Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (2012), Edition: Original, Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Description
In this new masterpiece of historical romance from the acclaimed Sherry Thomas, a headstrong beauty is rescued by the notorious rake she has always despised... Helena Fitzhugh understands perfectly well that she would be ruined should her secret love affair be discovered. So when a rendezvous goes wrong and she is about to be caught in the act, it is with the greatest reluctance that she accepts help from David Hillsborough, Viscount Hastings, and elopes with him to save her reputation. Helena has despised David since they were children-the notorious rake has tormented her all her life. David, on the other hand, has always loved Helena, but his pride will never let him admit the secrets of his heart. A carriage accident the day after their elopement, however, robs Helena of her memory-the slate is wiped clean. At last David dares to reveal his love, and she finds him both fascinating and desirable. But what will happen when her memory returns and she realizes she has fallen for a man she has sworn never to trust?… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ktleyed
I love, love, loved this book! The amnesia angle totally caught me off guard but gave the story a greater dimension and depth than just the usual forced marriage, "I hate you, but I have to marry you anyway" scenario. David was wonderful and I loved him and his inner anguish, loving Helena all
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along and hoping she gets better, but dreading what will happen when she remembers what an ass he'd been over the years. Some flaws did exist in the storyline though: not enough background on his illegitimate daughter, Bea. Still, I loved his tender relationship with her. I also loved his smutty story within a story, which was so clever! Let's face it, this was the best of the trilogy and Sherry Thomas is an absolute favorite of mine! I was also glad to see some lovin' between Fritz and Millie as well. Their story (2nd in the trilogy) ended sort of up in the air and I was glad to see they're happy and living it up in book three! A worthwhile series! Oh no! Now I have to wait forever for Sherry Thomas to come out with her next series, whenever that will be! Whenever it is, I'm sure it will be worth the wait! Show Less
LibraryThing member Conkie
I love the premise and plot-line of this book, but am disappointed in the final product. In her earliest books the author spoiled readers, with the lush verbiage of a true philologist. That love of words is not apparent here. Too bad, as I believe this book would have been a heart-wrenching winner.
LibraryThing member Larou
Tempting the Bride is the final volume in Sherry Thomas’ Fitzhugh trilogy (there are, however, two novellas and an erotic story, which are also part of it and none of which I have read yet). As I have pointed out in my post on the first volume of the trilogy, I consider her novels to be on the
Regarding my uncertainties pertaining to the novel as part of a trilogy which I had when reading Beguiling the Beauty, I have to say that they never got quite resolved – Tempting the Bride suffers from the symmetrical problem, i.e. a large part of the previous relationship between David and Helena was already spread out in the two previous problem, so it feels in parts like that is getting a bit of the short shrift here, in particular where Helena’s history with Andrew is concerned. And on the other hand, one really would have liked (well, this reader would have, in any case) to read more about how the couples from the two previous volumes are faring – they do make appearances here, but not nearly as much as Millie/Fitz and Helena/David did in the first volume, or Helena/David in the second, which means that by this third volume we’re back to the conventional model of recurring characters rather than the genuine trilogy as which this started out. Which is a bit of a pity.
I admit, I was frowning a lot about the amnesia at first – that’s about the most tired plot device ever and hardly ever works the way it is supposed to. This here proved to be one of the few exceptions however, and while I still am not exactly enthusiastic about it and think it’s more than a bit contrived, Sherry Thomas handled it quite well as a reboot of Helena’s and David’s relationship and also made a very nice point about how past experiences colour present perceptions. Bea was a nice touch, too, sweet but not cloying, and thinking back on the novel, I think it’s mostly the nice touches which made it enjoyable read – the plot is nothing to write home about, the characters okay but not really that fascinating, but it is the wealth of lovely details that made the most impression and will likely stick in memory – Hasting’s murals, the tiny stethoscope, Bea’s trunk and many others. In short, Tempting the Bride may not be Sherry Thomas’ best effort, but it’s a quite pleasurable read that kept me effortlessly entertained for several hours.
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borderline between “deep” and “Wallpaper” historicals and Tempting the Bride is no exception from that.Regarding my uncertainties pertaining to the novel as part of a trilogy which I had when reading Beguiling the Beauty, I have to say that they never got quite resolved – Tempting the Bride suffers from the symmetrical problem, i.e. a large part of the previous relationship between David and Helena was already spread out in the two previous problem, so it feels in parts like that is getting a bit of the short shrift here, in particular where Helena’s history with Andrew is concerned. And on the other hand, one really would have liked (well, this reader would have, in any case) to read more about how the couples from the two previous volumes are faring – they do make appearances here, but not nearly as much as Millie/Fitz and Helena/David did in the first volume, or Helena/David in the second, which means that by this third volume we’re back to the conventional model of recurring characters rather than the genuine trilogy as which this started out. Which is a bit of a pity.
I admit, I was frowning a lot about the amnesia at first – that’s about the most tired plot device ever and hardly ever works the way it is supposed to. This here proved to be one of the few exceptions however, and while I still am not exactly enthusiastic about it and think it’s more than a bit contrived, Sherry Thomas handled it quite well as a reboot of Helena’s and David’s relationship and also made a very nice point about how past experiences colour present perceptions. Bea was a nice touch, too, sweet but not cloying, and thinking back on the novel, I think it’s mostly the nice touches which made it enjoyable read – the plot is nothing to write home about, the characters okay but not really that fascinating, but it is the wealth of lovely details that made the most impression and will likely stick in memory – Hasting’s murals, the tiny stethoscope, Bea’s trunk and many others. In short, Tempting the Bride may not be Sherry Thomas’ best effort, but it’s a quite pleasurable read that kept me effortlessly entertained for several hours.
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LibraryThing member Sarah_Gruwell
Oh this book... I was drawn to the "amnesia" gimmick because I've yet to encounter it in historical romance. And I've so many good things about Sherry Thomas that I thought it'd be a good introduction. Yeah... Not so much.
Now, don't get me wrong. The romantic element and the emotional appeal was
Unfortunately, my enjoyment pretty much ended there. First off, general characterization was just everywhere. Especially in David's case, he seemed to swing back and forth from the cad to the caring all the time, with almost no transition. It almost seemed like two men in one body. And jeez, when was he going to learn that razzing the girl you love isn't going to win her admiration?! Yeah, I could see that as a kid, but as a full grown adult?! Forgive me if I feel that maturity and experiencing the world would have put some of that out of him.
Then there was the over reliance on sex as a story staple. And some of the sexual acts in this book have no place in a Victorian romance novel. They are far too adventurous for a late 19th century book; I couldn't picture either of these two individuals even contemplating, long less participating, in them. It also seemed like sex was constantly on the mind of Helena and David. Not ten pages would go by without some mention of a sexual act or sexual urges. And yes, I know, this is historical ROMANCE and they're known for smutty stuff. But come on!! When it overshadows the story and emotions, it's too much.
This is definitely not the introduction to Sherry Thomas I was looking for. While the all important emotions were there and I did enjoy some of the character aspects, the story relied far too heavily on sex/sexual tension and characterization in general was just horrible. I wouldn't recommend this historical romance to anyone. There are far better romances out there, folks.
Note: Book received for free through GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for honest review.
Now, don't get me wrong. The romantic element and the emotional appeal was
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there. And of course, as I've written many a time, that's the most important element to a historical romance novel for me. I did enjoy David's dedication to his love, despite her abhorrence for him, and I also enjoyed Helena's learning to love him back during her amnesia trip. I also enjoyed seeing David's dedication to his daughter and Helena's independence as a business owner.Unfortunately, my enjoyment pretty much ended there. First off, general characterization was just everywhere. Especially in David's case, he seemed to swing back and forth from the cad to the caring all the time, with almost no transition. It almost seemed like two men in one body. And jeez, when was he going to learn that razzing the girl you love isn't going to win her admiration?! Yeah, I could see that as a kid, but as a full grown adult?! Forgive me if I feel that maturity and experiencing the world would have put some of that out of him.
Then there was the over reliance on sex as a story staple. And some of the sexual acts in this book have no place in a Victorian romance novel. They are far too adventurous for a late 19th century book; I couldn't picture either of these two individuals even contemplating, long less participating, in them. It also seemed like sex was constantly on the mind of Helena and David. Not ten pages would go by without some mention of a sexual act or sexual urges. And yes, I know, this is historical ROMANCE and they're known for smutty stuff. But come on!! When it overshadows the story and emotions, it's too much.
This is definitely not the introduction to Sherry Thomas I was looking for. While the all important emotions were there and I did enjoy some of the character aspects, the story relied far too heavily on sex/sexual tension and characterization in general was just horrible. I wouldn't recommend this historical romance to anyone. There are far better romances out there, folks.
Note: Book received for free through GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for honest review.
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LibraryThing member samnreader
It's weird I don't have a jackass shelf, considering the jackass hero is one of my favorites. By jackass I mean in a fond, ridiculous way "selfish and / or immature asshole" *winks at Jack Talent & Joshua Templeman*
Friends, they are my favorite kind. The stupid, immature oddly sensitive yet super
And then she got amnesia. It sounds contrived. It sounds easy. But it most certainly did not feel that way. What it gave them was a clean slate. On that slate, he still drew their history (albeit a simplified version) and remained forthright. And underneath his jackass exterior, he was a marshmallow of a hero who'd been planning for her forever. Kind of creepy when I say it that way, kind of sad when you read how clueless she is and how she always assumed the worst of him (and that was his own doing since the worst is often what her gave her).
The relationships and family really made this book work and made it convincing. In isolation, Hastings wouldn't have come off the right way. And as usual, Helena is to die for-with a different kind of spirit and strength than the heroines of the prior two. In the end, much like the two I mention there above, his tender heart is revealed, and it is wonderful.
Friends, they are my favorite kind. The stupid, immature oddly sensitive yet super
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defensive heroes. (Or some of my favorite anyway). The ones with their who would die for their beloveds but make her think (or sometimes out of fear I suppose) his head is shoved so far up his ass he no longer makes good sense. Hastings was one of them. In fact, I haven't read many reviews past opening paragraphs, but if there's a problem to be had with the amnesia plot and it manipulation, that's not my problem with the hero. I have more of a problem that he lay in wait for Helena to screw up so he could pounce in the most self-centered way possible. But, I also don't blame him for it. It is his sheer and utter desperation for her-revealed bit by bit that makes you understand how heavy and bright the flame he holds for her is. And she hates him for it. We can understand that too-there were 1,000 different ways to solve a problem, and he took the one that most suited him.And then she got amnesia. It sounds contrived. It sounds easy. But it most certainly did not feel that way. What it gave them was a clean slate. On that slate, he still drew their history (albeit a simplified version) and remained forthright. And underneath his jackass exterior, he was a marshmallow of a hero who'd been planning for her forever. Kind of creepy when I say it that way, kind of sad when you read how clueless she is and how she always assumed the worst of him (and that was his own doing since the worst is often what her gave her).
The relationships and family really made this book work and made it convincing. In isolation, Hastings wouldn't have come off the right way. And as usual, Helena is to die for-with a different kind of spirit and strength than the heroines of the prior two. In the end, much like the two I mention there above, his tender heart is revealed, and it is wonderful.
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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
This was a good read, but I don’t think it should be read as a standalone. Even though we’ve gotten a lot of backstory in the previous books, I still don’t really like Helena as a heroine at all. I’m glad that David’s love doesn’t have to be so horribly unrequited anymore, but it seemed
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like there was something missing with her that was never found. Show Less
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
I didn't like Helena much in the previous book and she's worse in her own book. She should be a good heroine, running her own publishing company and fairly independent, but she's decided she's in love with a milquetoast married man, so her vaunted independence doesn't mean much when she goes along
The hero David starts out okay. He's been in unrequited love with Helena forever which means he's the boy who dips her pigtails in the inkwell metaphorically and never progressed past that stage. His inability to grow up wears on the reader after a while.
So we have two meh characters and a fantastical plot. I did like how David cares for his illegitimate daughter, but otherwise, not my favorite Sherry Thomas book.
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with all his wishes. This includes not having sex since... you know, I don't really know why since they're sneaking around together anyway.The hero David starts out okay. He's been in unrequited love with Helena forever which means he's the boy who dips her pigtails in the inkwell metaphorically and never progressed past that stage. His inability to grow up wears on the reader after a while.
So we have two meh characters and a fantastical plot. I did like how David cares for his illegitimate daughter, but otherwise, not my favorite Sherry Thomas book.
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LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. The characters were foolish sometimes, but overall I'd say I liked them (the hero more than the heroine, but the hero really did shoot himself in the foot a bunch of times. He impressed me at other times too though). With the unrequited love, 'other man', and amnesia this
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could have been a mess, but I feel like it was well executed. Show Less
Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2012)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-10-02
Physical description
304 p.; 4.49 x 0.91 inches
ISBN
0425251020 / 9780425251027