Janis W. (janisu4u) reviewed Three Times a Bride: Fancy Free / The Mad Earl's Bride / Scandal's Bride on + 7 more book reviews
FYI: All three stories are in other anthologies, so you might want to check to see if you've read them before. I had read the first two already, but not the third. Light, fun read.
jjares reviewed Three Times a Bride: Fancy Free / The Mad Earl's Bride / Scandal's Bride on + 3264 more book reviews
Catherine Anderson is one of my favorite authors and I've read a couple of Loretta Chase books that I thought were great. I've never read anything by Samantha James and thought this would be a good book to try her out. One problem is that some authors can write novellas and novels with equal strength and others cannot.
"Fancy-Free" -- Catherine Anderson -- This started out just too cute for words. Rachel wanted to help her humiliated sister by trapping the man who'd embarrassed her sister in the local church without his pants. Only things did not work out that way and Rachel was trapped in the church with the wrong brother. Rachel's father insisted that the couple marry; Clint isn't opposed because he has 7 brothers who need some mothering.
Too much was made of Rachel's not being able to see and her avoiding eyeglasses. Of course, she was only 18, still, she had a pitiful understanding of what is important in a marriage. 4 stars
"The Mad Earl's Bride" -- Loretta Chase  -- This story is very different from most novella fare. Dorian is going to die and he wants a quiet death. However, his friend wants him to marry and father a child before dying (to carry on the family name and ensure the continuation of the earldom). Gwen wanted to be a doctor, something that is impossible because she is female. She has a dream of creating a hospital and she agrees to marry Dorian to start her modern hospital (with forward-thinking medicine).  The characters are interesting and charming. 5 stars
"Scandal's Bride" -- Samantha James -- Victoria has danced her way through several Seasons without agreeing to marry any man. Her father is vexed and has laid out the law that she must find a fiancee' by the end of the evening or he would. Victoria decided to do something rash that would put her beyond the pale, as far as marrying was concerned. But things didn't work out that way. 3stars is a gift; the story was sappy.
"Fancy-Free" -- Catherine Anderson -- This started out just too cute for words. Rachel wanted to help her humiliated sister by trapping the man who'd embarrassed her sister in the local church without his pants. Only things did not work out that way and Rachel was trapped in the church with the wrong brother. Rachel's father insisted that the couple marry; Clint isn't opposed because he has 7 brothers who need some mothering.
Too much was made of Rachel's not being able to see and her avoiding eyeglasses. Of course, she was only 18, still, she had a pitiful understanding of what is important in a marriage. 4 stars
"The Mad Earl's Bride" -- Loretta Chase  -- This story is very different from most novella fare. Dorian is going to die and he wants a quiet death. However, his friend wants him to marry and father a child before dying (to carry on the family name and ensure the continuation of the earldom). Gwen wanted to be a doctor, something that is impossible because she is female. She has a dream of creating a hospital and she agrees to marry Dorian to start her modern hospital (with forward-thinking medicine).  The characters are interesting and charming. 5 stars
"Scandal's Bride" -- Samantha James -- Victoria has danced her way through several Seasons without agreeing to marry any man. Her father is vexed and has laid out the law that she must find a fiancee' by the end of the evening or he would. Victoria decided to do something rash that would put her beyond the pale, as far as marrying was concerned. But things didn't work out that way. 3stars is a gift; the story was sappy.
