna's no longer the naive teenager who would have given Rashid all her love. Now she wants equality and respect and his love above all others. She's afraid that if they marry, he'll continue to keep his Paris mistress. So she tells him that she's taken a lover and is no longer a suitable bride. This only enrages Rashid and he insists on sampling what she so freely gave away.

If not for the memories Jenna has of a tender Rashid as she grew up, he would not have been a very endearing hero. But he reveals his vulnerabilty to her, and admires her courage to stand up to him when all others only agree. This was enjoyable but really needed a longer format to do justice to Rashid and Jenna's love story.

The Duke's Secret Wife by Kate Walker

Two years before, Isabelle's husband had walked out of their marriage believing she had betrayed him, with the promise that he never wanted to see her again. Yet here he is asking her for a reconciliation and for her to return to Spain with him. Only when she returns to Spain with Luis, she learns that his family believes she is his fiancee and that they are to have a huge traditional wedding befitting the heir of a Duke. And when Luis says he forgives her for the past, Isabelle is heartbroken and declares she doesn't want forgiveness for something she didn't do, that all she wanted was his trust.

For such a short read, this one is emotionally intense. Luis tries hard to hide that his feelings for Isabelle have not changed. Isabelle wants nothing more than for Luis to love her as he used to but shows tremendouse strength when she realizes that the rift between them is too great. This story also needed a longer format to bring Luis and Isabelle their HEA.