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Book Review of Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Bk 3)

Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Bk 3)
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Twenty-five-year-old Annabel Wheaton has had a checkered past. She grew up poor in Mississippi but received an unexpected inheritance from her biological father upon his death in Alaska. Her father and mother had divorced years before and Annabel's father had gone to the gold mines of Alaska to seek his fortune.

After the inheritance, Annabel and her family had moved to New York City and tried to break into society there with virtually no success. So Annabel decided to buy a position in British society by getting engaged to a penniless earl, Bernard. The marriage was planned on board a transatlantic ship, heading to England. However, Annabel's Uncle Arthur has investigated Bernard and knows that Annabel will be unhappy with the cad's womanizing, etc.

He finds another penniless peer, a duke, and offers him a shipload of money to break up the wedding. Christian DuQuesne has his own baggage (he married a woman for money and she committed suicide about 12 years before). Christian is absolutely opposed to marrying again, even though he unexpectedly rose to the position of duke after the surprising death of his older brother. He is desperate for money to keep his stately home but has decided to seek investments to improve his lot, instead of marrying again.

Christian accepts the challenge and manages to create enough questions in Annabel's mind to cause her to doubt Bernard. The rest of the story takes place in England. Christian's sister, a social maven, takes Annabel under her wing and tries to help her find a husband. I questioned the ease with which Annabel entered British society; after all, she was 'nouveau riche' and the British of that era were all 'old money.'

Christian has to face his failure with his first wife before he can hope to have a successful second one. At that point, Annabell decided that she couldn't marry him because he didn't love her. That falderal dropped my rating to 3.5 stars.

Abandoned at the Altar
1. Wedding of the Season (2010)
2. Scandal of the Year (2011)
** 3. Trouble at the Wedding (2011)