The Bad Luck Bride (The Cavensham Heiresses #1) by Janna MacGregor-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2017

IS MARRIAGE A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

A man of honor, Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke, will not rest until he exacts revenge on the man who destroyed his family. Just one more piece must fall into place for him to succeed he needs to convince his enemy s fiancee, the tragically beautiful Lady Claire Cavensham, to marry him instead.

Lady Claire s curse has always left her one misstep away from social ruin her past three engagements have gone awry, and now her fourth is headed in the same direction. . .until Alex, a man she barely even knows, shocks the ton and Claire by announcing their engagement. What begins as a sham turns into something deeper, and more passionate, than either Claire or Alex could have imagined. But when their secrets are revealed, will the truth behind their union scandalize them both or is their love strong enough to break the curse and lead them toward their happily ever after?

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REVIEW: The Bad Luck Bride is a wonderful historical romance set in 1811.

The story opens in Dorchester as Alexander Hallworth (Alex) the Marquess of Pembrooke was trying to goad his once friend Lord Paul into a duel. Another friend, Nicholas St. Mauer, Earl of Somerton prevented the illegal duel and set his friend, Alex, on the path of revenge instead. Alex was distraught over having just buried his sister Lady Alice. She was unmarried and with child. She committed suicide, leaving a note for him not to blame Paul…the misunderstanding is the very beginning of the web of revenge and so much more.

In April of 1812, his plan for revenge on Paul began to come into reality. Lord Paul was a gambler and Alex bought up his debts, claiming his property and setting out to also take the woman Paul had just become engaged to.

Lady Claire Cavensham, orphaned daughter of the late Duke of Langham, was the woman Lord Paul had just become engaged to and the object of Alex’s plans. She was raised, after her parent’s tragic accident, by her uncle and aunt the current Duke and Duchess of Langham. Unfortunately for Lady Claire, she’d had a few attempts at marriage only to be thwarted by fate. This left her with the reputation of having been cursed and making her risky marriage material, even with her wealth.

Alex prepared well for his revenge. However, he didn’t count on his attraction to the lovely Lady Claire. He found he wanted to marry her and even convinced himself he was protecting her from Lord Paul, like he wasn’t able to do for his sister.

That’s the intriguing set up of this well plotted and beautifully written story. The characters are both intriguing and engaging. The twists are very imaginative and the romance is sizzling. I believe this is the debut book of author Janna MacGregor and I for one will be waiting for more from this wonderful new author. I didn’t expect this to be such an engaging story, I was most pleasantly surprised. I found I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately, with the storms, our power went out. I found myself out in my car reading on my phone just to finish it. Yes, it’s that good!

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Georgianna S

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Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs. She loves to hear from readers.