LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon Books
Date published: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-207022-7
Historical Romance
Paperback
Obtained via publisher
Reviewed by Lynne


Lady Thea Martin, the disinherited sister of the duke of Duruset, is struggling to raise her two young boys and give them the life they deserve. Her reputation as a brilliant matchmaker has reached various levels of society, and soon she is invited to help find the perfect match for a former childhood friend, Neal Chattan, Lord Lyon, who disappeared without a word to her years before but is now asking for something almost impossible to find. A bride he cannot love.

Lord Lyon is proud, determined...and cursed. Because of this, it is necessary to find a bride he cannot fall in love with, or else he will die. He is hoping to break the curse that has plagued his family for generations.

Thea, in a valiant effort to help him, soon finds herself caught up in her feelings for the man...and he for her. But both know they cannot give into their affection for one another. Still, as time goes on, they begin to wonder if there is hope, knowing their love is worth saving. And Lyon, despite the possibly unfortunate consequences, soon realizes that he shares a love with Thea that is well worth dying for.

LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell is a delightful read. Fast-paced, it kept me turning pages, although I have never read any of the other books in this series. I greatly enjoyed this story. It is well-written, heartwarming, and very entertaining.

The two young boys in LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE added great appeal to this wonderful romance between Lyon and Thea. The fact that Lyon desires the boys for his own, as well as the beautiful Thea whom he had grown close to in their younger years, adds some spice to this story.

Maxwell has a great knack for writing, pacing, and plotting. This story is creative, and I much enjoyed it as it quickly took hold of me and pulled me in, pleasantly drawing me along with each page. I easily grew to like the main characters, Lyon and Thea, as well as Christopher and Jonathan. The affection between the characters was extremely heartwarming.

The minor characters were believable and likeable as well. I especially liked reading about Lyon’s brother and sister, Harry and Margaret. Also plagued by the curse, Maxwell did a splendid job of sharing how much it brought suffering to their lives as well.

My favorite part is when Thea invited all of Lyon’s hopefuls to a gathering at a friend’s home. Mirabel, Lady Palmer, is a light-hearted, great addition to the characters. And I loved the interaction of all the hopeful brides, as they schemed and planned ways to win Lord Lyon for themselves. Maxwell did this in ways that held my interest. The many conflicts prevalent in LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE are a lot of fun to read about.

LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell is a pleasant read, fast-paced, and exciting in many ways. If one wants to kick back for an afternoon and just lose oneself for a few hours, I believe LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE will satisfy immensely.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW