Lawson’s review of Blackthorne’s Bride by Shana Galen
Historical romance released by Avon October 30, 2007

Blurb:

For better or for worse

Tired of being wooed for her dowry, Lady Madeleine Castleigh has given up on finding true love. But on her way to elope with a boring but honorable philanthropist, her carriage is seized by a nobleman on the run. Maddie is alarmed, especially when she catches sight of Jack Martingale, Marquess of Blackthorne, exactly the sort of wickedly attractive man she’s sworn to avoid.

Chased by a powerful duke with revenge on his mind and a private army in tow, Jack has no choice but to confiscate Madeleine’s carriage. He promises to take his leave once they arrive at the wedding in Gretna Green, but he doesn’t count on his growing desire for the blue-eyed beauty. When the unexpected appearance of Maddie’s father and the mistakes of a drunken priest alter everyone’s plans, Maddie is furious—until she discovers that Blackthorne’s kisses arouse a passion in her she’d long ago stopped praying for.

Read an excerpt.

This is the third in Galen’s Misadventures in Matrimony series. The first two being No Man’s Bride and Good Groom Hunting, both about cousins of the heroine.

On her way to Gretna Green, Lady Madeline Castleigh is hoping everything will work out. That her father won’t find her, or any one else in her family for that matter, and her marriage will be everything she’s wanted. She wants to continue to do various charitable works and not be controlled anymore by her father. Her fiancee, Mr. Dover, is just the type that won’t tell he what to do and she can be a mother to his two small children.

As plans often go awry, this one does as well. Maddie’s cousin Ashley tags along, as a chaperone, and on the way out of London the carriage is hijacked by Jack and Nicholas Martingale. Now trying to out run her father is the least of her worries.

Jack and Nicholas entered the carriage because they were dodging certain dismemberment at the direction of their enemy, the Duke of Bleven. Knowing their luck in getting a carriage out of London, the brothers proceed to take over the trip to Gretna, all while avoiding the Duke and Maddie’s irate father. Though engaged to Mr. Dover, Maddie comes to want Jack, as he has been wanting her, and lucky them, the anvil priest in Gretna makes a mistake and marries Maddie to Jack.

The passion that arises from the mistaken union could be enough to save the hasty marriage and give London something even more scandalous than an elopement to talk about.

So Maddie is running of with a dull, yet solid, man to Gretna Green. She’s tired of men proposing to her because she’s got a monstrous dowry and they want the money. She’s also tired of her father inhibiting her charitable works because she happens to go to seedier parts of London to help those less fortunate. So she wants a man around that won’t try to control her and she can do what she wants.

She’s a selfish, spoiled bit of baggage and the only good thing about it is the fact that she knows it. And she’s 18. Normally, I’m not really bothered by the age of the heroine, but this one did bother me. Maddie talked like men have been beating down her door and proposing (an average of two a week) for quite awhile. Being 18, she’d have been out in society maybe a year, so that’s not possible.

Not only that, but it’s nice that she wants to help those less fortunate than herself, since she’s the daughter of a wealthy earl and wants to give something back. Very noble. But a member of 37 charitable organizations? Saving bears, lost children, widows and war veterans? It’s too much, and she, being 18, has the “well, it’ll never happen to me” attitude and flings herself headlong into danger. Yep, that’s right, she’s TSTL.

Jack is an alright hero. He’s loyal, caring, but he’s shut people out because of witnessing a horrific event involving his mother when he was ten. Maddie gets into his cold, cold heart, but it’s not really that hardened anyway. When he chastises Maddie for her constant putting herself in danger, he does it because he loves her (it takes him a bit to admit it) and wants to keep her safe. A knight in shining armor he is. I don’t think Maddie deserves him.

The rest of the book has so much slapstick, it felt like a Three Stooges movie. Or maybe the Apple Dumpling Gang. Jack’s brother, Nick, is always in trouble and it’s just ridiculous. Ashley is one of the managing, bossy people that really get on my nerves. The Duke of Bleven is a slightly complicated villain, if only for the fact that Jack and Nick are able to outsmart him time and time again and get away. And the resolution with Bleven rang false because Jack gets away with way too much.

Oh, and it takes nearly all of the book for Jack and Maddie to do the horizontal mambo in a bed. They do it in several interesting and exciting places, but Jack can’t wait for a bed. Even though he’s only known Maddie a few days, he’s taking her underneath the beauty of nature while exercising his husbandly rights. Maddie is obviously a different breed of virginal debutant if she’s ok with that.

There were too many things that were outside the realm of possibility, especially the slapstick aspects of the story and Maddie’s compulsion to save every poor suffering creature, human or animal, she came across took away what could have been a charming and funny story around being lucky enough to find love when a drunken priest marries you in Gretna Green.

Grade: D+