AT THE BRIDE HUNT BALL

Author: Olivia Parker ISBN: 9780061355448 6/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: Regency

Gabriel Thurston Devine, the Duke of Wolverest, has shocked the ton with his declaration that he will not be taking a bride. Instead, this arrogant man has decided to find a bride for his younger brother by hand-picking seven of the most eligible ladies of society and ensconcing them in his ancestral castle where one would be picked for the esteemed position at the end of a fortnight. But trouble comes in the form of Miss Madelyn Haywood—the only woman in England who doesn't want to be included in this scandalous bride-to-be elimination.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Olivia Parker makes a delightful debut with this fun and lively book featuring a vulnerable—yet very determined—heroine and a sexy, brooding hero who gets hit between his eyes by much more than a lemon. Male characters who are not pursued by the leading lady and least expect to find love—but do—are some of the best leading men to read about in romances, and it's a large part of what makes AT THE BRIDE HUNT BALL so good.

Madelyn is a wonderful character, a woman who seems to have "follow me to calamity" written right across her forehead. If something is about to go wrong, you can bet Maddie won't be far away. Yet in spite of a domineering stepmother and low self esteem issues that sometimes get in her way, Maddie is determined to live life on her own terms, irregardless what the high and mighty, arrogant duke might think. When she and Gabriel eventually fall in love, they both know that Maddie's not exactly duchess material. But she's happy enough in her own skin to want people to accept and love her for who she is, and not change her into who they want her to be in order to meet their expectations. Can she and Gabriel—and high society, for that matter—come to find a common ground with Madelyn, or is this a love match that is truly never meant to be?

Fast-paced and right-on-the-mark as far as plot and characters go, AT THE BRIDE HUNT BALL was an absolute joy to read and review. I was so impressed at just how likeable all the characters were, and how much fun it was to read. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more from this imaginative and talented writer.

Nancy Davis