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The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square #1
The Waiting Bride
Introducing "The Waiting Bride" - the first standalone book in an exciting new Regency romance series, The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square!
“Earnestly awaiting your return,
Marianne Weston”
Every letter to Lord Philip Galsworthy from his waiting bride closed with the same words.
And they always made his heart sink.
He knew the words were not for him, but for their families who took great delight in reading the correspondence between them. In truth, Marianne had told him in secret, with great relief to himself, that she too was not excited by the long-held expectation of their marriage.
And so, by excusing himself through duty to King and Country, Lord Philip Galsworthy managed to hold off the wedding for a year with hopes that the two families’ interest in seeing them married would wane.
With more effort he also managed to extend his station in India for another year, and then another, but now there was nothing more he could do.
He had to return home, and the wedding plans would be already in motion by the time his ship saw the shores of England again.
Their ages would not permit any more postponements, and so it was time for him to return and fulfill his duty to house and family.
Only, his time away exposed a loneliness that he never knew was quite there. A loneliness that was only remedied by the regular letters from Marianne, which slowly turned his memory of her from the duty he was trying to avoid to the love he could not live without.
Cringing again at the closing to the last letter he received, Philip wonders if it’s possible for her feelings to have changed as well, or is his return still secretly dreaded by his now beloved Marianne.
Other books by Rose Pearson:
The Duke’s Daughters Series
The Duke’s Daughters: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
A Rogue for a Lady
My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
In the Arms of an Earl
The Reluctant Marquess (Prequel)
A Smithfield Market Regency Romance
The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
A Rogue’s Flower
Saved by the Scoundrel
Mending the Duke
The Baron’s Malady
Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas
“Earnestly awaiting your return,
Marianne Weston”
Every letter to Lord Philip Galsworthy from his waiting bride closed with the same words.
And they always made his heart sink.
He knew the words were not for him, but for their families who took great delight in reading the correspondence between them. In truth, Marianne had told him in secret, with great relief to himself, that she too was not excited by the long-held expectation of their marriage.
And so, by excusing himself through duty to King and Country, Lord Philip Galsworthy managed to hold off the wedding for a year with hopes that the two families’ interest in seeing them married would wane.
With more effort he also managed to extend his station in India for another year, and then another, but now there was nothing more he could do.
He had to return home, and the wedding plans would be already in motion by the time his ship saw the shores of England again.
Their ages would not permit any more postponements, and so it was time for him to return and fulfill his duty to house and family.
Only, his time away exposed a loneliness that he never knew was quite there. A loneliness that was only remedied by the regular letters from Marianne, which slowly turned his memory of her from the duty he was trying to avoid to the love he could not live without.
Cringing again at the closing to the last letter he received, Philip wonders if it’s possible for her feelings to have changed as well, or is his return still secretly dreaded by his now beloved Marianne.
Other books by Rose Pearson:
The Duke’s Daughters Series
The Duke’s Daughters: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
A Rogue for a Lady
My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
In the Arms of an Earl
The Reluctant Marquess (Prequel)
A Smithfield Market Regency Romance
The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
A Rogue’s Flower
Saved by the Scoundrel
Mending the Duke
The Baron’s Malady
Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2019
1228 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Rose Pearson
177 books1,010 followersRose has read her way through countless romances over the years, “borrowing” them from her older sisters, and hiding them from her mother.
She has a special love for Regency romances and when she began writing, the Regency period was a natural place to start. The ton, the wealthy families, the Season, the dilemmas, and yes, the marriages, have always fascinated her.
She loves a happy ever after! Now she is happy to bring this passion to her stories and share it with her readers.
On a personal note, Rose lives in North Carolina, is married, and has a terrier that barks too much. She enjoys taking him for walks to tire him out!
She has a special love for Regency romances and when she began writing, the Regency period was a natural place to start. The ton, the wealthy families, the Season, the dilemmas, and yes, the marriages, have always fascinated her.
She loves a happy ever after! Now she is happy to bring this passion to her stories and share it with her readers.
On a personal note, Rose lives in North Carolina, is married, and has a terrier that barks too much. She enjoys taking him for walks to tire him out!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
March 27, 2019
Rose Pearson is a new author to me, although I’ve seen her books gracing the best-seller lists for some time. This one tempted me with its premise: our hero and heroine are nudged into an arranged betrothal by their respective parents. They agree to it, although she insists that he has to propose first. He fails to do so, and is so terrified at the prospect of marrying her that he scoots off to India. But when he eventually returns, he knows he’s expected to do his duty and he’s still terrified. She, for her part, worries about marriage without any sort of affection. It’s all a bit of a muddle. And into the middle of it comes another candidate for the lady’s hand…
Right from the start, it’s obvious that this is going to be heavy on the angst and misunderstandings. If the couple could just sit themselves down with a nice cup of tea and talk it all out, there would be no story. However, the author makes the two of them credibly unable to do this. In the first place, after a very brief courtship and more than a year apart, neither of them is at all sure what they feel about the other. Also, Philip is endearingly socially inept (for a viscount), and manages to mess up every conversation with the lady, when he manages to speak at all. Marianne is a good Regency girl who isn’t supposed to express strong emotion, even when she feels it. So although there is a whole heap of angst, it feels quite believable, and I was rooting for poor, tongue-tied Philip to get his act together and tell her how he feels.
So let’s get the negative stuff out of the way, and these are just minor points that probably won’t bother anyone but me. I’m a demon for spotting title errors in Regencies, and this one has a couple. Lord Henry Redmond, the other potential husband for Marianne, is the heir to an Earl. That would give him a courtesy title, most likely a viscountcy, so he’d be Lord Something, not Lord Henry (which is a courtesy title reserved for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses). Also, Marianne’s maid calls her ‘my lady’, which she isn’t, at least she doesn’t have the title Lady Marianne, being only the daughter of viscount. Don’t you just love the British peerage? The maid would call her ‘miss’, or ‘Miss Marianne’, or perhaps ‘madam’. One other mistake - Marianne’s sister should be addressed as Miss Harriet. She’d only be Miss Weston if her sister wasn’t there. On the other hand, everyone correctly calls Philip by his title, Galsworthy, even his mother. Kudos to the author for getting that right.
There were some social oddities. The story opens in September, which is described as the very end of the season, but usually the season ended in July or so, when everyone decamped to the country for the start of the shooting season in mid-August. I don’t know why so many people were still in town so late. Some of the social interactions felt a little odd to me - everyone conversing freely around and across the dinner table, for instance, and although the ladies changed for dinner, the gentlemen appeared not to (Lord Henry is invited to dinner on the spur of the moment). And one inconsistency: after a dinner at Marianne’s house, there’s mention of driving home afterwards. I also wondered why two girls of marriageable age were left to wander around town with only a maid as a chaperon. Where was their mother? Or failing that, an aunt or married cousin to look after them.
One other grumble: the whole premise of the book is the question of the betrothal - are they betrothed or aren’t they? And the question of whether they can break it off. There’s some suggestion that he could break it off, but her reputation would be damaged if she were to do it, which is the opposite of the usual (it’s generally accepted that a gentleman does not break off an engagement). But of course they aren’t really engaged… or are they? They have been corresponding for more than a year, which is generally taken as evidence of a betrothal. I found it all very confusing. A betrothal was a pretty binding agreement in those days, so it was as well to know just whether you were or you weren’t.
So things chug along quite nicely for a while. Yes, there’s a lot of angsting but that’s signalled right from the start so it’s no surprise, and our hero and heroine seem to be getting along quite nicely. Happy ending ahoy. So what can possibly go wrong? The plot, that’s what. The author decided to throw a spanner in the works and… it’s completely over the top. Now, I get that the author wanted to ramp up the tension at the end, but it was just too much for me. Sorry.
For anyone whose powers of suspension of disbelief are greater than mine, you might well enjoy this. It’s very readable, and the story’s an interesting and unusual one. But I didn’t like the fudging of whether they were engaged or not, and the melodramatic ending keeps the rating down. Most of the book is a solid four star, but that ending is just two stars for me, so that averages out to three stars.
Right from the start, it’s obvious that this is going to be heavy on the angst and misunderstandings. If the couple could just sit themselves down with a nice cup of tea and talk it all out, there would be no story. However, the author makes the two of them credibly unable to do this. In the first place, after a very brief courtship and more than a year apart, neither of them is at all sure what they feel about the other. Also, Philip is endearingly socially inept (for a viscount), and manages to mess up every conversation with the lady, when he manages to speak at all. Marianne is a good Regency girl who isn’t supposed to express strong emotion, even when she feels it. So although there is a whole heap of angst, it feels quite believable, and I was rooting for poor, tongue-tied Philip to get his act together and tell her how he feels.
So let’s get the negative stuff out of the way, and these are just minor points that probably won’t bother anyone but me. I’m a demon for spotting title errors in Regencies, and this one has a couple. Lord Henry Redmond, the other potential husband for Marianne, is the heir to an Earl. That would give him a courtesy title, most likely a viscountcy, so he’d be Lord Something, not Lord Henry (which is a courtesy title reserved for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses). Also, Marianne’s maid calls her ‘my lady’, which she isn’t, at least she doesn’t have the title Lady Marianne, being only the daughter of viscount. Don’t you just love the British peerage? The maid would call her ‘miss’, or ‘Miss Marianne’, or perhaps ‘madam’. One other mistake - Marianne’s sister should be addressed as Miss Harriet. She’d only be Miss Weston if her sister wasn’t there. On the other hand, everyone correctly calls Philip by his title, Galsworthy, even his mother. Kudos to the author for getting that right.
There were some social oddities. The story opens in September, which is described as the very end of the season, but usually the season ended in July or so, when everyone decamped to the country for the start of the shooting season in mid-August. I don’t know why so many people were still in town so late. Some of the social interactions felt a little odd to me - everyone conversing freely around and across the dinner table, for instance, and although the ladies changed for dinner, the gentlemen appeared not to (Lord Henry is invited to dinner on the spur of the moment). And one inconsistency: after a dinner at Marianne’s house, there’s mention of driving home afterwards. I also wondered why two girls of marriageable age were left to wander around town with only a maid as a chaperon. Where was their mother? Or failing that, an aunt or married cousin to look after them.
One other grumble: the whole premise of the book is the question of the betrothal - are they betrothed or aren’t they? And the question of whether they can break it off. There’s some suggestion that he could break it off, but her reputation would be damaged if she were to do it, which is the opposite of the usual (it’s generally accepted that a gentleman does not break off an engagement). But of course they aren’t really engaged… or are they? They have been corresponding for more than a year, which is generally taken as evidence of a betrothal. I found it all very confusing. A betrothal was a pretty binding agreement in those days, so it was as well to know just whether you were or you weren’t.
So things chug along quite nicely for a while. Yes, there’s a lot of angsting but that’s signalled right from the start so it’s no surprise, and our hero and heroine seem to be getting along quite nicely. Happy ending ahoy. So what can possibly go wrong? The plot, that’s what. The author decided to throw a spanner in the works and… it’s completely over the top. Now, I get that the author wanted to ramp up the tension at the end, but it was just too much for me. Sorry.
For anyone whose powers of suspension of disbelief are greater than mine, you might well enjoy this. It’s very readable, and the story’s an interesting and unusual one. But I didn’t like the fudging of whether they were engaged or not, and the melodramatic ending keeps the rating down. Most of the book is a solid four star, but that ending is just two stars for me, so that averages out to three stars.
April 29, 2023
3,75 stars
January 30, 2019
The Waiting Bride is a clean romance by Rose Pearson.
Marianne Weston and Lord Philip Galsworthy are betrothed and have been betrothed for many years. In the Regency time period, being betrothed was more than an engagement, it was actually as good as being married. Both parties of the arrangement needs must adhere to propriety at all times, which made things rather dull for the woman even though men could get away with m ore.
The premise and problem of this betrothal was that both parties wanted to marry for love and were afraid they would not love each other. However, both were reluctantly going to do their duty by their families.
Lord Galsworthy basically runs away from his duties for a couple of years on the pretense of inspecting his holding in other lands. This leave Marianne to hang around at home, waiting for his return. She is not pleased. Marianne finds friendship with Lord Henry, but he is not at all what he seems.
As always with with Ms. Pearson, this story is quite interesting with an unusual premise. I think she did a nice job with walking the reader through how difficult, frightening and tedious some arranged marriages of that time period could be. She also did well with showing how long communication took between people and still how difficult it WAS to communicate. The book also flows fairly well.
The main flaws/issues I found were technical.
1. Modern verbiage. "Angst" was NOT a word commonly used (if used at all) in this time period. I very much dislike modern word usage in period books.
2. Improperly ending sentences with prepositions. For example: "To find the letter with you had every intention of sending to your steward was a boon that I cannot ever express my gratitude FOR. NO NO NO!!! Do NOT end that sentence with 'for'! Just end the sentence with 'gratitude'!
Or "....the steward had no authority over." NO. It should read ".....over which the steward had no authority." Or "....might I ask you what the matter is?" instead of ".... what is the matter"? or even "...what is bothering you" or "what is wrong". So cringe-worthy.
3. Still has non-necessary word usage.
4. Phillips' shoulder healed too quickly.
Subjective thoughts:
5. It was a little odd to me how Marianne could stand up to Phillip but in private completely broke down. I became annoyed with her whining and crying and being "completely broken". Really?!? She didn't know him well enough to be 'completely broken'. Having her feelings hurt, yes. But "completely broken"? UGH.
6. Frankly, Marianne did not come across as being too bright. And Phillip was a tad borderline.
If you aren't picky about writing and don't mind weepy heroines, then you will enjoy this book.
Marianne Weston and Lord Philip Galsworthy are betrothed and have been betrothed for many years. In the Regency time period, being betrothed was more than an engagement, it was actually as good as being married. Both parties of the arrangement needs must adhere to propriety at all times, which made things rather dull for the woman even though men could get away with m ore.
The premise and problem of this betrothal was that both parties wanted to marry for love and were afraid they would not love each other. However, both were reluctantly going to do their duty by their families.
Lord Galsworthy basically runs away from his duties for a couple of years on the pretense of inspecting his holding in other lands. This leave Marianne to hang around at home, waiting for his return. She is not pleased. Marianne finds friendship with Lord Henry, but he is not at all what he seems.
As always with with Ms. Pearson, this story is quite interesting with an unusual premise. I think she did a nice job with walking the reader through how difficult, frightening and tedious some arranged marriages of that time period could be. She also did well with showing how long communication took between people and still how difficult it WAS to communicate. The book also flows fairly well.
The main flaws/issues I found were technical.
1. Modern verbiage. "Angst" was NOT a word commonly used (if used at all) in this time period. I very much dislike modern word usage in period books.
2. Improperly ending sentences with prepositions. For example: "To find the letter with you had every intention of sending to your steward was a boon that I cannot ever express my gratitude FOR. NO NO NO!!! Do NOT end that sentence with 'for'! Just end the sentence with 'gratitude'!
Or "....the steward had no authority over." NO. It should read ".....over which the steward had no authority." Or "....might I ask you what the matter is?" instead of ".... what is the matter"? or even "...what is bothering you" or "what is wrong". So cringe-worthy.
3. Still has non-necessary word usage.
4. Phillips' shoulder healed too quickly.
Subjective thoughts:
5. It was a little odd to me how Marianne could stand up to Phillip but in private completely broke down. I became annoyed with her whining and crying and being "completely broken". Really?!? She didn't know him well enough to be 'completely broken'. Having her feelings hurt, yes. But "completely broken"? UGH.
6. Frankly, Marianne did not come across as being too bright. And Phillip was a tad borderline.
If you aren't picky about writing and don't mind weepy heroines, then you will enjoy this book.
Read
July 22, 2020Just got bored. very wordy. All up in their heads.
January 21, 2019
I received an ARC copy from the Author, who I want to thank.
The cover and description was very interesting, and I looked forward to the story.
I have read a number of books by Rose, and really enjoyed them. For what ever reason this was a hard book for me as I just could not really get interested in it.
I keep reading hoping it would pick up or I could enjoy the H & H at least. Never happened.
Lord Galsworthy, (Philip) was a young man, (we are never told his age). He finds out the his father has agreed to a betrothal between him and his father's best friend. He has just come into his title, and is shocked by this news. So he runs off to India so he does't have to deal with it.
Lady Marianne Weston is called into her father's study and also told she is now betrothal to Lord Galsworthy. She is also shocked as she has meet him only once and he didn't seem
interested in her.
My main problem with these two, is we are lead to believe they to be in their twenties, or older ?
He has been in India for two years, and she missed her coming out (which is when girls or 18 or so)
They both act like teenagers in this relationship, not knowing what to say, how to talk to one other,
assuming what the other is thinking. When they do speak both take what the other is saying wrong
which leads to more problems.
Marianne, has other man come to call and starts seeing him. This would have been a Hugh no no
in this time period. Lord Galsworthy, see's them and does nothing ???
Most of the story is what he thinks she is feeling and what she thinks he is.
I felt it should have been listed as a young adult book.
The best part of the book happens between Chapters Sixteen and the end of the book.
I don't like giving poor reviews and I truly hope the rest of this series is better.
The cover and description was very interesting, and I looked forward to the story.
I have read a number of books by Rose, and really enjoyed them. For what ever reason this was a hard book for me as I just could not really get interested in it.
I keep reading hoping it would pick up or I could enjoy the H & H at least. Never happened.
Lord Galsworthy, (Philip) was a young man, (we are never told his age). He finds out the his father has agreed to a betrothal between him and his father's best friend. He has just come into his title, and is shocked by this news. So he runs off to India so he does't have to deal with it.
Lady Marianne Weston is called into her father's study and also told she is now betrothal to Lord Galsworthy. She is also shocked as she has meet him only once and he didn't seem
interested in her.
My main problem with these two, is we are lead to believe they to be in their twenties, or older ?
He has been in India for two years, and she missed her coming out (which is when girls or 18 or so)
They both act like teenagers in this relationship, not knowing what to say, how to talk to one other,
assuming what the other is thinking. When they do speak both take what the other is saying wrong
which leads to more problems.
Marianne, has other man come to call and starts seeing him. This would have been a Hugh no no
in this time period. Lord Galsworthy, see's them and does nothing ???
Most of the story is what he thinks she is feeling and what she thinks he is.
I felt it should have been listed as a young adult book.
The best part of the book happens between Chapters Sixteen and the end of the book.
I don't like giving poor reviews and I truly hope the rest of this series is better.
January 30, 2019
If there were ever two people who were perfect for each other, Marianne and Galsworthy definitely fit the criteria as they are the most stubborn characters ever. Their fathers have arranged for them to get married, and Galsworthy takes off for India to check on holdings after he inherits the responsibilities at his father’s death and then stretches the trip out to avoid coming back to be forced into marriage. When he finally does come back, both of them make assumptions and act bull-headed and make inappropriate decisions to handle the situation. I really wanted to reach into the book and slap them both at times. To be honest, I thought I wasn’t going to like this book through the first quarter or so the way they were acting. Even knowing all of Rose’s books have happy endings, it seemed impossible for these two to finally end up together. But by the time I was halfway through, I was glad I had extra reading time because I just had to finish it as things started to pick up pace. Something very dramatic finally happens to break their stubborn streaks to finally bring them together and makes for a perfect ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 30, 2019
This story is centered around an arranged marriage, between two people that have met once in company so they really have no knowledge of each other. Try to imagine being told who you are going to spend your life with and that your duty and family honor demands it, makes you think of running away or hiding, which is what Phillip did was he was told he and Maryann were to be married. He didn't give them a chance to know each other. he .got on a boat and sailed away to India leaving Maryann alone and wondering for a year if she would ever become his wife. He finally arrives back in England still unsure of the entire concept of this marriage he knows he will marry her because honor does demand it but not yet, Phillip does go to his home but never tells Maryann he has returned, when she learns of this her heart breaks what is life going to be like with a man who can not even bear to be near her. Henry Redmond wants to marry her, the betrothal is only known to the family he also said he did not care if her reputation gets tarnished over it he still wants to marry.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 30, 2019
A very sweet clean romance. There is some kissing but nothing else of note. The lead female character, Miss Marianne Weston, is a strong character. She is to endure a betrothal arranged by her father, Viscount Bridgestone. She is agreeable to the match. Her betrothed, Lord Philip Galsworthy, is apprehensive and leaves for India to distance himself. After one year of correspondence between himself and Marianne, he must return home. Philip's character has a gentle strength. However, he makes panicked, skittish decisions because of the burden placed upon him to marry. This causes chaos between Marianne and Philip and Marianne draws the attention of Lord Henry Redmond. Henry is bound and determined to marry Marianne. Philip has to get his head out of his $ss and claim his beloved betrothed. Danger and drama, lies and manipulation occur causing Marianne to give up all hope on Philip. Philip must gain Marianne's forgiveness and hopefully has not lost his chance with her. Henry will not concede to Philip and a deadly battle brews between them. A very exciting read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 2, 2019
Lord Philip Galsworthy discovers his father
has betrothed him to Lady Marianne Weston
prior to his father’s death. What a shock!!!
Feeling unsure about wanting to marry and
unsure about the Lady’s feeling, Philip decides
to take a trip to India to check the properties
he has inherited.
Lord Galsworthy is about to discover that you
can not turn your feelings off because of what
might happen in the future.
Upon his return, he delays contact with Lady
Weston. She feels neglected. Then another
suitor enters the picture changing the whole
situation.
Vivid, colorful, quirky, interesting and well
defined characters.
Lord Galsworthy and Lady Weston need to
come to grips with their past to be able to
move into a future together. But will there be
a second chance for them. Will they be able
To forgive, trust and overcome what they
face?
This book is full of drama, adventure, twists
and turns, suspense, romance and captivating
writing.
I volunteered to read The Waiting Bride. Thanks
to Booksprout for the opportunity. My opinion
is my own.
has betrothed him to Lady Marianne Weston
prior to his father’s death. What a shock!!!
Feeling unsure about wanting to marry and
unsure about the Lady’s feeling, Philip decides
to take a trip to India to check the properties
he has inherited.
Lord Galsworthy is about to discover that you
can not turn your feelings off because of what
might happen in the future.
Upon his return, he delays contact with Lady
Weston. She feels neglected. Then another
suitor enters the picture changing the whole
situation.
Vivid, colorful, quirky, interesting and well
defined characters.
Lord Galsworthy and Lady Weston need to
come to grips with their past to be able to
move into a future together. But will there be
a second chance for them. Will they be able
To forgive, trust and overcome what they
face?
This book is full of drama, adventure, twists
and turns, suspense, romance and captivating
writing.
I volunteered to read The Waiting Bride. Thanks
to Booksprout for the opportunity. My opinion
is my own.
January 21, 2019
A three and a half-star review on The Waiting Bride by Rose Pearson
Lady Marianne Weston has been waiting for the return from India of her betrothed. But now that he has returned, what’s going to happen?
Lord Galsworthy has lots of doubts about their betrothal: he is not sure he wants to get married and he is not sure how does Lady Weston feel about it?
Best thing is to court her and see if at least they can become friends.
However, when someone gets in the middle and try to separate them, they get desperate to prevent it to happen.
The book is well-written, and the characters are well-developed. The problem, at least for me, is that there is too much thinking and not talking. Sometimes is a bit repetitive, for example, Lord Galsworthy and his apologies.
Apart from that, I did enjoy the book, being the last part my favourite.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
Lady Marianne Weston has been waiting for the return from India of her betrothed. But now that he has returned, what’s going to happen?
Lord Galsworthy has lots of doubts about their betrothal: he is not sure he wants to get married and he is not sure how does Lady Weston feel about it?
Best thing is to court her and see if at least they can become friends.
However, when someone gets in the middle and try to separate them, they get desperate to prevent it to happen.
The book is well-written, and the characters are well-developed. The problem, at least for me, is that there is too much thinking and not talking. Sometimes is a bit repetitive, for example, Lord Galsworthy and his apologies.
Apart from that, I did enjoy the book, being the last part my favourite.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
February 19, 2020
Sorry, but it's a 2☆ from me.
May 25, 2021
This book brought out a wide variety of emotions. At first, there was a distaste for the Hero. I really did not like Phillip, Lord Galsworthy. He was an inconsiderate, self-indulging, beast of a man. He never took into consideration that, like him, Marianne was also thrust into an unwanted betrothal. He never considered that she, also like him, had doubts and concerns. However, unlike him, she wasn't able to run away from the situation. She had to stay and endure those doubts and concerns for two long years in his absence. He never gave her a chance to talk with him about the situation. He just selfishly ran away like a coward. Not my idea of an ideal husband-to-be.
Then there was frustration because there was little to no chemistry between the two main characters. While, yes, Phillip did begin to feel jealousy where his betrothed was concerned, that just showed that, while he didn't want her, neither did he want anyone else to have her. All the while keeping Marianne in turmoil. Again being selfish. The idiot just couldn't make up his mind.
There was a great deal of angst. To be honest, angst was the one emotion that was felt from beginning to end over all other emotions. There was no passion from anyone. There was a LOT of drama...unnecessary drama at that. All Phillip needed to do was either propose or set Marianne free to find someone else. It was like riding a roller coaster...and not a fun one at that. The Heroine should have gone to her father and told him she wanted to end the betrothal. However, she didn't seem to have the backbone to do so.
There was a good villain(ness) (I won't say which! ;) ) in the story that almost saved the book by his/her very appearance. It definitely added a hint of intrigue that was most unexpected, yet decidedly welcome. Still, there was so much more lacking in the story that was supposed to be, for all intents and purposes, a romance novel.
It wasn't a terrible story. But it was lacking in romance, passion, and chemistry. It made a better story for the suspense genre than romance though. I definitely never saw a spark between the characters. Therefore, this book did not merit being a Keeper for the Shelves novel.
Then there was frustration because there was little to no chemistry between the two main characters. While, yes, Phillip did begin to feel jealousy where his betrothed was concerned, that just showed that, while he didn't want her, neither did he want anyone else to have her. All the while keeping Marianne in turmoil. Again being selfish. The idiot just couldn't make up his mind.
There was a great deal of angst. To be honest, angst was the one emotion that was felt from beginning to end over all other emotions. There was no passion from anyone. There was a LOT of drama...unnecessary drama at that. All Phillip needed to do was either propose or set Marianne free to find someone else. It was like riding a roller coaster...and not a fun one at that. The Heroine should have gone to her father and told him she wanted to end the betrothal. However, she didn't seem to have the backbone to do so.
There was a good villain(ness) (I won't say which! ;) ) in the story that almost saved the book by his/her very appearance. It definitely added a hint of intrigue that was most unexpected, yet decidedly welcome. Still, there was so much more lacking in the story that was supposed to be, for all intents and purposes, a romance novel.
It wasn't a terrible story. But it was lacking in romance, passion, and chemistry. It made a better story for the suspense genre than romance though. I definitely never saw a spark between the characters. Therefore, this book did not merit being a Keeper for the Shelves novel.
February 3, 2020
Enjoyed the premise of this story - two people , Marianne & Philip, who are forced to enter into a parentally arranged marriage, eventually fall in love (after 2 years of being promised to each other). I enjoyed the competing suitor to help Lord Philip Galsworthy realise his feelings for Marianne.
However, there were some things that frustrated me. One, was how long it took for these two, to realise their feelings and the proposal to actually take place. Oh the angst! It was almost comical or painful depending on the situation.
Two, the end is overly dramatic, it seems, to over compensate for very little happening for the first part of the book.
Three, there is a few discrepancies with titles and such that if you care for the reality of the intended historical setting it will bug you, otherwise you could be none the wiser if it’s not your cup of tea.
Four, characters can be frustrating at times... with his obstinacy and her lack of backbone (honestly her sister is the stronger woman here as at least she goes to confront Philip), however I still found the pair can be oddly endearing.
Over all, the idea is quite sweet. But apart from the frustrations mentioned above it was still a light, clean, sweet read for those interested the the Historical/Regency Romance genre.
However, there were some things that frustrated me. One, was how long it took for these two, to realise their feelings and the proposal to actually take place. Oh the angst! It was almost comical or painful depending on the situation.
Two, the end is overly dramatic, it seems, to over compensate for very little happening for the first part of the book.
Three, there is a few discrepancies with titles and such that if you care for the reality of the intended historical setting it will bug you, otherwise you could be none the wiser if it’s not your cup of tea.
Four, characters can be frustrating at times... with his obstinacy and her lack of backbone (honestly her sister is the stronger woman here as at least she goes to confront Philip), however I still found the pair can be oddly endearing.
Over all, the idea is quite sweet. But apart from the frustrations mentioned above it was still a light, clean, sweet read for those interested the the Historical/Regency Romance genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2019
He kept her waiting and waiting.
After her family and his family entered into a betrothal pact, her betrothed flee the country. No good-bye, just gone. She wrote him, but only received a few letters in return. It's been years of waiting and what does he do when he returns to London, he does nothing. He doesn't contact her. Now what?
The Waiting Bride by Rose Pearson is a clean and sweet Regency romance. The writing is descriptive writing, but the pace is slow. The characters are all well defined, but the H/h both lack that something that makes me want to like them. In fact, I liked the to-be- brides sister better than the bride-to-be. The premise of the story had merit, but with far too much time spent on musings and with waffling thoughts, I just became annoyed with both H/h. The plot was spiced up a bit with a believable villain who was foiled by a happy ending. Sadly, the epilogue was anti-climatic and added nothing to the book.
Overall, this book is clean and suitable for any age reader.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the author via BookSprout. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.
After her family and his family entered into a betrothal pact, her betrothed flee the country. No good-bye, just gone. She wrote him, but only received a few letters in return. It's been years of waiting and what does he do when he returns to London, he does nothing. He doesn't contact her. Now what?
The Waiting Bride by Rose Pearson is a clean and sweet Regency romance. The writing is descriptive writing, but the pace is slow. The characters are all well defined, but the H/h both lack that something that makes me want to like them. In fact, I liked the to-be- brides sister better than the bride-to-be. The premise of the story had merit, but with far too much time spent on musings and with waffling thoughts, I just became annoyed with both H/h. The plot was spiced up a bit with a believable villain who was foiled by a happy ending. Sadly, the epilogue was anti-climatic and added nothing to the book.
Overall, this book is clean and suitable for any age reader.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the author via BookSprout. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.
November 7, 2019
Another winner from Ms Pearson
When Phillip was told by his father than an engagement was in the near future for him, he left tne country for India. Only after years had passed did he return, owning tbe title his father left when he died. His betrothed had written him faithfully whi!e he was out of the country, but there was no love between them. Things soon changed, as his wife to be w who as a lovely and accomplished young woman who made Phillip realize that he was not near!y as opposed to their marriage as he had previously thought. And when he began seeing her escorted about town by another man, jealousy entered into tbe picture, as well. However, he became a bumblimg idiot whenever he was around her, and was totally unable to communicate his feelings. It seemed he was losing the race to win his own betrothed. How they reconciled is astory waiting tobe read.
Ms Pearson never fails to deliver a great clean read. This book is no exception.
When Phillip was told by his father than an engagement was in the near future for him, he left tne country for India. Only after years had passed did he return, owning tbe title his father left when he died. His betrothed had written him faithfully whi!e he was out of the country, but there was no love between them. Things soon changed, as his wife to be w who as a lovely and accomplished young woman who made Phillip realize that he was not near!y as opposed to their marriage as he had previously thought. And when he began seeing her escorted about town by another man, jealousy entered into tbe picture, as well. However, he became a bumblimg idiot whenever he was around her, and was totally unable to communicate his feelings. It seemed he was losing the race to win his own betrothed. How they reconciled is astory waiting tobe read.
Ms Pearson never fails to deliver a great clean read. This book is no exception.
July 29, 2020
Loved this first book in the series! This is the story of a couple who was betrothed by their fathers. Neither is very enthusiastic about it. Lord Phillip runs away to India for a year to escape this responsibility. His betrothed, Marianne writes to him but it is halfhearted. When Phillip returns, he gets a fresh new look at his betrothed and realizes when another man starts paying attention to her, that there is more to her than he thought and that he may actually want to fight for their relationship. Marianne is attracted to her betrothed, but is irritated at his lack of enthusiasm for the match. When another man begins to pay her attention, she thinks about possibly ending the betrothal.
Loved the growth of the characters and their relationship as the story progresses. The other suitor brings a lot of twists and turns to the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Loved the growth of the characters and their relationship as the story progresses. The other suitor brings a lot of twists and turns to the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 16, 2019
The hero, Viscount Phillip and heroine, Marianne Weston, are betrothed by their respective parents. It is the typical accounting of Regency romance were the two are unsure of their future as a couple. There are a lot of misunderstanding and lack of honesty between the two. He leaves England for India with the intent of reviewing his holdings which he has recently inherited through the death of his father. They correspond, but do not reveal their mutual hopes, feelings, and true thoughts.
Their is much adventure, twists and turns. It is a clean Romance.
Their is much adventure, twists and turns. It is a clean Romance.
November 6, 2019
Weakness
I don't believe I have ever beheld a worse character than the supposed hero in this book. Absolutely the most pathetic person I can imagine trying to read. Miss Weston should thank her lucky stars to escape this sorry excuse for a human being and run as far and fast as possible to get away from him. I read 30% of this book and felt much compassion for her and pity that she had to endure this trial. At that point I could not endure another moment of this travesty and quit. I would not recommend this sorry excuse for reading entertainment to anyone.
I don't believe I have ever beheld a worse character than the supposed hero in this book. Absolutely the most pathetic person I can imagine trying to read. Miss Weston should thank her lucky stars to escape this sorry excuse for a human being and run as far and fast as possible to get away from him. I read 30% of this book and felt much compassion for her and pity that she had to endure this trial. At that point I could not endure another moment of this travesty and quit. I would not recommend this sorry excuse for reading entertainment to anyone.
May 26, 2022
Both are trying to reconcile to the betrothal their parents arranged. Philips's been away for 2 years and is dreading returning home. Marianne's hoping the arrangement can eventually turn to more than just convenience. But their past interactions felt a bit forced and uninteresting. Can they figure out the path together? Will another man's interest cause problems? Which will she be more drawn towards?
This was a clean romance. I felt for the poor heroine, just waiting for him to propose. There was a twist that made me audibly gasp, so you know that's good writing.
This was a clean romance. I felt for the poor heroine, just waiting for him to propose. There was a twist that made me audibly gasp, so you know that's good writing.
March 19, 2019
Runway love
Running to India to avoid marriage to a Marianne was foolish of Philip Lord Galsworthy! Philip wasn't ready to become a husband. The thing he dreaded became his greatest desire! Upon his return Philip starts to truly see Marianne and the person she really is! Lord Henry also is interested in Marianne and will win by any means necessary! I plodded thru this story and almost gave up until the second half! When it all makes sense and HE A is finally theirs!
Running to India to avoid marriage to a Marianne was foolish of Philip Lord Galsworthy! Philip wasn't ready to become a husband. The thing he dreaded became his greatest desire! Upon his return Philip starts to truly see Marianne and the person she really is! Lord Henry also is interested in Marianne and will win by any means necessary! I plodded thru this story and almost gave up until the second half! When it all makes sense and HE A is finally theirs!
March 28, 2019
Good premise, dialogue was flat
I really liked the premise of this story. I read lots of Regency books. While this story was clean, I found the characters and dialogue quite flat. As such, I really struggled to finish. I think part of the reason I struggled so much was because there was a ton of repitition. As a reader, I don't need the characters to tell me the same thing 20 times.
Content: Clean
Language: Clean
Religous: No
Happy reading!!
I really liked the premise of this story. I read lots of Regency books. While this story was clean, I found the characters and dialogue quite flat. As such, I really struggled to finish. I think part of the reason I struggled so much was because there was a ton of repitition. As a reader, I don't need the characters to tell me the same thing 20 times.
Content: Clean
Language: Clean
Religous: No
Happy reading!!
November 20, 2019
As someone who’s had a long distance relationship, I felt like the 2 main characters whined a lot about their situation. And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s complaining. If you don’t like something, then change it! If you can’t change it- what can you change?? Why write letters to the person you’ve been told you’re going to marry for years and not try to get to know them through those letters?? I just can’t. By the time the main characters tried to get to know each other, I was tapped out.
August 6, 2021
Clean romance
Just one word, Wow!
I enjoy this author and this book was no exception. The characters and plot are well written and kept me engaged.
I enjoyed watching each of the characters develop into their true selves as they would open up to the truth. Both in themselves and those they loved.
But the plot took several twists and turns that kept me up reading needing to know how it would all end up.
I look forward to reading more from this author and of the series.
Just one word, Wow!
I enjoy this author and this book was no exception. The characters and plot are well written and kept me engaged.
I enjoyed watching each of the characters develop into their true selves as they would open up to the truth. Both in themselves and those they loved.
But the plot took several twists and turns that kept me up reading needing to know how it would all end up.
I look forward to reading more from this author and of the series.
February 16, 2019
I chose to read and review this book. I am a fan of this genre and author. I loved this one a lot. I liked the characters and their interactions together. Everything is well written, the plot and characters and flow are amazing. It has a lot of emotions drama little action suspense I was surprised in some chapters. It was very fun and captivating. I recommend it.
November 9, 2019
Phillip and Marianne were betrothed by their fathers. Unwilling to face this, Phillip left for India. Meanwhile Marianne was left to London Society. After returning to London, Phillip makes more poor choices and might just lose Marianne after all. Most of this book was the characters talking to themselves. Not as good as I had thought it would be.
November 11, 2019
Had me at the edge of my chair
Few Regency romances are fresh. The same tired themes and scenes recur with depressing frequency. While the theme of unwilling groom is not uncommon, the treatment in this excellent book is definitely unique. A thoroughly engaging, thoroughly satisfying read.
Few Regency romances are fresh. The same tired themes and scenes recur with depressing frequency. While the theme of unwilling groom is not uncommon, the treatment in this excellent book is definitely unique. A thoroughly engaging, thoroughly satisfying read.
November 30, 2019
Okay
I don't know if it's just because I had such a connection to a previously read book, or if I just am not in the mood for a novel such as this one- but I did not feel the pull to this novel that I normally do when I am reading a new novel. I will definitely have to try again later.
I don't know if it's just because I had such a connection to a previously read book, or if I just am not in the mood for a novel such as this one- but I did not feel the pull to this novel that I normally do when I am reading a new novel. I will definitely have to try again later.
March 5, 2020
Delightfully entertaining - Wonderfully written with strong characters.
For Philip and Marianne, it's a journey of introspection and reflection as they discover their fathers planned a betrothal and marriage for them. As feelings begin to emerge between the two, Lord Henry Redmond steps in making his own nefarious and deadly plans for Marianne.
For Philip and Marianne, it's a journey of introspection and reflection as they discover their fathers planned a betrothal and marriage for them. As feelings begin to emerge between the two, Lord Henry Redmond steps in making his own nefarious and deadly plans for Marianne.
May 22, 2020
Outstanding Ending Climax
Throughout the book you hear the heroe think and over and over he thinks the same thoughts as does the heroine. Not much interactions throughout but you get the feel for their own feelings and it slowly builds an intensity, bringing forth an unexpected twist of an exciting end.
Throughout the book you hear the heroe think and over and over he thinks the same thoughts as does the heroine. Not much interactions throughout but you get the feel for their own feelings and it slowly builds an intensity, bringing forth an unexpected twist of an exciting end.
July 1, 2020
He was told to marry and a girl.was already pick out. He soon learns She is not happy about it as well. He managed to delay it for several years but now he needs to go and do it. Can feeling change for them? Have the letters between them helped? See if a wedding takes place
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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