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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Clashing issues of truth and loyalty - Highly recommended, September 4, 2002
By A Customer
Keene Davies challenges his best friend to a duel when Victor's behavior nearly destroys the lives of others. As a consequence, his father calls him in two weeks later, demanding that Keene marry. Before his brother's death, Keene had decided that he would never marry, thereby allowing his younger brother to be his heir. With Richard gone, his father demands his marriage to his distant cousin Sophie Farthing or he will have Keene charged with attempted murder. Indeed, except for a small partial protected by entail, Sophie will inherit his father's property and wealth. Not that it matters, as Keene has never cared to spend his father's money, preferring to support himself from profits earned at gambling tables. Keene first unorthodox glimpse of his cousin, after many years absence, is of her drawers as she attempts to crawl out a window to escape yet another match making ploy. Such exploits seem to characterize her high spirits. Not that Sophie has anything against marriage; certainly any escape from her very restrictive parental home would be preferable to her staid country existence. She longs to travel to London and dance, attend the opera, and live the life she was born to. Accepting Keene's proposal comes easily; establishing a happy marriage amidst well meaning machinations and misunderstandings proves to be an extraordinary challenge. A playful romp with potentially emotionally devastating undertones, THE WEDDING DUEL by Karen L. King is a must read for regency romance fans. Sophie's high spirits and innocence result in a fresh, charming heroine. Her lack of knowledge of city manners provides in a number of fun escapades that fly in the face of convention. Her character strengths also prove to be her weaknesses when she does not understand how her own words, not to mention her well-meaning parents, lay a trap that she neither suspects or understands. Keene's concern with issues of loyalty and fidelity likewise become his greatest strengths as well as his greatest weaknesses. While their misunderstandings become somewhat protracted, wonderful secondary characters keep the pace moving along nicely, resulting in a highly entertaining read.
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