Elizabeth Thornton (1940–2010)

I'm honestly not sure why I finished this book. Perhaps since the initial premise was so ridiculous---of course you'd send your friend something cryptic about the villain when he's coming to kill you instead of saying, plainly, "the villain did it!"---each succeeding plot twist and contortion of character seemed less absurd than it truly was.

By the time I got to the part where the hero was lambasting the heroine for putting her dead husband on a pedestal---because the hero, himself, has show more apparently put the heroine on a pedestal and can't forgive her any flaws or mistakes---I was already so far into the blasted thing that I decided I might as well finish it. I might, too, have been hoping the hero and heroine would have a nice knock-down-drag-out and sort everything out between them...but that didn't happen either. All told, a complete waste of several hours' reading time. show less

At times gothic, and other times confusing, A Bewitching Bride ended up very sweet, but left me wondering what the heck had happened. Kate sort of ping-ponged back and forth in her emotions--I thought she was pregnant at one point because in the span of half a page she went from euphoric to screeching shrew for no reason I could ascertain.

It was however an intriguing story that was different and entertaining to read. Neither Kate nor Gavin were people particularly comfortable with show more themselves, or with each other half the time, but prophecy is a powerful thing. The true villain is rather easy to discern, though the motivations are muddied, but the real fun was watching Kate and Gavin being stuck in each other's company. show less

I changed authors in the hope of more amenable characters. There were some but also the usual array of repugnant female characters. It's a nice little mystery and miscommunication is discarded quickly but the jealous widowed sister-in-law was a harpy too far.

Zoe Deveraux, a young aristocrat posing as a schoolgirl, escapes the French Revolution with the aid of an Englishmen in disguise. Back home, Rolfe takes her as his bride when it seems to be the only thing to do. Thinking Zoe too young, he abandons her at his country estate and returns to London. Here he attempts to expose a band of terrorists. Meanwhile, mistreatment by his family chases Zoe away and back home to France. Here she reclaims her birthright and establishes her position. No one show more there knows of her hasty marriage. Rolfe goes after her, but when he sees her poise and charm, he realizes his mistakes. How can he woo back his bride? If you like a historical romance with a touch of intrigue and suspense, this story will appeal to you. show less