A mad heiress and a false fiancé…The younger son of an earl, Dominic Renbourne is offered an irresistible bribe by his arrogant, identical twin brother, Kyle, who is heir to the earldom. All he must do is take Kyle’s place at Warfield Manor, where he is to politely court Lady Meriel Grahame, the orphaned and vastly wealthy heiress Kyle is pledged to marry. The deception need only take a few … need only take a few weeks and no one will be the wiser because the fey Lady Meriel lives in a world of her own. The last thing Dominic expects when he arrives is to be entranced by a silent sylph whose ethereal beauty is as stunning as her passionate love for Warfield’s flowers and fields and creatures.
Until now, Meriel has kept her distance from normal society, spending her days at one with nature and safe from the nightmare that nearly destroyed her as a child. She is content to live alone, until the handsome intruder begins to inspire dreams of the world beyond her sanctuary. He understands her as no one else ever has–and because she lives outside society’s rules, she sees no need to restrain her desire for the man who is surely her destined mate.
Though Dominic’s sense of duty helps him control his longing for his brother’s future bride, Meriel’s untamed spirit proves more powerful than he can resist. In her garden paradise, passion binds them body and soul despite the agonizing consequences.
Can Meriel forgive Dominic’s deceit once she learns he is not Kyle, and can Kyle forgive the betrayal of the brother who had once been closer than his own shadow? Then past and present collide in a dangerous cataclysm that may bring destruction–or lasting love and a hope for beginnings.
The Bride Trilogy
Book 1: The Wild Child
Book 2: The China Bride
Book 3: The Bartered Bride
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I was caught by the premise of conflict between identical twins. The heroine was a very unusual woman who had suffered horrible tragedy. Read this book and the next one. They are both great books.
An unusual story that is going to catch you up and you can’t leave until the last page. Unusual but fascinating. Promise you will love it!
Another wonderful story by one of my favorite authors!
Loved this book! So different from so many romance stories. Shows how sadly the depressed and mentally handicapped were actually treated.
Shows what patience and kindness can accomplish!!
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!!
I read the book in one sitting. I could not put it down. Loved the book!
I started but couldn’t finish this book. Tried, but the story made me very uncomfortable. Taking advantage (whether it finally came to fruition or not) of the mentally ill was nauseating.
Mary Jo Putney is one of my favorite authors, and story is consistent with the excellent quality of her writing. I am never disappointed with her books.
I loved it, completly unexpected and refreshing, I recommend it “a MUST”.
It was okay. Not my favorite book
Mary Jo Putney is one of my favorite authors of historical romances because of her unusual story lines and the psychological depths of her characterizations. That is particularly true of the title character in this novel.
Fun read. Not really my kind of book, but I enjoyed it. Very well written.
You won’t be able to put this book down. Excellent story telling. Great job done by the author!p
Very romantic, mysterious unusual storyline. Great characterization. Could not put this book down.
I enjoyed this book. At times, it was a little slow. But, other than that it was a good read.
A good read! I enjoyed the different characters and their complex relationships. An interesting surprise ending.
I would read anything written by this author ! She is so good at making the story and the characters hook you from the beginning . This story was different , interesting, and I was pulling for the couple from the beginning ! Thanks for a Great read 🙂
This book takes an interesting look at mental illness while taking you through a very unconventional courtship. Meriel and Dom have a very complicated road to HEA! I loved the connection between India and England in this story. If you enjoy a book with a lot of twists, this is a great one! Just when you think everything is sorted, more trouble pops up! Great cast of unusual characters in this one as well!
With the exception of her constantly trying to jump his bones, it was a good read.
I found this story a little hard to get into,but once I did,I really enjoyed it. It was worth sticking with.
Unique story with interesting characters.