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Almost a Bride (Almost #2)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 642 ratings · 42 reviews

In this spectacular new romance from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather, fate deals one stubbornly single young woman and one deceptively heartless man a shocking hand in a high-stakes bet. But is love in the cards?

Jack Fortescu gambles to win, and this time his prize is not only his rival’s lavish mansion but everything in it–
including the man’s beau...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published March 29th 2005 by Bantam (first published December 31st 1999)

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May 14, 2013 Esther Fanny rated it 4 of 5 stars

at first, it was hard for me to enjoy the book. but later i tried to understand the view of the author. where she would lead her reader to the storyline. i tried to understand the two main characters ; Jack and Arabella. and the last i knew was i like the way Jane weaved the storyline. the way she combined the history of French Revolution and the aristocracy life in British was so compelling. and the obstinacy of Arabella was another good things in this book. meanwhile, the rigidity of Jack Fort...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Eperdu rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book and felt it was well researched. The vocabulary was delightful in that the author used what was common in those times. So many authors shy away from the language even when trying to make everything else authentic.

I liked the passion of Jack and Arabella. I think the one thing that bothered me was that Jack changed his stripes too quick for my tastes. It just felt off and I would have preferred that he returned to his "wicked ways" and then worked through his feelings...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Fanny Roswita Ria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dastan, romance

Ceritanya tidak terlalu menarik buat gue, kebanyakan bertele-telenya tapi sangat suka dengan sosok Arabella yang gigih dan tidak mau begitu saja menyerah dengan kondisi setelah kakak tirinya, Frederick Lacey, meninggal dan meninggalkan seluruh warisannya kepada Jack Fortescu, Duke of St. Jules.

Jack yang mengincar Frederick sejak lama karena keinginan balas dendamnya terhadap pengkhianatan Frederick terhadap kaum bangsawan Prancis sehingga adiknya , Charlotte, menjadi korban penangkapan dan pembu...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Farrah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

As usual, most historical romances are fairly similar but I still can't resist reading them. In Almost a Bride, Feather creates a story of a vengeful man (Jack Fortescu) who brings his enemy to suicide and then claims all of his property including his half-sister (Arabella Lacy). After some thought of fearing she'd lose her independence, Arabella agrees to marry Jack with the understanding that they were marrying for convenience and that neither expects the other for anything more but to keep th...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Borders Broad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

3.5*'s. Jane Feather's title, Almost A Bride, has nothing to do with the book whatsoever. As a romance tale, she fleshes out her main characters, Arabella and Jack Fortescu well in a tale of marrying for revenge resulting in love. The majority of mass market romances are not epic tales. I count myself lucky when an author is able to make a storyline enjoyable. The faults I found were more personal in taste. Though proper for the time, the Duke appears to much a dandy for me. The descriptions of...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Utie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, my-review

Sebenernya agak ragu mau kasih bintang 4 apa 5 yaa.. Aku bisa aja kasih bintang 5 kalau karakter Jack tidak stabil dari awal sampai akhir. Kenyataannya Jack punya emosi yang cenderung stabil jadi hubungan antara dirinya dengan Arabella tidak punya tantangan yang berarti. Kelebihannya sih, aku suka dengan setting Inggris dan Perancis yang digambarkan lebih detail dan jelas :D Tema ceritanya adalah balas dendam, tapi aku tidak sedikitpun merasa kalau jalan cerita ini dramatis, padahal sempat berha...more Sebenernya agak ragu mau kasih bintang 4 apa 5 yaa.. Aku bisa aja kasih bintang 5 kalau karakter Jack tidak stabil dari awal sampai akhir. Kenyataannya Jack punya emosi yang cenderung stabil jadi hubungan antara dirinya dengan Arabella tidak punya tantangan yang berarti. Kelebihannya sih, aku suka dengan setting Inggris dan Perancis yang digambarkan lebih detail dan jelas :D Tema ceritanya adalah balas dendam, tapi aku tidak sedikitpun merasa kalau jalan cerita ini dramatis, padahal sempat berharap Jack punya sikap yang buruk terhadap Bella, kenyataannya dari awal pernikahan Jack ini sangat baik dan lembut sekali, jadi nuansa balas dendamnya tidak begitu berasa :(

Pernikahan antara Jack Fortesqu - Duke of St.Jules dengan Arabella Lacey terjadi atas dasar balas dendam Jack terhadap kakak tiri Bella - Frederick Lacey yang mengkhianati adik Jack - Charlotte ketika meletus Revolusi Perancis. Jack berniat mengambil semua hal yang berhubungan dengan keluarga Frederick; dia sudah membuat Frederick bunuh diri, rumah, tanah, beserta isinya diambil alih Jack, nama dan gelar Lacey sudah disandang Jack (walaupun gelar itu tidak perlu karna Jack sendiri sudah bergelar Duke), termasuk Bella, Bella yang sebelumnya menyandang nama Lacey, hilang begitu menikah dengan Jack. Habislah semua yang menyangkut nama Lacey. Selama kehidupan pernikahannya Bella merasa Jack amat sangat baik, tenang, dengan emosi yang stabil, namun entah kenapa Bella selalu melihat sorot mata Jack yang gamang serta kesedihan mendalam terhadap sesuatu.

Aku suka sekali karakter Bella yang dewasa, ketika tahu tujuan Jack menikahi Bella hanya untuk menyempurnakan balas dendamnya, bukannya menangis dan ngambek karna merasa dipermainkan tapi Bella justru mengajak Jack kembali ke Perancis untuk mencari Charlotte, tujuannya; menghapus kesedihan Jack yang selama ini menghantuinya, serta menebus kesalahan dan meminta maaf atas perbuatan kakak tirinya. Salut!! Pada akhirnya Jack pun memaafkan apa yang sudah terjadi dan percaya sepenuhnya pada Bella (walaupun jauh sebelum itu Jack sudah jatuh cinta pada Bella).

Jack adalah karakter pria yang punya emosi paling stabil di novel-novel yang pernah kubaca, jadi aku tidak pernah tahu kapan Jack jatuh cinta pada Bella, karna sedari awal Jack sudah baik banget sih! Oya, seandainya perseteruan antara Bella dengan simpanan Jack - Lilly diceritakan lebih banyak bakalan lebih seru tuh.. hehehehe.(less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Yenny toh rated it 2 of 5 stars

makna ceritanya seh lumayan cuma alurnya terlalu lamban,acara pinang-meminang aja sampe halama 178 gt...belum lagi sifat jack yg bikin kesel...

uda merit tapi tetep aja punya simpanan walaupun ga tidur ma simpanannya tapi tetep aja bayarin utang judi simpanannya..

pernikahannya didasari balas dendam ma abang tiriny bella,karena frederick telah menyebabkkan kematian adik perempuan yang sangat disayangi jack,jackpun merebut semua yang dimiliki frederick dimeja judi...mulai dari estat beserta isinya,...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Elle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Setting: Georgian England

Hero: Jack Fortescu, the Duke of Jules, has a deadly grudge against Frederick Lacey, Earl of Dunston. The book opens as Jack wins a final gaming debt, in which he wins Frederick's estates, and all within them, animate and inanimate. Now ruined, Frederick excuses himself from the table and blows his brains out. All in a day's work for Jack, who now turns his attentions to his winnings and the next step in his plan.

Heroine: Arabella Lacey is Frederick's sister and dependen...more Setting: Georgian England

Hero: Jack Fortescu, the Duke of Jules, has a deadly grudge against Frederick Lacey, Earl of Dunston. The book opens as Jack wins a final gaming debt, in which he wins Frederick's estates, and all within them, animate and inanimate. Now ruined, Frederick excuses himself from the table and blows his brains out. All in a day's work for Jack, who now turns his attentions to his winnings and the next step in his plan.

Heroine: Arabella Lacey is Frederick's sister and dependent, though there's little love lost between the two. She's in her upper 20's and hasn't "taken," which is quite all right with her. She raises orchids and lives contentedly in her brother's country estate. When Jack arrives to inform her of her brother's passing and of the fact that he is now the owner of the estate, she's stunned when he offers to marry her in order to assure that she will not be displaced by all this. She rightly senses that there's more to it and refuses, but some odd bug in her logic allows her to be persuaded to continue living in the house until she can make other arrangements with her mother's family. Jack agrees to frank her letter to the family, and promptly sticks it in his strongbox.

Eventually she is persuaded to marry him. She's aware that he has a mistress and has no intention of breaking that off, and that this is to be a marriage of convenience, so she strikes a hard bargain in order to preserve her independence as much as she can.

Turns out Jack's interest in marrying her was largely spurred by an oddity in the family title, which, in the absence of a living male heir, permitted the title to pass through a female descendant to her husband. Jack wanted to usurp Frederick's title to make his vengeance complete.

Somewhere along the way Jack starts having actual feelings for Arabella, though he resists them, doesn't want to love any blood kin of Frederick. And she of course falls in love with him, but is hurt and frustrated by his refusal to share anything of import about his life with her.

There's a bit of logic in the middle that really flummoxed me. Jack still sees and gives money to his mistress, and showers attention on her publicly. Arabella is angry and finally confronts him, and he tells her that he hasn't slept with the woman since they married, but he didn't want to humiliate the mistress by turning away from her in public. Bella is immedately pacified, and later when she talks about it to a friend they reckon it was really decent of him to protect his mistress's feelings and reputation. Maybe I'm missing something but why doesn't it occur to anyone that it wasn't OK for him to humiliate his WIFE??

Anyway, when we finally find out the reason for Jack's grudge and his dark moods, it's a fair reason, so the love story comes to a satisfactory resolution and there's some good adventure towards the end.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Natha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translation, historical-romance

Buku ini sukses bikin aku kembali menggemari buku-buku HR setelah selama beberapa waktu aku mengalami kebosanan. :p
Ceritanya klasik, sama seperti buku-buku HR yang lain, kedua tokoh utama saling membenci dan tidak mau kalah sampai akhirnya perasaan yang bernama 'cinta' menyela keduanya.

Arabella terpaksa menikah dengan Jack karena ia jatuh miskin. Kebodohan kakak tirinya, Frederick, telah membuatnya kehilangan rumah dan segala isinya hingga ia tidak memiliki apapun. Bergantung kepada belas kasih...more Buku ini sukses bikin aku kembali menggemari buku-buku HR setelah selama beberapa waktu aku mengalami kebosanan. :p
Ceritanya klasik, sama seperti buku-buku HR yang lain, kedua tokoh utama saling membenci dan tidak mau kalah sampai akhirnya perasaan yang bernama 'cinta' menyela keduanya.

Arabella terpaksa menikah dengan Jack karena ia jatuh miskin. Kebodohan kakak tirinya, Frederick, telah membuatnya kehilangan rumah dan segala isinya hingga ia tidak memiliki apapun. Bergantung kepada belas kasihan Jack membuatnya mengirimkan sebuah surat permintaan tolong pada keluarga jauhnya, tapi niat Jack yang mau membuat Arabella menjadi miliknya telah membuat gadis itu kehilangan semua cara untuk melarikan diri dari kemiskinan kecuali dengan cara menikah.

Jack, punya seorang adik yang ia ketahui meninggal karena pengkhianatan Frederick. Ia terbakar emosi dan dendam hingga berupaya untuk membuat Frederick menderita. Niatnya tercapai saat ia berhasil membuat lelaki itu miskin dan merebut semua kekayaan dan gelarnya, termasuk adik tirinya ke dalam genggaman tangan. Ia bermaksud menikahi Arabella dan menjadikan trophy pembalasan dendamnya walau Frederick sudah tidak dapat melihat adiknya menikah dengan dirinya.

Arabella tidak mau menikah dengan Jack, tapi bantuan yang ia minta dari keluarga jauhnya tidak mendapat jawaban (surat yang ia kirim sengaja tak dikirim oleh Jack). Tidak ada jalan lain, dan dia tidak mau berpisah dengan hobinya mengurus Anggrek, Arabella memutuskan menerima tawaran pernikahan Jack dengan berderet syarat. Jack menerima syarat itu dan membawa Arabella ke London dan memamerkannya di sana.

Saat berada di London, Arabella baru mengetahui alasan yang membuat Jack sangat membenci Frederick, karena Jack tidak pernah mau mengungkit tentang adiknya, Arabella berusaha mencari tahu dari teman-teman Perancisnya. Dari sanalah ia tahu tentang adik Jack yang ternyata masih hidup. Mendapat info itu, Arabella mengajak Jack ke Perancis dan berusaha mengeluarkan sang adik dari penjara.

Humm, dari awal sampai ke bagian pergi ke Perancis seh oke. Tapi entah kenapa, kejutekkan dan kesombongan Jack jadi menyebalkan saat pergi ke Perancis itu. Arabella sudah berjuang mati-matian buat mencari tahu tentang adik Jack, tapi tanggapannya negatif. Dan anehnya--Arabella ngga bermasalah dengan itu. *gemes*

But overall, buku ini cukup oke buat dibaca, kalau tidak aku tidak akan menjadi ngefans lagi dengan HR selepas membaca buku ini. :p(less)

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Feb 23, 2010 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: anglophilia, historicalromance

After Arabella Lacey is left homeless by the death of her wastrel brother, the man involved in his death sets his sights on obtaining Arabella as his wife along with the estates and money of her dead brother. Author Feather creates suffering characters who somehow manage to find happiness with each other after marrying without thought for love or romance. The middle of the book drags with too many details of court life and the end is even more depressing than needed. Not my favorite book by Jane...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Rennie rated it 3 of 5 stars

sebenernya suka sama ceritanya, tapi ada satu yang ganjel, pernyataan jack soal mantan mistressnya,
soal memiliki komitmen setia sama si mantan, tidak bisa, tidak akan mempermalukan si mantan dengan menolaknya di depan publik..well bukannya itu sama aja dengan memilih mempermalukan istri sahnya -arabella-???? weird opinion, tapi gak tau juga sih kalo emang udah biasanya pada jaman itu, tapi tetep gak sreg coz si mantannya aja licik gitu -tetep berpegang pada: yang rese ya kudu diancurin-hmmmpfh..

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Feb 10, 2012 Mahareni Maldini rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-from-pitimoss, hero-named-jack, historical-romance

3,5

Eeeeeehhh...kok daku lebih betah baca bukunya Jane Feather ya daripada Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, Sabrina Jeffries, ato Stephanie Laurens?

Sayang di akhir cerita gak disinggung sama sekali tentang kesepakatan 'pernikahan terbuka' antara Jack+Arabella setelah sang pewaris dilahirkan. Juga apakah gaya hidup berjudi si Lily masih dibiayai Jack (bener2 bikin buuueeeeete sama laki2 ini). Seandainya ada penjelasan tentang itu, weeeeeell...aku gak keberatan ngasih 4 bintang.

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Oct 30, 2010 Rebecca Huston rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: england, historical-romance, 18th-century

Set just before the turn of the 1800's, there are elements of the French Terror, London at the time of Prinny's (the future George IV) wedding, and a couple drawn together by suicide. The fact that the heroine's brother's death was indirectly caused by the hero does cause some tension...

For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_18105...

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Apr 07, 2012 Jean Tatro rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

It has good pacing, and I liked the give and take between the hero and heroine. It's a competent story, a bit routine, but enjoyable. It could have delved deeper, but it has its moments. The ending is a mix a bittersweet and 'well, duh'.

I guess I don't have much to say. It's a pretty good book, but it doesn't stand out in my memory at all.

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Jul 16, 2012 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: passionate

JACK FORTESCU OFFERS MARRIAGE TO BEAUTIFUL ARABELLA LACEY, TO RID HIM OF HIS GUILTY CONSCIENCE, BUT HIS PLANS BACKFIRES, WHEN HE FALLS DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH ARABELLA. SHE FELLED IN LOVE WITH HIM AS WELL, AS SHE DISCOVERS HIS DEMONS AND HELP HIM TO FACE THEM, WITH AN UNDYING LOVE AND DEVOTION!!!

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Dec 18, 2011 Katherine St. Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

Sangat disayangkan penokohannya kurang kuat, padahal alur ceritanya sudah bagus. Konflik emosinya kurang terbangun dimana Jack yang pelan-pelan jatuh cinta kepada istrinya kurang sekali penggambaran emosinya. Semoga buku Jane Feather lainnya lebih bagus lagi penokohannya tergarap.

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Oct 29, 2010 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read many Jane Feather books, but I enjoyed this one. It wasn't the most romantic book I have ever read, but it was still good. I did actually like Jack and think while he doesn't gushingly profess his love he does show it in little ways. I think it is worth reading.

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Jun 24, 2010 Deidre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good but not great. This book kind of dragged in a lot of spots where others were alright. The characters also were back and forth a lot leaving me unsure what to make of them leaving me some what irritated. I'm giving this 3 Stars but perhaps 2 1/2 would be more accurate.

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Aug 03, 2010 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

I started reading this book with alot of anticipation, but I was a little disappointed with this story as I thought it lacked drama and I found it easy to put down. Although I thought the last quarter of the book did pick up pace and was more engrossing when Jack is given the opportunity to put an end to a tragedy that has haunted him emotionally for a long time, and was very moving.

The relationship between Jack and Arabella is likeable and produced some tender moments between the pair. Arabella...more

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Dec 04, 2008 Tammey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This spectacular romance fate deals one stubbornly single young woman and one deceptively heartless man a shocking hand in a high stake bet.

Wonderful, romantic, suspense, sad and just a all around good book

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Dec 27, 2011 Mariani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Novel pertamanya Jane Feather yg saya baca,and personally I dun really like it.
Pilot nya uda oke,ttg Jack yg mo balas dendam kepada Frederick dgn mengclaim smua harta and propertinya.
Tapi sepertinya ada sumthing yg missing dg karakternya Jack dan Arabella.
Jg tdk diceritakan bgmn akhir hubungan Jack dan mistressnya.
Untung di akhir2 bab ada crita yg mengharukan ketika Jack dan Arabella kembali menemukan Charlotte..

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Dec 16, 2011 Anita is currently reading it · review of another edition

karena libur jadi waktunya buat baca2 buku yg blm ke baca :D
tapi bru bab2 awal kok rada males ya... hmmm... bukunya yg jelek ato emang lgi bosen sama hisrom, entahlah =.=

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Sep 05, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-liked

This was my first book that I read that was placed in the 1800's. I have to admit, it's the real reason why I am looking for books set during this time.

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Aug 13, 2010 Alexia added it

Great read! Jane Feather creates vivid imagery making this book a must read! Her depiction of history just adds to the romance.

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Oct 21, 2009 Kel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

Ms. Feather captures the clothes and manners of the early 1700s quite convincingly. Excellent Scarlet Pimpernel knock off.

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Sep 04, 2012 Yuliana Permata Sari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-little-library

http://yulianapermatasari.blogspot.co...

Jack harus melakukan sesuatu agar Arabella setuju untuk menikah dengannya, tapi walaupun mereka sudah menikah Jack tidak sepenuhnya bisa menerima Arabella sebagai istrinya karena masa lalu Jack. Kematian adiknya masih terus membayanginya.

Kalau Arabella ingin kehidupan pernikahannya berjalan lancar, dia harus melakukan sesuatu untuk mengembalikan Jack dari masa lalunya, walaupun dia harus si Paris untuk itu.

Ini buku Jane Feather pertama yang aku baca dan ak...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read it last year, but I don't even remember a thing about it. Couldn't have been that good

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Dec 13, 2011 Sari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

Sama kya novel Stephanie Laurens, monoton n membosankan, akhirnya byk yg di skip bacanya, model baca kilat, saking malesnya menyelesaikan. Bahkan d lupa jln ceritanya gmn saking biasa bgt x(

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Nov 05, 2009 Lynn Townsend rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite what I'm going to take as poor editing (there were entirely too many grammar errors - it's and its being a BIG one) I enjoyed this book.

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Feb 11, 2013 Alissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish, forced-to-skim-through, dull-lacking-drama

I just gave up I was so bored.

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About Jane Feather

Jane Feather was born in Cairo, Egypt, and grew up in New Forest, in the south of England. She began her highly successful career after she and her family moved to Washington D.C. in 1981. She now has over ten million books in print.

Has also written under pseudonym of Claudia Bishop (books written in 1984)

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Books by Jane Feather

Snowy Night with a Stranger (School for Heiresses, Anthology 2)

Rushed to the Altar (Blackwater Brides #1)

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