What do you think?
Rate this book
Lord Gilmore's Bride
A monstrous night of madness, a despicable dawn of disgrace
Pilar had not even a family name to call her own. She had only her ravishing young beauty and rapier-like wit to protect her as an imprisoned ward of a wandering gypsy band.
When the notorious Lord Gilmore, his senses inflamed by a night of revelry, forced Pilar to become his bride, she found she had escaped one nightmare captivity only to be trapped in another.
She was wed to a man who clearly despised her in the sober morning after. She had no friends to help her in a society that scorned her; no apparent hope of rivaling the woman who was her husband's mistress; and no knowledge until too late that she was an imperiled pawn in a game of savage greed.
But Pilar had also no time for self-pity. She was too busy fighting for her life--and then for love...
Pilar had not even a family name to call her own. She had only her ravishing young beauty and rapier-like wit to protect her as an imprisoned ward of a wandering gypsy band.
When the notorious Lord Gilmore, his senses inflamed by a night of revelry, forced Pilar to become his bride, she found she had escaped one nightmare captivity only to be trapped in another.
She was wed to a man who clearly despised her in the sober morning after. She had no friends to help her in a society that scorned her; no apparent hope of rivaling the woman who was her husband's mistress; and no knowledge until too late that she was an imperiled pawn in a game of savage greed.
But Pilar had also no time for self-pity. She was too busy fighting for her life--and then for love...
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
16 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Walsh
28 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Born Sheila O'Nions in 1928 in Birmingham, England, UK. During the Second World War, her family moved to Southport, Lancashire, where she met Des Walsh, son of the Thomas Walsh, who had a jewelry store at 39 Chapel Street since 1926. In 1950, Sheila married with Des Walsh, and they had two daughters, Fran Walsh and Tess Walsh. Sheila worked during years in her husband's familiar jewelry store, with her husband, her husband elder brother Gerard and his wife Dorothy[2].
In 1971, Sheila joined the Southport Writers' Circle, and years later, in 1986 was elected life president. In 1980 she became the vice-president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and later elected Chairman (1985-1987).
Her debut novel, The Golden Songbird, won the Netta Muskett award for new writers from the Romantic Novelists' Association, and in 1984, her novel, A Highly Respectable Marriage won the Elizabeth Goudge award.
Sheila Walsh died on 20 January 2009, at 80.
Born Sheila O'Nions in 1928 in Birmingham, England, UK. During the Second World War, her family moved to Southport, Lancashire, where she met Des Walsh, son of the Thomas Walsh, who had a jewelry store at 39 Chapel Street since 1926. In 1950, Sheila married with Des Walsh, and they had two daughters, Fran Walsh and Tess Walsh. Sheila worked during years in her husband's familiar jewelry store, with her husband, her husband elder brother Gerard and his wife Dorothy[2].
In 1971, Sheila joined the Southport Writers' Circle, and years later, in 1986 was elected life president. In 1980 she became the vice-president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and later elected Chairman (1985-1987).
Her debut novel, The Golden Songbird, won the Netta Muskett award for new writers from the Romantic Novelists' Association, and in 1984, her novel, A Highly Respectable Marriage won the Elizabeth Goudge award.
Sheila Walsh died on 20 January 2009, at 80.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 30, 2015
Don't be fooled by the cover blurb. Despite promises of rakes & life-threatening situations, this is an EXTREMELY tame novel with a My Fair Lady romance. Also feel free to ignore the Georgian setting. For all practical purposes, this is a Regency of the old-school Georgette Heyer breed...which makes it a snooze for readers like yours truly, who spot keywords like "nightmare captivity" & "savage greed" in the blurb & demand a certain level of gritty violence, OTT bizarreness, and/or tawdry bodice shredding.
If that's what you're in the mood for, don't bother.
To Walsh's credit, she uses much less obnoxious slang than Heyer. (Oh, how I loathe that damn witty dialogue.) Seeing as how I could barely finish the single Heyer romance I've tried, completing this particular novel counts for something. But these types of romances are just so DULL. Everything vaguely sensual is fade-to-black except for brief scenes of kissing, followed by generic caresses. Other content warnings? Not really. There's some very mild dueling violence at the end, & the hero shakes the heroine's shoulders a few times, but that's the extent of the grit; I'd rate it PG only for "suggestive dialogue" re: the hero's mistress. There's also a twist of bigamy at the end, but it's nothing to do with the heroine's marriage troubles. It's all extremely frothy & predictable, but it reads quickly -- which is more than can be said for contemp Regencies with their endless passages of sifting through belly-button lint.
So there you go. If this review piques your interest, enjoy. If this review makes you grab a barf bag, skip it.
If that's what you're in the mood for, don't bother.
To Walsh's credit, she uses much less obnoxious slang than Heyer. (Oh, how I loathe that damn witty dialogue.) Seeing as how I could barely finish the single Heyer romance I've tried, completing this particular novel counts for something. But these types of romances are just so DULL. Everything vaguely sensual is fade-to-black except for brief scenes of kissing, followed by generic caresses. Other content warnings? Not really. There's some very mild dueling violence at the end, & the hero shakes the heroine's shoulders a few times, but that's the extent of the grit; I'd rate it PG only for "suggestive dialogue" re: the hero's mistress. There's also a twist of bigamy at the end, but it's nothing to do with the heroine's marriage troubles. It's all extremely frothy & predictable, but it reads quickly -- which is more than can be said for contemp Regencies with their endless passages of sifting through belly-button lint.
So there you go. If this review piques your interest, enjoy. If this review makes you grab a barf bag, skip it.
July 23, 2015
This is an okay read if you can get past the horrible treatment from the hero (I'm not even sure I can call him that), to the poor gypsy girl he coerced into marriage then to harshly train her to be a lady befitting her new status. Of course, this dear girl just had to fall in love with her almost-captor, and it took him a very long time to reciprocate the feeling.
What is more troubling is that he suddenly declared his love for her, without precipitation, at an unlikely time which makes it seem quite unrealistic.
However, if you throw disbelief out the window and believe in this "love," and stomach the first hundred pages of abuse and injustice, you may find this an entertaining read for there are mischief, mayhem, and schemes afoot....
What is more troubling is that he suddenly declared his love for her, without precipitation, at an unlikely time which makes it seem quite unrealistic.
However, if you throw disbelief out the window and believe in this "love," and stomach the first hundred pages of abuse and injustice, you may find this an entertaining read for there are mischief, mayhem, and schemes afoot....
August 9, 2016
Well written Georgian era story with a strong likable heroine. The hero was much less sympathetic but redeemed himself at the end. I liked "My fair lady" theme as well as real historical events intertwined throughout the story. But there was not enough character development and many life changing events that would have a big impact on characters were brushed off.
December 19, 2024
I mean I’m not mad; it kept me engaged the whole time. Characters were well drawn and they acted like normal people, which doesn’t seem like a high bar but in many romances it unfortunately is. HOWEVER, spoilers: I’m steamed about her parent’s story, and how it’s just explained-away how he abandoned his young, friendless wife who’d been abused by her family?? Like, that he was sick and brought back to England without knowing it I can accept, that he was embarrassed about the secret marriage I can buy, but to NEVER try to communicate with her again, or even send her money?? And then commit bigomy? Unbelievable. That he’s a symathetic character our heroine forgives and sacrfices her good name for makes me shudder.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews