The Youngest Bridesmaid

by Sara Seale

Louise was the relation as far as her cousins, the Chaileys, were concerned, and when her glamorous cousin Melissa was planning her wedding to wealthy playboy Piers Merrick, Louise was given the comparatively humble part of the youngest (and least important!) bridesmaid. Nevertheless, when at the last moment Melissa walked out on him, it was to Louise that Piers turned, and asked her to marry him instead - a proposal which she was happy to accept.

Genres: Harlequin Romance, Harlequin, Romance

Paperback

First published April 1, 1964

About the author

Sara Seale was the pseudonym used by Mary Jane MacPherson (d. 11 March 1974) and/or A.D.L. MacPherson (d. 30 October 1978), a British writing team who published over 45 romance novels from 1932 to 1971. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Netherlands, and reached the pinnacle of her career in the 1940s and 1950s, when they earning over £3,000/year. Many of Seale's novels revisited a theme of an orphaned heroine who finds happiness, and also employed blind or disfigured (but still handsome) heroes as standard characters.

Mary Jane MacPherson began writing at an early age while still in her convent school. Besides being a writer, MacPherson was also a leading authority on Alsatian dogs, and was a judge at Crufts.

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This vintage book is refreshing and endearing in its presentation and characterization, even when handling the same old bride-swapping trope. The glamorous cousin runs off a day prior to her nups to the jaded H, leaving him grinding his teeth and determined to not be shown up as a jilted groom. So he picks up the ‘youngest bridesmaid’ – a young, wide-eyed poor cousin and marries her dubbing her Cinderella! Now this Cinderella is not as amenable and agreeable as he would have liked. What I especially liked was how she was not the usual apprehensive vintage-virgin fearing her wedding night. Her explanation was rather sweet and practical…. But alas the wedding night was not to be!

The story shifts to his Cornish island castle complete with a gothic housekeeper playing her sinister unwelcoming part. Of course the specter of the runaway bride rises again and intrudes on their ‘honeymoon’. Prince charming turns into a leery groom and hides behind sarcasm and surface charm. The poor ingenuous h doesn’t know how to handle this unsavory situation, convinced that she is the unwanted one in the triangle. The bg of the Cornish coast and storms play their part. So Cinderella meets gothic romance with secrets, curses, ominous caves, dark storms and howling winds thrown in.

The H’s blow hot, blow cold diva act, the ow’s machinations, and a seemingly difficult to achieve HEA was made more bearable with H’s exasperated pov thrown in now and then.

ETA- Oh and I learned few new/old words like 'pawky' and 'narked'.
.....and then they have a 'starry-gazey' pie down in Cornwall!

[Leona · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the gothic elements and the writing style. I find this author's style unique and very different from other harlequin writers and it makes for a refreshing change. But, this heroine was so naive, and the hero so old and jaded, that it went beyond "robbing the cradle" and carried a bit of an "ick factor". Thus my two star rating.

However, if you like quality writing, a gothic element, and plain good storytelling than this one might just work for you.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tracked this book down after reading Preeti's review and I'm really glad I did.

I thought Lou was a lovely heroine, she was sweet and very direct. Piers was interesting - he thought he was so suave with the ladies, but both Lou and horrible Melissa had him pegged. He didn't know much about women, and for an adult he could be a little boy about getting his own way.

The whole feel of the book, with the wild Cornish island and the nasty housekeeper, had this gothic, magical feel. Loved it.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like the ending of this novel but other than that, I was pleased with the story as a whole. The heroine matures quickly and was a pleasure to watch when she entered her 'bitchy' phase. The hero was in for the shock of his life for the most part but they were an adorable couple at the end.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars ~ Lou had always been the poor forgotten relation that was only remembered when she suited a purpose, and for her cousin Melissa's wedding that purpose was to fill in at the last moment for a bridesmaid that had come down with mumps. It was obvious to Lou that Melissa's mother, Blanche, had bartered her daughter to Piers in exchange for the clearing up of all her debts and a secure future. Piers has earned himself a reputation as a playboy and his sudden desire to marry has created quite a stir in the press. Two days before the wedding, Melissa runs away with an old flame, leaving a note that she chooses love over money. Piers is of course angry and demands that Blanche find him another wife as he intends to go through with the wedding, as no one makes a fool out of him. Lou is a little in love with Piers and feeling obligated to help Blanche, she accepts Piers when he asks her to be the stand-in bride. Lou is a very young 20, surprising everyone with her honesty and humility. Just like Cinderella, Lou is the dull relation who wins Prince Charming, in fact, Piers calls her poor Cinderella often and likens their marriage to a fairytale. But when they arrive on his secluded island off the coast of Cornwall for their honeymoon, their marriage takes a step back as Piers realizes that he's cheated Lou out of a courtship. And just as they have come to know each other and ready to begin their marriage, Melissa arrives to stir up trouble. Melissa is clever at telling lies building up Lou's insecurities, until Lou has an awakening that if she wants her marriage to succeed she's going to have to fight for it.

Both Piers and Lou are out of their elements when they marry. Lou openly admits she's not sophisticated and lacks experience. Piers recognizes how innocent his bride is and suddenly feels guilty that he's cheated her. Late in the book, Lou tells him he's really not all that experienced with women, and he admits to himself that she's right, he's not experienced with women who have no agenda only those who enjoy the glitter. I enjoyed how Lou's confidence slowly built and she finally let her anger and frustration out. She shocks both Piers and Melissa with just how feed up she's become. This is another fairy tale romance with a dark Prince Charming and a lovely Cinderella who has her promised HEA.

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

These 1963 vintage reads can be a nice reset after reading way too many KU quick reads.

I waffled between a 3 and 4 star but ultimately settled on a 4 because I enjoyed some of the quirks in the story.

In this story, we have Lou who is a last minute bridesmaid in her cousin Melissa’s wedding to the hero Piers.

Louise(Lou) is the 19/20 year old h who is often used by her cousin Blanche to fill in when needed. This time she is called upon to fill in as a last minute bridesmaid for Blanches daughter Melissa’s wedding. Lou is essentially the poor cousin and is treated as such. However, come to find out Blanche and Melissa have been living the high life and are now in debt. Melissa’s marriage to the wealthy Piers will clear the debts.

Piers(30’s) is set to marry Melissa because he is done sowing all of those wild oats(and although this isn’t as blunt as newer stories, he could probably be considered a 1950’s manwhore.) Anyhoo, Melissa is the daughter of Blanche. Blanche jilted the H’s dad to marry someone richer. However, his dad ended up becoming very rich, while cousin Blanche’s husband lost his money. When Blanche jilted the H’s father, he also felt jilted. She was his idea of the perfect mother figure. So, by marrying Melissa he is marrying his “idea” of the perfect wife. (Ok Sigmund Freud would have a field day with this one). He doesn’t love Melissa, but she is beautiful, knows how to flit around in his type of society, and will give him a heir and maybe a spare(although doubtful).

Blanche- (50’s) is basically offering her daughter up to this marriage with Piers as he will pay all her debts. Blanche is a shallow, vain woman, who has raised an equally shallow, vain daughter. she likes the high life, and Piers can provide that for them.

Melissa- the daughter and ow-After using the H’s money to buy an expensive trousseau and finance the wedding she jilts the groom the day before the wedding. She leaves a note about wanting love. Sweet? Right? Not at all…she pretty much wanted one last hurrah with an actor she had been seeing and jilted the H for kicks. She never thought he would go ahead and marry someone else.

So, here the H is jilted and he wants a wife. So he decides that the h would make a suitable replacement and the cousin Blanche would still get her debts paid. The h is against such an arrangement but is soon convinced.(she pretty much fell in love with the H after hearing his voice in the hallway) The h ends up marrying the H in her cousins wedding gown, gets her cousin’s wedding ring(which keeps falling off) and the cousins trousseau including a mink coat(she lets cousin Blanche keep the chinchilla one). The one thing the h doesn’t get is the expensive around Europe honeymoon that was scheduled for Melissa. Instead she is taken to the H’s Cornish manor on a small island. (The house uses gas lamps and candles for lights) Not only is she taken to this manor, but she is subjected to the H’s elderly nursemaid/housekeeper who is affronted that the H is coming back with a less suitable bride.(Tibby, although a servant, has very snobby ways) She is very mean and spiteful to the h.

The h keeps wondering when the H is going to fulfill his husbandry duties. She is rather disappointed that it has not occurred yet. Once at the manor, she finds that she is in the main bedroom whilst he is in the conjoining smaller room in the other bed that belongs in the main bedroom(so even after they consummate their union(which they wont in this story) the main bedroom is made up of 2 small beds. ) Tibby makes a big deal of the h not being a proper wife.

Now, SS does give us a few glimpses into the H’s mindset. He feels that he should woo the h before taking her to bed. He thinks it is only fair that she get the full treatment of an expectant bride. Ok I am just going to mention a few things that happen.

* There is a mystical Druid cave on the island that is the source of some drama
* The ow, Melissa, comes to the island about 2 weeks after the marriage of the h and H(it so happen that it was the night the 2 were finally going to make their marriage official) She is horrible, and gets some help from Tibby along the way to elongate her stay on the island. Melissa gets a lot of page time in this story.
* Melissa plays havoc with our newlyweds by whispering falsehoods in each of their ears. She is almost successful, however, her machinations did not account for the fact that the h and H have affection/love for each other
* Melissa risks peoples lives for Turkish cigarettes and batteries for her transistor radio
* The h and H end up clearing up the misunderstandings, however, funnily enough the H gets away with never actually saying I love you… although he is like well you must know how I feel…they actually have a discussion on it!!!
Ok so things I liked or was like REALLY?:
*The h basically saves the H. He knows this. In fact, when he picks her as the backup bride he tells her he thinks she is what he needs. He has got caught up in a world of flattery, fripperies, and frauds. The h is real. Although she has some doormat qualities, she is not what I consider a doormat. She is forthright and honest, and does a great talking down of the ow. The H will never have to worry where he stands with the h.
*I liked SS writing style. In the beginning of the story, the h comically refers to the bridesmaids in the following manner: “Am I exceptionally stupid?” Lou asked of Jill, or Jane or Caroline, the other bridesmaids, who all looked much alike to her, and had clearly thought her of no account from the very beginning.”
She actually does this a couple of times and I thought it was funny that the characters were so interchangeable that even the h couldn’t tell them apart.
*I like some of the moments between the h and H. Early on, before the H has been jilted, he dances with the h and it shows in this dance to all who are witnesses, how they are connected.
*I like how he refers to her as his Cinderella
*The ow is dealt with, and I doubt she will ever be part of the h and H’s life in the future.
*Tibby, not til the end, does come around and warms up to the h.
*The H and his nursemaid have some colorful verbal spats with each other. He refers to her more than once as an old “faggot” . Even back then it wasn’t considered a compliment but was a demeaning way of referring to her as a woman.
*Oh, and you may not be able to show sex in a 1963 Harlequin, but the word bitch and variances of the word can be bandied about to and fro lol.
*The ending is one of those that will not satisfy many, but since I am rating it on 1963, 40 cent a book standards, I was able to embrace it this time. Basically, we are left with the promise that this will be the last night the beds are kept in separate rooms.


I am not going to lie to you, this has some crazy and weird situations. Sometimes it feels like 1863 not 1963. However, if you go in reading this with the mindset that this is a vintage story it can be quite enjoyable. Vocabulary, as one of the other reviewers pointed out, can be a fun challenge(I had to look up a few words) Sometimes rich vocabulary is missing from newer stories in the this age of texting etc…

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - This was a lot of fun in a lot of ways. It would have been better if the hero had actually followed through on his statement that he didn’t intend on having a fake marriage. 😈 I liked the gothic feel. I like the angst of the heroineI feeling like a substitute. I wished the hero had caught on to this earlier and corrected it himself, rather than having the heroine have to point it out and him just promising he’ll fix it later. I wished that the hero had made it more clear that he preferred the heroine. I wanted him to stand up for her more with the housekeeper and his ex-fiance. He knows she’s young and naive and he should have done more to help her navigate. He seemed too easily duped by the OW. Or maybe I was frustrated that he seems to know she was awful but for some reason continued to give her the benefit of the doubt instead of the heroine. But maybe that was to demonstrate where his emotions really lay….

Anyway, I did like this overall and downloaded a couple more by this author because I enjoyed the themes and writing.

[More Books Than Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little awkward because she was far too reticent with her greedy cousin and he didn't help the situation because he didn't realize they loved each other. Story and characters were good, but the obtrusive OW made it difficult to write around and still develop the romance.

I got this in a set of three older Harlequins bound together from Thriftbooks.

[SS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing style is excellent and you can see the inspiration from Daphne De Mauriers Rebecca. Rated down as was not convinced of H & h HEA. recommend though!

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot started out good buuuuut then spun off into crazy town. It is written like a period piece...it's not. The hero is very odd and never forth coming with anything. The heroine is just trotting around unsure of what is going on like us the readers. Skip.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louise was the relation as far as her cousins, the Chaileys, were concerned, and when her glamorous cousin Melissa was planning her wedding to wealthy playboy Piers Merrick, Louise was given the comparatively humble part of the youngest (and least important!) bridesmaid. Nevertheless, when at the last moment Melissa walked out on him, it was to Louise that Piers turned, and asked her to marry him instead - a proposal which she was happy to accept.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay read.