This is the first in the Sherbrooke Brides series and a must read if you want to read any of the others. In it, we are introduced to the family and most prominently, the elder brother, Douglas Sherbrooke, Earl of Northcliffe.
Douglas, a cold man who takes seriously his duty as head of the household, has no real interest in marrying except to fulfill his duty to produce an heir. In considering the woman he will take as a bride, he decides on the one woman he recalls, the stunningly beautiful Melissande, who he once courted only to leave her for the army. And so, when called to France for a special assignment, he sends his best friend, Tony, to wed her by proxy.
Alexandra Chambers, Melissande’s younger sister, has loved Lord Sherbrooke since she was fifteen, but she will give him up for her sister if it must be. In a bizarre twist, Melissande ends up wed to Tony, who marries Alexandra to Douglas by proxy. And to make matters worse, there is a troubling appearance of the family ghost, the Virgin Bride.
What began with a less than honorable meeting of Douglas and his brother Ryder to discuss their many bastards, turned out to be a delightful story, most notably due to the heroine, her interactions with Douglas and some very funny dialog involving her sister, who is being “handled” by Tony. Douglas’ sister, Sinjin is also a fascinating character. The ghostly bride didn’t figure large in the story, at least until the end when she directs Douglas at a time of crisis.
Coulter writes well and tells a good tale. I am a fan of hers and always find her books a good read, hence I want to read more in the series.
The Sherbrooke Brides series
The Sherbrooke Bride (1992)
The Hellion Bride (1992)
The Heiress Bride (1993)
Mad Jack (1999)
The Courtship (2000)
The Scottish Bride (2001)
Pendragon (2002)
The Sherbrooke Twins (2004)
Lyon's Gate (2005)
Wizards Daughter (2007)
The Prince of Ravenscar (2011)
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