Sandy M’s review of The Viscount Claims His Bride by Bronwyn Scott
Historical Romance released by Harlequin 1 Jan 09

Bronwyn Scott is becoming a favorite author for me. While I enjoyed this book, it doesn’t have the flare that, say, Pickpocket Countess has. The characters are very likable and well written. It’s just the story itself that doesn’t quite live up to her earlier titles.

I remember how much I liked Valerian, Viscount St.Just, in Libertine Lord, Pickpocket Miss and really looked forward to his story. Compared to the storyline in that book, I think that’s why I’m just a tad disappointed in this one. There isn’t the action, the same connection between the hero and heroine as in the previous story. I’m not sure if that’s because of the friends-become-lovers factor or what. I actually liked that part of the story, though. The opening pages gives us some wonderful emotion when Val must break Philippa’s heart as he steps aside for her marriage to another that will save her family financially.

Val leaves England that night, becomes a spy and diplomat for the next nine years before he’s had enough and wants to come home.  Philippa does marry her duke, whose money saves her family, and she enjoys a nice but passionless marriage until his accidental death. Once Val finds upon his return home that Philippa is free, his goal is to win her love again. He plans to tell her the circumstances surrounding his previous behavior, but things keep getting in the way, the worst of which is another suitor of Philippa’s. He finally does tell her and that’s when things begin to perk up. So the first half of the story just doesn’t move like Ms. Scott’s previous books.

The second half is much better, Val and Philippa getting to know one another again, their love re-blossoming, but unexpected danger lurks in the form of her former suitor, who hatches a plan to remove Val from the picture. He does a credible job of that, but I was a little irritated with Philippa’s lack of faith in Valerian. A man she’s known most of her life, even though he’d been gone for nearly a decade, a man who is honorable to the core, a man who’s just confessed his love for her while her doubts are instigated by the man she’s known only a few years and who has more to gain with Val gone, which she acknowledges only a few pages later. The only thing that kept me from really going to town on Philippa is she doesn’t let doubt cloud her logic when working out for herself the difference between Val and a madman. This state of mind doesn’t go on forever as it does in some books, so I forgave her a little for that.

Even though things do pick in this part of the book, it still doesn’t shine as much as Ms. Scott’s aforementioned books. Though Philippa is a fairly strong heroine, I enjoyed Nora from Countess and Sophie from Libertine Lord much more. I wanted more out of Val’s trial; Lilya and Constantine’s testimony would have been heartwrenching in that scene. We do get back to the emotion felt in the first chapter when the villain is finally taken down, but it was a long wait. But this is still a nice story.  And I will still be reading Ms. Scott in the future.

Grade: C+

Read Wendy’s review here.

Summary:

For years Valerian Inglemoore, Viscount St. Just, lived a double life as a secret agent on the war-torn Continent.

Returning home, he knows exactly what he wants—Philippa Stratten, the woman he gave up for the sake of her family….

But Philippa isn’t the naive debutante he left behind. His rejection stung deeply, and now she is suspicious of his intentions. Valerian realizes he must wage a tough battle if he is to finally claim her, once and for all, as his bride!

Read an excerpt.