LORD BUCKINGHAM'S BRIDE

Author: Sandra Heath ISBN: 9780709080916 4/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: ROBERT HALE LTD.
Time Period: Regency

Miss Alison Clearwell was a properly brought up young beauty—but now she was far from home and close to scandal. On her way to her uncle in distant Russia, she was fair game for the dashing and determined Prince Nikolai, who had never met a woman he could not win. The only person to whom she could turn to was Francis Buckingham, the fiance of her dearest friend, and the most handsome lord in England. Buckingham offered her safe haven from Nikolai's campaign of conquest, but at a price. That price was high and kept getting higher. It began with risking her good name...then her virtue...then her heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

You know the books you read that make you totally sigh at the end because they are so awesome and the story could NOT be any better?  Well, this is one of those books.  I loved everything about it and while I will confess that I kind of knew where the storyline was going, it was the getting there that was awesome!

Allison Clearwell is a gentlewoman and very naive when she sets sail to visit her uncle in faraway Russia.  When her shop starts on fire and her chaperone abandons her, she has no choice but to take shelter in an inn with very little money, hardly any clothes... and no chaperone.  Immediately she is noticed by the high and mighty Prince Nikolai, who has decided that he will not take no for an answer when it comes to this beautiful stranger.  When an unlikely gentleman comes to her rescue, she has no idea what she is getting herself into by taking his help.

Francis Buckingham has things pretty well settled.  He is going to marry a beautiful little English girl and settle in for the long haul.  All of the arrangements have practically been made; all that needs to be done is the signature on the betrothal papers.  But, that is before he accidentally becomes the knight in shining armor to Miss Allison Clearwell—a stunningly beautiful woman who has found herself in a horrible situation.  But the stickiest part of all of this is how Francis begins to have feelings for this girl and how he must be the responsible gentleman where she is concerned, even if if means hurting his "almost" fiance—who happens to be Allison's best friend. 

The clincher to it all is that Prince Nikolai is a very beloved man in the czar's eyes and a very spoiled prince. He is very unhappy that his attempts at seduction with Allison were interrupted, and now he vows to make Allison and Francis pay.  So Nikolai is busy making everyone's live's hell and Francis MUST see the czar concerning a very important matter, which means stopping Nikolai somehow.  This story literally flies at an incredible pace until all of a sudden I looked up and I was just about finished! 

Sandra Heath has outdone herself with LORD BUCKINGHAM'S BRIDE.  Beautifully written, fast paced and set with incredible characters and plot, this book is not to be missed!

Kristal Gorman