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Substitute Bride
When Miss Emma Napier helped her friend, Abby, escape an arranged marriage, she little thought she would meet the dashing Marquis of Desborough. His lordship was looking for a wife so he could gain control of his inheritance. Emma seemed the perfect choice.A gay and frothy Regency romance, packed with lively incidents and dramatic situations.
- GenresRegency
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Laurel Lamperd
10 books4 followersLaurel Lamperd writes poetry, short stories and novels. (Visit: author's den)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 13, 2014
One of my favorite things about the Amazon Kindle is its “sample” feature. I love that they will send you a chapter or two to read before you purchase a book. I admit, I have been Punked a couple of times and unfortunately this book falls into that category.
For some reason I love the whole marriage-of-convenience storyline and when I read about The Substitute Bride it sounded like an interesting take. Our heroine Emma is helping her friend Abby escape an unwanted marriage and on their flight to London they have a deter at a rather shady Inn. While there Emma runs into Desborough who is in desperate need of a wife in order to protect his inheritance. It’s at this point where my Kindle sample ended and I was intrigued enough to purchase the rest of the story. Unfortunately, after the sample portion the book goes downhill. It actually had a lot of potential to be a rather cute story, and for the most part I enjoyed reading it. There were just a few crude moments thrown in, a very unlikable leading man and a few too many storylines to make me enjoy the story.
My biggest complaint is with our leading man Nick Desborough. I know a lot of Regency stories like to include a Rake who our leading ladies can reform, as much as I hate Rakes sometimes this can be pulled off. In this case our Rake has no redeeming value. In order to get Emma to marry him he pretty much threatens to rape her (granted, he was pretty drunk & desperate and I really think he was bluffing), he is pretty rude and bullies her into it promising an annulment would be done in a few weeks. Aside from the threat the set up was pretty good for a marriage of convenience. Anyway, Desborough doesn’t get any better throughout the book. People seem to forgive him his horrible personality and immoral lifestyle simply because he has a title. I hated the whole mistress side-story, even though it added a little drama to the story. Some of his encounters with his mistress were a bit too descriptive for my taste (although far from being smutty). I also hated how he treated Emma, maybe the author thought she was writing a passionate character, but he came across as vulgar, controlling and full of double standards.
I also hated how the moral guys were all portrayed to be extremely boring. Personally there were a couple side characters that I thought had more appeal than our leading man. I know there was a double standard at the time, but I still like to believe that there were more good men than bad, and I personally can’t get behind a character who has no ounce of morals in him and how is cynical, condescending and lacks any self-control.
Emma was your typical Regency heroine. She stuck up for herself (to an extent and usually just caved into whatever Desborough wanted), cared about her friends and was a likable enough character. Overall, if a few of the crude moments had been taken out and instead of lust between Desborough and Emma they had grown to actually love each other, I would have liked the story. As it is, they had very little chemistry together and I’m still trying to figure out what she actually saw in him (oh, and I hated that she had to just “accept” that he would have mistresses and be fine with that…have some character growth and have him renounce his lifestyle!).
For some reason I love the whole marriage-of-convenience storyline and when I read about The Substitute Bride it sounded like an interesting take. Our heroine Emma is helping her friend Abby escape an unwanted marriage and on their flight to London they have a deter at a rather shady Inn. While there Emma runs into Desborough who is in desperate need of a wife in order to protect his inheritance. It’s at this point where my Kindle sample ended and I was intrigued enough to purchase the rest of the story. Unfortunately, after the sample portion the book goes downhill. It actually had a lot of potential to be a rather cute story, and for the most part I enjoyed reading it. There were just a few crude moments thrown in, a very unlikable leading man and a few too many storylines to make me enjoy the story.
My biggest complaint is with our leading man Nick Desborough. I know a lot of Regency stories like to include a Rake who our leading ladies can reform, as much as I hate Rakes sometimes this can be pulled off. In this case our Rake has no redeeming value. In order to get Emma to marry him he pretty much threatens to rape her (granted, he was pretty drunk & desperate and I really think he was bluffing), he is pretty rude and bullies her into it promising an annulment would be done in a few weeks. Aside from the threat the set up was pretty good for a marriage of convenience. Anyway, Desborough doesn’t get any better throughout the book. People seem to forgive him his horrible personality and immoral lifestyle simply because he has a title. I hated the whole mistress side-story, even though it added a little drama to the story. Some of his encounters with his mistress were a bit too descriptive for my taste (although far from being smutty). I also hated how he treated Emma, maybe the author thought she was writing a passionate character, but he came across as vulgar, controlling and full of double standards.
I also hated how the moral guys were all portrayed to be extremely boring. Personally there were a couple side characters that I thought had more appeal than our leading man. I know there was a double standard at the time, but I still like to believe that there were more good men than bad, and I personally can’t get behind a character who has no ounce of morals in him and how is cynical, condescending and lacks any self-control.
Emma was your typical Regency heroine. She stuck up for herself (to an extent and usually just caved into whatever Desborough wanted), cared about her friends and was a likable enough character. Overall, if a few of the crude moments had been taken out and instead of lust between Desborough and Emma they had grown to actually love each other, I would have liked the story. As it is, they had very little chemistry together and I’m still trying to figure out what she actually saw in him (oh, and I hated that she had to just “accept” that he would have mistresses and be fine with that…have some character growth and have him renounce his lifestyle!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
An interesting read.
It took me awhile to get around to reading this book but once I did I couldn’t put it down.
The storyline is a little different from the usual and it progressed at a good pace, ending well after a bit of drama near the end.
It took me awhile to get around to reading this book but once I did I couldn’t put it down.
The storyline is a little different from the usual and it progressed at a good pace, ending well after a bit of drama near the end.
August 21, 2011
This regency novel was a great read. I was transported to a different era where beautiful people are caught in dark moments and their lives are changed forever. I loved the main characters and the intrigue.
Beautiful Emma Napier, an innocent though wilful young woman from Little Gosford, is draw into London society when she accompanies her runaway friend. On the way, in a dilapidated inn, a dangerous encounter changes her life.
Her friends and the other colourful characters with full intriguing lives, embrace that of the dignified, compassionate Emma, but only the dark, mysterious Marquis of Desborough from the 'tomb-like' Desborough House shares her scandalous secret. As she deals with the troubles and distresses of her companions, as well as the delighted expectations of her aunt when gentlemen call, Emma must fight against her own fears and her growing attraction for the man who could ruin her.
The author clearly understands romance and the Regency period, and with the ease of a skilled storyteller, Laurel Lamperd transports us to a fascinating age of carriage rides and high tea, of ornate drawings rooms, grand balls and matchmaking matrons. She also allows us to experience the bleaker side where disreputable women draw young men into seedy gaming houses and into their boudoirs.
Substitute Bride is sparkling, fast past and suspenseful; a novel of intrigue, deception and revenge and above all of friendship and blossoming love.
Thank you for a lovely journey, Laurel.
Beautiful Emma Napier, an innocent though wilful young woman from Little Gosford, is draw into London society when she accompanies her runaway friend. On the way, in a dilapidated inn, a dangerous encounter changes her life.
Her friends and the other colourful characters with full intriguing lives, embrace that of the dignified, compassionate Emma, but only the dark, mysterious Marquis of Desborough from the 'tomb-like' Desborough House shares her scandalous secret. As she deals with the troubles and distresses of her companions, as well as the delighted expectations of her aunt when gentlemen call, Emma must fight against her own fears and her growing attraction for the man who could ruin her.
The author clearly understands romance and the Regency period, and with the ease of a skilled storyteller, Laurel Lamperd transports us to a fascinating age of carriage rides and high tea, of ornate drawings rooms, grand balls and matchmaking matrons. She also allows us to experience the bleaker side where disreputable women draw young men into seedy gaming houses and into their boudoirs.
Substitute Bride is sparkling, fast past and suspenseful; a novel of intrigue, deception and revenge and above all of friendship and blossoming love.
Thank you for a lovely journey, Laurel.
March 11, 2010
Substitute Bride
I love this heroine. Emma Napier's oil painting of a dashing, devilish gypsy opens the novel with vivid and telling detail, drawing the disapproval of Emma's oh-so-proper suitor. Her friend Abby despairs of an arranged marriage, and Emma's solution is for the two of them to sneak off to London on very short notice, using a hired stage, staying at an inn that is not suitable for ladies. The gypsy from page one comes to life, only to complicate Emma's life in ways that even this creative young lady could never have imagined.
The dialogue is witty and engaging; the situations Emma finds herself in are comical and ironic. Repercussions from her flight to London keep snowballing as the "gypsy," better known as Lord Nicholas Desborough, keeps springing new surprises on her.
Laurel Lamperd's first novel shines with historical detail and accuracy. The double standard (men have fun, women have scandals) is maddening, but true to life in that time.
Pure, escapist fun!
I love this heroine. Emma Napier's oil painting of a dashing, devilish gypsy opens the novel with vivid and telling detail, drawing the disapproval of Emma's oh-so-proper suitor. Her friend Abby despairs of an arranged marriage, and Emma's solution is for the two of them to sneak off to London on very short notice, using a hired stage, staying at an inn that is not suitable for ladies. The gypsy from page one comes to life, only to complicate Emma's life in ways that even this creative young lady could never have imagined.
The dialogue is witty and engaging; the situations Emma finds herself in are comical and ironic. Repercussions from her flight to London keep snowballing as the "gypsy," better known as Lord Nicholas Desborough, keeps springing new surprises on her.
Laurel Lamperd's first novel shines with historical detail and accuracy. The double standard (men have fun, women have scandals) is maddening, but true to life in that time.
Pure, escapist fun!
September 1, 2010
I love this heroine. Emma Napier's oil painting of a dashing, devilish gypsy opens the novel with vivid and telling detail, drawing the disapproval of Emma's oh-so-proper suitor. Her friend Abby despairs of an arranged marriage, and Emma's solution is for the two of them to sneak off to London on very short notice, using a hired stage, staying at an inn that is not suitable for ladies. The gypsy from page one comes to life, only to complicate Emma's life in ways that even this creative young lady could never have imagined.
The dialogue is witty and engaging; the situations Emma finds herself in are comical and ironic. Repercussions from her flight to London keep snowballing as the "gypsy," better known as Lord Nicholas Desborough, keeps springing new surprises on her.
Laurel Lamperd's first novel shines with historical detail and accuracy. The double standard (men have fun, women have scandals) is maddening, but true to life in that time.
Pure, escapist fun!
The dialogue is witty and engaging; the situations Emma finds herself in are comical and ironic. Repercussions from her flight to London keep snowballing as the "gypsy," better known as Lord Nicholas Desborough, keeps springing new surprises on her.
Laurel Lamperd's first novel shines with historical detail and accuracy. The double standard (men have fun, women have scandals) is maddening, but true to life in that time.
Pure, escapist fun!
January 27, 2016
Decent plot and characters
One thing I liked and was sad for--the hero is portrayed fairly realistically. He doesn't change his basic character and suddenly become every woman's dream. He acts like an a** at times which was true for the period as well as general life. Frankly, I also like the consequences of previous stupidity. The side characters are well written and their stories nicely done.
One thing I liked and was sad for--the hero is portrayed fairly realistically. He doesn't change his basic character and suddenly become every woman's dream. He acts like an a** at times which was true for the period as well as general life. Frankly, I also like the consequences of previous stupidity. The side characters are well written and their stories nicely done.
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March 3, 2009I enjoyed writing this book. I have always been a great fan of Georgette Heyer and her bright witty books about the Lords and ladies of the Regency period. Laurel
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews