From Goodreads: A bride wasn’t in his plans . . .The last thing Marcus, the Duke of Autenberry, expects to see after sleeping off a night’s drunken shenanigans is a woman being auctioned in the village square. Before he can think about the ramifications, he buys her, thinking he’s winning the girl her freedom. Instead, he discovers he’s bought a wife.
A duke wasn’t in hers . . .
Alyse Bell is almost rid of the shackles that bound her in a name-only marriage, but the day her friend promised to purchase her in a wife auction, he vanishes, leaving her to face a mob of unsavory bachelors intent on owning her body and soul. But the appearance of a wicked, wealthy stranger changes her path forever.
The road to ruin . . .
Marcus doesn’t know what to do with the impertinent chit who clearly isn’t duchess material! Insisting their marriage isn’t legitimate, they leave for his estate in Scotland, hoping to devise a plan to get rid of each other. However, on a journey fraught with misadventure, their attraction grows and Marcus realizes he’ll do anything to keep this fiery woman for his own.
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My Thoughts: This book might have one of the best opening scenes I have seen in a long time...at least when it comes to entertainment value. Finding a haughty, snobbish character face down in a pile of manure sets a great tone for a story that is fun, light, and yet also manages to demonstrate good character development. A tale of two extreme opposites coming together, we see our hero, Marcus, start to grow and look beyond himself, while at the same time better understanding his personality. His impetuous, yet very human and kind, actions at the action, where he first meets Alyse show a side of him not previously seen in other books in the series. His actions immediately afterward, rude, boorish, focused only on himself, are much more in character...and yet we see a change in that attitude thanks to the willfulness, bravery, stubbornness, and inner strength of Alyse.
It was both fascinating and surreal to learn that something like wife actions ever existed, let alone in what I would consider fairly recent times. The cruelty of people towards those weaker than them never ceases to amaze me, whether now or centuries ago.
While the story seems hard to imagine at times, seeing some big shifts in personalities and circumstances, Ms. Jordan does a nice job of handling these changes, often making them full in terms of emotions and challenges, and recognizing that relationships and personalities are imperfect and people all have defenses and reactions that evolve over time.
Sophie Jordan is an author on my to-read list, the more I've read of her books the more I enjoy her style and stories, in this or any other genre.
*Review copy provided by publisher through Edelweiss*
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