What do you think?
Rate this book
Montclair-de Vere #2
A Momentary Marriage
New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp offers a delicious marriage-of-convenience story in this passionate historical romance, featuring her signature clever and witty banter, sharp attention to detail, and utterly likable characters (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
James de Vere has always insisted on being perfectly pragmatic and rational in all things. It seemed the only way to deal with his overdramatic, greedy family. When he falls ill and no doctor in London can diagnose him, he returns home to Grace Hill in search of a physician who can or to set his affairs in order.
Arriving at the doctor s home, he s surprised to encounter his daughter Laura, a young woman he last saw when he was warning her off an attachment with his cousin Graeme. Alas, the doctor is recently deceased and Laura is closing up the estate, which must be sold off, leaving her penniless. At this, James has an inspiration: why not marry the damsel in distress? If his last hope for a cure is gone, at least he ll have some companionship in his final days, and she ll inherit his fortune instead of his grasping relatives, leaving her a wealthy widow with plenty of prospects.
Laura is far from swept off her feet, but she s as pragmatic as James, so she accepts his unusual proposal. But as the two of them brave the onslaught of shocked and suspicious family members, they find themselves growing closer. They vowed, until death do us part ...but now both are longing for their marriage to be more than momentary in this evocative romance, perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries and Mary Balogh."
James de Vere has always insisted on being perfectly pragmatic and rational in all things. It seemed the only way to deal with his overdramatic, greedy family. When he falls ill and no doctor in London can diagnose him, he returns home to Grace Hill in search of a physician who can or to set his affairs in order.
Arriving at the doctor s home, he s surprised to encounter his daughter Laura, a young woman he last saw when he was warning her off an attachment with his cousin Graeme. Alas, the doctor is recently deceased and Laura is closing up the estate, which must be sold off, leaving her penniless. At this, James has an inspiration: why not marry the damsel in distress? If his last hope for a cure is gone, at least he ll have some companionship in his final days, and she ll inherit his fortune instead of his grasping relatives, leaving her a wealthy widow with plenty of prospects.
Laura is far from swept off her feet, but she s as pragmatic as James, so she accepts his unusual proposal. But as the two of them brave the onslaught of shocked and suspicious family members, they find themselves growing closer. They vowed, until death do us part ...but now both are longing for their marriage to be more than momentary in this evocative romance, perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries and Mary Balogh."
Audible Audio
First published July 25, 2017
581 people are currently reading
1562 people want to read
About the author
Candace Camp
122 books1,251 followersCandace Camp is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty books.
Her first novel, *Bonds of Love*, was published by Jove Publishing in 1978, under the pseudonym Lisa Gregory. Two pseudonyms (Kristin James and Sharon Stephens)and many books later, Candace writes under her own name Candace Camp and still loves creating stories.
Candace lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and is the mother of Young Adult author Anastasia Hopcus.
Her first novel, *Bonds of Love*, was published by Jove Publishing in 1978, under the pseudonym Lisa Gregory. Two pseudonyms (Kristin James and Sharon Stephens)and many books later, Candace writes under her own name Candace Camp and still loves creating stories.
Candace lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and is the mother of Young Adult author Anastasia Hopcus.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
December 25, 2021
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was better than I thought it’d be! I liked the banter and overall relationship between the characters. I liked both characters too. I liked that we got their progression into deeper feelings. My issue is that this greedy reader would’ve loved a jump ahead into their future after they got on the same page with their feelings. But! Overall, I enjoyed it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Laura and James’ story. James is dying and he doesn’t want to leave his fortune to his dysfunctional family. When he makes one last effort to seek medical treatment, he encounters down-on-her-luck Laura mourning her doctor father’s death. James knew Laura from warning her out of her engagement to his cousin many years ago, and decides that he can fix both of their problems by proposing a marriage of convenience before he dies. There are some big secrets revealed, a mystery, some sexy times, and some sweet moments…and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Laura and James in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. James. I liked him. I appreciated how he was caring and loyal even though he didn’t realize it himself.
h (heroine) rating: 4.5 stars. Laura. I really liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she didn’t cower when others were mean to her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes, but mild
Closure: This ends in a sweet place and what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was better than I thought it’d be! I liked the banter and overall relationship between the characters. I liked both characters too. I liked that we got their progression into deeper feelings. My issue is that this greedy reader would’ve loved a jump ahead into their future after they got on the same page with their feelings. But! Overall, I enjoyed it.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Laura and James’ story. James is dying and he doesn’t want to leave his fortune to his dysfunctional family. When he makes one last effort to seek medical treatment, he encounters down-on-her-luck Laura mourning her doctor father’s death. James knew Laura from warning her out of her engagement to his cousin many years ago, and decides that he can fix both of their problems by proposing a marriage of convenience before he dies. There are some big secrets revealed, a mystery, some sexy times, and some sweet moments…and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Laura and James in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. James. I liked him. I appreciated how he was caring and loyal even though he didn’t realize it himself.
h (heroine) rating: 4.5 stars. Laura. I really liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she didn’t cower when others were mean to her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes, but mild
Closure: This ends in a sweet place and what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
March 29, 2022
I was surprised how much I was enjoying this book in the beginning. It is a wonderful nursing back to health story. When we get towards the middle it is a bit frustrating but understandable and then the mystery begins at full force. I am so happy that I discovered the culprit but I wish this book was not so heavy on the mystery. Besides that, I thought this book was a wonderful read. Crazy family members, sweet yet determined heroine, cold yet sweet hero plus a cute pet.
PS: reread via audiobook and it was as wonderful as the first time. I read the first book recently and I started itching to read this one again. Great decision, if I may say so for myself lol
PS: reread via audiobook and it was as wonderful as the first time. I read the first book recently and I started itching to read this one again. Great decision, if I may say so for myself lol
June 23, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
*May Contain A Few Spoliers*
James de Vere, knows that he is dying, his body is weakening, and his mind is slowing going and he knows that he has little time left, according to many medical specialists. but there is one man he still needs to see, the only one that could save him. The father of the one woman who hates him. But he soon learns that he has recently died, and his daughter is left on her own with little funds, and he decides to offer her freedom from her situation, he offers her marriage and since he knows he will die, she will be taken care of financially. Laura, does hold to many emotional attachements, she is more pragmatic and logical and accepting James' proposal seems like the smart thing to do. But as she settles into her life as James' wife, Laura starts to realize that there is something off about the whole situation. And she uncovers the real truth behind James' sickness, and she may be the only one that can save his life.
In some gut deep, primitive way, he felt Laura was his. She had become his the moment he slid the ring on her finger. He told himself the feeling was only because by marrying him. Except that the way he felt about Laura was in no way like the responsibility he carried for the rest of his family. It went core deep and it was ...passionate.
I truly enjoyed this book just as much if not more, than book one. Now I don't know if this is part of a official series, but they are definitely connected. James and the hero of book one, Graeme, are very close friends. We see a interesting plot develop here. At first we see a couple that have a marriage of convenience. James is looking for a wife that can properly take care of his financial interests after he is gone so he doesn't go to his money grabbing relatives. Laura is looking for a way out, after just losing her father, and Laura is very logical and smart. She knows its not the most ideal of situations, but she is intelligent and doesn't get overcome by emotion. She looks at life with a very logical mind. Makes sense since her father was a doctor. The story takes a turn when our heroe's health takes a turn for the worse, his mind is falling apart and then Laura finds something mysterious and leads her to believe that her husband is being slowly murdered and she will need to find the culprit and heal James.
This author took me on a ride of mytery and danger and most of all a fascinating love story that pulled me in the more pages I read. Candace Camp has outdone herself with this one. It might be my favorite book of hers so far, and I have enjoyed quite a few of her wors. But this one took me on a roller coaster ride, one which I had no clue which would be up or down. It was unpredictable, intriguing and packed with a sexy romance that only this author can write. The actual love story that builds between James and Laura is simply wonderful. We see a couple that go from a very pragmatic and platonic type relationship, turn into friends which then turns into spice and heat. The turn of events just bring this couple closer together and I got a kick out of seeing them kick butt together.
Overall A Momentary Marriage was a love story that is packed with danger, a mystery that has twists and turns you won't see, and a on the edge romance to engage your appetites. DELIGHTFULLY WRITTEN
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="38708"]
*May Contain A Few Spoliers*
James de Vere, knows that he is dying, his body is weakening, and his mind is slowing going and he knows that he has little time left, according to many medical specialists. but there is one man he still needs to see, the only one that could save him. The father of the one woman who hates him. But he soon learns that he has recently died, and his daughter is left on her own with little funds, and he decides to offer her freedom from her situation, he offers her marriage and since he knows he will die, she will be taken care of financially. Laura, does hold to many emotional attachements, she is more pragmatic and logical and accepting James' proposal seems like the smart thing to do. But as she settles into her life as James' wife, Laura starts to realize that there is something off about the whole situation. And she uncovers the real truth behind James' sickness, and she may be the only one that can save his life.
In some gut deep, primitive way, he felt Laura was his. She had become his the moment he slid the ring on her finger. He told himself the feeling was only because by marrying him. Except that the way he felt about Laura was in no way like the responsibility he carried for the rest of his family. It went core deep and it was ...passionate.
I truly enjoyed this book just as much if not more, than book one. Now I don't know if this is part of a official series, but they are definitely connected. James and the hero of book one, Graeme, are very close friends. We see a interesting plot develop here. At first we see a couple that have a marriage of convenience. James is looking for a wife that can properly take care of his financial interests after he is gone so he doesn't go to his money grabbing relatives. Laura is looking for a way out, after just losing her father, and Laura is very logical and smart. She knows its not the most ideal of situations, but she is intelligent and doesn't get overcome by emotion. She looks at life with a very logical mind. Makes sense since her father was a doctor. The story takes a turn when our heroe's health takes a turn for the worse, his mind is falling apart and then Laura finds something mysterious and leads her to believe that her husband is being slowly murdered and she will need to find the culprit and heal James.
This author took me on a ride of mytery and danger and most of all a fascinating love story that pulled me in the more pages I read. Candace Camp has outdone herself with this one. It might be my favorite book of hers so far, and I have enjoyed quite a few of her wors. But this one took me on a roller coaster ride, one which I had no clue which would be up or down. It was unpredictable, intriguing and packed with a sexy romance that only this author can write. The actual love story that builds between James and Laura is simply wonderful. We see a couple that go from a very pragmatic and platonic type relationship, turn into friends which then turns into spice and heat. The turn of events just bring this couple closer together and I got a kick out of seeing them kick butt together.
Overall A Momentary Marriage was a love story that is packed with danger, a mystery that has twists and turns you won't see, and a on the edge romance to engage your appetites. DELIGHTFULLY WRITTEN
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="38708"]
September 2, 2017
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars
A Momentary Marriage is the sequel to Candace Camp’s A Perfect Gentleman, which is where we were introduced to Sir James de Vere and Miss Laura Hinsdale as secondary characters with no love lost between them. The prospect of a marriage of convenience between these two antagonists was an enticing one, and the idea of the coolly collected James being brought low by a strange illness lent an added piquancy to its appeal. Like its predecessor, the novel has a mystery woven through the principal romantic storyline, and while I can’t deny I’m reaching the stage when I’m starting to get just a bit tired of the tacked-on mystery that seems to have become almost de rigueur in historical romances, this one is integral to the story and doesn’t overshadow the development of the central relationship.
James, his cousin Graeme (hero of A Perfect Gentleman) and Laura have known each other since childhood, and, as teenagers, Laura and Graeme fell in love. But Graeme was the heir to an impoverished earldom and needed to marry an heiress; Laura was the daughter of a country doctor, and a match between them was impossible. It was James who, eleven years before, had gone to Laura and told her that she needed to let Graeme go so he could move on and do what needed to be done; and Laura, while heart-broken and not particularly well-disposed towards James, knew what he said was true and broke things off with the man she loved.
James de Vere is handsome, wealthy, charming and enigmatic; he’s witty and insightful, but reveals little of himself and is the sort of man who buries his emotions deep and needs to maintain control. He has no great love for his immediate family and bears ties of affection to nobody except his cousin and his mastiff, Demosthenes – Dem – who is his constant companion. But for some months now, he has been suffering from a mystery illness which is gradually getting worse, and none of the doctors he has seen can identify it or decide upon a treatment. The diagnoses run from a bad heart to brain fever to tumors, but the one thing the medical men do agree on is that James hasn’t long left to live.
He is preparing to leave London to spend the time left to him at his estate in the country when Graeme persuades him to seek advice from Doctor Hinsdale. James isn’t hopeful, but promises to do as his cousin asks, even though he’s tired and in pain and could do without making the detour to Canterbury. Unfortunately, however, he arrives to discover that the doctor died two weeks earlier and that Laura has been left in straitened circumstances. Knowing her to be a sensible, practical sort of woman, he makes a surprising suggestion that he believes will benefit them both.
James is the last person Laura expects to see, and the last man from whom she’d ever have thought to receive a proposal of marriage. At first she isn’t sure he’s serious, but as he calmly points out, if she marries him, she’ll be a widow before long and he will make sure she is well provided for so she need never worry about debts or where her next meal is coming from. He also tells her that he doesn’t want to leave everything he has to his grasping family; and that by marrying her, perhaps he is trying to atone for his past sins. And, in a moment of blunt, heartbreaking honesty:
“Or maybe I just don’t want to face the end alone.”
Being James, however, he has to ruin the moment by following that up with a sarcastic rejoinder, but Laura sees the vulnerability beneath the insouciance and accepts his proposal, determining to help him however she can.
When Laura meets James’ immediate family, she starts to understand why he isn’t keen on the idea of bequeathing them any more than he absolutely has to, and why he has asked her to serve as one of the trustees of the fund he has set up to provide for them after his death. Once home, James begins to weaken alarmingly, his strength depleted by a serious fever and worsening symptoms. Laura feels helpless, unable to find anything in her father’s medical books or notes that gives her any hope that James might recover, but she does everything she can to make him comfortable and tries not to give in to the despair she feels at the fact that this young, vital man she would like the opportunity to know better is slipping away from her. She keeps his family at bay and fights for him every way she can, but his condition continues to deteriorate – until she makes an unexpected discovery that puts a completely different complexion on things.
As this is a romance, I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that James doesn’t die; and I’ve already mentioned that there’s a mystery to be solved, which, of course, relates to his illness and what caused it. It’s quite an ingenious move on the author’s part, as she manages to give James a truly life-threatening condition while making it one from which he can plausibly recover. But once he is on the mend, he and Laura are presented with a completely different problem. She’d married him believing she would soon become a widow, but now they’re tied to each other for life, and Laura is sure she’s not the sort of wife James would have chosen had the circumstances been different. Yet the time they spent together during his illness has created an unexpected intimacy between them, and now, there’s no denying the fact that they’re attracted to each other and have been for some time.
The evolution of the central relationship as it moves from mutual wariness and uncertainty to respect, affection and – eventually – love, is very well done, with some deeply affecting and lump-in-throat moments along the way. The couple comes a long way from their old animosity and realises that they may have been guilty of a number of misjudgements in the past, and one of the things I liked the most about the story is that they are generally open and honest with one another. The fact that James – a man who doesn’t trust easily – instinctively knows that he can trust Laura with anything and everything, says a lot about the strength of their growing friendship, and I enjoyed their mutual teasing and that they could say more or less anything to each other. James doesn’t allow people to get emotionally close, either, and I was rooting hard tor Laura to break though those barriers and force him to confront the truth of his feelings for her.
A Momentary Marriage is a strongly written marriage of convenience story featuring a pair of attractive protagonists with great chemistry and a nice line in witty dialogue. The identity of the villain of the piece is not too obvious (although a small secondary cast helps narrow it down), and while some of the supporting characters are somewhat stereotypical – the bitter sister, the fortune-hunting admirer, the disaffected younger brother – they serve as a good contrast to Laura, whose concern for and support of James is genuine and selfless.
If, like me, you’re a fan of this particular trope, and are always on the lookout for good, new examples of it, then I’d say A Momentary Marriage will likely fit the bill.
A Momentary Marriage is the sequel to Candace Camp’s A Perfect Gentleman, which is where we were introduced to Sir James de Vere and Miss Laura Hinsdale as secondary characters with no love lost between them. The prospect of a marriage of convenience between these two antagonists was an enticing one, and the idea of the coolly collected James being brought low by a strange illness lent an added piquancy to its appeal. Like its predecessor, the novel has a mystery woven through the principal romantic storyline, and while I can’t deny I’m reaching the stage when I’m starting to get just a bit tired of the tacked-on mystery that seems to have become almost de rigueur in historical romances, this one is integral to the story and doesn’t overshadow the development of the central relationship.
James, his cousin Graeme (hero of A Perfect Gentleman) and Laura have known each other since childhood, and, as teenagers, Laura and Graeme fell in love. But Graeme was the heir to an impoverished earldom and needed to marry an heiress; Laura was the daughter of a country doctor, and a match between them was impossible. It was James who, eleven years before, had gone to Laura and told her that she needed to let Graeme go so he could move on and do what needed to be done; and Laura, while heart-broken and not particularly well-disposed towards James, knew what he said was true and broke things off with the man she loved.
James de Vere is handsome, wealthy, charming and enigmatic; he’s witty and insightful, but reveals little of himself and is the sort of man who buries his emotions deep and needs to maintain control. He has no great love for his immediate family and bears ties of affection to nobody except his cousin and his mastiff, Demosthenes – Dem – who is his constant companion. But for some months now, he has been suffering from a mystery illness which is gradually getting worse, and none of the doctors he has seen can identify it or decide upon a treatment. The diagnoses run from a bad heart to brain fever to tumors, but the one thing the medical men do agree on is that James hasn’t long left to live.
He is preparing to leave London to spend the time left to him at his estate in the country when Graeme persuades him to seek advice from Doctor Hinsdale. James isn’t hopeful, but promises to do as his cousin asks, even though he’s tired and in pain and could do without making the detour to Canterbury. Unfortunately, however, he arrives to discover that the doctor died two weeks earlier and that Laura has been left in straitened circumstances. Knowing her to be a sensible, practical sort of woman, he makes a surprising suggestion that he believes will benefit them both.
James is the last person Laura expects to see, and the last man from whom she’d ever have thought to receive a proposal of marriage. At first she isn’t sure he’s serious, but as he calmly points out, if she marries him, she’ll be a widow before long and he will make sure she is well provided for so she need never worry about debts or where her next meal is coming from. He also tells her that he doesn’t want to leave everything he has to his grasping family; and that by marrying her, perhaps he is trying to atone for his past sins. And, in a moment of blunt, heartbreaking honesty:
“Or maybe I just don’t want to face the end alone.”
Being James, however, he has to ruin the moment by following that up with a sarcastic rejoinder, but Laura sees the vulnerability beneath the insouciance and accepts his proposal, determining to help him however she can.
When Laura meets James’ immediate family, she starts to understand why he isn’t keen on the idea of bequeathing them any more than he absolutely has to, and why he has asked her to serve as one of the trustees of the fund he has set up to provide for them after his death. Once home, James begins to weaken alarmingly, his strength depleted by a serious fever and worsening symptoms. Laura feels helpless, unable to find anything in her father’s medical books or notes that gives her any hope that James might recover, but she does everything she can to make him comfortable and tries not to give in to the despair she feels at the fact that this young, vital man she would like the opportunity to know better is slipping away from her. She keeps his family at bay and fights for him every way she can, but his condition continues to deteriorate – until she makes an unexpected discovery that puts a completely different complexion on things.
As this is a romance, I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that James doesn’t die; and I’ve already mentioned that there’s a mystery to be solved, which, of course, relates to his illness and what caused it. It’s quite an ingenious move on the author’s part, as she manages to give James a truly life-threatening condition while making it one from which he can plausibly recover. But once he is on the mend, he and Laura are presented with a completely different problem. She’d married him believing she would soon become a widow, but now they’re tied to each other for life, and Laura is sure she’s not the sort of wife James would have chosen had the circumstances been different. Yet the time they spent together during his illness has created an unexpected intimacy between them, and now, there’s no denying the fact that they’re attracted to each other and have been for some time.
The evolution of the central relationship as it moves from mutual wariness and uncertainty to respect, affection and – eventually – love, is very well done, with some deeply affecting and lump-in-throat moments along the way. The couple comes a long way from their old animosity and realises that they may have been guilty of a number of misjudgements in the past, and one of the things I liked the most about the story is that they are generally open and honest with one another. The fact that James – a man who doesn’t trust easily – instinctively knows that he can trust Laura with anything and everything, says a lot about the strength of their growing friendship, and I enjoyed their mutual teasing and that they could say more or less anything to each other. James doesn’t allow people to get emotionally close, either, and I was rooting hard tor Laura to break though those barriers and force him to confront the truth of his feelings for her.
A Momentary Marriage is a strongly written marriage of convenience story featuring a pair of attractive protagonists with great chemistry and a nice line in witty dialogue. The identity of the villain of the piece is not too obvious (although a small secondary cast helps narrow it down), and while some of the supporting characters are somewhat stereotypical – the bitter sister, the fortune-hunting admirer, the disaffected younger brother – they serve as a good contrast to Laura, whose concern for and support of James is genuine and selfless.
If, like me, you’re a fan of this particular trope, and are always on the lookout for good, new examples of it, then I’d say A Momentary Marriage will likely fit the bill.
September 5, 2020
It has been some years since I last read a book by Candace Camp and I had forgotten what a superb writer she is. Not only is A Momentary Marriage a perfect blend of humour, wit, suspense and romance, but I was also intrigued by the original working of one of my favourite tropes – the marriage of convenience.
James is a cold, cynical and practical man who regards love as a maudlin sentimentality for understandable reasons revealed later in the story. He has little time for his money-grasping relatives, and the tight control he exercises over the family finances is a source of bitter resentment and anger among the family members. His affection only extends to his cousin Graeme and his faithful dog Demosthenes (Dem).
James appears stoical about his impending death but there are moments revealing his vulnerability that were really heart-breaking – the way he still clings to a glimmer of hope that Dr. Hinsdale might be able to help, and when Laura tells him about her father…
She could not help but remember when she told him her was father was not there and for a brief moment his face had been unguarded – and utterly hopeless.
Laura is beautiful, sensible, kind and has real strength of character. Despite her dislike of James, she is realistic enough to appreciate that marriage to him offers her a home and a secure future.
She would have liked to throw his offer back in his face , just to thwart him. But she was all too aware of the hard, lonely future that awaited her and, admittedly, too pragmatic to let annoyance rule her.
I love how she is not afraid to speak her mind and stands up to both James and his family. Her kindness and compassion shines through in her genuine determination to take care of James and do whatever she can to ease his pain and fears.
I knew that James could not possibly die. After all, this is a romance and we readers demand a happy ending. But Ms. Camp depicts his suffering so vividly that there were times when I was certain he could not survive.
He’d hardly heard what the estate manager had told him, distracted by the slant of light coming through the window and the way it sent an arrow of pain into his eyes and straight through his brain.
Laura’s discovery that someone is trying to poison James and his slow road to recovery moves the story in a different direction. Now they have to come to terms with the fact that their marriage is no longer the temporary one they both believed it to be, and also discover the identity of the person who wants James dead.
The romance is tender, poignant, sensual and laced with witty banter that provides some lighter moments. Ms. Camp builds their relationship slowly, showing their feelings for each other gradually changing and allowing the romance to flourish in a natural way.
The thing was…he enjoyed waking up with her in his arms. He’d liked turning over in the night and feeling her beside him.
Laura stared, shocked by the way her body had reacted to his touch, his smile. For the moment she had wanted to lean down and kiss him, to feel his arms around her again, his heat pouring through her.
James comes to admire Laura’s intelligence and wit, as well as enjoying her company and knows that she is someone he can trust. I love how fiercely protective he is when his brother-in-law, Salstone, insults her. Laura knows James can be cynical, pragmatic and controlling but she has also seen another James behind the cool façade he presents to the world. A man who can be gentle and kind. A man who loves his dog. A man who makes her laugh with his dry, witty sense of humour.
I enjoyed seeing the genuine friendship between Laura and Abigail, Graeme’s wife, and was amused by James’s jealousy when he misconstrues the reason for Laura’s visits to Abigail’s. I love the scene where he discovers the real reason! I like how, later in the story, Laura is instrumental in making James see that he has always kept himself emotionally closed off from his family, and it was heartening to see him heed Laura’s words and take tentative steps towards a reconciliation with them.
The mystery of who is trying to kill both James and Laura was intriguing enough to keep me guessing right up until the culprit’s identity is revealed in a dramatic, surprise revelation.
This is the second book in the Montclair-de Vere series and, although I have not read the first book, A Perfect Gentleman it did not in any way affect my enjoyment of A Momentary Marriage. I have already sent for a copy of A Perfect Gentleman as I am keen to read Graeme and Abigail’s story.
MY VERDICT: For those looking for a well-crafted, witty, heart-warming romance, with a refreshingly different premise, likeable characters and an interesting mystery, I can definitely recommend A Momentary Marriage.
Montclair – de Vere series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review was originally posted on the Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
James is a cold, cynical and practical man who regards love as a maudlin sentimentality for understandable reasons revealed later in the story. He has little time for his money-grasping relatives, and the tight control he exercises over the family finances is a source of bitter resentment and anger among the family members. His affection only extends to his cousin Graeme and his faithful dog Demosthenes (Dem).
James appears stoical about his impending death but there are moments revealing his vulnerability that were really heart-breaking – the way he still clings to a glimmer of hope that Dr. Hinsdale might be able to help, and when Laura tells him about her father…
She could not help but remember when she told him her was father was not there and for a brief moment his face had been unguarded – and utterly hopeless.
Laura is beautiful, sensible, kind and has real strength of character. Despite her dislike of James, she is realistic enough to appreciate that marriage to him offers her a home and a secure future.
She would have liked to throw his offer back in his face , just to thwart him. But she was all too aware of the hard, lonely future that awaited her and, admittedly, too pragmatic to let annoyance rule her.
I love how she is not afraid to speak her mind and stands up to both James and his family. Her kindness and compassion shines through in her genuine determination to take care of James and do whatever she can to ease his pain and fears.
I knew that James could not possibly die. After all, this is a romance and we readers demand a happy ending. But Ms. Camp depicts his suffering so vividly that there were times when I was certain he could not survive.
He’d hardly heard what the estate manager had told him, distracted by the slant of light coming through the window and the way it sent an arrow of pain into his eyes and straight through his brain.
Laura’s discovery that someone is trying to poison James and his slow road to recovery moves the story in a different direction. Now they have to come to terms with the fact that their marriage is no longer the temporary one they both believed it to be, and also discover the identity of the person who wants James dead.
The romance is tender, poignant, sensual and laced with witty banter that provides some lighter moments. Ms. Camp builds their relationship slowly, showing their feelings for each other gradually changing and allowing the romance to flourish in a natural way.
The thing was…he enjoyed waking up with her in his arms. He’d liked turning over in the night and feeling her beside him.
Laura stared, shocked by the way her body had reacted to his touch, his smile. For the moment she had wanted to lean down and kiss him, to feel his arms around her again, his heat pouring through her.
James comes to admire Laura’s intelligence and wit, as well as enjoying her company and knows that she is someone he can trust. I love how fiercely protective he is when his brother-in-law, Salstone, insults her. Laura knows James can be cynical, pragmatic and controlling but she has also seen another James behind the cool façade he presents to the world. A man who can be gentle and kind. A man who loves his dog. A man who makes her laugh with his dry, witty sense of humour.
I enjoyed seeing the genuine friendship between Laura and Abigail, Graeme’s wife, and was amused by James’s jealousy when he misconstrues the reason for Laura’s visits to Abigail’s. I love the scene where he discovers the real reason! I like how, later in the story, Laura is instrumental in making James see that he has always kept himself emotionally closed off from his family, and it was heartening to see him heed Laura’s words and take tentative steps towards a reconciliation with them.
The mystery of who is trying to kill both James and Laura was intriguing enough to keep me guessing right up until the culprit’s identity is revealed in a dramatic, surprise revelation.
This is the second book in the Montclair-de Vere series and, although I have not read the first book, A Perfect Gentleman it did not in any way affect my enjoyment of A Momentary Marriage. I have already sent for a copy of A Perfect Gentleman as I am keen to read Graeme and Abigail’s story.
MY VERDICT: For those looking for a well-crafted, witty, heart-warming romance, with a refreshingly different premise, likeable characters and an interesting mystery, I can definitely recommend A Momentary Marriage.
Montclair – de Vere series (click on the book covers for more details):
This review was originally posted on the Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
September 19, 2022
4 stars that could have been a perfect 5 if not for a little bit of a miscommunication storyline that really irritated me. Thankfully it didn’t go on for the entire book, but I have a very low tolerance.
Frankly, I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this story!! It’s really well written, with a good plot, a mystery that wasn’t entirely obvious, and a heroine who is truly worthy of the title. I’ve never read a book by Candace Camp before, but I probably will again in the future.
I skipped the first book in this series, and tbh, I’m glad I did. I can understand why the hero of that book was so in love with this heroine for 10 years! 😂😂 She’s obviously too good to easily forget. I love her too.
Safety: virgin heroine, non manwhore hero, he breaks things off with his mistress right at the start of the story by sending her a parting gift 🙄, she never makes an appearance, no OW drama, some OM drama caused by hero’s jealousy over the heroine’s first love (hero of book 1), no scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
Frankly, I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this story!! It’s really well written, with a good plot, a mystery that wasn’t entirely obvious, and a heroine who is truly worthy of the title. I’ve never read a book by Candace Camp before, but I probably will again in the future.
I skipped the first book in this series, and tbh, I’m glad I did. I can understand why the hero of that book was so in love with this heroine for 10 years! 😂😂 She’s obviously too good to easily forget. I love her too.
Safety: virgin heroine, non manwhore hero, he breaks things off with his mistress right at the start of the story by sending her a parting gift 🙄, she never makes an appearance, no OW drama, some OM drama caused by hero’s jealousy over the heroine’s first love (hero of book 1), no scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2023
This was a great little MOC romance. The H, thinking he is dying, asks the h to marry him to help her out after her father dies leaving her penniless. The H/h don't get along because 10 years earlier the H came to the h to convince her to release his cousin from their engagement so he could marry a wealthy heiress and save his estates. They were truly in love and it broke both of them. 10 years later, the h has moved on and only feels brotherly affection for the cousin.
Because she is desperate, she marries the H and soon discovers a plot to murder him! From here, the H/h realize that he has a second chance at life and they might both be interested in trying this marriage out for real.
I really liked the H/h. He was cold and serious, but the h knew how to stand up to him and wasn't afraid of him. They wavered once in a while and worried what the other was thinking, but their love was real and felt true. The only fly in the ointment, was the stupid cousin and the jealousy he caused the H-thinking the h must still be in love with him.
Overall, this was a nice romance and the H/h were perfect for each other.
Safety
Because she is desperate, she marries the H and soon discovers a plot to murder him! From here, the H/h realize that he has a second chance at life and they might both be interested in trying this marriage out for real.
I really liked the H/h. He was cold and serious, but the h knew how to stand up to him and wasn't afraid of him. They wavered once in a while and worried what the other was thinking, but their love was real and felt true. The only fly in the ointment, was the stupid cousin and the jealousy he caused the H-thinking the h must still be in love with him.
Overall, this was a nice romance and the H/h were perfect for each other.
Safety
April 6, 2020
3.75*
Major Spoilers
Major Spoilers
November 19, 2019
I finished a book in 29 days.
This book suited my mood and part of that was the characters handed you, via conversation or internal thoughts, everything on a silver platter. It wasn't challenging. It also wasn't particularly engaging. Time s I fell asleep reading this book was probably roughly 20, along with an avg pages read of 3.
After reading these kinds of set ups that I love and being left a little cold, I think I might put Camp on my meh shelf and get on with my life.
This book suited my mood and part of that was the characters handed you, via conversation or internal thoughts, everything on a silver platter. It wasn't challenging. It also wasn't particularly engaging. Time s I fell asleep reading this book was probably roughly 20, along with an avg pages read of 3.
After reading these kinds of set ups that I love and being left a little cold, I think I might put Camp on my meh shelf and get on with my life.
October 24, 2020
So much about this book gives me the feels. I absolutely loved this couple and it kept getting better with each chapter. The banter between the couple Laura & James and even other characters was so cheeky (NOT cheesy!) and laugh out loud funny that it kept me smiling at length. It’s a story that rolls along nicely and doesn’t have any lengthy angsty parts. There was enough going on to keep my interest throughout without it.
I listened to this story on audio and the narrator did an excellent job bringing these characters to life.
I listened to this story on audio and the narrator did an excellent job bringing these characters to life.
July 31, 2017
3.75 Rating
May 23, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
Despite the large dose of miscommunication, A Momentary Marriage was an enjoyable historical romance with two strong-willed main characters who came together in a marriage of convenience turned true love. The story begins with James (H) getting his affairs in order (including dismissing his mistress via his man of business) because he's very ill and dying. His cousin encourages James to visit the father of the cousin's former fiancee, but when James arrives, it's to find Laura's (h) father has passed away and left her in debt. These two have a negative history as James convinced Laura to call off her engagement to his cousin for the cousin's own good and he was pretty blunt in his wording with her. But now he gets to rescue the damsel in distress by proposing marriage and promising her a secure widowhood once he's gone. Of course there's more happening, of course there's a suspicious and drama-filled family involved, and of course, these two are going to slowly want to jump across the boundaries they've set and fall head over heels for each other. Also, there's an adorable giant, but gentle, dog. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow drama and om drama only in the H's head because he spends a good part of the book convinced the h is still in love with the cousin. H is not a virgin (no prior serious relationships and it's implied he'd been celibate for a while given his condition) and h is a virgin (she'd only exchanged some chaste kisses with her former fiancé).
Like I said at the start, the miscommunication is strong in this story, but James and Laura were engaging main characters and I enjoyed their banter and chemistry. I loved how compassionate and capable Laura was. James was very logical and cool, but he loses that cool when it comes to his new wife, which was excellent. He was possessive and protective, although his behavior when it came to his fears about Laura's feelings for his cousin (which she didn't have anymore) were frustrating. James definitely makes more mistakes than Laura and has to do some explaining at times. I did wish for there to be more groveling for some of his moments. I very much liked that their relationship was a slow build and burn as they developed more of a friendship/companionship and then those yummy deeper feelings. The steam is open door, but less explicit than some romances, and there were a few scenes.
James' family comprises most of the side characters with his mother, siblings, their spouses, and others around the family home. The cousin and his family are also on page and I loved that Laura and the cousin's wife become friends and don't let the former relationship hold them back. James' family is not an overall happy one, but Laura navigated the pitfalls well. She was fierce when it came to protecting James during his weaker moments.
Laura and James do have to work together to try and resolve a mystery that comes up that endangers them. I liked that there were multiple suspects and how Laura was instrumental in the plot line (trying to be super vague to avoid spoilers). Some aspects of the plot line were very well-written, but the resolution was rushed and the ending was abrupt in my opinion. That seemed esp true because of some emotional moments prior to the resolution. James and Laura do get a HEA, dog included, but there isn't an extended epilogue sadly. Overall, this was a good read, but it's not one I'll reread.
Despite the large dose of miscommunication, A Momentary Marriage was an enjoyable historical romance with two strong-willed main characters who came together in a marriage of convenience turned true love. The story begins with James (H) getting his affairs in order (including dismissing his mistress via his man of business) because he's very ill and dying. His cousin encourages James to visit the father of the cousin's former fiancee, but when James arrives, it's to find Laura's (h) father has passed away and left her in debt. These two have a negative history as James convinced Laura to call off her engagement to his cousin for the cousin's own good and he was pretty blunt in his wording with her. But now he gets to rescue the damsel in distress by proposing marriage and promising her a secure widowhood once he's gone. Of course there's more happening, of course there's a suspicious and drama-filled family involved, and of course, these two are going to slowly want to jump across the boundaries they've set and fall head over heels for each other. Also, there's an adorable giant, but gentle, dog. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow drama and om drama only in the H's head because he spends a good part of the book convinced the h is still in love with the cousin. H is not a virgin (no prior serious relationships and it's implied he'd been celibate for a while given his condition) and h is a virgin (she'd only exchanged some chaste kisses with her former fiancé).
Like I said at the start, the miscommunication is strong in this story, but James and Laura were engaging main characters and I enjoyed their banter and chemistry. I loved how compassionate and capable Laura was. James was very logical and cool, but he loses that cool when it comes to his new wife, which was excellent. He was possessive and protective, although his behavior when it came to his fears about Laura's feelings for his cousin (which she didn't have anymore) were frustrating. James definitely makes more mistakes than Laura and has to do some explaining at times. I did wish for there to be more groveling for some of his moments. I very much liked that their relationship was a slow build and burn as they developed more of a friendship/companionship and then those yummy deeper feelings. The steam is open door, but less explicit than some romances, and there were a few scenes.
James' family comprises most of the side characters with his mother, siblings, their spouses, and others around the family home. The cousin and his family are also on page and I loved that Laura and the cousin's wife become friends and don't let the former relationship hold them back. James' family is not an overall happy one, but Laura navigated the pitfalls well. She was fierce when it came to protecting James during his weaker moments.
Laura and James do have to work together to try and resolve a mystery that comes up that endangers them. I liked that there were multiple suspects and how Laura was instrumental in the plot line (trying to be super vague to avoid spoilers). Some aspects of the plot line were very well-written, but the resolution was rushed and the ending was abrupt in my opinion. That seemed esp true because of some emotional moments prior to the resolution. James and Laura do get a HEA, dog included, but there isn't an extended epilogue sadly. Overall, this was a good read, but it's not one I'll reread.
August 15, 2017
I had fun reading A Momentary Marriage.
James de Vere is dying. He knows he's sick and he's tired of fighting whatever is killing him. Yet, as a promise to his cousin Graeme, he decides to seek the help of one last doctor. To his shock, the doctor has passed away and his daughter Laura is in trouble trying to find money to pay his debts. James is a sensible man but in a crazy moment, he proposes marriage to Laura. He knows she needs money and he has plenty to provide her with. He would rather she inherits his land and possessions than his own family.
Laura has never forgotten James. He was the man who broke her heart a decade ago when he told her she couldn't marry Graeme. She doesn't like James very much but when he gives her a choice in regards to her future, she takes what he's offering.
Laura soon discovers there is more to James sickness than meets the eye. She's determined to save him and without realizing it, she starts having feelings for him.
James doesn't seem to be able to stop from caring for Laura. He likes having her around. To his own annoyance, he starts behaving like a man crazy in love.
James and Laura were a great pair. Neither was a romantic person but falling in love changes people and both had a hard time maintaining the practical facade when these new feelings were making themselves known.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
April 4, 2023
3.5 stars
James de Vere and Laura Hinsdale had a hurtful past in A Perfect Gentleman. Though I had not read the story, I had no problem picking up on their uneasy distress.
Eleven years had elapsed when James needed the assistance of Laura’s father, a physician. Unfortunately, he had recently died and Laura was on the verge of losing everything. Aware of the heartbreak he caused her, James offered Laura a marriage of convenience. He explained she needn’t worry about intimacies because he was near death.
~~~~~
I appreciated Laura’s character: mature and levelheaded. James, as I soon learned, was pragmatic and aloof. He had moments of dire pain; it was not hard to imagine the direction of the plot. . Laura came to his aid. While searching for answers, she took command. At the same time, cautious romantic gestures graced their days. I enjoyed the slow build-up.
With the help of her father’s journals, Laura discovered that James was
All in all, A Momentary Martiage was a pleasant but modernized historical romance with a measure of suspense. There was an interesting but expected twist at the end with a path for another story.
James de Vere and Laura Hinsdale had a hurtful past in A Perfect Gentleman. Though I had not read the story, I had no problem picking up on their uneasy distress.
Eleven years had elapsed when James needed the assistance of Laura’s father, a physician. Unfortunately, he had recently died and Laura was on the verge of losing everything. Aware of the heartbreak he caused her, James offered Laura a marriage of convenience. He explained she needn’t worry about intimacies because he was near death.
~~~~~
I appreciated Laura’s character: mature and levelheaded. James, as I soon learned, was pragmatic and aloof. He had moments of dire pain; it was not hard to imagine the direction of the plot. . Laura came to his aid. While searching for answers, she took command. At the same time, cautious romantic gestures graced their days. I enjoyed the slow build-up.
With the help of her father’s journals, Laura discovered that James was
All in all, A Momentary Martiage was a pleasant but modernized historical romance with a measure of suspense. There was an interesting but expected twist at the end with a path for another story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this! I'm sad I waited so long to get to it. I don't think I've read a historical romance quite like it.
Laura and James get married when they think he is close to dying.. well, no spoilers, but what happens when this Momentary Marriage isn't going to be as brief as they think?
This had a bit of a mystery, and a lot of heart. Grumpy Sunshine. Hero with a hidden heart. A big beautiful dog. And lots of clever conversations. I had a great time.
4.5 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
TW: death of a parent, long term illness
Laura and James get married when they think he is close to dying.. well, no spoilers, but what happens when this Momentary Marriage isn't going to be as brief as they think?
This had a bit of a mystery, and a lot of heart. Grumpy Sunshine. Hero with a hidden heart. A big beautiful dog. And lots of clever conversations. I had a great time.
4.5 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
TW: death of a parent, long term illness
October 8, 2017
Crisp, enjoyable HR
I've had a longish break from HR, scunnered by vapid (new word of the month) cookie-cutter plots, anachronisms and the trend towards PWP that's characterised most category HRs recently. But Caz's review put A Momentary Marriage tottering on top of the Tower of TBR, and, shivering on a late night train from Solihull, I started it.
Reader, this one's different.
From the first line - "Sir James de Vere was going home to die" - there's a pace about it that pulled me in. The stakes are high (James will die, Laura will starve), which could mean unnecessary & OTT drama, but CC keeps the tension focussed.
Partly that's down to her 3-D characterisation. James & Laura aren't TSTL, or distressingly prone to venturing downstairs in the dark armed only with volume 3 of P&P. Thankfully, they're intelligent, they talk to each other, and treat each other with respect. So-o-o refreshing to read about a measured, adult relationship. The pay-off in dramatic terms is that their emotional restraint means that when they take something seriously (James' illness), the reader does, too. I wish the writers of Second-Last-Chapter mwah-hah-hah kidnappings would realise that melodramatic posturings which out-herod Herod are a barrier to believing in the story and the characters.
The underlying plot has two strands (both interesting). Firstly, the discovery that James' illness might be leads into a period-appropriate investigation. It's not a terribly complex mystery, and I guessed the answer quite early on, but there's a pleasure in seeing it unwind without employing farcical co-incidence or (my pet peeve) divinely-inspired gut instinct.
But if James isn't likely to die as soon as he thought, then he and Laura have to accommodate themselves to a more permanent marriage than either had anticipated. Again, I really liked the way CC has the MCs discuss what's possible, and doesn't rush them into polarised positions. Laura's one of the most sympathetic heroines I've read about for years: she's practical, not given to immature posturing, and works cheerfully to make the most of her situation. The Bible doesn't give the Marthas of this world their due, so it's good to see CC weighing in on the right side.
Thoroughly recommended.
I've had a longish break from HR, scunnered by vapid (new word of the month) cookie-cutter plots, anachronisms and the trend towards PWP that's characterised most category HRs recently. But Caz's review put A Momentary Marriage tottering on top of the Tower of TBR, and, shivering on a late night train from Solihull, I started it.
Reader, this one's different.
From the first line - "Sir James de Vere was going home to die" - there's a pace about it that pulled me in. The stakes are high (James will die, Laura will starve), which could mean unnecessary & OTT drama, but CC keeps the tension focussed.
Partly that's down to her 3-D characterisation. James & Laura aren't TSTL, or distressingly prone to venturing downstairs in the dark armed only with volume 3 of P&P. Thankfully, they're intelligent, they talk to each other, and treat each other with respect. So-o-o refreshing to read about a measured, adult relationship. The pay-off in dramatic terms is that their emotional restraint means that when they take something seriously (James' illness), the reader does, too. I wish the writers of Second-Last-Chapter mwah-hah-hah kidnappings would realise that melodramatic posturings which out-herod Herod are a barrier to believing in the story and the characters.
The underlying plot has two strands (both interesting). Firstly, the discovery that James' illness might be leads into a period-appropriate investigation. It's not a terribly complex mystery, and I guessed the answer quite early on, but there's a pleasure in seeing it unwind without employing farcical co-incidence or (my pet peeve) divinely-inspired gut instinct.
But if James isn't likely to die as soon as he thought, then he and Laura have to accommodate themselves to a more permanent marriage than either had anticipated. Again, I really liked the way CC has the MCs discuss what's possible, and doesn't rush them into polarised positions. Laura's one of the most sympathetic heroines I've read about for years: she's practical, not given to immature posturing, and works cheerfully to make the most of her situation. The Bible doesn't give the Marthas of this world their due, so it's good to see CC weighing in on the right side.
Thoroughly recommended.
May 7, 2018
Not as good as the first book in my opinion, but still great writing. James De Vere was a dead man walking as declared by the many physicians he had consulted about his rapidly declining health. Though no one could agree on his diagnosis, they all agreed that death was inevitable. In one last push for survival, before he returns to his country estate to wait for the Grim Reaper, he knocks on the door of esteemed Dr Hinsdale only to be greeted by his spinster daughter, Laura, dressed in black and grieving the good doctor's recent passing. Laura and James De Vere have not crossed path for more than a decade, since the ever-pragmatic De Vere crushed the young and decisively not-so-wealthy Laura's heart by telling her she must give up her love for his cousin in order for the latter to marry money and thus save his family and the titled estate. Disappointed that he has lost his one remaining hope to find a cure for his mortal affliction, James nevertheless quickly assesses her hopeless financial and vulnerable situation and impulsively proposes a marriage of convenience, whereby she will gain monetary security and he will ensure he will not die alone. For despite being surrounded by family in his country seat, he had by choice or otherwise kept everyone at arm's length, a loner in company. Turns out, Laura's stubborn nature and observational skills prevents her from being widowed and they are left to deal with his slow return to life, health and vitality and the impact this has on their marriage, which now also appears to have greater longevity than neither of them anticipated. Throw in a murderous person within their midst and we have a highly entertaining read. Slightly marked down by the hero's arrogant and cold-hearted dismissal of his family as fools and unworthy and the lack of truly biting, sardonic remarks from him compared to the wonderful lines he quipped in the first book.
August 2, 2017
Nothing like a good historical romance to get you going.
In the last book that came out from Candace Camp, A Perfect Gentleman, we met several of the characters that are in this story. That story was fabulous so I had high hopes that this would be the same.
I loved the concept and plot of A Momentary Marriage. Different and so believable. Marrying for convenience is tough and to turn that type of plot into a romance is a slow process. A look here. A tender feeling there. The reader is slowly transformed into a maniac, trying to read as fast as possible without missing anything so as to reach the parts where it all comes to fruition. Sigh.
Candace Camp excels at writing beautiful, tantalizing historical romances that bring us screaming from today into the proper lives of yesteryear, all with the grace that etiquette dictates, along with a steamy twist of hot romance we are desperate to read.
You simply cannot go wrong with this book. While you don’t HAVE to read A Perfect Gentlemen first, I highly recommend doing so. Why would you want to waste a chance at a two part series, of sorts, from this author so well versed in writing amazing historical romances? Enjoy!
*Copy received for review consideration
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/a-momentary-m...
In the last book that came out from Candace Camp, A Perfect Gentleman, we met several of the characters that are in this story. That story was fabulous so I had high hopes that this would be the same.
I loved the concept and plot of A Momentary Marriage. Different and so believable. Marrying for convenience is tough and to turn that type of plot into a romance is a slow process. A look here. A tender feeling there. The reader is slowly transformed into a maniac, trying to read as fast as possible without missing anything so as to reach the parts where it all comes to fruition. Sigh.
Candace Camp excels at writing beautiful, tantalizing historical romances that bring us screaming from today into the proper lives of yesteryear, all with the grace that etiquette dictates, along with a steamy twist of hot romance we are desperate to read.
You simply cannot go wrong with this book. While you don’t HAVE to read A Perfect Gentlemen first, I highly recommend doing so. Why would you want to waste a chance at a two part series, of sorts, from this author so well versed in writing amazing historical romances? Enjoy!
*Copy received for review consideration
Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/a-momentary-m...
June 28, 2024
Review from 2018
I've given this a B+ for both narration and content at AudioGals, so 4.5 stars.
A Momentary Marriage is the sequel to A Perfect Gentleman, and focuses on the unlikely romance between Sir James de Vere and Laura Hinsdale, two prominent secondary characters in the earlier story. In that book, we learned that Graeme Parr, Earl of Montclair – James’ cousin – and Laura (daughter of the local doctor) had fallen in love in their youth but were not able to marry because Graeme needed to marry an heiress in order to pull his family out of debt. It had been James who had gone to Laura and told her she needed to break things off with Graeme so that Graeme could salvage his family fortune and honour. Needless to say, while Laura knew that what James said was true, it stung, and they have avoided each other ever since.
In A Perfect Gentleman, James emerged as a witty – though cynical – man with a fondness for his cousin, his huge mastiff Demosthenes (Dem for short) and very little else. Enigmatic, good-looking and charming when he wants to be, he reveals little of himself and is the sort of man who buries his emotions deep and needs to maintain control. A Momentary Marriage opens several months later and finds James suffering from a serious illness that none of the medical men he’s seen can identify. The diagnoses run from a bad heart to brain fever to tumors, but the one thing the physicians do agree on is that he hasn’t long left to live.
James has decided to spend the time remaining to him at his estate in Kent and has been persuaded by Graeme to visit Doctor Hinsdale along the way, to ask for his opinion and advice. James isn’t hopeful, but he promises to do so, even though he’s tired and in pain and could do without making the detour – but sadly, neither he nor Graeme are aware that Hinsdale passed away two weeks earlier, leaving his daughter in very straitened circumstances.
James arrives at the Hinsdale’s home just in time to witness Laura being importuned by an unpleasant character who is demanding repayment of a debt incurred by her father. Laura is distraught – not only has she lost her father and long-time companion, she has nowhere to live and no-one to turn to; she has no relatives who will take her in and the prospect of a life of drudgery as a governess or companion stretches ahead of her. James is the last person she expects (or wants) to see – although she can’t help but be grateful for his help in dispatching her obnoxious ‘guest’.
It occurs to James that there is a way he and Laura can help each other. He is reluctant to leave his considerable fortune in the hands of his many grasping relatives, and Laura needs to be provided for – so he asks her to marry him. Laura doesn’t believe he’s serious at first, and even when he calmly points out that she’ll be a widow before long and a wealthy one at that, she isn’t convinced. Only after a moment of heartbreaking honesty in which James admits that perhaps he doesn’t want to die alone does she finally understand, and she agrees to the bargain, quietly determined to do everything she can to help him.
When, after their hasty wedding, the couple arrives at James’ country home, Laura immediately understands his reluctance to leave everything to his family, most of whom take him for granted as nothing more than a source of financial support. James takes a serious turn for the worse, and Laura feels helpless as she tries hard not to give into despair as she sees this young, vital man she has realised she would like to know better slipping away from her. She does whatever she can to make him comfortable, including keeping his family at bay, but can find nothing in her father’s medical journals or notes that gives her any hope that James can recover… until she makes an unexpected discovery that puts things in a completely different light.
I don’t think it can be too much of a spoiler, given this is a romance, to say that James doesn’t die, so the rest of the story is concerned with showing these two not-friends suddenly having to deal with the fact that a bargain that was supposed to be temporary is going to be no such thing. The time they spend together during his illness and subsequent recovery creates an unexpected intimacy between them, and with James on the mend, it’s impossible to deny any longer that they’re attracted to each other and have been for some time.
The development of their relationship – from mutual wariness and uncertainty to respect, affection and – eventually – love, is very well done; I really liked the way they are generally open and honest with one another and enjoyed their gentle mutual teasing. It also says much that James – a man who doesn’t trust easily – instinctively knows that he can trust Laura with anything and everything. I wasn’t wild about the bit of last-minute conflict that suddenly blows up between them, but I was nonetheless rooting for Laura to break through James’ carefully erected emotional barriers and for him to admit the truth of his feelings for her.
As with A Perfect Gentleman, there is a mystery running alongside the romance, although here it’s a rather more integral to the story as it has to do with finding the person responsible for trying to harm James. Ms. Camp has clearly done her homework here, giving James an illness that is life-threatening but which is also one he could plausibly have recovered from. The identity of the villain isn’t immediately obvious, and while some of the secondary characters are somewhat stereotypical, they serve as a good contrast to Laura, whose regard for James is genuine and unselfish.
Gildart Jackson returns to the narrator’s chair and once again delivers a performance that is enjoyable and entertaining in spite of a couple of minor flaws. I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of James in the previous story and was pleased to note the consistency of his characterisation across both books. James’ deep, slightly plummy almost-drawl works perfectly to bring to mind the image of a physically imposing, sardonic and ennui-laden gentleman, and I liked that, in the more intimate and emotional moments, Mr. Jackson dials back the drawl so that the listener feels we’re getting to hear the real James behind the cool façade he presents to the world. Characters we’re already acquainted with, such as Graeme and Abigail, are easily recognisable and all the secondary characters are skilfully delineated and easy to tell from one another. I said in my review of A Perfect Gentleman that Mr. Jackson’s female voices were a tad disappointing compared to the other aspects of his performance; here, his interpretation of Laura is more consistent than of Abby in that book, partly, perhaps, because there is no accent to sustain. There is still the odd moment of inconsistency, but these tend to be when Laura and James are arguing and her tone becomes harsher (which makes sense); but that said, I never had trouble distinguishing Laura from James or any of the other characters.
Ultimately, the narration has many more pros than cons, so I’m happy to recommend A Momentary Marriage to fans of the trope and of historical romance in general – and I hope it won’t be another four years before Mr. Jackson is tempted back to the genre.
I've given this a B+ for both narration and content at AudioGals, so 4.5 stars.
A Momentary Marriage is the sequel to A Perfect Gentleman, and focuses on the unlikely romance between Sir James de Vere and Laura Hinsdale, two prominent secondary characters in the earlier story. In that book, we learned that Graeme Parr, Earl of Montclair – James’ cousin – and Laura (daughter of the local doctor) had fallen in love in their youth but were not able to marry because Graeme needed to marry an heiress in order to pull his family out of debt. It had been James who had gone to Laura and told her she needed to break things off with Graeme so that Graeme could salvage his family fortune and honour. Needless to say, while Laura knew that what James said was true, it stung, and they have avoided each other ever since.
In A Perfect Gentleman, James emerged as a witty – though cynical – man with a fondness for his cousin, his huge mastiff Demosthenes (Dem for short) and very little else. Enigmatic, good-looking and charming when he wants to be, he reveals little of himself and is the sort of man who buries his emotions deep and needs to maintain control. A Momentary Marriage opens several months later and finds James suffering from a serious illness that none of the medical men he’s seen can identify. The diagnoses run from a bad heart to brain fever to tumors, but the one thing the physicians do agree on is that he hasn’t long left to live.
James has decided to spend the time remaining to him at his estate in Kent and has been persuaded by Graeme to visit Doctor Hinsdale along the way, to ask for his opinion and advice. James isn’t hopeful, but he promises to do so, even though he’s tired and in pain and could do without making the detour – but sadly, neither he nor Graeme are aware that Hinsdale passed away two weeks earlier, leaving his daughter in very straitened circumstances.
James arrives at the Hinsdale’s home just in time to witness Laura being importuned by an unpleasant character who is demanding repayment of a debt incurred by her father. Laura is distraught – not only has she lost her father and long-time companion, she has nowhere to live and no-one to turn to; she has no relatives who will take her in and the prospect of a life of drudgery as a governess or companion stretches ahead of her. James is the last person she expects (or wants) to see – although she can’t help but be grateful for his help in dispatching her obnoxious ‘guest’.
It occurs to James that there is a way he and Laura can help each other. He is reluctant to leave his considerable fortune in the hands of his many grasping relatives, and Laura needs to be provided for – so he asks her to marry him. Laura doesn’t believe he’s serious at first, and even when he calmly points out that she’ll be a widow before long and a wealthy one at that, she isn’t convinced. Only after a moment of heartbreaking honesty in which James admits that perhaps he doesn’t want to die alone does she finally understand, and she agrees to the bargain, quietly determined to do everything she can to help him.
When, after their hasty wedding, the couple arrives at James’ country home, Laura immediately understands his reluctance to leave everything to his family, most of whom take him for granted as nothing more than a source of financial support. James takes a serious turn for the worse, and Laura feels helpless as she tries hard not to give into despair as she sees this young, vital man she has realised she would like to know better slipping away from her. She does whatever she can to make him comfortable, including keeping his family at bay, but can find nothing in her father’s medical journals or notes that gives her any hope that James can recover… until she makes an unexpected discovery that puts things in a completely different light.
I don’t think it can be too much of a spoiler, given this is a romance, to say that James doesn’t die, so the rest of the story is concerned with showing these two not-friends suddenly having to deal with the fact that a bargain that was supposed to be temporary is going to be no such thing. The time they spend together during his illness and subsequent recovery creates an unexpected intimacy between them, and with James on the mend, it’s impossible to deny any longer that they’re attracted to each other and have been for some time.
The development of their relationship – from mutual wariness and uncertainty to respect, affection and – eventually – love, is very well done; I really liked the way they are generally open and honest with one another and enjoyed their gentle mutual teasing. It also says much that James – a man who doesn’t trust easily – instinctively knows that he can trust Laura with anything and everything. I wasn’t wild about the bit of last-minute conflict that suddenly blows up between them, but I was nonetheless rooting for Laura to break through James’ carefully erected emotional barriers and for him to admit the truth of his feelings for her.
As with A Perfect Gentleman, there is a mystery running alongside the romance, although here it’s a rather more integral to the story as it has to do with finding the person responsible for trying to harm James. Ms. Camp has clearly done her homework here, giving James an illness that is life-threatening but which is also one he could plausibly have recovered from. The identity of the villain isn’t immediately obvious, and while some of the secondary characters are somewhat stereotypical, they serve as a good contrast to Laura, whose regard for James is genuine and unselfish.
Gildart Jackson returns to the narrator’s chair and once again delivers a performance that is enjoyable and entertaining in spite of a couple of minor flaws. I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of James in the previous story and was pleased to note the consistency of his characterisation across both books. James’ deep, slightly plummy almost-drawl works perfectly to bring to mind the image of a physically imposing, sardonic and ennui-laden gentleman, and I liked that, in the more intimate and emotional moments, Mr. Jackson dials back the drawl so that the listener feels we’re getting to hear the real James behind the cool façade he presents to the world. Characters we’re already acquainted with, such as Graeme and Abigail, are easily recognisable and all the secondary characters are skilfully delineated and easy to tell from one another. I said in my review of A Perfect Gentleman that Mr. Jackson’s female voices were a tad disappointing compared to the other aspects of his performance; here, his interpretation of Laura is more consistent than of Abby in that book, partly, perhaps, because there is no accent to sustain. There is still the odd moment of inconsistency, but these tend to be when Laura and James are arguing and her tone becomes harsher (which makes sense); but that said, I never had trouble distinguishing Laura from James or any of the other characters.
Ultimately, the narration has many more pros than cons, so I’m happy to recommend A Momentary Marriage to fans of the trope and of historical romance in general – and I hope it won’t be another four years before Mr. Jackson is tempted back to the genre.
September 4, 2017
4 Sweet Historical Stars.
I was waiting for this book cz I was curious about James and Laura's story and I was not disappointed in it.
Wonderful Book.
I was waiting for this book cz I was curious about James and Laura's story and I was not disappointed in it.
Wonderful Book.
September 10, 2021
It took me a while to get into the story but it was worth the effort.
I liked the story and the H and h even if at times I felt lost with so many characters and their inconspicuous actions.
I wouldn't read the first book, that "hero" for me is the absolute worst. Even if our current heroine loved him in the past.
I liked the story and the H and h even if at times I felt lost with so many characters and their inconspicuous actions.
I wouldn't read the first book, that "hero" for me is the absolute worst. Even if our current heroine loved him in the past.
January 10, 2020
4 stelline e mezzo
December 29, 2019
«L'amore non avrebbe nessuna parte in questo vostro matrimonio perfetto?»
«Dubito di poter trovare una donna che possa soddisfare quel requisito. Io non sono uomo da teneri sentimenti, né li ispiro.» Scrollò le spalle e aggiunse: «L'amore mi è sempre sembrato una sciocchezza».
«Che crea soltanto problemi.»
«Esattamente. Quello che spero di trovare nel matrimonio è una comprensione reciproca. Senza antagonismi, drammi o ossessioni. Dovrebbe essere un accordo di affari.»
«Compatisco la poverina che diventerà vostra moglie» osservò Laura con un sospiro.
«Ah, ma vedete, siete voi quella donna.»
Premetto che avevo letto qualcosa di Candace Camp ricavandone una buona impressione e premetto che ho iniziato questa serie da questo secondo volume, senza incontrare grandi difficoltà di orientamento. Ebbene, pur essendo stato affrontato in fine d'anno mi è parso tra i migliori HR letti nel mio 2019.
Merito direi di una coppia non più giovanissima e sognatrice, ormai rassegnata ad affrontare con pragmatismo (e pochi ideali romantici) la vita.
Sir James è un capofamiglia suo malgrado, molto ricco e molto solo, che si scopre malato grave e avverte per la prima volta il bisogno di qualcuno che gli resti accanto senza falsità e non per puro calcolo (come tutti i suoi numerosi parenti, ad esempio).
Laura è la figlia di un medico, abituata dal padre a ragionare con la propria testa e a non perdersi d'animo, ma anche messa alla prova dalle avversità economiche: è una donna, nubile, orfana e senza una protezione maschile, perciò non può mantenersi lavorando neanche se volesse.
Cosa ci potrebbe essere di meglio di un'unione di convenienza tra loro, finalizzata a supportarsi nei bisogni di ciascuno? Anzi, sarebbe il matrimonio d'interesse perfetto: niente sentimenti né bugie, solo un accordo a breve termine.
Eppure anche qui pure James e Laura si sono scordati di prevedere che gli uomini sono esseri razionali sono sulla carta e nei testi di filosofia, ci sono tutta una serie di dinamiche non gestibili e di fattori non prevedibili.
Tra veri e propri attentati alla vita e indagini destinate a salvare James, la vita di Laura tra i de Vere non sarà affatto un ritiro in un luogo sicuro...
E James, il freddo controllato James, dovrà reimparare l'arte di convivere e dividere il destino in due.
Avvincente, romantico, ben scritto, godibile. DA LEGGERE.
Ps. Nel frattempo ho recuperato la lettura del primo, ma non l'ho trovato allo stesso livello, quindi confermo che si può iniziare anche da qui senza rimorsi.
«L'amore allunga le mani e ci afferra.»
Laura sorrise debolmente. «Purtroppo, James è scivoloso come un'anguilla.»
«Dubito di poter trovare una donna che possa soddisfare quel requisito. Io non sono uomo da teneri sentimenti, né li ispiro.» Scrollò le spalle e aggiunse: «L'amore mi è sempre sembrato una sciocchezza».
«Che crea soltanto problemi.»
«Esattamente. Quello che spero di trovare nel matrimonio è una comprensione reciproca. Senza antagonismi, drammi o ossessioni. Dovrebbe essere un accordo di affari.»
«Compatisco la poverina che diventerà vostra moglie» osservò Laura con un sospiro.
«Ah, ma vedete, siete voi quella donna.»
Premetto che avevo letto qualcosa di Candace Camp ricavandone una buona impressione e premetto che ho iniziato questa serie da questo secondo volume, senza incontrare grandi difficoltà di orientamento. Ebbene, pur essendo stato affrontato in fine d'anno mi è parso tra i migliori HR letti nel mio 2019.
Merito direi di una coppia non più giovanissima e sognatrice, ormai rassegnata ad affrontare con pragmatismo (e pochi ideali romantici) la vita.
Sir James è un capofamiglia suo malgrado, molto ricco e molto solo, che si scopre malato grave e avverte per la prima volta il bisogno di qualcuno che gli resti accanto senza falsità e non per puro calcolo (come tutti i suoi numerosi parenti, ad esempio).
Laura è la figlia di un medico, abituata dal padre a ragionare con la propria testa e a non perdersi d'animo, ma anche messa alla prova dalle avversità economiche: è una donna, nubile, orfana e senza una protezione maschile, perciò non può mantenersi lavorando neanche se volesse.
Cosa ci potrebbe essere di meglio di un'unione di convenienza tra loro, finalizzata a supportarsi nei bisogni di ciascuno? Anzi, sarebbe il matrimonio d'interesse perfetto: niente sentimenti né bugie, solo un accordo a breve termine.
Eppure anche qui pure James e Laura si sono scordati di prevedere che gli uomini sono esseri razionali sono sulla carta e nei testi di filosofia, ci sono tutta una serie di dinamiche non gestibili e di fattori non prevedibili.
Tra veri e propri attentati alla vita e indagini destinate a salvare James, la vita di Laura tra i de Vere non sarà affatto un ritiro in un luogo sicuro...
E James, il freddo controllato James, dovrà reimparare l'arte di convivere e dividere il destino in due.
Avvincente, romantico, ben scritto, godibile. DA LEGGERE.
Ps. Nel frattempo ho recuperato la lettura del primo, ma non l'ho trovato allo stesso livello, quindi confermo che si può iniziare anche da qui senza rimorsi.
«L'amore allunga le mani e ci afferra.»
Laura sorrise debolmente. «Purtroppo, James è scivoloso come un'anguilla.»
December 17, 2019
Molto bello, peccato si dilunghi un po' troppo in alcune parti.
August 26, 2018
Fabulous!!!
Emotionless Jame finds love with sweet and feisty Laura!!
Wonderful Heroine!! Great romance with a bit of a mystery as a bonus...
I want more of this series!!
Emotionless Jame finds love with sweet and feisty Laura!!
Wonderful Heroine!! Great romance with a bit of a mystery as a bonus...
I want more of this series!!
October 21, 2022
I wanted to like this one, but it felt forced. The plot was ok, but I didn’t believe any of it- it was too convenient and the villain was no big surprise.
Both MCs were fine, however, there was nothing remarkable about them. Basically, this is a book I’ll forget about.
Both MCs were fine, however, there was nothing remarkable about them. Basically, this is a book I’ll forget about.
December 15, 2022
I NEED SOMEONE TO MARRY ME RIGHT NOW i want what they have
August 1, 2022
This is my first time reading a Candace Camp novel and I thoroughly enjoyed the premise, the mystery and the witty dialogue and banter between the Hero and heroine. Their marriage of convenience grows into friendship and eventually buds into love as they get to know each other and investigate who is trying to kill James! An absorbing mystery and romance all bundled into one. The audiobook narration is great and highly recommend it! Laura and James are great characters that keep the reader engaged in their romance. A must read!
May 8, 2023
3.5 stars
This started out so strong with a set up that was very intriguing and smart. A marriage of convenience between two people who don't like each other who slowly fall in love and pine away while the heroine nurses him back to health from a mysterious illness. I mean come on, so delicious. The angst and tension was marvelous. The hero James De Vere is gravely ill and thinks he's dying from a brain tumor and doesn't want to leave his inheritance and estate to his dysfunctional somewhat toxic family so he proposes a MOC to the heroine who is about to be kicked out of her home after her father the village doctor died 2 weeks prior. I loved the set up, I loved the polar opposites between Laura and James who try to make it work even though they are attracted to each other but fight it. I loved Laura's intelligence and experience with medicine since she helped her father treat his patients. Laura's level headed pragmatic calm nature was very likable. I especially loved that she was the one who figured out what was wrong with James and what was causing him to be sick and protects him like a lioness when he's out of his mind delirious. Loved that scene where she discovers it, so good! She's smart, fearless and kind. Those three qualities combined which seem to be rare in HR books as of late. What I especially liked about this is that you truly see the hero struggling and in poor health with symptoms ranging all over the place which makes you stumped trying to figure out what's wrong with him.
What made this lose stars is too much time and focus was spent in the middle half of the book on solving and all the family drama. I honestly could not care less about James's siblings or mother, they were exhausting. The last 80 or so pages of the book especially suffered from dragging things out and the hero pulling some very questionable stupid stunts. Character reactions to the reveal also felt very static and wooden just to stretch out scenes. The response time felt very delayed. Because of the dragged out pacing, the hero and heroine also go in circles for a bit and ruminating on things much too long. And getting James to confess how he feels felt a bit like pulling teeth. He clearly loved her but is awkward about verbalizing his feelings and that makes him endearing. But he did come off a bit petulant in that ILY scene with him throwing things because he's so nervous and scared to tell her. I thought that was a very weird choice made by the author, it felt out of character for a hero like James. Both characters overall are very dear and I would still recommend this just wish the romance aspect took center stage more in the later half.
This started out so strong with a set up that was very intriguing and smart. A marriage of convenience between two people who don't like each other who slowly fall in love and pine away while the heroine nurses him back to health from a mysterious illness. I mean come on, so delicious. The angst and tension was marvelous. The hero James De Vere is gravely ill and thinks he's dying from a brain tumor and doesn't want to leave his inheritance and estate to his dysfunctional somewhat toxic family so he proposes a MOC to the heroine who is about to be kicked out of her home after her father the village doctor died 2 weeks prior. I loved the set up, I loved the polar opposites between Laura and James who try to make it work even though they are attracted to each other but fight it. I loved Laura's intelligence and experience with medicine since she helped her father treat his patients. Laura's level headed pragmatic calm nature was very likable. I especially loved that she was the one who figured out what was wrong with James and what was causing him to be sick and protects him like a lioness when he's out of his mind delirious. Loved that scene where she discovers it, so good! She's smart, fearless and kind. Those three qualities combined which seem to be rare in HR books as of late. What I especially liked about this is that you truly see the hero struggling and in poor health with symptoms ranging all over the place which makes you stumped trying to figure out what's wrong with him.
What made this lose stars is too much time and focus was spent in the middle half of the book on solving and all the family drama. I honestly could not care less about James's siblings or mother, they were exhausting. The last 80 or so pages of the book especially suffered from dragging things out and the hero pulling some very questionable stupid stunts. Character reactions to the reveal also felt very static and wooden just to stretch out scenes. The response time felt very delayed. Because of the dragged out pacing, the hero and heroine also go in circles for a bit and ruminating on things much too long. And getting James to confess how he feels felt a bit like pulling teeth. He clearly loved her but is awkward about verbalizing his feelings and that makes him endearing. But he did come off a bit petulant in that ILY scene with him throwing things because he's so nervous and scared to tell her. I thought that was a very weird choice made by the author, it felt out of character for a hero like James. Both characters overall are very dear and I would still recommend this just wish the romance aspect took center stage more in the later half.
August 10, 2017
"Love just reaches out and grabs you.”
Laura smiled faintly. “Unfortunately, James is slippery as an eel."
James de Vere is cold, practical and Dying. What can a man do in this situation? He get married! To whom? The girl who has the strong reason on earth to hate him.
I realy enjoyed this book. It kept me hook to last page. The plot was interesting, first there was illness & then secret villian.
James: 'The fact that I’m dying doesn’t mean I’m virtuous.' James is cold, practical, cynic, has such a sharp stinging tongue...but I m in love with him. I enjoyed all his lines. And Laura was the only one who seeped into his solid heart. The best thing was author was able to maintain charm of his character till end.
Laura was good hearted, sensible & strong character. And even with all the hatness in start she was able to understand James. They were perfect for eachother.
All the scenes, family interaction, slowly falling in love was superb. Also the jealousy plot was enjoyable.
Going to check more book of this author.
4.5(Because it was a bit long, and still more scenes required of Hero, Heroine conversation)
Laura smiled faintly. “Unfortunately, James is slippery as an eel."
James de Vere is cold, practical and Dying. What can a man do in this situation? He get married! To whom? The girl who has the strong reason on earth to hate him.
I realy enjoyed this book. It kept me hook to last page. The plot was interesting, first there was illness & then secret villian.
James: 'The fact that I’m dying doesn’t mean I’m virtuous.' James is cold, practical, cynic, has such a sharp stinging tongue...but I m in love with him. I enjoyed all his lines. And Laura was the only one who seeped into his solid heart. The best thing was author was able to maintain charm of his character till end.
Laura was good hearted, sensible & strong character. And even with all the hatness in start she was able to understand James. They were perfect for eachother.
All the scenes, family interaction, slowly falling in love was superb. Also the jealousy plot was enjoyable.
Going to check more book of this author.
4.5(Because it was a bit long, and still more scenes required of Hero, Heroine conversation)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews