Wedded Bliss

This is my first book by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Every line was good, and I thought it an extremely funny book, too. What wit this woman has! Since it's the only one I've read, though, I don't know if I would find her kind of constant humor tedious after awhile, or if I'll find her books fresh. I'll have to see, but in the meantime, do read this book, it was very good.

I wasn't sure how to take this earl, Rockford, at first, and if the book weren't so funny I probably would have been offended by his attitude. The story line was really good and this author is so talented, she made Rockford an extremely likeable man even with all his faults, of which there were many. A great book!

Robert Rothmore, the Earl of Rockford, is a very important and successful diplomat, always busy promoting his country's interests; so that it is absolutely essential that his days not get bogged down by tedious little details concerning his estate, his tenants and his two sons. That is until he receives news that his latest steward has run off with money from the estate, a Rembrandt painting and his 40 year old sister. Rockford immediately makes for Rock Hill, where he discovers that things are in even further disarray, and that his younger son, William, is now living with the widowed Mrs. Alissa Henning and her family in a badly thatched cottage. Even though he is loath to do so, it doesn't take Rockford long to realize that what he needs is a new wife -- a capable and loving woman, who would be perfectly happy to take care of his sons, estate and tenants -- someone exactly like Mrs. Henning in other words. And so he offers Alissa a marriage of convenience: money, security and his name in exchange for her agreeing to be caretaker. With few options open to her, Alissa has no choice but to accept. But the very thought of a cold and unloving marriage to a very stiff and impeccable Rockford chills Alissa. And she begins to wonder if she can change the state of her marriage, if she can she influence her new husband enough so that he will look for love and companionship from her instead of elsewhere? While not one of Barbara Metzger's laugh-a-minute Regencies, "Wedded Bliss" was still a gem of a read. It possessed a wonderfully grown-up story-line that dwelt on how two strangers who are both intrigued and attracted to each other, work through all their problems and issues and so manage achieve their happy ever-after ending. The heroine, Alissa, was likable, easy to relate to and empathize with; the hero, on the other hand, was so incredibly high-handed and arrogant that it really did take a while to warm up to him. Fortunately, Barbara Metzger does allow us to see glimpses of the warm hearted person Rockford could be if given the right encouragement, so that I did find myself rooting for Alissa and Rockford to work through all their various issues. Swiftly paced and thoughtfully executed, "Wedded Bliss" may not be a sensual read, but it was (for me) a perfect read.

During the Napoleonic troubles, widower Viscount Rockford earned the reputation as a great diplomat, but he will need all his honed skills with his two sons that he rarely sees as he is too busy saving the country and besides he doubts he even sired either of them. He becomes quite upset to learn that Alissa Henning, a widow with two children of her own, has kidnapped his five year old son William. He races to his home from London to rescue his younger child only to find the lad is quite happy living with Alissa and her family after being neglected in Rockford's home.Rockford sees Alissa as the solution to his personal problem as a mother to his two boys as he plans to bring his oldest the ailing twelve year old Hugo home. Alissa has a secret counter plan as she agrees to marry the Viscount since she needs protection and money to raise her children and to support her seventeen year old sister. Her strategy is to win his heart so that their extended families are raised in a sea of love.This is a fun Regency romance due to the lead female protagonist who teaches the hero that international diplomacy is important, but so is taking care of family. Readers will feel for Rockford's two sons raised away from him until he brings Alissa into his life. Though somewhat by the genre rules, readers will find Barbara Metzger's latest historical simply bliss.Harriet Klausner