The Ideal Bride (Laurens, Stephanie) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Michael Anstruther-Wetherby swore beneath his breath..." (more)
Key Phrases: diplomatic hostess, ideal bride, church fete, Miss Trice, Bramshaw House, Camden Sutcliffe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Laurens's newest romantic offering, set in early 19th-century London, possesses two of her trademarks—coolly confident characters and plentiful and graphic sex scenes—but it lacks the fire and feisty humor of her earlier works (All About Passion, etc.). Once readers encounter Laurens's protagonists, it's clear why. A self-possessed young widow, Caro Sutcliffe, whose late husband was an ambassador, and a calculating political player, Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, are adept at diplomacy; they know who to align themselves with, how to manage the people around them and what to say in every situation. Unlike the protagonists in Laurens's previous novels, Caro and Michael hardly ever lose control of their emotions, which makes them seem more like marionettes than people. When Michael sets his sights on marrying Caro's 19-year-old niece, Elizabeth, who's actually in love with somebody else, Caro intervenes not by confronting him but by attending a number of social gatherings and instructing Elizabeth to behave in ways unbefitting a politician's wife. Caro's plan works, but she soon finds that she's become the object of Michael's pursuit. Laurens stuffs the story with sex scenes, but her second-by-second analyses of every kiss and caress brings new meaning to the word tedious. Her overblown metaphors also detract from the sensuality of these scenes ("she was dimly aware when he reached his own limit and release caught him, racked him, then the storm rolled on and he lay beside her on that golden shore"). A well-executed mystery subplot involving attempts on Caro's life lends some zest to this offering, but not enough to satisfy fans of Laurens's popular Cynster novels.
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Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens has created some of romance's most unforgettable novels. Now she has created her most provocative love story -- and amazing hero -- to date. This is the book that dares to ask the question: Who is this man's ideal bride?

Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a rising member of Parliament -- a man destined for power. Aristocratic, elegant, and effortlessly charming, he is just arrogant enough to capture the interest of the ladies of the ton. And with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family -- his sister is married to Devil Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives -- his future appears assured.

Except that Michael lacks the single most important element of success: a wife.

Political pressure sends him searching for his ideal bride, a gently bred, malleable young lady, preferably one with a political background. Michael discovers such a paragon but finds a formidable obstacle in his path -- the young lady's beautiful, strong-minded aunt -- Caroline Sutcliffe.

One of London's foremost diplomatic hostesses, Caro has style and status but, having lived through an unhappy political marriage, wants nothing of the sort for her niece, who has already lost her heart to another.

So Caro and the younger woman hatch a plot -- Caro will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the bride for Michael. She succeeds in convincing him that what he really needs is a lady of experience by his side.

And the perfect candidate is right under his nose -- Caro herself. Then it is Michael's turn to be persuasive, a task that requires every ounce of his seductive charm as he tempts and tantalizes Caro, seeking to convince her that becoming his bride will bring her all her heart desires . . . and more.

But then a series of mysterious, and dangerous, accidents befall Caro -- an assailant has stepped in with their own idea for Caro's future -- one that could involve murder. Before Caro can become Michael's ideal bride, they must race to uncover the unknown's identity before all hope of what they long for, and wish for, is destroyed.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060505737
• ISBN-13: 978-0060505738
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #827,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 12 in The Cynster Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not her best effort - but still good!, April 30, 2004

By	M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Setting - Eyeworth Manor, near Fritham in New Forest, Hampshire, 1825 --- For fans of Laurens earlier Cynster novels this one features Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, who at 33 is a rising member of Parliament -- a man who clearly has a very promising future, quite possibly destined for greatness but insiders confided to him that advancement would be conditional upon him acquiring a wife. Handsome, well-born and naturally charming he is matchmaking mama's dream, especially with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family -- his sister is married to Devil Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives (DEVIL'S BRIDE).

Knowing that he needs a perfect wife, who would be politically astute, Michael has looks over his acquaintances and decides that 19 year old, Elizabeth Mollston would make a perfectly acceptable wife and helpmate as she came from a politically involved family herself. The only problem is that Elizabeth is in love with another and has enlisted the help of her Aunt Caro Sutcliffe, to help her in discouraging him from declaring himself. It doesn't take long before Michael discovers what that Caro has been `managing' him and that it is Caro, the very accomplished foreign ministers widow, who would be the perfect helpmate. Only Caro, whose previous marriage to a much older man, is adamant to remain `The Merry Widow' and NEVER intends to marry again. Michael has to use all of his abundant diplomatic charm to convince her to become his wife. At the same time, in a secondary sub-plot, and after numerous `accidents', he must discover who is trying to kill her.

While this latest entry has abundant and graphic sexual encounters, it seemed to me that Laurens came up a bit short in the fire and feisty humor department. Caro and Michael, when not in bed, against a wall, or on the floor or ground hardly ever lose control of their emotions, which believe it or not give them a slightly lifeless appeal. After a while I grew somewhat bored with the repetitive sexual encounters and actually started skipping over them, being more interested in the action and mystery of the sub-plot of who was trying to kill Caro. The well-developed mystery subplot, in my opinion, saved this story being tossed aside, and of course, involving Devil Cynster (one of my all time favorite male heroes) was a treat! The excitement just wasn't there to call this a page-turner. Another point I look at when evaluating a book is that I had no trouble in putting it aside to go to bed. Bottom line.... Good, but not what I've come to expect from such an accomplished author.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Kind of Disappointing, April 20, 2006

By	msbooklady "msbooklady" (Biloxi, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ideal Bride (Cynster Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the 11th in the Cynster series and is Michael Anstruther Wetherby's story. He is the brother of Honoria, Duchess of St. Ives (Devil's Bride)

Michael is in politics and needs a bride to further his career. He decides to marry a suitable young woman and when he goes to pursue her, he falls for her aunt instead. The aunt, Caro, is a young widow who was married to another man in politics. Sparks fly and the relationship takes off, but she is hesitant to marry because she is afraid he wants her for her political savy. There is also someone unknown person trying to kill her. The problem with this book is it is just plain boring. I don't know how to explain it but it just doesn't keep you involved. I continued reading it because I enjoy the Cynster series. If this was your first of Stephanie Lauren's books you pick up, you probably won't buy another, so try another one instead.

If you are interested these are the books in the series so far:

1. Devil's Bride
2. A Rake's Vow (Vane Cynster)
3. Scandal's Bride
4. A Rogue's Proposal (Demon Cynster)
5. A Secret Love (Gabriel Cynster)
6. All About Love (Lucifer Cynster)
7. All About Passion (Chillingworth)
8. On a Wild Night (Amanda Cynster)
9. On a Wicked Dawn (Amelia Cynster)
10. The Perfect Lover (Simon Cynster)
11. The Ideal Bride (Michael Anstruther-Wetherby)

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars long and drawn out, May 7, 2004

By A Customer

As a Laurens fan I couldn't wait for this book! Well, I should have kept on waiting. Sorry to say, it took my days upon days to get throught this book. The first hundred pages or so seemed to be slow dry reading. The characters aren't that well developed and are lacking her usual flare. The plot could have amounted to a more exciting story if we didn't have to keep reading about the lack of [physical relations] in Caro's first marriage.