The Heiress

Axia is in a dilemma. She is the daughter of the richest man in England and she is about to leave the only home she's ever known and travel across England to meet her betrothed. He is a man she's never met and her father, also whom she's never met, has arranged this marriage for her. Axia has been protected all of her life. Her father put her up in a massive castle with high walls and she's never been outside it. He has controlled everything in her life, including removing those deemed untrustworthy and hiring spies to report to him of her daily activities, including her escapades. Axia's only two trusted companions are Tode, a disfigured man who runs the household, and Frances, a distant cousin. When Jamie Montgomery is hired to escort Axia, his sisters convince him to woo her. Jamie's older brother, Edward, had squandered the family fortune and is now dead, leaving Jamie, his sisters, and his mother in near destitution. The only solution, it seems, is for Jamie to marry a wealthy heiress, and Axia certainly fits that bill. Jamie, however, is an honorable man and has many reservations about this plan but he reluctantly goes along with it. When Jamie meets Axia and Frances, he mistakes beautiful Frances as the heiress and Axia as the poor cousin. He tries to solicit Axia's help to woo Frances but in a fit of rage Axia thwarts him. They clash again and again throughout the trip but there is also no mistaking their undeniable attraction for each other. Despite their growing love, Axia can't trust Jamie with the truth, but then their world is turned upside down when Frances is kidnapped. This was such a great story to read. Even after I was done, I had to go back and read through some of my favorite parts and relive the excitement it brought. Jude Deveraux does such a great job at weaving this story that I would rate this tale on the same level as A Knight in Shining Armor. The characters are endearing, hilarious, and courageous; Axia is indomitable while Jamie, her great love, is wise, patient, honorable and kind. What a tale! I highly recommend it.

I liked this book, because I am a romantic that likes it when all of the loose ends are tied, and an extremely happy ending comes about. Although I must admit, the review 'disappointing' from the romance junkie had me laughing out loud, because I too thought these things, but was too caught up in 'why can't anyone love me like that' to really pay it than much mind. The very unreal happiness of the end made me feel good, especially knowing the happiness of everyone in the family...except for Frances...it is nice that she gets the money from Perkin Maidenhall, and all, but she gets to carry this baby and have a loveless marriage...which you'd think she's all about money, but she kind of tries to show that there is more to her than that at the end of the book, so I don't see her living happily ever after. AND, if her and Tode had this special 'moment' while she was being held captive by Henry Oliver, then how can Tode forget about all of that and just fall madly in love with Berengaria (even a blind person could have seen that coming, ha ha ha) Not to mention the fact that I HATE that Tode has a baby out there and will never know about it. What a crock! But, the book really did make me happy. I hope it makes you happy too.

This writing style is what made Jude Deveraux, what she was known for. I was beyond HAPPY when I first read this book, so much so that I read it again immediatly after reading it. Jamie reminds me of what I thought, Miles (Velvet Series) should have been like, Axia is the perfect mischevious heroine. If you like some of Julie Garwoods characters you will absolutely ADORE this book. I have to agree with what some other reviewer said it is my favorite Deveraux. I won't go into detail regarding the story line because the editorial reviews does such a fine job and some time you give away to much of the whole plot. I will just say it is well worth the time.Happy Reading

This was probably the funniest historical romance I've ever read. The characters are very unique, and well formed, and the plot is surprisingly smooth. I did not detect any uncomfortable plot devices - the story was very natural, and the narration was interesting and light.Devereaux has a wonderful sense of humor, and a very positive way of looking at people. Her appreciation for different personality types comes through in her writing, and I found this book to be full of characters I could admire. The conflicts were real, but not because of some "evil" person, which I find refreshing.There are lots of shades of grey in life, and in this book, and I appreciate Devereaux's ability to show this to us while maintaining such an overall upbeat attitude.She's really one of the best.

- Jamie! I really, really enjoyed this book - had a hard time putting it down. A descendant of the Montgomery family (of the "Velvet" series by the same author), Jamie is the perfect hero, good looking and honorable. Too often this combination comes out rather smarmy, but he's not. Axia is wonderful heroine - full of spirit, ready to live life. But what makes this book special is the way the story is told. Not just through the eyes of the two main characters, but also through the perspective of the supporting characters. These people are interesting and wonderful in their own way. I too found the ending a bit rushed - not enough to really disappoint, but I would have liked to know more about what Jamie went through to eventually get to Axia, as well as how some of the other characters got to their final happiness. Although there is some conflict, suspense, and danger, this book is not as wrenchingly intense as the "Velvet" series - I loved those books, but found myself worn out emotionally after each one. I'd highly recommend this book!