A review by sandlynn
The Spring Bride by Anne Gracie
4.0
Anne Gracie’s The Spring Bride, published in 2015, is part of a series. The fact it’s called “The Spring Bride” was the tip off — and, although it can be read as a standalone, there are references to the heroine’s backstory that seem important enough to look into the books which came first, i.e., “The Autumn Bride” and “The Winter Bride,” before tackling this one.
Anyway, in *this* book, it’s 1817 and the heroine is a young beauty just preparing for her London season. Her upbringing, however, was very troubled and, as a young woman, the story Jane “Chance” presents about herself and her family is not exactly the true one. As for the hero, he has traveled to London, in disguise, to deliver a message to his friend who handles spies for the English government. Zachary Black has been abroad for 12 years as a spy, but his backstory is equally as troubled, and he has not been in touch with his childhood home for quite some time. The hero and heroine happen to meet, are attracted, but neither reveals who they truly are to the other.
What makes things even more difficult for the couple is that the heroine is determined to marry a wealthy, stable, but boring man who can keep her and her future children safe and secure, unlike her own childhood. For his part, the hero has not only led a precarious, undercover life for years, but upon returning to England, he finds himself wanted for a serious crime and not free to claim his birthright.
This story is filled with colorful characters, interesting backstories, and unexpected developments, so it always kept my interest. I honestly, until the last few chapters, had no idea how the main obstacle between the couple was going to be resolved. The things that I didn’t like as much was the heroine’s insistence on marrying a totally unpleasant suitor without even going through with the season. Who knows? Someone else equally as wealthy could have proposed to her! So, I found that part of the story a somewhat false obstacle to the hero and heroine’s romance, i.e., he wasn’t a true, potential rival. Also, I do think I would’ve enjoyed the story a bit more if I had read the previous books first, but that’s my fault. I give this story a B+.
Anyway, in *this* book, it’s 1817 and the heroine is a young beauty just preparing for her London season. Her upbringing, however, was very troubled and, as a young woman, the story Jane “Chance” presents about herself and her family is not exactly the true one. As for the hero, he has traveled to London, in disguise, to deliver a message to his friend who handles spies for the English government. Zachary Black has been abroad for 12 years as a spy, but his backstory is equally as troubled, and he has not been in touch with his childhood home for quite some time. The hero and heroine happen to meet, are attracted, but neither reveals who they truly are to the other.
What makes things even more difficult for the couple is that the heroine is determined to marry a wealthy, stable, but boring man who can keep her and her future children safe and secure, unlike her own childhood. For his part, the hero has not only led a precarious, undercover life for years, but upon returning to England, he finds himself wanted for a serious crime and not free to claim his birthright.
This story is filled with colorful characters, interesting backstories, and unexpected developments, so it always kept my interest. I honestly, until the last few chapters, had no idea how the main obstacle between the couple was going to be resolved. The things that I didn’t like as much was the heroine’s insistence on marrying a totally unpleasant suitor without even going through with the season. Who knows? Someone else equally as wealthy could have proposed to her! So, I found that part of the story a somewhat false obstacle to the hero and heroine’s romance, i.e., he wasn’t a true, potential rival. Also, I do think I would’ve enjoyed the story a bit more if I had read the previous books first, but that’s my fault. I give this story a B+.