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Marrying Miss Bright #3
A Wedding Story
Unlike her two sisters who followed their dreams to the altar,Kathryn Bright Goodale doesn't want to be a bride. What she needs is to win the Great Centennial Race now that her late husband has left her penniless. So Kate reluctantly turns to the famous adventurer Lord James Bennett for help. Once, long ago, James stole from her a lingering, forbidden, and unforgettable kiss. And now the lady wants the incorrigible rogue to stick strictly to business -- and is troubled that shemay not be able to resist him if he does not. James, too, can never forget that wild, passionate moment in Kate's garden, and he's certain the rigors of a far-reaching adventure will be too much for her. But the fetching young widow surprises him with her bold determination and a courage that compliments her breathtaking sensuality. Might Lord James be competing for a more elusive, yet far more valuable, the hand and heart of Kathryn Bright Goodale?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 30, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 6, 2011
I bought this book because I'd enjoyed the other books in the "Marrying Miss Bright" series, THE BAD MAN'S BRIDE (which wasn't a keeper, but a good one-time read), and MARRY ME, which was a keeper. So of course I sought out the last book A WEDDING STORY, which is the story of Kate, the very proper oldest Bright sister.
I expected to love this book. I was so surprised that it did nothing for me. Oh, Susan Kay Law's writing style is enjoyable and humorous, as always. The dialogue is witty and fun, her descrptions are vivid without being overly wordy and her prose is easy-to-read without being "dumbed down". So what was the problem?
The characters! I couldn't like either the hero or the heroine. Kate came across as snotty and cold. James was more of a carboard cutout then a person. I didn't feel like I knew what drove him. I had no more insight into him by a third of the way into the book then I'd gleaned from the first ten pages. Normally, Kay Law creates wonderful characters that leap out of the book into your heart, but that just didn't happen here.
The antagonism between James and Kate came from an encounter years before (a romance staple). The problem? The encounter was a memorable kiss between them--while Kate was still married to Dr. Goodale. Granted, James didn't realize that she was married until after he kissed her, but she did. The author tried to gloss it over as one of those encounters that happened so quickly that Kate didn't have a chance to explain or stop James before he kissed her, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. She didn't love her husband, but it was still cheating, and made it harder for me to like Kate.
I also found it completely unrealistic that a hothouse flower like Kate, who never had a hair out of place, would be able to keep up with James on a trip through the jungle. I'm not an impeccably perfect polished woman like her, and even I'd have trouble on such a trip. Most modern women would, let alone a woman of 1899. It just didn't sit right with me and really took away from my enjoyment of the book.
I'll still continue to try this author's work, as I know she can write good stories. I recommend MARRY ME for a good example of her work. As for A WEDDING STORY, I recommend that you borrow this one from the library before buying it.
I expected to love this book. I was so surprised that it did nothing for me. Oh, Susan Kay Law's writing style is enjoyable and humorous, as always. The dialogue is witty and fun, her descrptions are vivid without being overly wordy and her prose is easy-to-read without being "dumbed down". So what was the problem?
The characters! I couldn't like either the hero or the heroine. Kate came across as snotty and cold. James was more of a carboard cutout then a person. I didn't feel like I knew what drove him. I had no more insight into him by a third of the way into the book then I'd gleaned from the first ten pages. Normally, Kay Law creates wonderful characters that leap out of the book into your heart, but that just didn't happen here.
The antagonism between James and Kate came from an encounter years before (a romance staple). The problem? The encounter was a memorable kiss between them--while Kate was still married to Dr. Goodale. Granted, James didn't realize that she was married until after he kissed her, but she did. The author tried to gloss it over as one of those encounters that happened so quickly that Kate didn't have a chance to explain or stop James before he kissed her, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. She didn't love her husband, but it was still cheating, and made it harder for me to like Kate.
I also found it completely unrealistic that a hothouse flower like Kate, who never had a hair out of place, would be able to keep up with James on a trip through the jungle. I'm not an impeccably perfect polished woman like her, and even I'd have trouble on such a trip. Most modern women would, let alone a woman of 1899. It just didn't sit right with me and really took away from my enjoyment of the book.
I'll still continue to try this author's work, as I know she can write good stories. I recommend MARRY ME for a good example of her work. As for A WEDDING STORY, I recommend that you borrow this one from the library before buying it.
February 24, 2020
Meh! I wanted to like this book and thought from the jacket cover that it would be on the order of "Around the World in 80 Days" but oh boy, was I wrong. The premise is that a widow needs to help of a man she shared a kiss with years ago, an indiscretion that she has carried the sensual feelings inside for the last 12 years. He is a rakish adventurer, friend of her departed husband who has thought she was too loose and angry that his friend had married this woman, although he has carried the fantasies within for the last 12 years also. The join together to try to find the treasure of this race on the order of these new "Great Races" we see on TV. I thought i would be reading about deciphering the clues and how they surmounted these challenges, with some romance involved. Nah, it was boring and redundant and a waste of my time. Well, off to bigger and better things.
June 20, 2011
I started reading this book three times and kept going to different books instead. I just didn't think I would like it based on the synopsis. Kate wanted Jim to help her win the Great Centennial Race. I have to say that it is not ALL about the race. And the race is actually more like a treasure hunt. They are given clues at each location that leads them to another location. But most of the book is their interaction with each other. I ended up liking this book as well as the 2nd book in the series.
June 16, 2019
After two great books in the Bright Family series (The Bad Man's Bride and Marry Me), this book was a disappointment.
Lord James Bennett, adventurer extraordinaire, shared a memorable kiss with Kate Bright Goodale, wife of his mentor and friend. He was not aware the woman he kissed was Goodale's wife, but Kate knew better. Based on that kiss and Kate's behavior, James decided she was a woman of easy virtue. He disliked her for betraying his friend.
Now, it is years later and Dr. Goodale has died, leaving Kate nearly penniless. She has decided that she must win the Great Centennial Race, offered by the New York Sentinel. However, she knows she cannot do it on her own, so she enlists the help of James. He doesn't really want to be around her, he still thinks she must have (or had) loads of lovers. However, the opportunity to compete with some of his long-time opponents is too enticing to avoid.
There were some things that just didn't make sense. When Kate and Jim got to the first clue, it had already been destroyed. The way they got that clue was outlandish. Kate never had a hair out of place; this just didn't gel with the difficult terrain. It was also very unlikely that she could have kept up with Jim, who was used to the rigors of exploring.
Most of the story seemed about Kate and Jim's relationship, with a bit of the contest thrown in. The whole episode with Johnny was extraneous. James rarely seemed (to me) to be a real person. I really felt I'd wasted my time with this novel.
Bright Family
1. The Bad Man's Bride (2001)
2. Marry Me (2002)
3. A Wedding Story (2003)
Lord James Bennett, adventurer extraordinaire, shared a memorable kiss with Kate Bright Goodale, wife of his mentor and friend. He was not aware the woman he kissed was Goodale's wife, but Kate knew better. Based on that kiss and Kate's behavior, James decided she was a woman of easy virtue. He disliked her for betraying his friend.
Now, it is years later and Dr. Goodale has died, leaving Kate nearly penniless. She has decided that she must win the Great Centennial Race, offered by the New York Sentinel. However, she knows she cannot do it on her own, so she enlists the help of James. He doesn't really want to be around her, he still thinks she must have (or had) loads of lovers. However, the opportunity to compete with some of his long-time opponents is too enticing to avoid.
There were some things that just didn't make sense. When Kate and Jim got to the first clue, it had already been destroyed. The way they got that clue was outlandish. Kate never had a hair out of place; this just didn't gel with the difficult terrain. It was also very unlikely that she could have kept up with Jim, who was used to the rigors of exploring.
Most of the story seemed about Kate and Jim's relationship, with a bit of the contest thrown in. The whole episode with Johnny was extraneous. James rarely seemed (to me) to be a real person. I really felt I'd wasted my time with this novel.
Bright Family
1. The Bad Man's Bride (2001)
2. Marry Me (2002)
3. A Wedding Story (2003)
January 7, 2011
I Liked this book the best out of the 3 Miss Bright books. This follows up from Bad Man's Bride, The
August 16, 2011
OK so the last sister finally gets her story. I was actually expecting her story to be the second in the series. That must have been some kiss that they were both thinking about it twelve years later. Could he be anymore grouchy and she thought the whole time that he was just putting up with her!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews