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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Romance, and Thrilling Intrigue Abounds, July 9, 2005
I may be a devout fan of Elizabeth Thornton, but as a reviewer you can rely upon me to give you an honest assessment of what I've read. Well, I'm here to say Thornton's newest book should definitely be on your `buy list' as she welcomes you into her newest Regency-era trilogy with her initial offering focusing on Lord Jack Rigg and his two best friends, Ash, heir to a Marquis; and Brand, born on the wrong side of the blanket and now a renowned newspaper man.
Jack had led a carefree life until he inherited an Earldom upon his brother's death, and became the target of all the matchmaking mamas of England. Along with his friend Ash, they fled London for Paris where Jack met the unremarkable lady's companion Ellie Hill. Jack never recognized her as the childhood friend that had at one time both tormented and idolized him so many years ago. Never would he have looked twice at the dowdy companion, but hours later near the infamous Palais Royale, could he believe that the mysterious Madame Aurora, cardsharp virtuoso, he had rescued in a café brawl was the same woman. In the space of hours, their paths had crossed several times where, Jack's impressions went from total disinterest, enchantment, and then a furious rage as he felt he'd been set up!
The furthest thing from Ellie Brans-Hill's mind was attempting to trap anyone into marriage, especially her former childhood friend, Jack Riggs. A vicar's daughter, all thoughts of marriage fled her mind years ago and her one goal was to honor a promise to her mother to take care of her brother Robbie. What little money earned as a lady's companion though would not be sufficient to bail Robbie out of his latest peccadillo, thus she had donned the guise of the mysterious Lady Aurora and ventured out to win the money needed to pay off loan sharks threatening her beloved brother. Being rescued by Jack Riggs, would prove to be a godsend when later she would be accused of theft and needed an alibi - but the alibi would cost dearly as it caught them both in a marriage trap!
*** In my opinion, nobody does it better in creating fascinating characters, intriguing mystery, and splendid romance as effectively as Thornton. This initial installment in a new trilogy proves without a doubt that she is still a force to be reckoned with in this genre. Her characters are all fresh and well defined and the two leads, Jack and Ellie, played extremely well off of one another. Ellie's set-down to Jack after refusing his insulting offer of marriage was a positively brilliant piece of dialog, that I found totally delightful - I think I actually clapped! This newest trilogy is off to a great start and the insights given of the next two heroes Brand and Ash, will surely whet your appetite for more from this very accomplished author. You won't go wrong in adding this author to your `auto-buy' lists and keeper shelves. - Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com --
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a suprisingly good read!, September 9, 2005
I have never been a huge Elizabeth Thorton fan. I've found her books to be satisfactory in the past, but perhaps a bit dry and lacking in spark for my taste.
A friend highly recommended The Marriage Trap, and although I wasn't expecting to be too impressed, I was pleasantly surprised. As another reviewer mentioned, this is one of the rare stories in which I could actually see the romance developing. The protagonists weren't completely convinced it was "true love" from the start, but rather got to know each other much as "real life" relationships evolve. While this might sound like it is dull (I too normally prefer the "sweep me off my feet" romance) but the diologue was clever and the characters were very likable (particularly Ellie). And although the Ellie and Jack seemed more grounded than other romantic heroes, there was still no shortage of sweet moments in which you knew they were made for each other.
There was the perfect balance of a genuinely interesting mystery and the developing romance, with a cast of secondary characters that perfectly complimented the protagonists. The comparisons between Ellie and Frances (sister-in-law) were very effective, as was the more lighthearted comparison between Jack and his fashionable friend Ast.
Overall I thought this was a perfectly balanced and charming story, that I would highly recommend. My only complaint is very minor: the ending could have been just a bit stronger in my opinion. The mystery was wrapped up fairly satisfyingly, but I didn't feel there was enough closure between the two main characters. Of course, in keeping with the nature of their relationship, in a lot of ways it made more sense for them to have a simple "happily ever after" moment rather than the usual dramatic conclusions I usually look for.
Definetly try this one whether or not you're an Elizabeth Thorton fan.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An alpha male and the spirited woman who captures his heart, August 24, 2005
This book had great dialog, hero , heroine , plot, background characters & character development. I loved the mystery of how Jack was trying to find who killed an actress and trying to hurt Ellie. There is a lot of twists and turns. I love watching Jack and Ellie grow to fall in love with each other. This a different kind of romance. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional and the author weaves a mystery into the story without slowing it down or interrupting the romantic flow. Jack and Ellie love for each other builds slowly and deepens until you can almost feel it.
There is also Ellie's bitchy sister-in-law Frances. Through her sister-in-law you see Ellie grow into a stronger person and helps Jack see wonderful and kind Ellie is compared to Frances. Frances is someone you love to hate.
This book had me laughing out loud and later made me teary-eyed.The Marriage Trap was a quick read that kept me turning pages from start to finish. The author captured the essence of the age without loading up the prose with gratuitous period facts with little bearing on the story. This was just the kind of romance novel I love is Wonderful characters. Characters that seems real because they are not perfect-something most novels like this lack. One of the things I liked best about this book is the way the author wove the emotional storyline with such a light touch -- I was engrossed with the relationship between the hero and heroine and truly felt as if I knew them both. A wonderful hero, an engaging and spunky heroine, a mystery to be solved, and a large heaping of danger and action. I positive devoured this book. :-) This book is a gem.
I also loved meeting Jack's best friends Ash and Brand. It will be fun who and how they fall in love with in the next two romance books.
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