The Night Before the Wedding

by Debra Mullins

To win the woman destined to be his bride . . . Catherine Depford is the wealthiest heiress in London, and she is all but promised to a proper English lord . . . so why is she having dreams of a Scottish warrior claiming her for his own? She can't imagine that her heated fantasies would come true . . . until she locks eyes with the stranger of her dreams in a crowded ballroom. A Scotsman will do anything Highland chief Gabriel MacBraedon has come to London in search of Catherine, the woman an ancient curse dictates to be his bride. But he can't very well sweep the English beauty into his arms and carry her off to Scotland in the dead of night. Or can he? Nothing is impossible when a Scotsman's passion is making the rules . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Scotland, Historical Fiction, Adult

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

(from website)I hate writing bios. They always seem so cut and dried. But you came to my website to learn more about me, so here goes.

I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.

‘Nuff said.

So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)

Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.

After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.

I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.

Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.

But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.

Yes, you can laugh now.

Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.

So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.

All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f

Reviews

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read about a pair of young people compelled to wed by a curse. I liked the writing and the characters, and that the heroine realized how selfish she was being, but thought the romance was lacking.

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good however I did not care for the audio narration much.

[Sara]

I absolutely loved this. As my first Debra Mullins I enjoyed how easy the author's writing is and how wonderful the journey of Gabriel and Catherine was to their HEA.

I love when stories have a bit of magic or folklore in them. Not as in fantasy, though I have no issues with that, but like with this story how a curse between two families brings Gabriel and Catherine together because it's their fate.

Oh my. I am a sucker for a gruff highlander. If you make him the clan chief barking orders being so damn confident, I will be a puddle on the floor. Sprinkle in some vulnerability when it comes to his clan, children and women and that's one hell of a tonic that I will gladly consume. What I am trying to say is I am in love with Highland clan chief Gabriel MacBraedon. I loved him as the MacBraedon, I loved him as the Earl of Arneth... I just loved him. Gabriel is a man who will do his duty even if that means sacrificing his own happiness for the good of his people. I think sometimes we think our lives should be one way and fate or a curse leads us to our true path and true love.

He curled his hands into fists. “Blasted curse. It even manipulates our attraction to each other.”
“How do you know it is the curse?”
He let out a disbelieving laugh. “What else could it be?”
Her lips curved in a smile as old as Eve. “Us.”

So let me break this story down real quick. Centuries ago a witch put a curse on the MacBraedon's and the Farlan's. Basically the MacBraedon chief must wed the Farlan lass who bears the mark of a dagger every generation or the Farlan lass will go mad and the MacBraedon's will suffer a famine. This has gone along swimmingly until Catherine's mother Glynnis decided to thwart her fated duty and run off to marry an Englishman. For decades now the MacBraedon's have suffered and it's Gabriel's turn to sacrifice what he wants for the betterment of his people.

Catherine Depford lives with her father in London alone as her mother Glynnis went mad as the curse said and killed herself when Catherine was young. Catherine knows nothing of the actual curse but believes her mothers family has a curse of madness that starts around the age of 18. Catherine is desperate to find a husband who will be a good man to her when and if she goes mad and starts to judge suitors by how they take care of their mothers. She thinks if they are kind to their moms, they will be kind to her when she goes mad but Catherine is already seeing signs of madness as she hears voices in her head chanting and she sees as gorgeous Scot in her dreams who takes her breath away with passion. When Catherine attends a ball and that dreamy Scot shows up in person it was everything I could have hoped for. I loved seeing Catherine think she was already going mad when she sees Gabriel in the flesh and wondering if their conversation was all in her head. It wasn't but it was comical and then pretty sexy what happens between she and Gabriel.

I adored all the MacBraedon's and Farlans that come along with Gabriel to help secure his bride. The boys and their human ladder was entertaining and seeing how everyone was around incognito to make sure Catherine was sage was endearing.

This wasn't a deep book by any means but it was fun, it was romantic and it was sexy. The attraction between Gabriel and Catherine was sensual and when they are together it's explosive. Gabriel kept thinking the attraction was all about the curse and could not figure out why he wanted this woman more than any before.

There are so many moments I keep thinking about with this that make me smile and make me feel the way a good romance should. I loved every minute of this book, even the ones that seemed resolved all too fast like Catherine's father and Jean's turn around but the point is Catherine and Gabriel have an HEA and that's all that matters. Though, I will say I was tearing up at the end with a bit of angst but of course my heart was spared any breakage.

I'll stop this ramble now and just go swoon over my highlights again.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ancient curse proclaims them to be fated but it's not quite as simple as that. The hero was in love with another when his fated bride is found but he selflessly put aside his own happiness to save his people from starvation. As the clan he leads is in a famine when the previous bride refused to wed the laird.

The hero travels to England and the second he sees the girl he's to marry, he instantly doesn't think fate is all that bad. The heroine lives in constant fear that her mother’s madness will consume her so she desperately seeks a husband before her secret comes out. She fights the hero tooth and nail because a, she doesn't believe in the curse, and b, she's afraid of her own feelings. But when the madness begins to affect her, she has no choice but to go to Scotland to seek out a cure.

This book was a roller-coaster. I spent the fight 2/3rds of the book hating the heroine. She was stupidly stubborn and selfish and possessed absolutely no regard for anyone but herself. The hero was unrelenting in his pursuit of her and wouldn't ever take no for an answer but finally it all builds and builds inside of him and he snaps at. He tells her she's selfish and while she's complaining she has to wed a hot, Scottish laird, people are dying. After that confutation, the whole story changed. She recognizes her faults and tries to be better though she still doesn't believe in the curse, she's willing to see the man for what he is. At some point I began to believe her. It's a little crazy that she's expected to go a foreign land and wed a stranger all because of a birthmark. When she doesn't instantly marry him, every single thing that goes wrong in the whole village is blamed on her. She gets yelled at and threatened so much that it's the hero who actually defends her. The curse is real but they're let it consume their lives and when she does marry him, the villagers begin to understand that not everything can be given to them. That sometimes-bad things happen to good people. I absolutely loved the chemistry between the characters when it isn't until almost the end that it's even hinted at deeper feelings. The hero still cares for the girl who turned him away and the heroine's still reluctant to marry him. I didn't really like that aspect but overall, it's an engaging story because it makes you feel for the characters.

[Patty McKenna Van Hulle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debra Mullins

Just a quickie review for this amazing, magical and curse driven Scottish tale of love. Poor Catherine Deplore is cursed by an old Scottish Fagan Curse that she doesn't understand because her mom, who was slowly going insane, jumped out of her bedroom window. Catherine has had dreams of a mysterious Highlander and has craved him all her life. Now she is 18 and going slowly insane with dreams, hearing voices, speaking Gaelic and being chased by her dream Highlander. Highland chief Gabriel MacBraedon must collect, kidnap and marry the Fagan Cursed Catherine before his clan is destroyed. He chases, craves, kisses and caresses Catherine all across London, but he must get her to Scotland and marry her ASAP! Will Catherine go insane before she marries Gabriel? Will they marriage save the clan? Can their passions turn to love? I loved this book so much I had to check it out again from my fantastic library. This curse just made their cravings, desires and passions increase ten fold. The steaminess and sexiness of this Scottish tale was "pull the fire alarm" hot. Ms. Mullins can spin and weave an amazing, original and captivating Scottish tale. I love a couple that must fight tooth and mail for their love and Ms. Mullins delivers that and more! She deserves my top score of 5 fingers up and 10 toes.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Couldn't put it down.

[Julie D'Arcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable story.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title "The Night Before the Wedding" is a bit misleading, but I still enjoyed Debra Mullins latest historical about sacrifice, a brawny Highland chief, and the spoiled English bride he must marry to save his clan. There's a curse involved too, which just makes it jucier.

Catherine is many things: the daughter of a wealthy businessman, an heiress, beautiful, spoiled, oh...and she's pretty sure she's going mad! Her mother committed suicide at a fairly young age after going mad and Catherine has begun hearing voices since her eighteenth birthday. So now she and her father are working at finding her a husband with two special traits: he must be titled(for her father), and he must be someone who would care for her even if she does go mad (for Catherine). It's just too bad that none of the men she's considering are the one she keeps dreaming about.

Gabriel MacBraedon, Earl of Arneth, Highland Laird, has tried everything he can think of to break the curse...without success. The only option left is for him to find the latest Farlan daughter, the one who bears the mark, and marry her. Never mind that he already gave his heart to another, never mind that she's a spoiled brat who thinks mostly of herself, and never mind that she still makes his loins burn...he has no choice left unless he's willing to see his people starve.

Gabriel was a wonderful Highland hero; strong leader, sexy lover, kind to animals and women, yadda, yadda, yadda. Catherine, on the other hand, was a spoiled, selfish, teenage-acting, 18-year-old who I never particularly warmed to throughout the story. She did eventually learn to think of others, but it took drastic examples of want and privation...what a witch! The attraction between these two, though, was as hot as any Debra Mullins writes; and that's very good indeed.

I never really figured out exactly which era the story was set in, although if I had to guess it would be late regency, early Victorian. None of that really affected the story, but Catherine's insistence in disbelieving a curse would have been much more plausible the later the era...know what I mean?

In any event, the title "The Night Before The Wedding" must refer to the fact that Catherine had already picked out someone to marry...even though there was no actual engagement. Or maybe it referred to the events that occurred prior to the planned wedding of Gabriel and Catherine...I'm not sure. It was still a book I didn't find hard to finish and as I normally like Debra Mullins writing, I'll just note this one as 'not her best work, but still readable'. Works for me!

[Susan Liberty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Night Before the Wedding by Debra Mullins kept me glued to the pages.


I enjoyed Catherine and Gabriel’s love story. I liked it was different: the “curse” was a fantastic twist.


Catherine is plagued by the same curse that drove her mother mad. Gabriel MacBraedon’s clan suffered from the same curse, although the effects differed. His clan endured droughts, famine, and sheep born with two heads. Catherine and Gabriel must marry to break the curse.


The characters and settings were well developed. I was right there when Gabriel jumped over the bridge and into the water to save the little girl Fay. Incidentally, I found Fay added a flavor to the story because she too had the same birthmark as Catherine, marking her as a “bride.” The plot was super creative; it was filled with intrigue and a bit of jealousy on Catherine’s part. Gabriel’s ex-lover lived in the castle with them! What woman would want to endure that? Poor Catherine. Catherine and Gabriel’s romantic scenes were sizzling hot. Five Stars!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book. My only complaint was the narrator. For the most part she was fine but her voice too often dropped off from fairly loud to a whisper when voicing an aside or thought from the h, then I had to turn the volume up and replay that section sometimes multiple times.

And though she usually had distinctive voices for the characters, there was a couple of times where I thought the h was speaking when it was the H but only knew due to what was being said and context. It only happened two, or maybe 3 times but it was like she forgot who had what voice.

However, the book itself was good so I didn't rate lower due to this as the story was enjoyable. I'd listen again even, but if you're hearing impaired be prepared to find the volume of the narration a tad challenging at times.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written story of curses, betrayal, suspicion, dreams and eventual romance. I very much enjoyed this relatively quick read. I don’t like to give away the entire story, but just to let you know, there is magic in Scotland, behaviors influenced by a previously unknown curse, and a Highland Laird looking for his intended mate. She happens to have been born in England and has no idea of the curse other than what her mad mother told her just before she killed herself. Excitement and action weave through the lives of these well developed, like able characters. One who believes in the curse, and one who does not, and must be convinced before time runs out. Easy to recommend. 😍

[mer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out well. I enjoyed reading the pre-destined main couple and the history, the curse of why the two clans needed to be together. The chemistry between Gabriel and Catherine WAS intense.

Why WAS is in big letters? At the beginning, it was amazing but their chasing game starting to wear me out which is up 50% of the book and it dragged. And suddenly, the remaining went rushed. The chemistry gone and becoming dull. The ending didn’t excite me at all.

Read on your own peril.

[Cassie]

I enjoyed this story. It was enough to keep me company while I completed household tasks that required two hands. The characters were distinct and set apart from stock highland Scots and the “curse” was an excellent element I. Moving the story forward. I intend to try another Debra Mullins romance.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. I never understood why it has great reviews.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, this had everything I wanted

-Gothic dreamy atmosphere literally from page one
-Paranormal romances vibes with mutual dreams/the clan curse
-A brooding hero and heroine doing the old "I mustn't... but I must!" at every interaction including the garden beyond the party and that rose bit...👀
*Gabriel teases Catherine by running a rose across her neck and bodice while they talk doing the old "but I'm not touching you, am I Cat?"
-Don't get me started on that bedroom scene BEFORE the bedroom scene
*Catherine's been dreaming of steamy nights with her the betrothed she doesn't know and wakes up to find Gabriel in her bedroom having scaled her trellis... is it innuendo? Not yet 😜.
-When she sees him taking care of his mother and clan she realizes Gabriel does meet her criteria and he's not the selfish one, she is. And another character growth on her part is seeing that it's not all about her being in love from the jump vs. the curse. It's that the curse can be broken, the starvation can stop, and Gabriel's nephew will live if she just says her vows. The greater good is what I'm getting at, people.
-An impromptu road trip
*And he sets them up at an inn so Catherine can take a bath 🥹.
-The smut
*Not only was there a sweet/sexy stocking scene (we love a good garter set 😏), but they say vows to each other before they do the do... almost like a handfasting for their eyes only 🥰.
-Gabriel literally chases down Catherine's carriage on horseback to take her back for their wedding ❤️‍🔥😭.

I will say many details in here felt like I was missing out on a previous book although it's a standalone (i.e. Brodie and Gabriel's sister as well as Gabriel's past relationship with Jean). And we all know how I hate a kidnapping. Call me greedy, but I'd have liked an epilogue that shows just how much the clan's condition has improved.

Overall, this was quite the second hand find.

[Aurora · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a horrible read!!
Slight spoilers ahead, but please be warned before reading this rotten book.
The whole story, the h is told how selfish she is and no one is kind to her. The H makes it clear he is only marrying her because it’ll lift the curse for a while. He steals her to his home, where the love of his life is LIVING!!! And tells the h that this woman who holds his heart will stay there. While in Scotland, the h is treated horribly, yelled at, blamed for anything that goes wrong, told that is a spoiled rotten brat who is responsible for decades worth of the curse-yes, years before she was born-and she is made to feel she is the problem. The He’s love of his life makes it clear that she is willing and eager to continue their affair, even though the h is supposed to wed the H.
At the end of the book, the H and his lady love kiss-not the h, but the, for all intents and purposes, his mistress…at the end of the book!!! The h decides to go and finally, the mistress tells the H to go get her. What. The. F?! Seriously?! WTF?!
I could go on, but seriously, you get my drift.
Such a waste of what could have been a good book.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel is laird of a failing clan of a cursed land. And he needs to find the lass who can help his clan gain back their wealth and prosperity. His neighbors are also part of the curse. It is their daughter who ran away twenty years ago and married an Englishman. When they find out where her daughter is at in London there is a mad dash to get her. Catherine was raised by her dotting father ever since her mother went mad and died. All she wants is a man who will love her for herself not her dowry. When the two met it seems to be a constant crisis going on. He needs her to help, she is not willing to go to a land she has never been to. Once she starts showing the madness that her own mother had she finally goes to Scotland. Their journey to the lands of her mother are not without peril. But once there she needs to be convinced that the curse is real. This was an interesting book. I loved the narration going on and felt that I could feel the lands around me.

[Sunnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than reading The Night Before the Wedding,” I availed myself of the audiobook version. The story was fine but I found the heavy Scottish accent somewhat annoying after a while. In a nutshell, boy haunts girl’s dreams even though they have never seen each other; boy finally meets girl, but she spurns his attention; boy and girl eventually run away to Scotland from London; the usual wariness of a new relationship plays a significant role in the journey; arriving in Scotland things should go more smoothly. I highlight “should” because we all know that the road to love is paved with the best of bad intentions. The book features manor houses, a formal ball, hot air balloons, horses, castles, moats . . . Well, you get the picture. Interesting but not enthralling. Some rather steamy scenes. Author Debra Mullins has done a commendable job keeping her readers turning pages. Light reading.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible
Thank goodness it was free! It could have been cute but instead it was exactly the kind of book I don't like. The kind with trouble, angst, and dramatic crap happening all through the last chapters right up to the freaking end! I can tolerate it sometimes if the primary romance is solidly intact and life gets in the way or even the baddy gets his last ditch effort in. But this was not that and not only one ridiculous misunderstanding and break up!! Add a drowning, a miracle resurrection, an attempted kidnapping and another woman and I've lost all patience. I just roll my eyes and go straight here to make sure that I never read it again.
The narrator did a fine job. She was actually the highlight.

[LaToya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one listening to the; however it was so boring and dull. It was like is there a story here or are we just going to keep listening to the heroine ramble on and on. Plus this was a book that definitely needed a duet reading at the very least. Sorry this was a pass for me. Caroline Guthrie made a great effort trying to read all the voices but she ended up sounding crazy and it all ran into one long monologue and the story lost its umph so to speak…Between the accents, the curses, the legends, and male to female. It was all so much for one voice.

[Shelby Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you believe this story!

Ms. Mullins has written a very different story this time! Lady Catherine lives the life of a London debutante, with the thoughts of marrying an Earl. But a week after her 18th. birthday she begins to have strange nightmares, a stranger is kissing her and makes have feelings she has never had before and tells her she is the cure to a curse! No one tells her about her mother that died of madness! Truly different!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It will make you frustrated in so many ways. First you will say follow your dreams it is telling you something. Next it will leave you feeling angry that others can marry for love why can’t she she. Then you will say the witch is so nasty to be so inconsiderate about seeing true love and with a flip of the page you love her for seeing it.

Hope this write gives intrigue not like other write ups that gives the whole storey line away.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning of the story, I was starting to be worried the curse and going mad stuff was too much. Fortunately, the plotline tilted away from Catherine going mad to her spending time with Gabriel and the story of them. It was much better at that point. There is a supernatural element in this story where this curse affects two whole clans and they have been living with the disastrous effects. The falling for each other and the character of both Gabriel and Catherine is enjoyable.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catherine watched her mother kill herself and her father prayed everyday that she would not fall prey to her mother’s madness. On Catherine’s 18th birthday she started having vivid dreams of a man with vivid eyes. When she spots her dream man at a ball she believes she is going mad. Gabriel is there to claim his destiny and help appease the curse. A wonderful book with a great ending.

[Debra McEathron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a love story about 2 clans having to overcome a curse. The chieftain must marry a particular woman from the other clan with a certain mark. If the woman refuses the curse prevents the clans from prospering. The characters were good and the plot line interesting.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book but I didn't really like our heroine. Instead of being strong and intelligent. She came off as stupid and bad at thinking for herself and making decisions. I did like the premise of the story though.

[Lorien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, though some of the story was a little too cutesy. And also a little bit grim.
I feel the romance happened a little too fast fore me, given how things played out.
The narration for the most part was fine (narrated by Caroline Guthrie ).

[Milica]

DNF

I started this some time ago, and I just remember that I made it maybe 2-3 chapters and I didn't like it. I think that maybe the hero was in love with someone before the heroine, but he was forced to be with heroine because of some curse.

[MELISSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can two extremely stubborn people ever come together to wed? A discerning question while the story unfolds as both Gabriel (the arrogant, powerful, desperate Scottish laird) and Katherine (the spoiled, rich English debutante) keep to their opposing points of view and prejudices. From London to the wilds of Scotland the argument continues and I, the reader, am able to enjoy the dialogue, the situations and understandings as each comes to know the other in this fairly light and entirely entertaining read. A HEA and historical romance done well.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 40% The beginning was too repetitive with the curse poem and Catherine's fear of going mad. I couldn't get interested in the characters.