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Magic Locket #3
The Soldier's Bride
When Lisbeth Barlow marries Lord Thomas Kepley to help him escape an unwanted marriage arranged by his dictatorial father, she never expected to fall in love with her new husband, but when Thomas's father, the Marquess of Aylsham, tries to force them apart, the unlikely couple discovers just how far they will go to stay together. Original.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 15, 2021
Well written Regency but derailed by a less than, beta hero who is willing to "forgive" the heroine for having someone else's child while he's fighting in France.
Left behind by her one day husband, she's forced into the Scarlet O'Hara role and has to support the family by taking in sewing until her husband comes back.
Her FIL wants to have the marriage annulled and destroy the h is a real piece of work. He wanted th H to marry his other son's high born side piece as she came from a good family and was already pregnant by the other son. That apple didn't fall far from the tree as the father has his own bastard son that he abandoned. The H really isn't that bad, but his sycophantic attempts to please his father and the Ton were pathetic especially compounded with his condescension of the heroine.
The heroine is a kinder, gentler Mary Sue-Scarlett sans the sister stealing and curtain wearing. Good news and bad news, the plot moppet has what sounds like asthma which is scary as he almost dies but is one point in his favor in the legitimacy stakes. Too bad it takes the H's mother until the end of the page to admit her younger brother had breathing problems as well as other nefarious stuff. For a mild mannered Regency, few good guys here.
Left behind by her one day husband, she's forced into the Scarlet O'Hara role and has to support the family by taking in sewing until her husband comes back.
Her FIL wants to have the marriage annulled and destroy the h is a real piece of work. He wanted th H to marry his other son's high born side piece as she came from a good family and was already pregnant by the other son. That apple didn't fall far from the tree as the father has his own bastard son that he abandoned. The H really isn't that bad, but his sycophantic attempts to please his father and the Ton were pathetic especially compounded with his condescension of the heroine.
The heroine is a kinder, gentler Mary Sue-Scarlett sans the sister stealing and curtain wearing. Good news and bad news, the plot moppet has what sounds like asthma which is scary as he almost dies but is one point in his favor in the legitimacy stakes. Too bad it takes the H's mother until the end of the page to admit her younger brother had breathing problems as well as other nefarious stuff. For a mild mannered Regency, few good guys here.
April 10, 2014
I enjoyed this story. I liked the fact that when he came home, Thomas was shocked and appalled at both the fact that his wife had born a son without the birthmark and at the circumstances his parents had let her live in.
He is willing to repair the relationship - if she'll just admit that she was with another man. Of course (being this is a Regency Romance), she is innocent of wrong-doing and denies being with another man. Each time she denies, his pain and her confusion are apparent; he'll forgive her if she'll just admit it and she has no idea why he doesn't believe her.
The last chapter explains everything but not in a rushed and 'everything is forgiven' manner. In fact, one of the reasons I enjoy this book is that Thomas refuses to forgive his parents all the wrong they've done and caused him, his wife and his son (what - you're surprised the boy is actually his?) such harm.
Why four stars instead of five? The silly subplot about the Frenchman and the love interest of Aunt Margaret. Either of those could have either been dispensed with or made into a separate story.
He is willing to repair the relationship - if she'll just admit that she was with another man. Of course (being this is a Regency Romance), she is innocent of wrong-doing and denies being with another man. Each time she denies, his pain and her confusion are apparent; he'll forgive her if she'll just admit it and she has no idea why he doesn't believe her.
The last chapter explains everything but not in a rushed and 'everything is forgiven' manner. In fact, one of the reasons I enjoy this book is that Thomas refuses to forgive his parents all the wrong they've done and caused him, his wife and his son (what - you're surprised the boy is actually his?) such harm.
Why four stars instead of five? The silly subplot about the Frenchman and the love interest of Aunt Margaret. Either of those could have either been dispensed with or made into a separate story.
November 10, 2018
I use the word 'read' loosely. I skimmed most of it. I liked the first two books in this series, but this one was not worthy. The characters were good, but the whole story was based on keeping each other in the dark. When either one of them had the chance to tell the truth, they opted out. Of course, they finally got to the end when every one fessed up. Then, the 'happily ever after' happened. All of the lose ends were tied up. I was disappointed with the story until the last two chapters.
October 21, 2017
part of a trilogy. A confirmed batchelar and a young women not to keen on marriage, in a time when women had no input or rights. A good signet regency romance.
September 21, 2024
2.5
An interesting premise that never reaches its full potential.
An interesting premise that never reaches its full potential.
October 28, 2008
Lisbeth Barlow's has a special magical locket where the women of the family look and that shows them the face of the man they will marry. That is why she is not surprised when Lord Thomas asks her to marry him all of a sudden and she happily accepts. However Thomas wants to marry right away not because he loves Lisbeth but because he wants to avoid the marriage his father planned for him.
He quickly leaves for the battle front and stays away for many months during which his parents do not accept his marriage or the baby that Lisbeth gives birth to and she has to leave in his old and ruined estate sewing clothes to make ends meet.
When Thomas finally returns he also refuses to accept that the baby is his and believes Lisbeth played him false. Despite that he wants to make the marriage work and only asks her to tell him what happened and why she betrayed him. Lisbeth has a hard time understanding what is happening and feels rightfully wounded that no one believes her. Unfortunately the lack of a birthmark that all male babies of her husband's family bear prevents her husband from believing her.
The story seemed to be stuck at this point with both of them stubborn and determined to maintain their view of events. It is clear that they do deal well with each other but since they are determined not to bend the HEA seems difficult. But the author does manage to solve this with a plot twist that I have to confess I did not see coming. It's always nice in this sort of book to be pleasantly surprised and just because of that I'm going to grade it a bit higher than I initially thought of...
There's a subplot involving Thomas being a spy and another about Lisbeth's aunt but I have to confess I didn't feel they added much to the story.
Grade: 3.5/5
He quickly leaves for the battle front and stays away for many months during which his parents do not accept his marriage or the baby that Lisbeth gives birth to and she has to leave in his old and ruined estate sewing clothes to make ends meet.
When Thomas finally returns he also refuses to accept that the baby is his and believes Lisbeth played him false. Despite that he wants to make the marriage work and only asks her to tell him what happened and why she betrayed him. Lisbeth has a hard time understanding what is happening and feels rightfully wounded that no one believes her. Unfortunately the lack of a birthmark that all male babies of her husband's family bear prevents her husband from believing her.
The story seemed to be stuck at this point with both of them stubborn and determined to maintain their view of events. It is clear that they do deal well with each other but since they are determined not to bend the HEA seems difficult. But the author does manage to solve this with a plot twist that I have to confess I did not see coming. It's always nice in this sort of book to be pleasantly surprised and just because of that I'm going to grade it a bit higher than I initially thought of...
There's a subplot involving Thomas being a spy and another about Lisbeth's aunt but I have to confess I didn't feel they added much to the story.
Grade: 3.5/5
September 25, 2009
Regency
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews