A Midsummer Bride (Marriage Mart #2) by Amanda Forester-a review

A Midsummer Bride (Marriage Mart #2) by Amanda Forester-a review

A Midsummer Bride

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 5, 2013

Love is one experiment this scientist hasn’t tested…

Miss Harriet Burton, a horrendously rich American heiress, laughs too loud, states her opinion directly, and even conducts science experiments. Her uncle is desperate to get her off his hands and is offering a king’s ransom to anyone able to arrange a suitable marriage that comes with a title.

To avoid marriage, Harriet swears off all men, until she meets Duncan Maclachlan, Earl of Thornton. But when Thornton is falsely accused of being a traitor, Harriet must use her knowledge of chemistry to find the real culprit and spark true romance.

REVIEW

4.5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

An enjoyable historical romance, with a side of mystery and a wack of enjoyable characters, A Midsummer Bride by Amanda Forrester is the second book in her Marriage Mart series. While this book wasn’t as exciting as her first book, it by no means left me feeling unsatisfied. Amanda Forrester uses a real historical background (Napoleon’s War), adds a good mix of characters that keep me chuckling (sometimes cringing) and to top it off, adds a mystery that needs to be solved before our leading characters get their happily ever after.

Our leading lady, Miss Harriet Burton is a force to be reckoned with. She is an outspoken, American woman, who has an obsession with chemistry and experimentation, refuses to be cowed by any man, and really doesn’t care what people think. She is the epitome of an what could be referred to as anti-English. When she finds herself in a position where she is forced to go to England and meet her estranged grandfather (her mama was a bad girl and disinherited), she also meets a Scottish Earl who has left a wee impression on her.

Duncan Maclachlan is this Scottish Earl and he is quite taken with Harriet as well. Who is this strange American woman who breaks all the rules polite society rely upon, and why does she intrigue him so much? What kind of woman plays with chemicals, blows up rooms, barges in on secret meetings of high ranking English gentleman to ensure her opinion is heard? What kind of woman is up at the crack of dawn, knows how to appreciate the land he treasures and seems to be placed in his path at a time when she is needed the most?

Both Harriet and Duncan push and pull throughout this story. They are both set upon living to certain rules, but when those lines become blurred, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory, fighting what is right and wrong and trying to decipher the difference. Add a nasty pompous family who relishes in making Harriet uncomfortable, mothers who are uncontrollable, a matchmaker who sees the larger picture, attraction and love brewing and a spy who is weaving one heck of a tangled web, well you then get a great book!

Like her first book in this series, Amanda Forrester has a true knack for introducing a pile of secondary characters (some with side stories) and not taking anything away from the lead story. As you get further into the story, you start to anticipate all these stories blending and when they do and questions are answered, you feel quite content. The only reason I knocked of .5 on my rating as I found it not as exciting as the first one. I will say though, I am eager for her next book, as she has set it up perfectly and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds!

Love a good ole fashioned historical romance with some mystery, humour and a beautiful couple finding their way to each other? Check this series out. You most certainly will find a bit of this and that!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

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Amanda Forester – A Wedding in Springtime Giveaway Contest

Amanda Forester – A Wedding in Springtime Giveaway Contest

a wedding in springtime

LInks to pre-order A Wedding in Springtime:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Giveaway white and rose

Sourcebooks is really excited about the new Regency trilogy coming from Amanda Forester! The first book, A Wedding in Springtime, will be available in May and has already received TWO STARRED reviews! A Giveaway of 1 copy of A Wedding in Springtime to a lucky member of The Reading Cafe is being offered by Sourcebooks.

 

TO ENTER:  

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. Please comment below, with an unusual experience you had or saw at a wedding 

3. The giveaway will run from April 17th – 24th, 2013.

4. The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. All you have to do is comment to enter for your chance to win!

 

A Wedding in Springtime Description:
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Five minutes into Miss Eugenia Talbot’s presentation at court, notorious rogue Mr. William Grant made her laugh, ruining her debut. To hush up the scandal, Eugenia’s aunt hires a matchmaker to quickly find a suitor— anyone except the infamous William Grant—to help restore Eugenia’s reputation. But amiable Eugenia shows a disturbing tendency to follow her heart, and is again caught in the company of notorious Grant. When a traitor creeps closer, threatening to ruin more than just Eugenia’s reputation, her kindheartedness may be her ultimate undoing…

 

About Amanda Forester:
Amanda22

Amanda Forester holds a PhD in clinical psychology and a Masters degree in theology.  As a psychologist, she has worked as a clinical researcher and a university instructor (what they call you when they don’t want to give you tenure).  None of which has anything to do with writing romance novels.  After trying for many years to stop the internal storylines floating around her head, she finally gave up and wrote one down.  Now when she is caught daydreaming and talking to herself she can just say, “I’m plotting a scene for my next novel,” which sounds so much better than, “I’m hallucinating and responding to internal stimuli.”Amanda lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, three lazy house pets and one destructive puppy who is part yellow lab part tornado.  Amanda enjoys writing historical romance and splits her time between the rugged Highlands of medieval Scotland and the lively banter within the drawing rooms of Regency England.  She enjoys researching the history almost as much as the writing, and attempts to provide the reader with a glimpse of the historical reality, though usually without the fleas.  She enjoys sharing her passion for romance and history and loves hearing from readers.

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