Royal's Bride

July 6, 2009
Set in 1854 England, this steamy trilogy opener from bestseller Martin (Heart of Courage
) is an enjoyable mixture of tension and romance. Royal Dewar, the dashing duke of Bransford, promised his dying father that he would marry for money and restore the family fortune, and he dutifully proposes to wealthy Jocelyn Caulfield. His heart, however, belongs to Jocelyn’s penniless but beautiful cousin, Lily Moran. Fiercely independent Lily tells Royal of her criminal past, but instead of spurning her, he asks her help with a scheme to recover the money his father lost to a swindler. As Lily and Royal struggle to resist their passion, haughty Jocelyn finds unexpected love with a man below her station. Though the conflict ties up too neatly and plot holes diminish the suspense, the romance smolders enough to make the next books worth waiting for.

August 1, 2009
Royal Dewar arrives at Bramsford Castle just in time to make a deathbed promise to his father, the duke. In order to restore the decaying family estate to its former glory, Royal will marry wealthy Jocelyn Caulfield, although he intends to take advantage of the year-long period of mourning to put off the inevitable. Jocelyn doesnt care that Royal is marrying her for her money. Shes much more interested in his title. Lily Moran, Jocelyns impoverished cousin, is a virtual slave to her self-centered relative, and despite the promise to his father and the acute need for Jocelyns coffers, Royal finds himself drawn to her. Unfortunately, if he marries Lily for love, the estate will be in ruins, and the tenants who rely on it for their living will be forced into poverty. But Lily, who has bowed to the whims of her selfish cousin for years, refusesto give up the man she loves.Prolific Martin deliversanother charming historical romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)