Cast a Tender Shadow

Randomly bought this at the thrift store. It was kind of whackadoodle. The crazy plot was explained perfectly by StMaragrets so I'll just give a couple of impressions. I guess mostly the plot was so crazy that the writing was sort of vague. Like the author thought if she explained in too solid detail we'd see just how bizarre the whole thing was. Everyone's motivations were pretty unclear. And I had my jaw on the ground when the heroine didn't make any fuss at all about being married to the wrong man to avoid making a scene. Hmmm

This review contains SPOILERS****

Fashion model Kate Ellerdale meets handsome Antoine during a fashion show in Dorset, London and they both fall madly in love. Antoine proposes and Kate accepts. Antoine must return to his home in France and they agree that Kate will join him in a month and then they will be married in France. When Kate eventually arrives a month later in France she is met by a chauffeur and driven to Antoine's family chateau. (Antoine called Kate and told her that he had to fly to Hamburg but he will return the next day for the wedding.) Kate finds the French chateau dark and gloomy with it's crumbling walls and cold atmosphere. Especially after Kate meets Antoine's unfriendly mother, who persuades Kate to wear the show more traditional "family heirloom" veil for the wedding. At first Kate doesn't want to, but then gives in to try to stay on good terms with her soon-to-be mother-in-law. On the day of the wedding Kate goes to the church wearing the heavy veil (which slightly clouds her vision). But when the heavy veil is lifted she realizes she has married another man!

Antoine has a look-alike cousin who has the same name, Antoine, who goes by the name Charles to avoid confusion. Since Antoine’s possessive and dominating mother is against this marriage she's happy with the idea of hero-Charles taking Antoine's place at the wedding, tricking Kate into believing she's marrying Antoine. Charles goes through with the wedding and then he plans to switch places with Antoine (Antoine will come and claim his bride). Kate is clueless that she's marrying another man (thanks to the heavy veil) and is shocked and upset when she finds out till Charles tells her the truth. Then she starts to get to know Charles and begins to fall for him.

This was an absurd story, mostly set in France. The hero was okay but the storyline was ridiculous and confusing. show less