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C Series #7
To Tempt a Bride
From the moment she first saw tall, dashing Eric Ford, Camille's heart was lost. In her most cherished fantasy she is standing by his side, exchanging sacred wedding vows with her beloved. But Eric seems content to be no more than her unofficial protector, watching over the younger sister of his dear friend—and, despite her every attempt to open his eyes, it appears Camille's dream of wedded bliss might never come true. Eric knows a spirited and passionate beauty like Camille deserves much better than him, an ex-military man who has no patience for the games of the ton. Still, he aches each time a potential suitor approaches her, or when he sees her dancing in another man's arms. Eric knows he will never be complete until Camille is his. With each lingering glance and caressing touch he must tempt the lady to be his bride. But when danger and betrayal threaten, will it destroy a secret love…or bind two hearts for all eternity?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 28, 2003
16 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Edith Layton
80 books103 followersEdith Layton wrote her first novel when she was ten. She bought a marbleized notebook and set out to write a story that would fit between its covers. Now, an award-winning author with more than thirty novels and numerous novellas to her credit, her criteria have changed. The story has to fit the reader as well as between the covers.
Graduating from Hunter College in New York City with a degree in creative writing and theater, Edith worked for various media, including a radio station and a major motion picture company. She married and went to suburbia, where she was fruitful and multiplied to the tune of three children. Her eldest, Michael, is a social worker and artist in NYC. Adam is a writer and performer on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Daughter Susie is a professional writer, comedian and performer who works in television.
Publishers Weekly called Edith Layton "one of romance's most gifted writers." Layton has enthralled readers and critics with books that capture the spirit of historically distant places and peoples. "What I've found," she says, "is that life was very different in every era, but that love and love of life is always the same."
Layton won an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award for the Historical genre in 2003 and a Reviewers' Choice award for her book The Conquest in 2001. Amazon.com's top reviewer called Layton's Alas, My Love (April 2005, Avon Books), "a wonderful historical." And her recent release, Bride Enchanted, is a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee.
Edith Layton lived on Long Island where she devoted time as a volunteer for the North Shore Animal League , the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Her dog Daisy --adopted herself from a shelter-- is just one member of Layton's household menagerie.
Edith Layton passed away on June 1, 2009 from ovarian cancer.
Graduating from Hunter College in New York City with a degree in creative writing and theater, Edith worked for various media, including a radio station and a major motion picture company. She married and went to suburbia, where she was fruitful and multiplied to the tune of three children. Her eldest, Michael, is a social worker and artist in NYC. Adam is a writer and performer on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Daughter Susie is a professional writer, comedian and performer who works in television.
Publishers Weekly called Edith Layton "one of romance's most gifted writers." Layton has enthralled readers and critics with books that capture the spirit of historically distant places and peoples. "What I've found," she says, "is that life was very different in every era, but that love and love of life is always the same."
Layton won an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award for the Historical genre in 2003 and a Reviewers' Choice award for her book The Conquest in 2001. Amazon.com's top reviewer called Layton's Alas, My Love (April 2005, Avon Books), "a wonderful historical." And her recent release, Bride Enchanted, is a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee.
Edith Layton lived on Long Island where she devoted time as a volunteer for the North Shore Animal League , the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Her dog Daisy --adopted herself from a shelter-- is just one member of Layton's household menagerie.
Edith Layton passed away on June 1, 2009 from ovarian cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 26, 2015
This is the first Edith Layton book I've read, and I am... confused.
I'm reading this on a Kindle, so I keep looking down to see at what % through the book I am, and feeling baffled. The premise is that heroine Camille (a vaguely tomboyish country-bred young lady who likes animals and sports) is in London to make her come-out under the supervision of her beautiful older sister and her husband (subjects of a previous book in the series, I think).
Camille already knows who she wants to marry: hero Eric Ford, who is tall and broad and blond, like a Viking. Eric seems like a fundamentally decent person, but like Camille, does not have, shall we say, a ton of sparkling personality. Eric has recurring attacks of malarial fever from his time in India, which is his excuse for not encouraging Camille's rather obvious infatuation with him: he isn't sure he's well enough to marry.
Eric saves a young woman (Nell) from possibly-forced prostitution, and as Nell comes to stay with Camille and her sister's family until Nell's own family can be found, Camille spends some time agonizing over whether or not Eric will fall in love with the conventionally-lovely Nell instead of with her.
But shortly after the midpoint of the story, Camille and Eric have confessed their feelings for each other. That's where I am now. I am... baffled.
*Eric and Camille don't really have any chemistry with each other. They have so little that when Nell and Dana (Nell's male cousin) appear, I sort of assumed that something thrilling was going to happen. Nothing thrilling happens.
*Nell turns out to have ambitions to become a high-priced courtesan. I find it to be not a good sign that this sidebar was wildly more interesting than the extremely mild Eric/Camille tension.
*Dana, Nell's cousin, is a more-compelling male lead than Eric. I was kind of disappointed when I realized that short, dark, intense, self-made man Dana was not going to form a significant challenge to Eric's romantic domination.
*What on earth is going to happen for the next 40% of the book? I mean - there's nothing left! They like each other! They are both so totally boring! Is the rest going to be about how Nell turns herself into a fancy mistress? Don't get me wrong, I would totally read that. But I'm afraid to hope.
To finish or not to finish? I don't know. I am disappointed - I'd gotten the impression that Edith Layton was a pretty solid bet, but I am not loving this book at all. What am I missing?
I'm reading this on a Kindle, so I keep looking down to see at what % through the book I am, and feeling baffled. The premise is that heroine Camille (a vaguely tomboyish country-bred young lady who likes animals and sports) is in London to make her come-out under the supervision of her beautiful older sister and her husband (subjects of a previous book in the series, I think).
Camille already knows who she wants to marry: hero Eric Ford, who is tall and broad and blond, like a Viking. Eric seems like a fundamentally decent person, but like Camille, does not have, shall we say, a ton of sparkling personality. Eric has recurring attacks of malarial fever from his time in India, which is his excuse for not encouraging Camille's rather obvious infatuation with him: he isn't sure he's well enough to marry.
Eric saves a young woman (Nell) from possibly-forced prostitution, and as Nell comes to stay with Camille and her sister's family until Nell's own family can be found, Camille spends some time agonizing over whether or not Eric will fall in love with the conventionally-lovely Nell instead of with her.
But shortly after the midpoint of the story, Camille and Eric have confessed their feelings for each other. That's where I am now. I am... baffled.
*Eric and Camille don't really have any chemistry with each other. They have so little that when Nell and Dana (Nell's male cousin) appear, I sort of assumed that something thrilling was going to happen. Nothing thrilling happens.
*Nell turns out to have ambitions to become a high-priced courtesan. I find it to be not a good sign that this sidebar was wildly more interesting than the extremely mild Eric/Camille tension.
*Dana, Nell's cousin, is a more-compelling male lead than Eric. I was kind of disappointed when I realized that short, dark, intense, self-made man Dana was not going to form a significant challenge to Eric's romantic domination.
*What on earth is going to happen for the next 40% of the book? I mean - there's nothing left! They like each other! They are both so totally boring! Is the rest going to be about how Nell turns herself into a fancy mistress? Don't get me wrong, I would totally read that. But I'm afraid to hope.
To finish or not to finish? I don't know. I am disappointed - I'd gotten the impression that Edith Layton was a pretty solid bet, but I am not loving this book at all. What am I missing?
June 19, 2015
3.5 stars. I like that everyone acknowledged their emotions and got on with matters with no shilly-shallying or plot contrivances. The usual 'dramatic incident' near the end actually seemed to have higher stakes than the norm. While the taking in of Nell was unlikely to have actually happened, she was an interesting secondary character who served as a counterpoint to Cammie. Heroine was bluff but kind, insecure but cheery. Hero actually had legitimate issues holding him back. Overall a cute, light on angst tale. Easy to read and enjoyable.
I also liked the continuity of including the distinctive robe belonging to Eric which was featured in another book starring his sister where it was in a way, a major factor in his sister's hasty marriage.
Excerpts-
“Eric Ford was everything she wanted. When he spoke, she had trouble hearing the words because the deep timbre of his voice thrilled her so much, and that was a pity, because he was so smart and she hated to look stupid. When he took her hand, her heartbeat faltered. It wasn’t just because his hand was so big that it made hers seem dainty, although that was a delight.
She wasn’t entirely blind, though. He had his faults. It was just that she loved them all. He was so big and blond that it took a moment to realize he wasn’t classically handsome or even spectacularly so. On closer consideration, it could be seen that his face was a jot too broad, his nose a bit too large. In fact, if he’d been a smaller man, he mightn’t have been as eye-catching. But he dominated a room, and not just because of his size. A woman felt protected in his shadow, and she could be sure he’d move that shadow if he thought she wanted to be in the sunlight. Because he was as kind as he was bright.”
---------------
“You’d pass up the chance for love entirely?” Camille asked.
“No,” Nell said. “Who knows what may come along in time? But for now? Why should I be some fellow’s unpaid bedmate, servant, and whipping girl? I want more for myself. I want more fun and money than any one man can give me. Even if I were to marry a rich man, I wouldn’t get his money, you know. If he died—and all men do in time, especially the older ones who have the most money—all his property, even jewels he might have given me that came from his own mother, would be taken from me to go to his sons, if he had any. And if he didn’t, it would all go to his nearest male nephew or cousin or such, whether he liked the lucky fellow or had even met him.”
Nell’s expression grew cold. “Then I’d have to count on the charity of a stranger. A woman’s a fool to count on any man’s charity. It depends on how she looks when she needs it, and you can’t be young forever. Do you think even a noble fellow like Lieutenant Ford would have fought for me that night I was shoved at him if I’d been a scrawny old besom?”
----------------
“The girl doesn’t have much to say for herself anyway.”
Now interest sprang into Drum’s eyes. He turned his head to look at his friend. “And you find that…disappointing?”
“Why should I?” Eric asked, honestly surprised.
Drum smiled and seemed to relax. “No reason at all,” he said with pleasure. “I find her a dead bore myself. The only interesting thing the chit ever had to say for herself was ‘Help.’”
I also liked the continuity of including the distinctive robe belonging to Eric which was featured in another book starring his sister where it was in a way, a major factor in his sister's hasty marriage.
Excerpts-
“Eric Ford was everything she wanted. When he spoke, she had trouble hearing the words because the deep timbre of his voice thrilled her so much, and that was a pity, because he was so smart and she hated to look stupid. When he took her hand, her heartbeat faltered. It wasn’t just because his hand was so big that it made hers seem dainty, although that was a delight.
She wasn’t entirely blind, though. He had his faults. It was just that she loved them all. He was so big and blond that it took a moment to realize he wasn’t classically handsome or even spectacularly so. On closer consideration, it could be seen that his face was a jot too broad, his nose a bit too large. In fact, if he’d been a smaller man, he mightn’t have been as eye-catching. But he dominated a room, and not just because of his size. A woman felt protected in his shadow, and she could be sure he’d move that shadow if he thought she wanted to be in the sunlight. Because he was as kind as he was bright.”
---------------
“You’d pass up the chance for love entirely?” Camille asked.
“No,” Nell said. “Who knows what may come along in time? But for now? Why should I be some fellow’s unpaid bedmate, servant, and whipping girl? I want more for myself. I want more fun and money than any one man can give me. Even if I were to marry a rich man, I wouldn’t get his money, you know. If he died—and all men do in time, especially the older ones who have the most money—all his property, even jewels he might have given me that came from his own mother, would be taken from me to go to his sons, if he had any. And if he didn’t, it would all go to his nearest male nephew or cousin or such, whether he liked the lucky fellow or had even met him.”
Nell’s expression grew cold. “Then I’d have to count on the charity of a stranger. A woman’s a fool to count on any man’s charity. It depends on how she looks when she needs it, and you can’t be young forever. Do you think even a noble fellow like Lieutenant Ford would have fought for me that night I was shoved at him if I’d been a scrawny old besom?”
----------------
“The girl doesn’t have much to say for herself anyway.”
Now interest sprang into Drum’s eyes. He turned his head to look at his friend. “And you find that…disappointing?”
“Why should I?” Eric asked, honestly surprised.
Drum smiled and seemed to relax. “No reason at all,” he said with pleasure. “I find her a dead bore myself. The only interesting thing the chit ever had to say for herself was ‘Help.’”
May 11, 2021
The last in the series, Eric finally gets his chance. Miles' little sister, Camille, also gets hers. A bit too gritty for me, but the other side of society, the demi-monde, gets their innings in this one. There are good arguments for both sides, good women and fallen women, presented and even some funny moments as Camille gets an education she never expected on the wants and needs of men without falling from grace herself. Interesting book.
May 26, 2019
I found myself skipping huge chunks of the book where the writing got rather florid and didn’t really contribute anything to the plot. Neither protagonist was particularly interesting and the kidnapping was puzzling without reading any of the earlier books in the series.
January 29, 2020
The heroine can't believe the hero can really love her, the hero rescues a damsel in distress who proves to be other than she seems, some adventures, some obstacles to overcome, but Boadicea proves victorious. A fun read.
June 27, 2022
Quick, engaging read. And besides a couple of pages I had to skip (bedroom stuff), I enjoyed the book very much.
June 10, 2009
It took me longer then I wanted when reading this book. I found it at a book sale and thought it looked lonely so I brought it. Little did I know that I was wasting my time and money.
This book is basically about a girl named Camile who's in love with Eric and wishes he would know, and vise versa for him being in love with her.Wow! didn't see that coming. And also, with Camile being so pretty lots of guys liked her and asked for her hand in marriage, she respectfully declined hoping that Eric would see her true feelings soon. Eric on the other hand is a little older and has so werid sickness that weakens him and gives him horrible fevers. They describe him as a really big man.
Later in the plot a Mistress of sorts and a evil cousin seek to break up this couple while getting some gain from it, then there was a revenge seeking exiled militant.
Its all mixed in there and I must say there were times where I just kept falling asleep. And don't get me started on some of the corny lines that Eric says in the book. I know is supposed to be romantic and all but this was to the point of where it was almost unbelieveable!
Overall the plot was a little weak, the characters weren't that great, and the steamy scene with Eric and Camile, was gross and very pointless. I'd say skip it and find something else to read.
This book is basically about a girl named Camile who's in love with Eric and wishes he would know, and vise versa for him being in love with her.Wow! didn't see that coming. And also, with Camile being so pretty lots of guys liked her and asked for her hand in marriage, she respectfully declined hoping that Eric would see her true feelings soon. Eric on the other hand is a little older and has so werid sickness that weakens him and gives him horrible fevers. They describe him as a really big man.
Later in the plot a Mistress of sorts and a evil cousin seek to break up this couple while getting some gain from it, then there was a revenge seeking exiled militant.
Its all mixed in there and I must say there were times where I just kept falling asleep. And don't get me started on some of the corny lines that Eric says in the book. I know is supposed to be romantic and all but this was to the point of where it was almost unbelieveable!
Overall the plot was a little weak, the characters weren't that great, and the steamy scene with Eric and Camile, was gross and very pointless. I'd say skip it and find something else to read.
August 7, 2013
I liked this series a lot, but I can't say I could feel comfortable recommending them without the disclaimer that there are several scenes in each book that would need to be skipped over, but I liked the plots, I loved the characters, and I liked that the language was clean. Overall pretty good books.
January 30, 2014
Sadly the last one of the series. Eric Ford is the last one of the group of friends to remain unmarried. Described as a Viking, he obviously needs a strong woman as a wife. Camille has loved him for years. She thinks of herself as clumsy, big, awkward, but she could be exactly the right woman for him.
February 8, 2013
A really great read! Plenty of drama to keep the story interesting. Very well paced and nice narrative. A really sweet story at points and at other parts gut wrenching. Can't wait for more of the series!
October 31, 2013
This was either free or .99 awhile back, and I found it to be a fast, relatively mindless read while traveling, especially in airports and on the flight.
February 2, 2016
It was very interesting until the last few pages which seemed more modern than the rest..Eric and Camille..C series
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews