Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Cynthia Wright’s HIS MAKE-BELIEVE BRIDE – Aging Former Pirate Finds Love at Last

Set in Cornwall in 1818, this is the story of Justin St. Briac, an aging former smuggler (sometimes called a pirate) who has vowed to never marry. When his mother summons him to England to give him her “last wish” to see him wed, he decides to pretend to take a bride. And what better candidate than a woman he already knows, now a widow?

Mouette Raveneau is tarred by the crimes of her dead husband. Impoverished and worried as to how she will feed her two boys, she accepts her friend’s offer to come to Cornwall where she encounters Justin.

Justin, who by now has rented an estate to appear to be settling down, hires Mouette for her decorating skills to help him dress up the old place. Justin talks her into a fake marriage and agrees to pay her well, but both are soon lusting after each other. It appears they are not strangers to each other.
 
A well-written Regency that reflects the author’s research into the architecture and clothing of the period. It’s also a tale of second chances. We don’t get to see Justin at his smuggling or piracy as it’s all set in Cornwall and London, but references are made to his jaded past, during which he lost an eye and gained some scars. As the story features several characters from the 7-book series, I recommend reading them in order so you’ll know who is who.

The ending is sweet and satisfying. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll love this one.

3 comments:

  1. Ooooh I'm liking the sound of this pirate read!

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  2. Thanks so much for this lovely review, Regan! So far, readers are loving this new book and I had a ball writing it. (Justin almost stole the show in the previous book, The Secret of Love, so it was great fun to give him his own story.) :-)

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