To Catch a Brideby Anne Graciereviewed by Cheryl SneedSeptember 2009, 320 pages, Publisher: Berkley, ISBN: 0425230228 Back Cover Blurb: Rafe Ramsey, son of the late Earl of Axbridge, doesn't believe in love. But that doesn't mean he's willing to accept the marriage of convenience devised by his family to ensure the line of succession. Instead he impulsively takes on the task of tracking down the missing granddaughter of a wealthy English family, and heads off to faraway lands. In Egypt, he finds not a frightened young girl, but a beautiful woman who is running from something far more serious than an unwanted betrothal...
Ayisha is no longer a wide-eyed, gullible child, and after six years on the streets, she is no man's easy prey. However, she is no match for Rafe's maneuvers...or his kisses. Before long she finds herself headed back to England with Rafe to embrace a new life and a new family. But when the dark secrets of her past catch up with her, it threatens to destroy them both. And Rafe will be forced to choose between the beliefs of a lifetime-and love.
To Catch a Bride, the third book in Anne Gracie's "Devil Riders" series, features a reckless adventurer and a chick-in-pants heroine hiding out in an exotic location. Works for me.
Rafe Ramsey made it home safely, but there is a part of him that misses the life-on-the-edge aspect of war. His childless brother, the earl, is concerned with securing the succession and so arranges a marriage for him. Rafe knows his duty, but cannot resist one last adventure before settling down: searching for the long-lost granddaughter of a friend who has been spotted in Egypt.
Ayisha was left to fend for herself in Cairo when her father died several years ago. She has eked out a living and cobbled together a family and she is not at all interested in trading it in for England and an unknown grandmother. She is half-persuaded, half-compelled to return with Rafe and their road trip back home is filled with more adventure than Rafe or Ayisha bargained for. While their experiences bring them closer together, Ayisha is harboring a secret that she fears will keep them apart.
To Catch a Bride is as much an adventure story as it is a love story. The perilous encounters with slavers, pirates and other ne'er-do-wells keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Rafe and Ayisha are interesting people whom I enjoyed getting to know. Rafe was your basic reckless hero type, though no less attractive for that, but Ayisha was something different, something special. Her independence and survival instincts are well-honed and her grit admirable. While her actions - or rather, reactions - toward the end of the book seemed a bit out of character to me, still Ayisha was a terrific personality and a great fit for Rafe.
Anne Gracie rarely disappoints and I'm happy to report that To Catch a Bride is a Keeper.
Reviewed by Cheryl Sneed, September 21, 2009
Contact us!
Cybil Solyn, csolyn@rakehell.com
|
