The Sherbrooke Bride (Bride Series) Book

This book has a tragi-comic undertone, hugely angsty but making light of it. And this very treatment keeps you jumpy, antsy and hooked!

It's not for readers who don't like triangles with sisters - because this one has it in a big way and the sister is present almost throughout and the author seems to be in love with the very spoiled, very self-centered and extraordinarily beautiful sister and seemed set on not only giving her a great guy, a hea but also a character development. And the H hankers after her till almost the end! I hated her but couldn't carry on the hate for too long as she has a child like quality which is kinda appealing. Sorry!*grimaces*

*Spoilers all*
The H and the sister almost married a few years ago but he had go off to war - leaving her hopping mad at the insult. Now he's back and sends across a marriage proposal to her father. The father agrees as he's in dire financial straits. A date is set but history repeats itself/fate intervenes again in way of a call from the War office/ F.O. for a small secret mission to France. The H cannot refuse and sends his cousin to marry the girl in his stead (some accepted olden practice) and bring his bride back to him. The om takes one look at the sister and promptly takes her off to Gretna…comes back, puts his head together with the girls' father and marries the plain younger sister for the H!

Of course, the H is hopping mad now. When this party of three arrive at the H's place, a fisticuff ensues with both the girls jumping in as well making it a free for all - very much like a cartoon movie scene. It left me very amused, very confused and very troubled. And thus the tone of the book is set!

So my review might seem to be all about the sister till now….but I liked the h a lot. She's a canny little person, tries to woo her husband who proves very un-woo-able and angry and fixated on the sister. She has a real bad time of it - rejected, abused, blamed and used as well. She went in open eyed but still she didn't deserve so mush ill treatment and humiliation.
Unlike other reviewers, I couldn't completely blame the H - he had a right to feel short charged and the sister is described as a veritable Helen of Troy and she's right there under his roof with her husband, who flirts and more with her right under the H's nose - rubbing the said appendage nicely in it!

The H is obsessed with the sister perhaps (or the image/idea thereof) but the marriage is consummated. And in the tradition of HPs and Romances, the sex is spectacular and unlike any he's ever experienced before and so on…

So while the cousin tames the shrew, the h thaws the boor. Throw in some more sex, some asshat scenes, some suspense, kidnap/rescue, some more sex and we have a story.
Oh btw, the opening scene where the H and his brother meet yearly (or was it quarterly) to do a head count of their 'bastard children' and provide for them, says it all for the book. Complete Twilight Zone!