An unexpected promise . . . an everlasting passion. An accomplished musician, Dorothea Flammel has refused more proposals than any London debutante; her only true love is her music. Dory’s shimmering talent and beauty have long been adored from afar by Thomas Wheel, an untitled gentleman who can only dream of asking for the hand of a nobleman’s daughter. But when her father, the insolvent Lord … when her father, the insolvent Lord Flammel, arranges for Dory to marry a lecherous Earl in order to pay off a debt, she runs to Thomas—and proposes marriage to him.
Eloping to Scotland saves Dory from a disastrous fate, but what is for her a mere marriage of convenience proves more passionate—and more complex—than either imagined as rumors, scandal, and buried emotions come to light. And when a vengeful challenge from a drunken and embittered Lord Flammel puts Thomas’s life on the line, will the fragile trust between husband and wife be enough to save them both?
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4.5 stars
An accomplished musician, Dorothea Flammel has refused many marriage proposals; her only true love is her music. Dory’s shimmering talent and beauty have long been adored from afar by Thomas Wheel, an untitled gentleman who can only dream of asking for the hand of an Earl’s daughter. Then when her father is deep in debt he arranges for Dory to marry the elderly lecherous Earl Hartly to solve his money problems, she runs to Thomas—and proposes marriage to him.
At first Tom refuses but when he sees Hartly ogling Dory he changes his mind & they elope to Scotland, but what is for her a mere marriage of convenience proves more passionate & far more complex than either imagined as rumours, scandal, and buried emotions come to light. Then a vengeful challenge from a drunken and embittered Lord Flammel in Whites puts Thomas’s life on the line.
I’ve loved this series & this novel lives up to the standard of the previous stories. It is the third in the series but could well be read as a stand alone book but if like me you love series then I’d recommend reading the series in order – you won’t be disappointed. Thomas is lovely, he’s so kind & caring & his letter to Dory had me welling up. Dory has suffered abuse all her life & so her self esteem is zero believing herself unable to love & unlovable. There are misunderstandings in abundance as well as eavesdropping that hurts one of them badly, it takes drastic measures by their friends to throw them together. There’s also Lord Hartly causing problems as well as Dory’s drunken father which all add to their woes. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was well written & the pace kept me engrossed. The characters had plenty of depth. At times I wanted to shake Tom & Dory but I think their friends felt the same! I look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Thomas Wheel has loved Dorothea Flannel from afar for years. He loves her musical talent, her beauty, and her gentle heart, never dreaming she could be his. The fate intervened when he saved her from the marriage her parents were arranging for her with a lecherous old earl. Although they elope to Scotland, their marriage is filled with one issue after another. The least of which is that Tom desperately loves, but she does not return his love. Or does she? It takes several near disasters for them to come to their senses. As the third book in the Forever Brides series, this was a very enjoyable read. It was very nice to catch up with the characters from the previous books. Tom and Dory were very likeable characters, but I did wish I could reach inside the book to shake some sense into them at times.
Cory and Thomas are quite a pair. She seeks a marriage of convenience in order to escape the speculative plans her father proposes to a lecherous Lord Hartley. Thomas, though reluctant, agrees hoping for the romance of love as he as loved Cory from afar, not only for her music but also for her character.
Never having known loving relationships within her own family Cory believes she is incapable of loving Thomas. This knowledge puts him in a tailspin which doesn’t end until Cory’s father seriously wounds him in a duel in which Thomas is supposed to die. That event awakens Cory to the surprise that she does love her husband. Blaming herself for all the bad that has taken place in their marriage Cory seeks to separate on her own assuming Thomas will acquire a mistress. As the couple continue to miss-communicate friends become involved. What sort of plans do they have in store for the unhappy newlyweds? How will they thwart a scheming father who continues to plot the selling off of his only daughter?
good story
Good fluffy light reading just when we need distraction.