What do you think?
Rate this book
Scoundrels #3.5
The Mad Earl's Bride
Originally appeared in the print anthology Three Weddings and a Kiss (1995).
Gwendolyn Adams is about to propose to an earl. On his deathbed.
Gwendolyn Adams isn't shocked at being asked to save a handsome earl's dying line, even when she learns the prospective bridegroom is seriously ill and possibly insane. She's quite a good nurse, after all, and her family is famous for producing healthy male children. Those stories about his riding the moors half-naked on a pale white horse? Extremely intriguing—especially after she gets her first look at the gorgeous lunatic.
The Earl of Rawnsley wants only to lose what's left of his mind in peace and privacy. But his busybody relatives have saddled him with a surprise bride and orders to sire an heir forthwith. (And they say he's mad?) But with Gwendolyn, his health is returning, and his resistance ... crumbling. Is it possible that love is the finest madness of all?
Gwendolyn Adams is about to propose to an earl. On his deathbed.
Gwendolyn Adams isn't shocked at being asked to save a handsome earl's dying line, even when she learns the prospective bridegroom is seriously ill and possibly insane. She's quite a good nurse, after all, and her family is famous for producing healthy male children. Those stories about his riding the moors half-naked on a pale white horse? Extremely intriguing—especially after she gets her first look at the gorgeous lunatic.
The Earl of Rawnsley wants only to lose what's left of his mind in peace and privacy. But his busybody relatives have saddled him with a surprise bride and orders to sire an heir forthwith. (And they say he's mad?) But with Gwendolyn, his health is returning, and his resistance ... crumbling. Is it possible that love is the finest madness of all?
100 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1995
298 people are currently reading
1911 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Chase
52 books3,662 followersLoretta Lynda Chekani was born in 1949, of Albanian ancestry. For her, the trouble started when she learned to write in first grade. Before then, she had been making up her own stories but now she knew how to write them down to share. In her teenage years, she continue to write letters, keep a journal, write poetry and even attempt the Great American Novel (still unfinished). She attended New England public schools, before she went off to college and earned an English degree from Clark University.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
June 13, 2023
I never really appreciated Bertie until this book. Enjoyed the mention of Lord Dane (from one of my favorite books
I enjoyed this novella the first half more than the second half. A fun quick read.
I enjoyed this novella the first half more than the second half. A fun quick read.
November 4, 2024
she volunteers to marry a terminally ill Earl and continue his noble line 👑🤰🏽 at least she gets a hospital out of it!
Gwen will take one for the team if it means being able to pursue a career in medicine. I mean…how hard is it to jump a handsome Earl with a protective heart?! The Earl is actually very much against marrying but just can’t resist this fiery and determined redhead!
Short but sweet novella straight from the moody British moors:
❤️🩹 smart doctor-to-be fmc
❤️🩹 insta love
❤️🩹 he loves her red hair
❤️🩹 LUSTFUL EARL!
❤️🩹 adorable & caring sick bed trope
❤️🩹 she heals him
Fierce Gwen was my FAVORITE! She was so intelligent and had an incredible bed side manner 🩺 The way she handled her family…and the Earl! She was very eager but in a more scientific way, which really had me cracking up.
I enjoyed the medical mystery plot and how it connected to the Earl’s mother. He went on a physical and emotional healing journey and it made for a great side plot.
Not sure about the whole sex addiction part? Was that all just society’s puritanical views or was he actually just super slutty in his past? Yet to be discovered…
marriage of convenience
protective mmc
smart scientific fmc
insta love
virgin fmc
sick bed
chronic illness 🧬
medical mystery
HEA
Gwen will take one for the team if it means being able to pursue a career in medicine. I mean…how hard is it to jump a handsome Earl with a protective heart?! The Earl is actually very much against marrying but just can’t resist this fiery and determined redhead!
Short but sweet novella straight from the moody British moors:
❤️🩹 smart doctor-to-be fmc
❤️🩹 insta love
❤️🩹 he loves her red hair
❤️🩹 LUSTFUL EARL!
❤️🩹 adorable & caring sick bed trope
❤️🩹 she heals him
Fierce Gwen was my FAVORITE! She was so intelligent and had an incredible bed side manner 🩺 The way she handled her family…and the Earl! She was very eager but in a more scientific way, which really had me cracking up.
I enjoyed the medical mystery plot and how it connected to the Earl’s mother. He went on a physical and emotional healing journey and it made for a great side plot.
Not sure about the whole sex addiction part? Was that all just society’s puritanical views or was he actually just super slutty in his past? Yet to be discovered…
marriage of convenience
protective mmc
smart scientific fmc
insta love
virgin fmc
sick bed
chronic illness 🧬
medical mystery
HEA
November 20, 2015
The Mad Earl’s Bride is such a treat! Funny, heartbreaking, sexy, inspiring… this novella delivers it all, and is an absolute delight to read.
The Story:
Dorian, the Earl of Rawnsley, knows he’s dying, and he also knows he’s going insane. His own mother suffered from the same headaches that have begun plaguing him, and she had to be institutionalized just before dying a tragic, painful death. Dorian hasn’t yet begun experiencing the hallucinations that his mother had, but he knows it’s only a matter of time, and he wants to meet his end peacefully and privately.
Much to his consternation, however, his relatives have other ideas.
Gwendolyn Adams is a nurse, and good one at that. And with her family’s reputation for producing hearty, healthy male children, she’s not surprised when the dying Earl of Rawnsley’s relatives ask her to marry the poor man in order to provide him with an heir. She knows life with a lunatic won’t be easy, but that doesn’t scare her off. Gwen’s a woman with a mission and will let nothing stand in the way of seeing her dream come true.
My Thoughts:
Loretta Chase is such a gifted author! There’s just something in the way she tells a story that draws readers in and keeps us coming back for more. She knows how to get right to the heart and soul of her characters and make them more than just words on the page. They are people we connect with, people we feel for, and people we love.
This story was originally published in the Three Weddings and a Kiss anthology in 1995, and while it might be short on pages, it’s not short on feeling. Do I wish we had been able to spend more time with Dorian and Gwen, and even cousin Bertie? Absolutely! But for me, this story lacked nothing.
The Bottom Line:
What more can I say than The Mad Earl’s Bride is such a beautiful love story. And the icing on this already delectable little cake? Spending a few minutes with Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain from Lord of Scoundrels.
My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2015
4.5 stars, rounded up.
I’ve said before that it takes a truly gifted author to turn out a novella which gives the reader the same degree of satisfaction upon finishing as can be found on the completion of a full-length novel, and I suppose the fact that this one is by Loretta Chase should be recommendation enough.
At the age of twenty-seven, Dorian Camoys, the Earl of Rawnsley is dying, plagued by the same illness that killed his mother. She died alone, in an asylum for the insane, and Dorian expects that before long, he will begin to exhibit the symptoms of madness. He already suffers from the blinding headaches and visual flashes that she endured, and knows he doesn’t have long left.
His remaining relatives, however, are concerned for the title and have decided that Dorien should marry and beget an heir while he is still able to. The duc d’Abbonville, the head of the French branch of the Camoys family – and who is also the fiancé of the redoubtable Genevieve, Jessica Trent’s grandmother – believes he can persuade Dorian to do his duty by the title, and has already selected him a bride, Miss Gwendolyn Adams, who is another of Genevieve’s granddaughters.
Like both her grandmother and her cousin Jessica, Gwendolyn is a very formidable young woman. She is passionately interested in the medical sciences but as this is a time when formal training was not possible for a woman, she has to content herself with studying on her own. Marrying the Earl of Rawnsley will give her the funds and influence to enable her to build and run a new hospital, and it’s that which is her primary motivation for agreeing to the duc’s proposal – well, that, and the opportunity to perhaps help Dorian and gain some insight into his illness.
Despite his initial reluctance, Dorian agrees to the marriage, and even though he is determined to maintain a distance from his bride, Gwen won’t let him, encouraging him to talk about his illness and conducting her own researches into the nature of it. To his surprise, she treats him as a normal, sane and intelligent individual, and one, moreover, who makes her melt into a puddle of lust:
“I wish you could see the way you look at me.”
…
“Like a lovesick schoolgirl, you mean?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, what do you expect? You are shockingly handsome.”
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “I have a brain disease. My mind is crumbling to pieces! And in a few months I shall be a rotting corpse!”
After which, she basically pats him on the cheek, says “there, there, dear, never mind” and changes the subject.
I suspect that most readers will be able to work out what is actually wrong with Dorian before Gwen does, but she is working without the benefit of current medical knowledge, and one of the things that keeps the reader hooked is wondering when Dorian will realise that he doesn’t have one foot in the grave after all.
Both Dorian and Gwendolyn are likeable, well-drawn characters, their relationship is beautifully developed and their interactions are by turns funny, tender, sexy and heart-rending. Dorian’s desire not to be pitied and to have control over his life for as long as he can is poignant and quite understandable, and I loved the way he encourages Gwen in her studies. The Mad Earl’s Bride is a fabulous read and one I heartily recommend if you’re looking for a quick romance fix!
I’ve said before that it takes a truly gifted author to turn out a novella which gives the reader the same degree of satisfaction upon finishing as can be found on the completion of a full-length novel, and I suppose the fact that this one is by Loretta Chase should be recommendation enough.
At the age of twenty-seven, Dorian Camoys, the Earl of Rawnsley is dying, plagued by the same illness that killed his mother. She died alone, in an asylum for the insane, and Dorian expects that before long, he will begin to exhibit the symptoms of madness. He already suffers from the blinding headaches and visual flashes that she endured, and knows he doesn’t have long left.
His remaining relatives, however, are concerned for the title and have decided that Dorien should marry and beget an heir while he is still able to. The duc d’Abbonville, the head of the French branch of the Camoys family – and who is also the fiancé of the redoubtable Genevieve, Jessica Trent’s grandmother – believes he can persuade Dorian to do his duty by the title, and has already selected him a bride, Miss Gwendolyn Adams, who is another of Genevieve’s granddaughters.
Like both her grandmother and her cousin Jessica, Gwendolyn is a very formidable young woman. She is passionately interested in the medical sciences but as this is a time when formal training was not possible for a woman, she has to content herself with studying on her own. Marrying the Earl of Rawnsley will give her the funds and influence to enable her to build and run a new hospital, and it’s that which is her primary motivation for agreeing to the duc’s proposal – well, that, and the opportunity to perhaps help Dorian and gain some insight into his illness.
Despite his initial reluctance, Dorian agrees to the marriage, and even though he is determined to maintain a distance from his bride, Gwen won’t let him, encouraging him to talk about his illness and conducting her own researches into the nature of it. To his surprise, she treats him as a normal, sane and intelligent individual, and one, moreover, who makes her melt into a puddle of lust:
“I wish you could see the way you look at me.”
…
“Like a lovesick schoolgirl, you mean?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, what do you expect? You are shockingly handsome.”
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “I have a brain disease. My mind is crumbling to pieces! And in a few months I shall be a rotting corpse!”
After which, she basically pats him on the cheek, says “there, there, dear, never mind” and changes the subject.
I suspect that most readers will be able to work out what is actually wrong with Dorian before Gwen does, but she is working without the benefit of current medical knowledge, and one of the things that keeps the reader hooked is wondering when Dorian will realise that he doesn’t have one foot in the grave after all.
Both Dorian and Gwendolyn are likeable, well-drawn characters, their relationship is beautifully developed and their interactions are by turns funny, tender, sexy and heart-rending. Dorian’s desire not to be pitied and to have control over his life for as long as he can is poignant and quite understandable, and I loved the way he encourages Gwen in her studies. The Mad Earl’s Bride is a fabulous read and one I heartily recommend if you’re looking for a quick romance fix!
December 6, 2025
“I was thinking of Cousin Jessica and her husband,” Gwendolyn said. “Dain is not ordinary-looking either. She and I seem to have similar taste in men.”
“Indeed. She likes monsters and you like lunatics.”
It’s an easy formula: a book featuring a (sort of) friend of Lord Dane from Lord of Scoundrels just must be good. And it was good. The appearance of Dane himself was a bonus!
However, this is the story of Dorian, a (supposedly) mad earl with yellow eyes and long raven hair. Like his mother, who died locked up in a lunatic asylum, he suffers from vicious headaches and visual illusions. Having accepted losing his mind and his imminent death, he has made arrangements to die peacefully at home under the influence of laudanum, which is supposed to make his suffering bearable.
Unfortunately, you can’t die in peace if your relatives insist on producing an heir to save the Camoy line from extinction. So they send him a bride: bluestocking Gwendolyn, who comes from a very fertile family, famous for bearing boys. Gwendolyn is also a “medical mind”, and that’s the reason for her agreement to the arranged marriage. As a countess, she will have enough money and influence to build a clinic. Furthermore, she is very interested in his medical case. Of course, her interest doesn’t stop with the medical studies and treatment—she quickly loses her heart to her doomed patient ...
Just like me! Dorian is a great main character, but Gwendolyn is even better. Always loyal, reasonable, understanding, and matter-of-fact, the red-haired, green-eyed “witch” takes the wind out of Earl’s sails from their very first encounter. Under her care, his pain and fear are finally eased, and despite setbacks, she gives him hope for a little more time with her and a dignified end of life.
From today’s perspective, Dorian’s illness is pretty easy to diagnose, but the book provides an interesting look at the treatment of (mental) illness in the early 19th century. The Earl’s fear of being caged and mistreated in an asylum is valid.
I wish this was a full-length novel. I’d love to spend more time immersed in the love story of this amazing couple and their illustrious relatives: Dane and Jessica (Gwen’s cousin), Bertie Trent and the notorious Genevieve, dowager Viscountess Pembury (Gwen’s and Jessica’s grandmother).
4.5
“Indeed. She likes monsters and you like lunatics.”
It’s an easy formula: a book featuring a (sort of) friend of Lord Dane from Lord of Scoundrels just must be good. And it was good. The appearance of Dane himself was a bonus!
However, this is the story of Dorian, a (supposedly) mad earl with yellow eyes and long raven hair. Like his mother, who died locked up in a lunatic asylum, he suffers from vicious headaches and visual illusions. Having accepted losing his mind and his imminent death, he has made arrangements to die peacefully at home under the influence of laudanum, which is supposed to make his suffering bearable.
Unfortunately, you can’t die in peace if your relatives insist on producing an heir to save the Camoy line from extinction. So they send him a bride: bluestocking Gwendolyn, who comes from a very fertile family, famous for bearing boys. Gwendolyn is also a “medical mind”, and that’s the reason for her agreement to the arranged marriage. As a countess, she will have enough money and influence to build a clinic. Furthermore, she is very interested in his medical case. Of course, her interest doesn’t stop with the medical studies and treatment—she quickly loses her heart to her doomed patient ...
Just like me! Dorian is a great main character, but Gwendolyn is even better. Always loyal, reasonable, understanding, and matter-of-fact, the red-haired, green-eyed “witch” takes the wind out of Earl’s sails from their very first encounter. Under her care, his pain and fear are finally eased, and despite setbacks, she gives him hope for a little more time with her and a dignified end of life.
From today’s perspective, Dorian’s illness is pretty easy to diagnose, but the book provides an interesting look at the treatment of (mental) illness in the early 19th century. The Earl’s fear of being caged and mistreated in an asylum is valid.
I wish this was a full-length novel. I’d love to spend more time immersed in the love story of this amazing couple and their illustrious relatives: Dane and Jessica (Gwen’s cousin), Bertie Trent and the notorious Genevieve, dowager Viscountess Pembury (Gwen’s and Jessica’s grandmother).
4.5
June 20, 2022
4.5 stars
This is why I love LC books! A great novella with fantastic MC. The h, especially, was my favorite kind of h. Logical with great common sense. 👍
I was also intrigued by what was causing his illness. Kudos to the author! She had me stomped, which makes me love the book more.
My only problem was I wished it was longer. I really loved the MC and didn't want to say goodbye 😥
I highly recommend this novella or really any of her books!
This is why I love LC books! A great novella with fantastic MC. The h, especially, was my favorite kind of h. Logical with great common sense. 👍
I was also intrigued by what was causing his illness. Kudos to the author! She had me stomped, which makes me love the book more.
My only problem was I wished it was longer. I really loved the MC and didn't want to say goodbye 😥
I highly recommend this novella or really any of her books!
July 10, 2021
A really lovely novella with humor and heart that I can see returning to over & over.
March 28, 2022
Ahhh... migraines. Terrorizing people since the beginning of time.
December 15, 2021
Fantastic novella! It doesn't feel like one which is high praise indeed (I don't usually read novellas because I think the story would suffer since it is too short which definitely isn't the case here). The characters are fleshed out and how Ms. Chase managed to incorporate the backstory into a novella is simply incredible. Nice to see Dain and Bertie Trent from Lord of Scoundrels made an appearance here. . The FMC, Gwen reminds me a bit of Jessica (a strong and feisty heroine). So, reading this one was definitely a few pleasurable hours.
July 18, 2020
"The Mad Earl`s Bride" is a Novella you read after "Lord of Scoundrels" the third book in the "Scoundrels" series but can also be read as a stand-alone.I love Loretta Chase´s writing style and her unique romantic plots with very color-ful characters.
Dorian Camoy Earl of Rawnsley agrees to marry the intelligent brave Gwendolyn Adams (cousin to the heroine in "Lord of Scoundrels") thinking her as a desirable witch that are sent to him to cure his illness.
Their journey in falling in love was beautiful and entertaining at the same time,as they found complete trust in each other,and wanted each other endlessly.There was a fierce rapture in their lovemaking, and the moments of quiet contentment, and the joy of working with together, planning something worthwhile.My favourite moment has to be the bathe-scene,it was so sensual and reamarkable in a way that i almost fainted,WHEWW!
I enjoyed it from the start to their HEA,they both greatly deserved it!
Dorian Camoy Earl of Rawnsley agrees to marry the intelligent brave Gwendolyn Adams (cousin to the heroine in "Lord of Scoundrels") thinking her as a desirable witch that are sent to him to cure his illness.
Their journey in falling in love was beautiful and entertaining at the same time,as they found complete trust in each other,and wanted each other endlessly.There was a fierce rapture in their lovemaking, and the moments of quiet contentment, and the joy of working with together, planning something worthwhile.My favourite moment has to be the bathe-scene,it was so sensual and reamarkable in a way that i almost fainted,WHEWW!
I enjoyed it from the start to their HEA,they both greatly deserved it!
May 25, 2019
Segunda lectura para el #RitaChase #RetoRita3 y la he disfrutado mucho. Se trata de una novela cortita, que transcurre algún tiempo después de Abandonada a tus caricias. Por su breve extensión todo transcurre muy rápidamente, hay instalust e instalove, pero la trama es interesante -con algunos puntos en común con esa maravilla que es Flores en la Tormenta, de Laura Kinsale- y los personajes principales, Dorian y Gwen, están bien dibujados, tienen alma y mucha química. Y además sale el marqués de Dain, ¿qué más se puede pedir? Algo más de extensión y desarrollo, quizá.
January 16, 2019
A super-instalove story. The h/H are nice and lovable and all but the (cutish) instalove was taking too much for granted - on the H's part. Given the circumstances, it'd have been more natural if the H hadn't (quite conceitedly, I'd say) assumed that she'd developed feelings for him (which she had btw!) - all within a day or two. Circumstances being that she'd quite sanguinely agreed to marry sight unseen a dying man so that she could become a countess with enough power and position to build a hospital.
The H's dead mother and her medical history is overplayed and hangs over the whole story in a bad karma way.
But things were kept too vague.
For all Dain lovers, we get a peek. Mind you, only a peek as he's presented in third person and doesn't get a word in edgeways.
Gads! but then she was too distracted being bossy in bed. Well, the bedroom scenes were hot and distracting!
The H's dead mother and her medical history is overplayed and hangs over the whole story in a bad karma way.
But things were kept too vague.
For all Dain lovers, we get a peek. Mind you, only a peek as he's presented in third person and doesn't get a word in edgeways.
Gads! but then she was too distracted being bossy in bed. Well, the bedroom scenes were hot and distracting!
May 22, 2020
"The Mad Earl's Bride" is the story of Gwendolyn and Dorian.
This sweet sweet tale has a hero on the brisk of "insanity", and the heroine that weds him out of curiosity and her own benefit. He expects to die just as his mother had, she vows to rescue him from the brink of madness. He is hopeless, she is hopeful. He is afraid, and she is brave. They fall for each other make love, make life altering discoveries and the book ends in a hopeful HEA.
Two minutes into the story we know the diagnosis- yet it was SUCH a fun and heartwarming read!
Safe
4/5
This sweet sweet tale has a hero on the brisk of "insanity", and the heroine that weds him out of curiosity and her own benefit. He expects to die just as his mother had, she vows to rescue him from the brink of madness. He is hopeless, she is hopeful. He is afraid, and she is brave. They fall for each other make love, make life altering discoveries and the book ends in a hopeful HEA.
Two minutes into the story we know the diagnosis- yet it was SUCH a fun and heartwarming read!
Safe
4/5
September 20, 2016
¿Por qué es tan corto? ¿¿POR QUÉ?? Habría sido un libro estupendísimo. Es una mezcla de "Abandonada a tus caricias" y "Flores en la tormenta", con un prota AÑKÑJDGKFÑA muy especial y una protagonista inteligente y sin miedo. Al ser tan corta la historia no está tan bien desarrollada como en un libro y es una pena porque, lógicamente, tiene que ser todo precipitado. Pero, a pesar de su brevedad, lo he disfrutado mucho.
(Y además sale Dain, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
(Y además sale Dain, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
June 14, 2013
this review was originally published at DearAuthor.com
Dear Ms. Chase:
Thank you for re-releasing your novella The Mad Earl’s Bride. I missed it when it was released in 2009 in the anthology Three Weddings and a Kiss. The Mad Earl’s Bride has the tone of my favorites of your books: witty, smart, and sweetly sexy. It even has Bertie Trent in it–as well as, briefly, Dain. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The book is set in the late 1820′s, a time when misdiagnoses and harmful treatment in medicine were the norm. Even more poorly understood and treated was mental illness. The hero of this story, Dorian Camoy, the Earl of Rawnsley, watched his mother succumb to madness, dying of what was diagnosed as genetic defect in her brain, one that could be neither detected nor cured. Her symptoms were these:
She heard voices, … and saw things that weren’t there, and screamed of ghosts and cruel talons ripping into her skull.
Several years later, when Dorian is 27, he begins to suffer from the same malady. The symptoms worsen and, within a year, he is sure he too will descend into insanity and perish.
He’d suspected, early on, that the illness, like his mother’s years earlier, had simply been the beginning of the end.
In January, when the headaches began, his suspicions were confirmed. As the weeks passed, the attacks grew increasingly vicious, as hers had done.
The night before last, he’d wanted to bash his head against the wall.
. . . pain . . . tearing at my skull . . . couldn’t see straight . . . couldn’t think.
He understood now, fully, what his mother had meant. Even so, he would have borne the pain, would not have sent for Kneebones yesterday morning, if not for the shimmering wraith he’d seen. Then Dorian had realized something must be done—before the faint visual illusions blossomed into full-blown phantasms, as they had for his mother, and drove him to violence, as they had done her.
I suspect many readers will quickly guess what afflicts the Camoys. In fact, that’s part of the fun of the story, turning the pages and wondering when will Dorian learn why he won’t die? We know he can’t die because he has to live happily ever after with Gwendolyn Adams, the young woman his family insists he marry so that he may beget an heir before his awful death.
Gwendolyn is fabulous.
Like Dorian, Gwendolyn was born in the wrong era of medicine. In her case, it’s because she desperately longs to be a physician. She’s learned everything society will allow her to; she’s even attended a cadaver dissection at a time when legal cadavers were very difficult to come by. Gwen’s uncle, the duc d’Abonville (the fiancé of Gwendolyn’s and Jessica’s grandmother, Genevieve) who is the nearest male kin to Dorian, has asked Gwen to be Dorian’s bride. She agrees to the deal because, as she explains to Dorian when the first meet,
“I do need the money, to build a hospital,” she said. “I have definite ideas about how it should be constructed as well as the principles according to which it must be run. In order to achieve my goals—without negotiation or compromise—I require not only substantial funds, but influence. As Countess of Rawnsley, I should have both. As your widow, I should be able to act independently. Since you are the last of the males of your family, I should have to answer to no one.”
After arguing against the match but finding himself outflanked by Gwendolyn and Dorian’s closest friend from school, Bertie Trent, Dorian marries Gwen. (The fact that he’s been celibate for the past year is also an inducement.)
Once Gwen is ensconced in Dorian’s home, she sets about first convincing him to talk to her about his illness and then researching its possible genesis. She also treats Dorian as a sane and smart man who just happens to make her swoon. Dorian, now that he has mental, emotional, and physical succor in his life, slowly falls for his wife. Their relationship is lovely.
Though this is a short piece, just 158 pages, Ms. Chase tells a complete story. Her characters have time to develop from total strangers to enamored spouses. The medical aspect of the plot is accurately and richly mined as well. It’s a rare novella that doesn’t feel too brief but The Mad Earl’s Bride does not. I recommend it highly. It gets an A.
Dabney
August 25, 2014
What a wonderful reminder of why Loretta Chase is one of my favorite authors...Short, but better conceived and articulated than books many times this novella's length. Perhaps because I love to blind, adoring stupidity Lord of Scoundrels, I enjoyed the similar chemistry between rational, unshakeable Gwendolyn, a woman determined to fund a hospital according to her own medical study and beliefs, and Dorian, the doomed earl who has reluctantly agreed to wed to try to procreate before his debility kills him. Gwen reminded me of Jessica; Dorian of Lord Dain, T-est, D-est and H-est hero of them all. Their meeting and sorting out the tangle was fun.
One of the best of many delightful scenes, was Gwen explaining why his horrible decline wouldn't upset her and why marrying him made sense, by way of reassuring him that she was a willing bride without any illusions about their marriage.
One of the best of many delightful scenes, was Gwen explaining why his horrible decline wouldn't upset her and why marrying him made sense, by way of reassuring him that she was a willing bride without any illusions about their marriage.
December 11, 2025
Its fix my HR slump since i cant find joy reading latest hr releases. Its so good just as previous book i read by LC.
February 24, 2016
This little gem of a novella comes in between of 'Lord of Scoundrels' and 'The Last Hellion' and since both of those are one of my all time LC's favorites, I must say this has just joined those two.
Everything in this novella worked to perfection. I can't tell you how much I loved the heroine. She had enough strength without being overbearing, and such compassion and sweetness, I just couldn't help but love her.
The hero was just as noble as you'd expect him to be, but also someone you felt the compassion for.
The plot was totally unexpected and worked so well within the romance, it touched me deeply because it hit too close to home.
If you've never read LC before, you may as well start with this one!
Melanie for b2b
Everything in this novella worked to perfection. I can't tell you how much I loved the heroine. She had enough strength without being overbearing, and such compassion and sweetness, I just couldn't help but love her.
The hero was just as noble as you'd expect him to be, but also someone you felt the compassion for.
The plot was totally unexpected and worked so well within the romance, it touched me deeply because it hit too close to home.
If you've never read LC before, you may as well start with this one!
Melanie for b2b
April 16, 2022
This is how to write a story - two clearly delineated characters spending most of the story with each other, a lot of witty dialogue, a bit of angst, little bit of sex, satisfying resolution to a (largely) believable plot. End of.
The Mad Earl's Bride delivers all that brilliantly - after all, how many heroines woo the hero at their first meeting by advising, "Pretend you're a log."
More like this, please.
The Mad Earl's Bride delivers all that brilliantly - after all, how many heroines woo the hero at their first meeting by advising, "Pretend you're a log."
More like this, please.
May 14, 2013
**3.5 stars**
Very cute novella with a more serious topic than it seemed from the description. I didn't give it a higher rating because no matter the heroine's inclinations, I couldn't believe her family would allow her to marry a guy everybody thought was a 'lunatic'. It took me half the novella to get pass my disbelief.
Dorian's situation was heartbreaking, specially when you realized his sense of helplessness at realizing he might be at the mercy of others during the end of his life. Medical care in the 19th century could be appalling. I give thanks everyday that I born in this time!
I really enjoyed Bertie Trent as a secondary character. It took me a few pages to place in and then I was very happy to encounter him again. The same with Dain.
I was very intrigued by Dr. Eversham and see him as hero material. This novella was written a while back so for all I know, there's a book with him as the hero already. I must check Ms. Chase's backlist.
Overall, a very touching story. Completely recommend it!
Very cute novella with a more serious topic than it seemed from the description. I didn't give it a higher rating because no matter the heroine's inclinations, I couldn't believe her family would allow her to marry a guy everybody thought was a 'lunatic'. It took me half the novella to get pass my disbelief.
Dorian's situation was heartbreaking, specially when you realized his sense of helplessness at realizing he might be at the mercy of others during the end of his life. Medical care in the 19th century could be appalling. I give thanks everyday that I born in this time!
I really enjoyed Bertie Trent as a secondary character. It took me a few pages to place in and then I was very happy to encounter him again. The same with Dain.
I was very intrigued by Dr. Eversham and see him as hero material. This novella was written a while back so for all I know, there's a book with him as the hero already. I must check Ms. Chase's backlist.
Overall, a very touching story. Completely recommend it!
September 14, 2017
This is a charming early Loretta Chase novella. The "mad" earl marries a woman who coincidentally wants to be a doctor (but couldn't be in those days). The story is serious and sweet and funny at the same time. It was great fun to see Bertie Trent, from Lord of Scoundrels, as the earl's best friend. He's just as goofy and surprisingly wise as before.
January 24, 2021
3 Stars
After reading the third book in this series I decided to try another one and this novella captured my attention after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, I didn't like how fast the affection happened between the H&h so I wasn't able to truly care about what was going to happen in the end.
After reading the third book in this series I decided to try another one and this novella captured my attention after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, I didn't like how fast the affection happened between the H&h so I wasn't able to truly care about what was going to happen in the end.
July 6, 2013
Reviewed for THC Reviews
A couple of years ago, I read and loved Loretta Chase's incomparable Lord of Scoundrels, but the next two of her books I read, definitely did not catch my fancy. Because of that, I went into reading The Mad Earl's Bride with a bit of trepidation, but this little novella has put Ms. Chase back on my watch list. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot and characters.
Dorian, the hero believes that he is dying of the same incurable brain disease that apparently killed his mother, but not before making her go mad. He is tortured both by the knowledge of his impending madness and demise, as well as by ghosts of the past which haunt him. His grandfather tried to control the entire family, but I admired Dorian for standing his ground and not allowing the old earl to get the best of him even though it meant living in near poverty and performing menial labor for years. Dorian has a very acerbic wit that I enjoyed too. I loved Gwendolyn, the heroine. She has untamable red hair and isn't particularly attractive by the standards of the time. To make matters worse, Gwen is a woman aspiring to be a doctor in an era when that wasn't allowed, but she is a far more talented healer than most of the trained doctors they encounter. She is a total geek who absorbs medical knowledge like a sponge and can get really wrapped up in her studies, but she also has a lovely bedside manner, treating Dorian with the utmost care and concern. I thoroughly enjoyed Gwen's spunkiness and no-nonsense manner about everything, and how her passionate nature matched Dorian's measure for measure.
The interactions between these two are full of humor and refreshing honesty. Gwen admits right up front that she wants to marry Dorian to realize her dream of building a hospital, and he boils his acquiescence to marry her down to wanting sex after a year-long, self-imposed celibacy. I love how they both seem to intuitively understand each other, and a large part of their dialog was very snappy and witty. The geek in me can't resist citing this quote from Dorian to Gwen: “I spent hours yesterday talking of little but medical symptoms and insane asylums. And you listened as though it were poetry and all but swooned at my feet. It is too bad I don't have any medical treatises about. I'm sure I need read a paragraph or two, and you will become ravenous with lust and begin tearing my clothes off.” There was another similar passage, both of which showed an understanding of classic geekiness at it's best, and made me totally LOL. In spite of some great dialog, there were a few places that it was a bit sluggish, and there were some narration heavy areas of the story that I thought also slowed the pace. I did figure out what Dorian's malady was fairly early on, but his mother's mysterious death kept me guessing.
Overall, I really liked The Mad Earl's Bride, mainly for it's unusual storyline, but also for the exploration of medical and psychological conditions in a historical setting, which fed my own geeky fascinations. The Mad Earl's Bride is the fourth story in a group of books usually known as the Scoundrels series. It is preceded by The Lion's Daughter, Captives of the Night, and Lord of Scoundrels, and followed by The Last Hellion. Gwen is a cousin of Jessica and Bertie Trent, and another unconventional granddaughter of Genevieve, all of whom first appeared in Lord of Scoundrels. The amusing, dim-witted Bertie plays a big part in this novella, and Dain the scrumptious hero of that book makes a cameo as well. After reading The Mad Earl's Bride, I am now finally looking forward to finishing the series.
A couple of years ago, I read and loved Loretta Chase's incomparable Lord of Scoundrels, but the next two of her books I read, definitely did not catch my fancy. Because of that, I went into reading The Mad Earl's Bride with a bit of trepidation, but this little novella has put Ms. Chase back on my watch list. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot and characters.
Dorian, the hero believes that he is dying of the same incurable brain disease that apparently killed his mother, but not before making her go mad. He is tortured both by the knowledge of his impending madness and demise, as well as by ghosts of the past which haunt him. His grandfather tried to control the entire family, but I admired Dorian for standing his ground and not allowing the old earl to get the best of him even though it meant living in near poverty and performing menial labor for years. Dorian has a very acerbic wit that I enjoyed too. I loved Gwendolyn, the heroine. She has untamable red hair and isn't particularly attractive by the standards of the time. To make matters worse, Gwen is a woman aspiring to be a doctor in an era when that wasn't allowed, but she is a far more talented healer than most of the trained doctors they encounter. She is a total geek who absorbs medical knowledge like a sponge and can get really wrapped up in her studies, but she also has a lovely bedside manner, treating Dorian with the utmost care and concern. I thoroughly enjoyed Gwen's spunkiness and no-nonsense manner about everything, and how her passionate nature matched Dorian's measure for measure.
The interactions between these two are full of humor and refreshing honesty. Gwen admits right up front that she wants to marry Dorian to realize her dream of building a hospital, and he boils his acquiescence to marry her down to wanting sex after a year-long, self-imposed celibacy. I love how they both seem to intuitively understand each other, and a large part of their dialog was very snappy and witty. The geek in me can't resist citing this quote from Dorian to Gwen: “I spent hours yesterday talking of little but medical symptoms and insane asylums. And you listened as though it were poetry and all but swooned at my feet. It is too bad I don't have any medical treatises about. I'm sure I need read a paragraph or two, and you will become ravenous with lust and begin tearing my clothes off.” There was another similar passage, both of which showed an understanding of classic geekiness at it's best, and made me totally LOL. In spite of some great dialog, there were a few places that it was a bit sluggish, and there were some narration heavy areas of the story that I thought also slowed the pace. I did figure out what Dorian's malady was fairly early on, but his mother's mysterious death kept me guessing.
Overall, I really liked The Mad Earl's Bride, mainly for it's unusual storyline, but also for the exploration of medical and psychological conditions in a historical setting, which fed my own geeky fascinations. The Mad Earl's Bride is the fourth story in a group of books usually known as the Scoundrels series. It is preceded by The Lion's Daughter, Captives of the Night, and Lord of Scoundrels, and followed by The Last Hellion. Gwen is a cousin of Jessica and Bertie Trent, and another unconventional granddaughter of Genevieve, all of whom first appeared in Lord of Scoundrels. The amusing, dim-witted Bertie plays a big part in this novella, and Dain the scrumptious hero of that book makes a cameo as well. After reading The Mad Earl's Bride, I am now finally looking forward to finishing the series.
July 30, 2013
Well if that wasn't the most darling little novella, I don't know what is! While I'm not familiar with Loretta Chase, I know that she is a reputable historical author and so I was curious about this novella. I've been rather novella obsessed lately. This novella centers around an Earl, new in to his title, who believes himself and is believed by others to be mad and on the verge of succumbing to full insanity...just as his mother did before him. So, a simple minded but unerringly loyal friend from Eton decided to set him up with a lady, his cousin, to marry and continue his lineage with. Little did this "mad" earl know, his soon to be countess was a lovely redhead full of intelligence and insight that would change his world.
I really loved this novella. However, it takes a novella mindset to like it. It is fanciful and rather far fetched and at moments, however, Ms. Chase does not have many pages to convince you of the problems facing this new couple. That being said, if one is in the mood for a sweet and short (hour to hour and a half tops!) little get away ...this would be the perfect novella. I got it for just 1.99 on amazon...i do think it a bit overpriced however it was nice. Just a note, it starts off rather ...odly but hang on because the middle to end is just perfectly saccharine and hopeful :)
June 2, 2013
When Gwendolyn Adams is asked to marry a man considered mad and soon to die, she takes it in stride and accepts the offer. By marrying the Earl of Rawnsley she will gain his name and position which will make it easier for her to accomplish her dream of opening a hospital. What she does not expect is to be drawn to this 'mad' earl. She researches his condition, and that of his late mother, and attempts to help him find ways to cure him. During there discussions together, this couple find a type of love they never thought possible. But with Dorian certain he is going to die, he tries to distance himself from Gwen while at the same time, encouraging her to discover as much as she can about medincine. He learned at a young age to keep his feelings to himself so these emotions he feels for the steady, level headed Gwen are new and a bit terrifying. The truth of Dorian's disease is revealed and watching this couple come to the new terms was enjoyable. Well written, emotional (the storyline is a bit dark) and sexy with a bit of humor, this novella was a treat to read! 4 stars
eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss
eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss
June 10, 2018
Insta love and a Mary Sue who heals a man's body and soul. H was supposed to be this sexually depraved, alcoholic rake, but he just seemed kind of self loathing and depressed. Enough to give a reader a meegram...er...migraine.
Loretta Chase is wildly inconsistent. Some of her books are excellent and some are a bit crappy.
Content: The other books I've read have been PG-13, this was a bit more racy. No off putting words describing sex or the body parts involved; didn't veer into raunchy.
Loretta Chase is wildly inconsistent. Some of her books are excellent and some are a bit crappy.
Content: The other books I've read have been PG-13, this was a bit more racy. No off putting words describing sex or the body parts involved; didn't veer into raunchy.
July 14, 2014
Really quite good. The heroine was intelligent, laid back, funny, and sympathetic. The hero was slightly tortured, but it was understandable, and even with that, he wasn't a complete D bag. A quick read, but worth it.
November 29, 2017
Since I've not read a lot of novellas, I find them hard to rate. They are so short (ha!) and I find myself wishing the plot was fleshed out a bit more. I enjoyed this enough to want to read more but I really wanted there to be more, especially because I adored both the hero and heroine.
May 18, 2022
4.5 Stars
This was a thorough and entertaining novella, which are hard to come by. The first chapter set the story up for the hero and it was nicely developed throughout with a sound story arc and satisfying ending. It was also seamlessly connected to the series via Lord of Scoundrels with appearances by Dain and Bertie. A quick and very enjoyable read.
Read
June 29, 2013My favorite part of this novella was definitely the heroine Gwendolyn. She's smart, practical, faces problems head on, and tries to make the best of the hand she's dealt. She wants to learn medicine and build a hospital and if that means she must marry a mad man and bear his heir, so be it. I sympathized with her frustrations as member after member of the medical profession dismissed her and her abilities simply because she was female.
I also admired Dorian's strength and determination to get out from under his grandfather's thumb by striking out on his own,and his protective streak. I sympathized with him not wanting to be a burden, and the subject of anyone's pity, though naturally, it was frustrating to watch him pushing Gwen and others away because of it.
The medical issues explored in this book were interesting, and the mystery of what happened to Dorian's mother was unexpected and surprising.
This novella had great secondary characters. Bertie amused me immensely, and I liked Dain's cameo. (Reading Mad Earl's Bride really made me want to pick up and finally read Lord of Scoundrels. I know-sacrilege that I haven't read it yet!)
I would recommend this novella to those who enjoy good writing and a good historical.
I also admired Dorian's strength and determination to get out from under his grandfather's thumb by striking out on his own,and his protective streak. I sympathized with him not wanting to be a burden, and the subject of anyone's pity, though naturally, it was frustrating to watch him pushing Gwen and others away because of it.
The medical issues explored in this book were interesting, and the mystery of what happened to Dorian's mother was unexpected and surprising.
This novella had great secondary characters. Bertie amused me immensely, and I liked Dain's cameo. (Reading Mad Earl's Bride really made me want to pick up and finally read Lord of Scoundrels. I know-sacrilege that I haven't read it yet!)
I would recommend this novella to those who enjoy good writing and a good historical.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews