The Bridal Quest

January 21, 2008
Camp (The Marriage Wager
) crafts a spirited plot for the newest installment of her Matchmakers series. Returned to his family in 1807 after being kidnapped and raised in the slums of London, Gideon, earl of Radbourne, begins searching for a wife at the behest of his demanding grandmother, Lady Odelia—one who will please his noble family and his own unpretentious nature. The constant stream of predictably giggly, fan-waving eligible maidens do not arouse his interest, but nonconformist, plainspoken and drably dressed Lady Irene Wyngate, a near-spinster at 25, does. The palpable sexual tension between the two soon has Irene rethinking her plan of remaining unattached and provides Gideon with newfound hope that a caricature bride can be avoided. Lively and energetic secondaries round out the formidable leads, and despite Irene’s excessive and lackluster ruminations, the mystery surrounding Gideon’s parentage continues to unravel until the very last pages, assuring readers a surprise ending well worth waiting for.

February 15, 2008
Having grown up with an abusive father, acerbicLady Irene Wyngate has no desire to be involved with any man. Accordingly, she drives away every male who shows any interest in her. Widowed and in debt, Francesca Haughston, who first appeared in The Marriage Wager (2007), has to do something society abhorsfind a job. Fortunately, her connections and winning personality enable her to workas a matchmaker for women long in the tooth. Lady Odelia Radbourne hires Francesca, desperate to find a suitable wife for her nephew, Gideon. Although he is heir totheir title and estates, his rough edges, the consequence of alack of upbringing after he was kidnapped as a child, make him a poor choice for society maidensbut maybe not for the tart-tongued Irene. The Taming of the Shrew meets Jane Austen in Camps latest, and the results are most entertaining.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)