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All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
They are England's most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…Lady Grace Mabry's ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her…or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon? With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match.
Witty, saucy Regency romance... 'I am a Duke. I'm not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It's a different thing entirely.' When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir - which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress, visits wearing a wedding dress, he decides on the spot that she'll do....
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St Giles, Godric St John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head - and realises she is his wife.... Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St Giles - the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognise the man behind the mask.
When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can't afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life.... A recluse for more than 20 years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate and oh-so-dashing earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will agree only to a proper courtship.
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
They are England's most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…Lady Grace Mabry's ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her…or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon? With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match.
Witty, saucy Regency romance... 'I am a Duke. I'm not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It's a different thing entirely.' When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir - which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress, visits wearing a wedding dress, he decides on the spot that she'll do....
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St Giles, Godric St John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head - and realises she is his wife.... Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St Giles - the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognise the man behind the mask.
When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can't afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life.... A recluse for more than 20 years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate and oh-so-dashing earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will agree only to a proper courtship.
1740s France and England. Abandoned to fend for herself at the court of Versailles, Antonia turns to her distant cousin, the all-powerful Duke of Roxton, to help her escape the attentions of a lecherous nobleman. Roxton is an unlikely savior - arrogant, promiscuous, and sinister. Antonia's unquestioning belief in him may just be his salvation, and her undoing.
Declan, the Duke of Banbury, has no interest in ushering Rosalie Hughes, his stepsister, into society. Dumped on him with nowhere else to go, he's determined to rid himself of the headstrong debutante by bestowing on her an obscenely large dowry, making her the most sought after heiress of the Season. But Rosalie isn't about to go along with Declan's plans. Surrounded by fortune hunters, how is she supposed to find a man who truly wants her?
Women rarely refuse the wicked Earl of Hepplewood, whose daring exploits are only whispered about. But when his new governess answers his proposition with a slap, then stalks out, references in hand, Hepplewood finds more than his face is burning. Isabella Aldridge has brains, bravado, and beauty - but the latter is no use to a servant. Her circumstances are desperate, and with Hepplewood's words ringing in her ears, Isabella realizes she must barter her most marketable asset…her body.
As a captain in the army, Colin MacHugh led men, fixed what was broken, and fought hard. Now that he's a titled gentleman, he's still fighting - this time to keep his bachelorhood safe from all the marriage-minded debutantes. Then he meets the intriguing Miss Anwen Windham, whose demure nature masks a bonfire waiting to roar to life. When she asks for his help to raise money for the local orphanage, he's happy to oblige.
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of her family. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, keeps others at a distance. Yet something prompts him to aid Anna in her transition from orphan to lady. As London society and her newfound relatives threaten to overwhelm Anna, Avery steps in to rescue her....
At the advanced age of 26, the independent, wealthy and imminently practical Isabella Latham has no expectation of marriage. But, good-hearted and dutiful, Isabella accompanies her two young country cousins to oversee their London debut...only to find that it's she who is attracting suitors...all of whom do seem to have quite an excess of creditors!
Beneath the elegant facade of Victorian high society, the rules of danger and desire are the only rules that apply for the mysterious men of the St James Society. New York Times best seller Liz Carlyle carries listeners deep into this realm of intrigue and passion once more in her breathtaking historical romance sizzler, The Bride Wore Pearls. The third volume in her sexy, compelling, action-packed series, The Bride Wore Pearls is a scorching story of a very proper lady who flees her home in a far corner of the British Empire, entrusting her safety and her heart to a dangerous outlaw in Victorian London. Amanda Quick and Gaelen Foley fans will most certainly be enthralled.
Liz always writes wonderful stories! The narrator was wonderful too. Great plot had me guessing all the way through. Sensual love scenes and romantic, emotional connection. I need the next book in the series to be out yesterday but will probably have to wait a while :(
I really enjoyed this story very much. I loved Anisha and Lord Lazonby. What a great couple with great chemistry, and some good steamy sex scenes. She was strong, determined, witty and took zero crap. No whiny whimpering heroine here. Lots of great dialogue throughout the book. I was so glad to finally find out who the killer was that set Rance Lazonby up for the murder rap. A nice mystery and a little surprise too.
As for the narration, Angele Masters did a fantastic job. The men sounded like men and everyone had their own distinctive voice.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful
Setting: England Prologue is 1834, otherwise 1848-49
Genre: Romantic suspense
Angele Masters provided a good performance of this interesting book, the third in the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis series. Her delivery was smooth and differentiation of characters was well-done.
Apparently, there is some sort of paranormal element to the series, but it wasn't really an important part of this book. I didn't listen to or read the first two but, except for some references and appearance of the main characters of the other books, this wasn't dependent on them for enjoyment.
The plot was interesting, with enough twists to keep you listening. The hero, Rance, was somewhat standard in that he was gorgeous, had a shady past, and is somewhat still a bit twisted. The heroine, Anisha, was a bit unusual, more exotic than the standard English rose. She is the daughter of a Scottish Company man living in India who married a native woman of high caste. She is also the widow of an Englishman (also with the East India Company) and has two sons from that marriage. The plot revolves around Rance and Anisha trying to clear his name and restore the family honor.
The book has a slow start as the author felt the need to explain how English and Scottish men would sometimes marry native women. I don't think that was necessary because we're smart enough, as readers, to get that. So, regarding the mystery/suspense, there are some events and people you need to keep straight in order to "get" it, but it's good nonetheless. And there is a strange obsession Rance has with a newspaper reporter that gets weird, especially when he gets introspective about it. But no worries, you'll get it, especially when you consider the spoils of war and the need men have in showing dominance.
Overall, worth the credit, whether you read the first two or not.