The Bride Thief (Jacquie D'Alessandro)

In the beginning, the book didn't hold my interest. I found Samantha too eccentric to be either believable or likable. And there was too much emphasis on her looks and her inadequacies in society. It's all right if the heroine isn't a beauty, but it's not necessary to make her the object of everyone's scorn and ridicule. However, after a while I started to like her. And I loved watching the relationship between her and Eric grow. Although the decision she made - to become his lover - was uncharacteristic and unnecessary. I don't think that a well-bred lady would suddenly decide to take a lover, even though she didn't plan to marry and even though she was eccentric. And I don't think an honorable gentleman would make her his mistress, especially if he had no intentions of marrying her - or anyone at all. And there was one single love scene - in a lake and quite rushed. Not a way to loose a virginity. I liked it that neither of them needed much time to realize they were in love - althoug... Read more

This was such a sweet love story in this author's trademark style...lots of humor and compassionate characters. The heroine is an on the shelf bluestocking and the hero is a much sought after Earl. The earl Eric lives his life in angst, trying to relieve the guilt of being unable to save his beloved sister from a horrendous marriage by helping other women avoid such fates. On his path to absolution, he meets the unlikely heroine and love of his life Sammie. Their love pulls together the two unwitting partners with a force that cannot be overcome. Very enjoyable tale and recommended read.

Eric, the Earl of Wesley has harbored guilt over not being present to protect his sister from being married to a hateful abusive husband. He filters his guilt through becoming the Bride Thief and kidnaps unwilling brides and gives them enough financial support for them to live away from England. Samantha Briggeham is a comely bluestocking that loves to experiment in her younger brother's laboratory. She already has acknowledged that she will become a spinster, but yet in the back of her mind that she's trying to surpress is the wanting of a family of her own to love. Her family sets her up on a betrothal that she refuses and convinces the betroth to cancel the agreement. In the meantime, the Bride Thief doesn't know that he is not needed and kidnaps Samantha. The plot itself is somewhat predictable. Samantha openly admires the Bride Thief and the real-life Eric is jealous over himself (being the Bride Thief). And of course, it's predictable that she aids in the Bride Thie... Read more

This is only my second book by this author, but I loved both of them. This one in particular. She's convinced me to buy more of her books after this one, and I finished this book in a day. I really liked the characters of Eric and Samantha. I really felt the chemistry between the two and felt this whole book smoothly carried the romance without going overboard. The only thing I wish it had was an Epilogue!!!

Setting: Kent, 1820 Sensuality rating: 7 (chemistry / sexual tension between the two characters was intense; wonderfully written kissing scenes and one love scene) The Bride Thief is a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining historical romance. Personally, I love books with the quiet wallflower-type of girl, or basically someone who is more eccentric than the (sometimes frivolous and far-too-giggly) beautiful girls one encounters in some historical romances (to see more books featuring this type of heroine, please see my "So you'd like to ... Read a historical romance where the quiet girl gets the guy" guide). I also liked the scientific bent and that the hero and heroine had common interests (don't worry, the author doesn't bog you down in scientific language). The verbal banter between them was thoroughly entertaining and I appreciated that Samantha had no compunction about standing up to Eric and being honest with him. It was also a refreshing change to have a hero like Eric La... Read more