Blackthorne's Bride by Joan JohnstonMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
From Goodreads: A rogue nobleman, a rescued lady, and revenge undone by romance all play a part in New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s irresistible novel of best-laid plots, delicious deception, and unexpected passion.
Two years have passed since Josie Wentworth was bought from the Sioux for a gold watch and whisked back to England by Marcus Wharton, the Duke of Blackthorne. When Marcus breaks his promise to return Josie to America, she ends up as a maid in the home of his charming but neglected nephews. Once Josie’s long-lost family finds her, however, the suddenly wealthy heiress sets out to save the two boys from their indifferent uncle—and teach the duke a lesson in honor.
Learning that Marcus is seeking a rich American bride to save his estate, Josie plots to catch his eye—certain he’ll never recognize the beauty she’s become as the ragged captive he rescued. But Josie doesn’t wager on her marital charade taking a tender turn, as the nobleman she’s despised for years proves to be a very different man than she’s imagined. And there’s no denying his passionate caresses, as she falls deeper under the spell of a husband determined to claim her heart.
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My Thoughts: This was an author I have not had much exposure to in the past, primarily because her main focus has been historical westerns, a genre that for whatever reason just doesn't typically enthuse me. When I saw the opportunity to review one of her books through NetGalley that was set in England, I thought I'd give it a try.
Overall, I just couldn't work up much excitement as the book progressed. I think that was in large part between it read like a western to me, and a lot of the book referenced the previous books in the series (with chapters actually involving the heroine's siblings over in the U.S.). The initial premise had hope for me...the rescue of a young woman who was then taken to England to heal, and then our hero loses track of her (but never forgets her) as we returns to his planned life and marriage. The story picks up a couple of years later after the death of Blackthorne's first wife. He's in desperate financial straits and has advertised for a bride...with the plan of marrying an American heiress.
We then meet our heroine again, who has fully recovered but has spent the past years toiling as a maid in one of our hero's remote properties (without his realization), living a meager life and doing her best to protect the Duke's two young nephews who also life at this property under the care of a feuding governess and housekeeper. To say she has negative feelings for the Duke, whom she believes abandoned her and his nephews, is an understatement. Long story short, turns out she's an American heiress and that her siblings who live in America have been searching for her for years.
From there it becomes a story of enemies to lovers, with Josie hiding her identity from the Duke, marrying him instead of immediately returning home as a way to protect his nephews and get some sort of revenge. The scars on Josie's back eventually give her away, and the miscommunication and misunderstandings continue.
The premise had potential, but I think because of not having read the previous books in the series and the feel of reading a western set in England (I have no idea why I'm so biased against westerns!), it just never worked for me. I didn't feel much sympathy for our hero or heroine overall, although from time to time they seemed to pull it together. If you like Johnston's previous books, I think you will no doubt enjoy this one as well. I do definitely recommend reading the first three books in the series though to more fully understand the backstory and various siblings that are in some ways central to this particular story.
From Goodreads: A rogue nobleman, a rescued lady, and revenge undone by romance all play a part in New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s irresistible novel of best-laid plots, delicious deception, and unexpected passion.
Two years have passed since Josie Wentworth was bought from the Sioux for a gold watch and whisked back to England by Marcus Wharton, the Duke of Blackthorne. When Marcus breaks his promise to return Josie to America, she ends up as a maid in the home of his charming but neglected nephews. Once Josie’s long-lost family finds her, however, the suddenly wealthy heiress sets out to save the two boys from their indifferent uncle—and teach the duke a lesson in honor.
Learning that Marcus is seeking a rich American bride to save his estate, Josie plots to catch his eye—certain he’ll never recognize the beauty she’s become as the ragged captive he rescued. But Josie doesn’t wager on her marital charade taking a tender turn, as the nobleman she’s despised for years proves to be a very different man than she’s imagined. And there’s no denying his passionate caresses, as she falls deeper under the spell of a husband determined to claim her heart.
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