A Bride for the Season (Love's Grace #3) by Jennifer Delamere Published November 25th 2014 by Forever
Paperback, 384 pages
Series: Love's Grace
Genre: Historical RomanceHeat Rating: Kissing
Amazon | Goodreads
About A BRIDE FOR THE SEASON
London's most scandalous bachelor has finally gone too far. Caught in a situation that was innocent but too compromising, James Simpson is forced to admit that he must do the honorable thing and marry the lady. Unfortunately, marriage alone will not be enough to appease her father. He won't agree to a dowry unless James can find a suitable husband for the lady's elder sister-the shy and awkward Lucinda Cardington.
Lucinda doesn't care that she is close to being "on the shelf"; she has more serious pursuits in mind. She enjoys the friendship she and James share over their love of photography, but she leaves dreams of romance to silly young ladies like her sister. James does manage to find a match for Lucinda, and his efforts to get them together are about to succeed...until James comes to the distressing realization that he doesn't want Lucinda in anyone's arms but his own.
When James Simpsons is caught in a situation that was supposed to be innocent but looked a bit too compromising, he is suddenly forced to marry the lady in question. Unfortunately her father refuses to release her dowry unless James agrees and is able to find a husband for the father's eldest daughter who was also caught within the scandal as an innocent bystander who was trying to save her sister's reputation from ruin.
Lucinda Cardington is shy and awkward and doesn't really want to get married. It was never on her mind, let alone her heart. She doesn't do well at parties or large gatherings, enjoys photography, and does not have the social skills to attract a husband. I loved Lucinda, I thought she was very endearing and felt very real. In a way, she reminded me a little of me, so it was nice to be able to relate to a character.
I enjoyed the plot a lot. It has been a while since I read something like this and thinking back, I do not remember reading something like this in particular. James and Lucinda get close, while James realizes there is treasure hidden behind the sociably awkward, "plain" girl, he finds himself falling head over heels for Lucinda. Too bad he is already engaged to her bubbly, beautiful, but childish sister Emily. So while James struggles to find the perfect match for Lucinda, he cannot help the growing attraction between them. I liked that the attraction did not happen right away, but sort of built through the book. It made it much more enjoyable and believe. I found myself rooting for the match, even if the ending was a bit predictable.
What I wasn't really fond off...
Emily. I really disliked her until the end. I did not think she was a good sister and everything she did was to help herself and not Lucinda. She was childish and annoying, and it took me to the end of the book to really warm up to her.
The pacing was a bit slow, but I didn't mind it too much, it did let me savor some moments. There had been parts that felt a little dry, but the rest of it made it up for it.
This isn't really something I was bothered with, just caught by surprise really... The book has several religious undertones. I had to go back and look at the genre, and since I never read anything by Delamere before it caught me by surprise. Again, this really didn't bother me, but I just did not think it was Christian Historical Romance, so it caught me by surprise.
Overall, I really liked the plot. It was different from what I read recently, so it was refreshing, romantics, and fun.
Lucinda Cardington is shy and awkward and doesn't really want to get married. It was never on her mind, let alone her heart. She doesn't do well at parties or large gatherings, enjoys photography, and does not have the social skills to attract a husband. I loved Lucinda, I thought she was very endearing and felt very real. In a way, she reminded me a little of me, so it was nice to be able to relate to a character.
I enjoyed the plot a lot. It has been a while since I read something like this and thinking back, I do not remember reading something like this in particular. James and Lucinda get close, while James realizes there is treasure hidden behind the sociably awkward, "plain" girl, he finds himself falling head over heels for Lucinda. Too bad he is already engaged to her bubbly, beautiful, but childish sister Emily. So while James struggles to find the perfect match for Lucinda, he cannot help the growing attraction between them. I liked that the attraction did not happen right away, but sort of built through the book. It made it much more enjoyable and believe. I found myself rooting for the match, even if the ending was a bit predictable.
What I wasn't really fond off...
Emily. I really disliked her until the end. I did not think she was a good sister and everything she did was to help herself and not Lucinda. She was childish and annoying, and it took me to the end of the book to really warm up to her.
The pacing was a bit slow, but I didn't mind it too much, it did let me savor some moments. There had been parts that felt a little dry, but the rest of it made it up for it.
This isn't really something I was bothered with, just caught by surprise really... The book has several religious undertones. I had to go back and look at the genre, and since I never read anything by Delamere before it caught me by surprise. Again, this really didn't bother me, but I just did not think it was Christian Historical Romance, so it caught me by surprise.
Overall, I really liked the plot. It was different from what I read recently, so it was refreshing, romantics, and fun.
About Jennifer Delamere
The youngest child of a Navy pilot and a journalist, Jennifer acquired a love of adventure and an excitement for learning that continues to this day. She's lived in three countries and traveled throughout theU.S. An avid reader of classics and historical fiction, she also enjoys biographies and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the characters and places in her books. She resides with her husband in North Carolina--where, when not writing or dreaming up romantic adventures for her characters, she can be found fantasizing about her next ski trip or European vacation.
I'm not really a fan of historical romances like this one, but I'm glad that you enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
You know how I love historicals, this looks great!
ReplyDeleteI've never read these bride-specific romance series before but glad to see it worked out for you, Lily--I definitely need to give these a shot! They sound like the kind of read I'd love on a cold winter night! ;)
ReplyDeleteI always love a character more when she's relatable to me. This sounds sweet. And that dress is so pretty!
ReplyDelete