Christmas Awards 2011

Tuesday 8 July 2008

The Adventurous Bride


THE ADVENTUROUS BRIDE
By
Miranda Jarrett.
Published by Mills and Boon
ISBN978-0-263-86253-9.




This Regency romance begins at Aston Hall, Kent in June 1784. Lady Mary Farren is enjoying the dancing in her father’s ballroom, but her mind is on the wonderful journey on which she is about embark with her dear friend and governess Miss Wood. Unfortunately her peace of mind is about to be shattered by her younger sister Lady Diana, who is a very flirtatious young lady. Their Father the Duke of Aston, who is heartily tired of Diana’s adventures, is looking for his youngest daughter and Miss Wood is unable to find her. Lady Mary sends Miss Wood back to placate The Duke while she searches for Diana, but Mary knows that it will not be too long before he realises that Diana is missing from the ballroom and he himself starts to search for her.
Lady Mary searches for her sister in the gardens but she is no where to be found, in desperation Mary heads for the stables, she had noticed her sister making eyes at a new stable hand. She finds Diana in the straw with the stable lad, in a very compromising position and hearing her father’s voice as he approaches the stable she begs Diana to come away quickly, but the stable boy grabs Mary’s arm and tries to pull her also into the straw, just then her father walks into the stable. He is understandably furious and orders his daughters to attend him in his study.


Mary is terrified that her father will stop her going on the grand tour and she is very angry with Diana. But to her surprise her father does not stop her travelling, instead he informs her that he intends to send Diana with her and she is to take charge of her wayward sister on the tour. He could stand Diana’s adventures no longer and intended to send her away from his sight for as long as possible. Mary is so relieved that she is still allowed to go on the Grand Tour that she determines to take care of her sister and be very strict with her.


The first stop for the sister’s on their journey is in Calais in France, where Mary meets a fascinating man in a small grubby antiques shop. She finds a painting of an Angel and determines to buy it, offering far more than the dealer has asked in order to secure the sale, which the dealer is reluctant to do. The gentleman having not seen the picture before is also interested in it but too late Lady Mary is insistent and buys it.


This painting is the beginning of many dangerous adventures, which the sisters will face on their journey’s. The gentleman whom Mary met in the art shop in Calais is Lord John Fitzgerald, an adventurer who soon becomes entangled in all of their adventures. Which sister is he interested in and will he be a true friend or will he betray them, for a profit. Can Mary stop her wayward sister from falling in love with almost any man she meets, eligible or not? Or can it be that Mary is the wayward one this time. An interesting and unusual Regency romance. I award this book 4 red Roses.AS

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