Wednesday, September 28, 2011

BRIDE FOR A NIGHT by Rosemary Rogers

Publisher: HQN
Date published: September 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-0373775972
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained ARC by Publisher/Netgalley


Talia Dobson has more working against her than for her. No matter how rich her father Silas is it does not change the fact she is not nobility. Silas is a nobody, seeking to be somebody in London society. Talia isn’t a lovely simpering miss. Rather she is a mousy bookworm.

Harry Richardson is a ner-do-well younger son. While his brother, Gabriel, has taken his role as Earl of Ashcombe seriously.

Gabriel has pulled Harry out of scrap after scrap and has done what he could to keep the family from scandal.

In an act that could only have arisen from his selfish, self-absorbed lifestyle, Harry agrees to wed Talia. Silas will have his position in society and Harry will have money. No one asks Talia what she wants. Despite being left at the altar on her wedding day, Talia goes on with her life. She didn’t want Harry in the first place.

Silas however will have his due and he badgers Gabriel into marrying Talia. While secretly she is pleased because she has admired Gabriel from afar, Gabriel wants nothing to do with his wife. That is, until his wedding night. However, despite the passion that flares between the two, Gabriel sends Talia to his country estate where she meets a charming and caring vicar, Jack. But Jack is so much more than a country parson. Jack is a seemingly harmless alter ego, hiding a man who could destroy so much more than Gabriel and Talia.

BRIDE FOR A NIGHT is Rosemary Rogers at her best. Her voice in this wonderful story comes through as lyrical. It is a different, more refined voice than I’ve read in her prior books. Talia and Gabriel have a love for each other reminiscent of her first couple, Ginny and Steve, but there is an innate tenderness in Gabriel that is so different from any of Ms. Roger’ prior heroes. He is the epitome of a man of his time and the telling of his personal battle coming to terms with his feelings for Talia is well done.

Secondary characters Sophia, Harry and Hugh (Lord Rothwell) are memorable and as he story came to its close I found myself wishing BRIDE FOR A NIGHT was the first of a series. There is a woman for Hugh and in the final pages she led him quite the chase. This reviewer would love to see him captured by Miss Lansing.

BRIDE FOR A NIGHT is Rosemary Rogers at her finest.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

1 comment:

Beebs said...

Just finished this and I loved it. While Gabriel had his faults, he wasn't as overbearing as some of her previous heroes,

I was hoping for Hugo and Harry's stories.