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Royal Bride

Joan Wolf (Goodreads Author)

3.47 · Rating details · 247 ratings · 18 reviews

To a continent in turmoil, Prince Augustus of Jura is the battle-hardened war hero who saved his tiny nation from the clutches of Napoleon. His next challenge is to find an English wife with the political connections he needs to keep his country safe. When the object of his pursuit runs off with his cousin, Augustus turns to the woman's younger sister, Charity Beaufort. Ye ...more

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Paperback, 408 pages

Published March 1st 2001 by Forever (first published January 1st 2001)

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Average rating 3.47 ·

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· 247 ratings · 18 reviews

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Jan 03, 2017 Naksed rated it did not like it

Shelves: 19th-century, annoying-heroine, mary-sue, historical-romance, ow-om-drama, no-grovel, tstl-hero

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 24, 2017 Sumeetha Manikandan rated it really liked it

Loved the beginning but does get a bit boring in the end.

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Mar 09, 2010 Jennifer rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance

This is different from what I usually read, but I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I just couldn't accept the absolutely flawless Prince; he was too good to be true (although he did turn to a mistress soon after his marriage). There was virtually no tension in this book, until the last 40 pages, but even then, there was no doubting the outcome. It was okay. ...more

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Feb 13, 2016 Maura rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, infidelity-or-implied-infidelity, arranged-marriage, p-b-e, virgin-heroine, wrong-sister, library, medieval

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In order to maintain his country's independence, Prince Augustus of Jura sets up a treaty with Great Britain and cements it by arranging a marriage to a British wife. Charity has grown up on stories of Prince Gus and is eager to meet him when he comes to marry her sister, Lydia. Lydia is everything a princess should be, while Charity is an immature seventeen year old. During the weeks/months before the wedding, Augustus and Charity become good friends. But when Lydia runs off with Augustus's cou In order to maintain his country's independence, Prince Augustus of Jura sets up a treaty with Great Britain and cements it by arranging a marriage to a British wife. Charity has grown up on stories of Prince Gus and is eager to meet him when he comes to marry her sister, Lydia. Lydia is everything a princess should be, while Charity is an immature seventeen year old. During the weeks/months before the wedding, Augustus and Charity become good friends. But when Lydia runs off with Augustus's cousin, Charity has to step up to take her place. But Augustus doesn't know what to do with a child for a wife at first. And Augustus also has to deal with outside threats to his reign and to his family.

First the writing. As intelligently written as this book was, it felt unemotional. The story was told in a rather cut and dry manner. So much so that I barely felt any anger at the fact that our honorable hero who decides to wait for his wife to be ready for consummating their marriage, decides to take up with his mistress instead of asking her if she's ready. There were moments when I felt his guilt, especially once he got caught, but on the whole such an angsty thing was barely twinge-worthy. The heroine, supposedly devastated, barely registered as so. And that's the other thing - Augustus. In so many ways he was a decent hero - he was quiet and serious, intelligent, respectful and not an ass. And yet, the man neglects his bride-to-be because he doesn't like her (at least he takes some of the blame when she elopes with the man he kept foisting her off on), he cheats on his wife, he sends his mother to explain to her why he did (instead of being a man and doing it himself) and repeatedly indicates that he's glad his wife is young enough that he can mold her into the wife he wants. These things made it difficult to like him a lot. I liked Charity and how her youth and innocence conflicted with her emotional and mental maturity. The political plot behind the romance was also very intelligently designed, and unusual for a romance novel as well. ...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Estara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2010, read-in-2011

Yes, except for the Eva scenario as likely as it would be in that situation, I really enjoy this very slow marriage-of-necessity to lovers story interspersed with thoughts about how a small principality would survive after the Napoleonic Wars in any meaningful and independent way. I smell traces of Monaco in Jura - and there was a lovely homage to dressage riding, with Lipizzans even!

Although I had the impression that the author's horse knowledge doesn't come up to Judith Tarr levels (not every ...more

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Oct 12, 2019 Debby rated it liked it

Shelves: romance-historical, napoleonic-1812-war

Prince Augustus of Jura has fought hard for the past ten years against Napoleon. Then he had to fight to keep his country independent from Austria at the Treaty of Vienna. To keep it free, he decides to ally the country through a treaty and marriage to England. He asks his great aunt who also married an Englishman to find a bride. She suggest her older granddaughter Lydia. The engagement proceeds but Lydia is more comfortable with Gus' cousin Franz and Gus with the younger sister Charity. When L ...more

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Jul 22, 2016 Marta rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, romance-reading-goals-2016, warm-tone, ya-and-adult-interest

Royal Bride reads a little differently than your typical historical romance. In tone and detail, it feels much more like a historical novel- even with the fictitious country of Jura thrown in. The court formality, the way royal family follows protocol, even among themselves, and the emphasis on diplomacy and geographical tensions ( here with Austria) gives the reader the feeling of being in a different place in time.
The romance starts as a friendship between two quite likable characters who know ...more

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Aug 20, 2008 Misfit rated it did not like it

Shelves: wall-banger

I can't believe the person who wrote this book is the same author that wrote The Road to Avalon and Born of the Sun. The basic story concept had possibilities, but the storyline is poorly written and executed and falls flat to this reader. It's almost like a 12 year old wrote this and not an experienced author. ...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Bronwyn rated it really liked it

about a young woman who marries a royal price of a country beset by intrigue and betrayel, her love for him, and their eventual happiness amid greed, betrayel, intrigue, and how it is eventually resolved

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Jan 07, 2013 Chelsea Malcolm rated it really liked it

Shelves: regency-i-love

I really like Joan Wolf's portrayal of feelings and this is just another example of an awesome take on a well loved genre. Read the synopsis and if it sounds at all good to you read it because you will love it. ...more

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Dec 09, 2016 tezuka8 rated it it was ok

I can't tolerate cheating,and after cheating the hero sends his devil mom to clean up his mess.Apparently the hero is supposed to be a cool ,collected and calm leader! ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Sise rated it it was ok

The prince was too perfect,she could have found something else to make him seem less perfect. Why did she make him a cheater? Sucked all the enjoyment out of the book.

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Jul 20, 2015 NinjaK rated it really liked it

Still one of my favorite romance reads :)

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Aug 27, 2013 Azmira rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, 2013

read update version by the author re-title The English Bride

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Feb 08, 2009 JJ rated it liked it

Better than expected.

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Nov 19, 2013 Abimbola Iletogun rated it really liked it

Royal bride is an historical book from my own point of view. I love charity and her ways. The prince couldn’t have gotten a more suitable bride.

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Jul 18, 2012 Teshii rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-romance

It would have gotten a 3 stars if wasnt the Eva situation. I hate cheaters.

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Kendra rated it liked it
Mar 23, 2009

Sarah South rated it really liked it
Jan 31, 2015

Stalowooka rated it liked it
May 11, 2019

Maidahat rated it really liked it
Aug 20, 2011

Cristina Duque rated it really liked it
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Chelsea rated it liked it
May 09, 2013

Kimberly Beatty rated it really liked it
May 13, 2011

Molly Burkey rated it really liked it
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Charis rated it liked it
Feb 03, 2009

Fms rated it liked it
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Jul 27, 2019

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About Joan Wolf

Joan Wolf

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Joan Wolf is a USA TODAY bestselling American writer, whose acclaimed Regency romances have earned her national recognition as a master of the genre. Her many historical and contemporary romances, some of which have been chosen as Literary Guild selections, have been highly praised by reviewers and authors alike.

Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher ...more