Royal Bride

It was not Joan Wolf's best book I've read, but it was exciting. From the beginning I thought that Charity was the herion. It started off good. What honest "innocent" wife will actually take back their huband after he cheated on her?? But she loved him all the same. The book portrayed her as "innocent" and girlish. It was like His Highness just took advantage of her good nature. He also needs to grow up! You can't always expect your mother to fix all you mistakes. Prince or not. But I can tell you this I though that her other book "The arrangment" was great....

This isn't the best book I've ever read by Joan Wolf, but it's still very entertaining. It reminded me somewhat of her earlier regencies. I liked Charity and Augustus and I didn't have a hard time buying their romance. Augustus comes across as a serious, hard-working prince without a lot of experience with women of his own class. When he sends his mother to explain his affair to Charity, it's annoying, but probably the sort of thing royalty did. Read about Queen Victoria and her family sometime! Charity is a bright, engaging 17-year-old girl who has been sheltered as most girls of her class were at the time. She just happens to be unusually small and dainty and not well-endowed. Some adult women are. She grows up through the course of the book. Her growing bond with Gus is believable. The villains and the plot were a bit thin and some of the supporting characters were cardboard, but it's still entertaining. Don't buy it expecting Gone with the Wind and you won't be disappointed.

I found Joan Wolf's story absorbing. The characters were true to the period. Charity was perhaps a bit too thoughtful for her age, and adjusted perhaps a shade to fast to her new circumstances. But this is fiction. I disagree with the reviewer who found Charity's age distasteful. In the Regency period, marriage at 17 or even 16 was not that uncommon. A 20 year old was considered on the shelf. Wolf made the country of Jura sound like a place I'd like to visit. The mothers of the main characters were penned with delightful sarcasm. I really hated to see the book end. Keep them coming Joan--for the record, I love Harry Potter, too!

Joan Wolf's latest book is an extremely good read. I couldn't put it down. The story line was original, and the characters interesting. I have loved all of Wolf's romances and this one is one of my favorites. Also in regards to the critic who didn't like the age of the heroine, she was in fact 18 before she and Gus had sex and if you don't like young heroines, you are reading in the wrong genre. i personally hate when histoical romance authors place 21st century characters into an early 19th century setting. if you want to read about people in their late 20's and 30's falling in love read a contemporary romance.

With all the intrigue that went on at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to divide the post-Napoleon Europe up among the great victors, outsiders would suspect that the superpowers would ignore the little principality of Jura. Though the final act declared Jura as a free state, the Habsburg Empire wants to annex the small country since the Austrian superpower encircles the tiny independent principality. This distinct possibility already raised by Metternich worries the Jura head of state Prince Augustus Josef Charles. He knows his nation needs a counterweight from another superpower to balance the Austrian threat. Augustus turns to England, home of his aunt, to forge an alliance. To deepen the binds with England, Augustus, with the help of his septuagenarian Aunt Mariana, seeks an English bride. Mariana arranges for Augustus to marry Lydia Beaufort, who elopes with his cousin as the wedding nears. Augustus turns to Lydia's sister Charity who actually has more in common with the Prince. What started as a regal marriage of stately convenience soon turns into a passionate love, but some agents would prefer this relationship end at any cost. ROYAL BRIDE is at its best when the story line oozes with the intrigue and danger of Post-Napoleonic Europe. The story line is fast paced and the lead couple is quite a dashing and charming duo in a Prince Rainier-Grace Kelly sort of way. Lydia is turned into a spoiled caricature, but since she jilts the hero early that does not slow down a strong historical romance that is Joan Wolf at her royal best.Harriet Klausner