The Secret Wedding

Mallorens & Friends #9

by Jo Beverley

At the age of seventeen, Christian Hill impulsively defends young Dorcas Froggatt's honor --- and finds himself forced into marriage. That doesn't stop him from pursuing his military career abroad, where he swiftly puts his young bride out of his mind --- until the past comes back to haunt him.

Not long after her traumatic marriage, Dorcas hears that her new husband, Hill, has died in battle. She's shocked to discover that he's not only still alive, but searching for her. She's determined not to sacrifice her independence, not expecting the true dangers she'll soon face and, even less, the true love she'll discover with the man who rescued her all those years ago.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Georgian, Fiction

408 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 20, 2009

About the author

Mary Josephine Dunn was born 22 September 1947 in Lancashire, England, UK. At the age of eleven she went to an all-girls boarding school, Layton Hill Convent, Blackpool. At sixteen, she wrote her first romance, with a medieval setting, completed in installments in an exercise book. From 1966 to 1970, she obtained a degree in English history from Keele University in Staffordshire, where she met her future husband, Ken Beverley. After graduation, they married on June 24, 1971. She quickly attained a position as a youth employment officer until 1976, working first in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and then in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

In 1976, her scientist husband was invited to do post-doctoral research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. When her professional qualifications proved not to be usable in the Canadian labour market, she raised their two sons and started to write her first romances.

Moved to Ottawa, in 1985 she became a founding member of the Ottawa Romance Writers’ Association, that her “nurturing community” for the next twelve years. The same year, she completed a regency romance, but it was promptly rejected by a number of publishers, and she settled more earnestly to learning the craft. In 1988, it sold to Walker, and was published as "Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed". She regularly appears on bestseller lists including the USA Today overall bestseller list, the New York Times, and and the Publishers Weekly list. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Leaf, the Award of Excellence, the National Readers Choice, and a two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. She is also a five time winner of the RITA, the top award of the Romance Writers Of America, and a member of their Hall of Fame and Honor Roll.

Jo Beverley passed away on May 23, 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Spoilers)
This Is the WORST book I ever read. It made me sooooooo ANGRY, I put it down several times and only came back to finish to see if Caro whould change, maybe some off the wall plot could help me understand her better but she was a lost cause from the beginning and never accepts any responsibility. I actually wanted to get into a fist fight with her, Christian was no angel but he has a GREAT heart and I understood his motives.

Yes, Christian deserved much better than a "heroine" who lied and lied and lied and then accused him of rape and brutality in front of witnesses in order to get her way. I truly despised her by the end of this book. Christian bailed her out over and over and all she ever did was count her money and think of nobody but herself. Even in the end she decides to give the marriage a chance because SHE doesn't want to spend her life alone. She certainly never gave a thought to what Christian wanted or needed. I have never read a romance where the heroine has no redeeming qualities whatsoever but there is always a first time and Dorcas Froggatt has about as much charm as her name.

I usually love all things JoBev but this book left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. Many other reviewers have listed the faults in detail and definitely should be listened to before spending money on this tasteless trash of a novel. I've wasted enough time with it as it is.

[Alba Turunen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Estrellitas. No ha sido el mejor de la serie, pero ha estado entretenido.

"La boda secreta" es el noveno libro de la serie Malloren, aunque el segundo en ésta trilogía de tres amigos que integra la serie y está estrechamente relacionada con los Malloren.

En "Secretos de una dama" conocimos brevemente a Lord Grandiston, pero lo que nos trae su propio libro es una sorpresa mayor de lo que esperábamos.

Ya el prólogo nos pone en situación. Diez años antes Christian Hill era un joven soldado de dieciséis años a punto de partir para la guerra de Canadá contra los franceses, pero se ha enterado de que un compañero de su regimiento ha "raptado" a una dama y acude a la posada donde se alojan para salvar a la chica, a punto de ser violada. Christian reta al otro soldado y le da muerte. Lo que no esperaba es que apareciese en la puerta de la habitación la tía mandona de la chica, el dueño de la posada y demás parroquianos. Para salvar el honor de la chica, Dorcas Frogatt, Christian se ve en la obligación de casarse con ella, aunque da un nombre falso, y después parte con su regimiento a Canadá.

Han pasado diez años, y cada uno, mediante las artimañas de la abominable tía Abigail, creen que el otro cónyuge ha muerto. Así que Christian, ahora Lord Grandiston, se ve libre de cortejar a una dama rica, para que pueda alimentar a la gran prole de sus padres, pues son trece hermanos.

Por otra parte, Dorcas Frogatt, ahora Caro Hill, pues usa su segundo nombre y su apellido de casada, es una dama rica. Su padre tenía un próspero negocio de cuchillería en Sheffield que ha prosperado mucho, y ahora Caro se ve con el deseo de volver a casarse con un vecino.

El destino de ambos cambiará cuando llega una carta a Christian buscando a su persona y su condición legal. Algo le hace creer que su esposa sigue viva y viaja a Yorkshire para averiguar si su matrimonio realmente fue legal.

Cuando Christian se presenta en casa de Dorcas, no se reconocen, ambos han cambiado mucho, él es un hombre grande y atractivo, y ella se ha convertido en mujer, desde que fue una chiquilla escuálida de catorce años. Dorcas quiere creer que su esposo está muerto, así que éste desconocido se convierte en una amenaza para ella, pues su futuro, su negocio y su dinero no estará a salvo si su esposo está vivo.

Así que empieza una serie de disparates y engaños, con un road trip en pleno siglo XVIII en el que Dorcas intentará averiguar lo que pretende Christian, y éste decidido a encontrar a su esposa y hablar con ella para discutir sobre la legalidad de su enlace. Pero así y con sus identidades escondidas, se irán conociendo y enamorando, aunque ninguno sabe quién es el otro, y pensando que están engañando a su cónyuge.

Esto es lo que nos encontramos en "La boda secreta", el libro me ha gustado, pero algunas partes se me han hecho algo lentas y pesadas. Por supuesto, el libro mejora en la segunda parte, cuando vas descubriendo que la vida de los protagonistas está en peligro por una afrenta del pasado, y veremos de nuevo al marqués de Rothgar en escena para ayudar a los protagonistas.

El romance ha estado bien, pero le ha faltado algo más de chispa. Ambos protagonistas esperaban casarse con otras personas, pero acaban enamorados contra su voluntad, y desde luego lo que Dorcas quiere es romance, un hombre que se enamora de ella y le sea fiel ¿Cómo puede fiarse de Christian cuando en su road trip sedujo a otra mujer (a ella en secreto)?

En definitiva, un libro correcto sin ser muy sobresaliente, pero me ha dejado con muchísimas ganas de leer el libro del duque, la historia de Ithorne me ha dejado con muchas ganas.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some discontent with this entry in the series. And while I can see sympathize, I have to admit that I disagree with the stated reasons (at least for myself). But first, standard series disclaimer: this is firmly a part of a series and you should probably read at least the previous and probably others as well, before this one. Having done so, you know mostly what to expect. Probably.

The disconcerting part for others is Caro. She is more skittish than a cat in a dog obedience school for beginners. She schemes and runs away and thrashes about enough for any three other heroines. And that makes her look weak or stupid. On the surface. Personally, I think Beverley laid the foundations for her reactions very well such that Caro isn't weak so much as responsible and caring and doing her best with the assets entrusted to her care. Bear in mind that Christian finds her newly raped and bullied by an overbearing relative into a marriage to someone she has never met before. Add that the well-being of her various constituents is dependent on her maintaining her independence and you have a compelling reason for her to do her best to get out of that marriage any way she can.

Part of the frustration is that we get to see so much from Christian's point of view. He's clearly not only honorable, but kind and thoughtful and resourceful—on the inside. But Caro sees him mostly in "heightened" circumstances and not for terribly long, at that. This undermines the romance, somewhat, as love includes both knowledge and trust. I think it's pretty clear that Caro has compartmentalized her interactions with him, however. She trusts him, deep-down, to be thoughtful and kind and even honorable. But she has that overwhelming need to protect the benefits of her constituents and she knows she has zero recourse at all to anything but his (untested) sympathy. I think it's strength in her that she chooses to do her best to secure her concerns straightforwardly rather than trying to cajole or seduce them from him as she might have.

That said, it does go on a tad long, which is why this is merely four stars. By the time the plot against him comes to light, Caro had ample proof of his sincerity and further reluctance really does seem foolish. Even though it continues only a page or two beyond. Still, it was a fun adventure and I liked them both a lot.

A note about Steamy: There are two and a half explicit sex scenes and they fit the story well. I particularly liked Christian's care for a woman once raped and his patience and understanding. Yeah, he goes avenging alpha for a bit, but he recovers quickly and it's all about her from there. If I hadn't fallen for him already, I would have there...

[Kim H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't really care for it. I don't like the premise of either the hero or heroine masquerading as someone else or hiding their real identities from each other. This couple was more or less forced into a marriage when they were very young teens, and both had thought the other had died in the years since they have seen each other (they only met once). Years later, the hero finds out that someone is looking for him under the assumed name he used when he was forced to marry the heroine, so he tracks her down to find out if she's still alive. She masquerades as a maid at first, then as a married woman out to seduce him. They end up in bed together - repeatedly - and then she runs off to London to stay with the Marquis of Rothgar & his wife Diana (the inevitable tie in to Beverley's Malloren series). Why it was necessary to make this another Malloren book, I have no idea, because it's not as if it did anything for the tedious plot anyway. They finally find out each other's true identities about two-thirds of the way into the book, and then of course, she wants an annulment because she's just sure he only wants her for her money, and btw, she has cold feet about giving up her independence:P
I wish I could say there was something I liked about this book, but it was just one more in an already lackluster string of books that Beverley has been cranking out over the last few years. And while I'm on the subject, why does Beverley seem to always have her heroines absconding in the 11th hour so that she & the hero can have their final confrontation at a London ball? When did she decide it would be a good idea to set Rothgar up as some sort of regency Dr. Phil? Get a new plot device already, Jo. This one is dead. My best advice is to skip this book. I gave it one star.

Sensuality Rating: R

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giunta al nono volume della serie dei Malloren (sinora sempre bella), o l'autrice o io iniziamo a dimostrare le prime avvisaglie di stanchezza.

In questo caso, il romanzo mi è parso uno spin-off con collegamenti piuttosto deboli alla famiglia e l'intera trama è risultata tirata, troppo tirata per i miei gusti.
Un soldato sedicenne, Christian Hill (e se il nome non vi dice niente non vi preoccupate: il legame e l'essere stato cresciuto come fratello adottivo del cugino di Rothgar... come vedete, un collegamento fragile e azzardato), volendo fermare un commilitone che sta per insidiare una ragazzina, si ritrova coinvolto nell'omicidio dell'uomo e nelle nozze della stessa (giacché i parenti impongono a lui le nozze riparatrici, in mancanza di altro colpevole).
Christian va in Canada a combattere subito dopo, facendo perdere le tracce. Ma quando torna in Inghilterra, dieci lunghissimi anni dopo, per coincidenza scopre che qualcuno lo cerca.

Ho proseguito per curiosità, lo ammetto, ma i giri e i travestimenti che compiono i due per nascondersi a vicenda (entrambi pensano che l'altro li cerchi per soldi e non vogliono dare validità alle nozze) sono così surreali ed estenuanti, che, alla fine, li vorresti solo prendere e chiudere in una stanza a chiarirsi.
Stessimo parlando di principi o duchi che hanno fortune da difendere, ma qui siamo a livelli modesti e tante energie per tirare avanti risultano sprecate.

🤔 Se, poi, il punto più intenso si raggiunge quando tornano in scena proprio il marchese Rothgar e sua moglie Diana (che, bene o male, giocano il ruolo di salvatori del ritmo dal quinto libro), ciò rende l'idea di quanto la coppia principale sia sottotono...
Si legge, ma auspico che il libro numero dieci sia migliore. Ne mancano ancora quattro prima di giungere a "Finalmente a casa". 😅😇

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️
Not bad , though it could be a bit better.
Started okay, bit boring in the middle and got better again.

[Elis Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, see if you can keep up.

15-year-old Lieutenant Christian Hill kills a rapist and finds himself faced with a choice between career-ending scandal and possible murder charges, or a wedding. He picks Plan B, but gives a fake name, hoping that will invalidate the marriage. What really ought to invalidate the marriage is the bride's real name—Dorcas Froggat.



Fast forward ten years. Christian's been serving with his regiment in Canada and has all but forgotten his poor, dead wife. Seems Dorcas' aunt, the pushy woman who forced the marriage, has arranged for each of them to receive notice that the other had died. Because THAT makes perfect sense.

Christian returns to England to find out that his father's inherited an earldom from a distant relation. This makes Christian a very marriageable viscount. Meanwhile, Dorcas, who now goes by the name Caro, is entertaining the proposal of a suitor who seems ideal. Eyam is a gentleman and a gentle man—in order to have children, she can even imagine bedding him, though she wonders if it always hurts as much as she remembers.

For some inexplicable reason both Dorcas and Christian get a flea in their heads to make sure that the death notices they got were legit.

They meet. They don't recognize each other. Each of them gives a phony name—Caro initially poses as Carrie the maid Mistress Hill hired out of Bedlam. Christian calls himself Mr. Grandiston, a member of Jack Hill's family who needs to talk to Mistress Hill. She gets it in her head that maybe "Jack" really has died, and this is his heir who thinks he's inherited her husband's control of her wealth. She takes off. He reckons the fleeing "maid" might lead him to his wife so he follows. She swaps disguises and now poses as Kat Hunter, and being the incredibly observant investigator he is, Christian doesn't recognize her AGAIN. As Kat, she hopes to find out what this Grandiston fellow is up to. The investigation evidently involves the removal of clothing and a good deal of heavy breathing.



Confused yet?

Enter the Silcocks. As Kat is leaving the inn Christian is staying at, Mrs. Silcock accuses Caro of theft, and Christian has to rescue her again—this time from a mob all excited to see her hang. They disguise themselves again and run for it, accompanied by a mutant rabbit-cat (I am NOT kidding). There's some more heavy breathing along the way. By this time they're in love or whatever, but they're both angsting about it since they know they are or might be married to someone else. So when they get to York Caro/Kat/Carrie/Dorcas runs away—leaving Christian holding the cabbit.

Caro runs into none other than the Marquess of Rothgar, whom she knows peripherally since she is a friend of his wife's. This is where we get into serious spoiler territory—later parts of the story are friggin' hilarious, though, so I can't talk myself out of telling a bit more. Up to you whether you want to read on.


No peeking!!

Rothgar agrees to protect her from nefarious men and takes her to London. By this time he has (being omniscient) deduced all the stuff she hasn't told him and figured out who's who. He goes through the motions of having his minions research all the legal stuff for her.

And while they're waiting, Rothgar and his wife Diana take Caro to (what else?) a masquerade, attended by the king. It's hosted by Christian's best friend, so natch, he's also there. He recognizes her, decides she's there to kill the king, and tries to explode the pomegranate she's carrying around in her pocket (I swear it's true!). Then he decides to do a really, really thorough body cavity search.

Of course, people burst in and start salivating over the scandal until Rothgar appears to tell everybody it's not as shocking as all that, since the "sinners" here are actually married. Where upon Dorcas throws a magnificent tantrum, followed up by a great deal of angst as she realizes that her husband thought she was capable of regicide—and worse than that, he cheated on her (with, um, her. But it's the principle of the thing, you know).

The story goes on a ways from there. There's an arson and attempted murder, and one of the perps is someone you'd never expect. On the whole a satisfying if extremely convoluted story. And downright funny in spots, if you give it much thought. The HEA isn't easy, but it's wonderfully convincing and better for being hard to reach. Four stars. Maybe even another half.

Oh, and after you've read it, just remember this. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Yeah, cuz they sound alike. Anyway, you will appreciate this more midway thru the book.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. It was okay. Very slow start. I loved the main character guy, Christian, but I thought Caro was boring. She kept claiming how she wanted to be independent and not tied down to Hill, the guy she'd been forced to marry ten years ago, but then she's all happy and prepared to marry that Colne guy. She'd be tied down to him once they wed, so this seemed kind of inconsistent to me.

I didn't think Caro was useful for much. It seemed like Christian liked her because he thought her independent and adventurous, but she didn't do anything besides dress up in different clothes. Well, she slept with him, so I guess that makes her adventurous (or a whore), but Christian's slept with a lot of girls; there's no reason this one should have caught his interest. Anyway, every time Caro got in a situation in which she could DO something, she broke down and became helpless. Take the riding the horse scene. *rolls eyes*

Then, there was the ending. Caro's behavior was completely unreasonable. She'd admitted she fell in love with Christian, but once she found out he was her long lost husband, she wanted nothing more to do with him. She was even prepared to take him to Court on charges that he'd forced himself on her! Christian, meanwhile, was gentlemanly and patient.

I think I could have loved the story if Caro had been interesting. Was going to give it three stars, but knocking it down to two after writing about what I didn't like. It wasn't a bad book, just not for me. I need my heroines to be stronger. I think it's time to read an urban romance where the heroines are always kick-ass.

Overall impression: the book was about a hundred pages too long for the story.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo Beverley, I am sooo going to miss your writing! This isn't my very favorite book of hers, but it was a delight to read.

As a teenager, the idealistic and chivalrous Christian Hill dashes in to save a young girl in distress - and finds himself forced to marry the unfortunate Dorcas Frogatt. Almost immediately thereafter, he returns to his regiment and gets shipped off to Canada. He's not certain the marriage is even legal and for ten years, it all lies forgotten until he learns that someone has been making inquiries.

Dorcas' aunt had informed him years ago that Dorcas had died, but Christian has his doubts. As it turns out, Dorcas (who now goes by her middle name Caro) has similar questions. Somehow on their quest for the truth, each becomes sufficiently wary of the other to hide crucial pieces of information - like their real names.

Normally I would be beating my head against a wall in frustration as the Big Misunderstandings pile up, but Beverley is a masterful writer. She makes of this crazy plot a delightful blend of emotional angst and great humor (the cat-bunny of Hesse scene is hilarious!). Most of the time, it really works, though there were moments when I really want to shake some sense into Dorcas and Christian.

[BookMaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is second in a trilogy, the first of which was very interesting, but this book is just a tired repeat, too contrived. It was like Jo Beverley had 400 pages to fill and just could not think of enough story line to fill it, so she resorted to long, drawn out and inane conversations that did not advance the story at all. All three books have a chance meeting at an inn by people who have hidden agendas, hidden identities, exotic pets, and follow up with a long eventful, dangerous, if unbelievable travel sequence. Both the hero and heroine are quite unlikeable. The heroine goes on and on about her money ad nauseum, and the hero is just the opposite of the type of man that romance readers are accustomed to. He is immature and self-centered, an obvious rake, and not a charming one. We are to believe, however, that a woman who experienced rape, murder and a forced marriage at 14 would fall into bed with such a man within 24 hours, after 10 years of trying to preserve her reputation which was all important in Georgian times. This book would be better set in modern times. I found myself quite bored with this book and skimmed at least 35% of it. I almost quit it altogether. When I did come to the end I was surprised that Ms. Beverly could not see that more development of the peripheral characters and more explanation of the motivations would have enhanced this book enormously. It seems that Ms. Beverley thought that just by using some of her Malloren characters in a very minor way, ensured her success. The Malloren series was very successful, because of her writing, not just because of their names. She forgot that, I guess. Where were her editors? It just goes to show that her publisher does not care what she writes as long as she puts her name on the front cover. I admit, however, that before this book, I would have bought her works sight unseen, but no more. I will explore more thoroughly before investing in another of her books.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

In her author's note, Beverley mentions that her concept for her Secrets trilogy (of which this is the second) dictates a plot wherein strangers meet at an inn and false names and identities abound. Your mileage for The Secret Wedding will likely very depending on how much of that kind of masquerade you can stand.

At seventeen, Christian Hill foils the nefarious plans of a fellow officer to wed an heiress by force, interrupting the girl's rape and killing her dirtbag of an abductor. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself forced to marry the girl; a surprise that's compounded years later when he discovers that the bride he left that night to go to war did not in fact die as he'd been told. Instead she's living in Sheffield running a business and planning to marry...once she's absolutely sure the first husband she barely knew is as dead as she's been told.

It's a good set up, and could have given us something with emotional heft as the hero and heroine struggled to overcome their trust issues and (in the heroine's case) the after-effects of a traumatic sexual assault. Instead, we're treated to an almost Midsummer's Night's level shenanigan of concealed identities and deceptions, the kind that strains the bounds of credulity, in which the romantic leads pretty much lie to each other every time they open their mouths.

The only things that saved this for me are the extended cameos by the Marquess of Rothgar and the fanged rabbits of Hesse, the latter of which appears in a gag so hysterically good it seems to have come from an entirely different novel. If not for them, I'd have been fine with this particular novel remaining a secret.

[Nisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, its not the best book I've come across. For one, the hero is... not my type. He's actually a bit spoiled and arrogant and dumb, really. I don't know why it was so hard to inquire about Dorcas at the beginning. No wonder there was the tumble of misunderstandings. The heroine is not much better. She's just a little callous. Its all to do with the money issue. Why she was crazy over it, yet so womanly and wanted children made little sense to me. Maybe its her aunt's fault for making her slightly neurotic, in addition to that rape. And seriously, that type of marriage could have been separated with an annulment. And supposedly she was also the smart one.

The crazy (literally) villains was kinda dumb. For one, her companion was bizarre. They were friends and suddenly Caro thinks that she was just insane. Then there is the undeveloped, really loony villainess. Very mediocre and actually unnecessary. There are only so many crazy people in this world and they are not necessary to make a great love story.

The whole complications deal was too much and so much could have been fixed with rational thinking. It seemed that none of them were really capable of it either. Only Rothgar and his wife and the Duke.

Still, there is some merit to the book for entertainment. It did manage to entertain, despite the dumbness.

[Pj Ausdenmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Hill, viscount, handsome Army major and London rake, has long forgotten the marriage he was forced into as a young lad of sixteen. Ten years ago, a new Army lieutenant stationed in Yorkshire, idealistic and impulsive Christian rushed to the aid of Dorcas Froggatt, a plain, thin young girl who had been sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier, killing the soldier in the ensuing struggle. Dorcas’s powerful aunt then forced Christian to marry the girl to save her reputation. He did so, using the false name of Jack Hill, then promptly left to fight abroad, putting the entire fiasco out of his mind until a few years later when he received a letter from the girl’s aunt informing him of his bride’s death. But now, a letter has arrived at the elite Life Guards where Christian serves asking for information about a soldier by the name of Jack Hill who was stationed in Yorkshire ten years ago and suddenly Jack begins to question everything he thought to be true. What if the letter from the girl’s aunt was a lie? What if he, now Viscount Grandiston and heir to an earldom, is actually still married to that poor, pitiful country miss?

Dorcas Caro Froggatt is a very rich, independent young woman who is looking forward to marriage but first she must make certain she isn’t already married to the young lieutenant who rescued her ten years ago. There was that letter her aunt received that told of the soldier’s death in battle but Caro must have confirmation from the Army before she can move on with her life. Then a man with the same distinctive eyes as her young groom arrives at her home in Yorkshire and Caro is thrown into a tizzy, thinking him to be a relative of her deceased groom and after her sizeable fortune. Pretending to be a lack wit maid from the local insane asylum, she leaves him to the not-so-tender mercies of her former governess and escapes to a friend’s house in another town. Christian is not so easily deceived and, believing the maid will lead him to Dorcas, he follows but the maid vanishes and Caro, determined to protect her fortune from possibly unscrupulous hands, goes on the offensive as Kat Hunter, a supposedly married woman who attracts trouble like a magnet but, more importantly, attracts Christian even more strongly. When she is accused of theft by an inexplicably vindictive American couple, Kat is valiantly rescued by Christian once again and they escape into the night, accompanied by a strange cat that seems to have adopted them. That’s when the fun really begins.

Christian and Kat/Caro strike more sparks off one another than a lightning storm and when they finally come together their passion is hot enough to scorch the pages but, while I loved the passionate scenes, I was equally captivated by the routine conversations and delightful repartee between the two. The scene where they spontaneously weave a story about the cat that travels with them to satisfy the curiosity of an innkeeper and his family is hilarious.

Knowing his reputation with women and not trusting him with her heart or her money, Caro leads Christian on a merry chase from the country fields of Yorkshire to the glittering ballrooms of London where familiar Beverley characters step in to lend a hand in reuniting this likeable couple who still have no idea that they are, in fact, husband and wife.

Jo Beverley is a masterful storyteller and has brought us another delicious road romance with The Secret Wedding, an entertaining tale of intrigue, passion, danger, humor, betrayal and everlasting love, complete with a delightful cast of human characters as well as Tabby, the singularly unique cat-rabbit of Hesse.

I highly recommend The Secret Wedding.

http://www.romancenovel.tv 21 March 2009

[Zel Polev · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should be one star for the heroine alone but I like the hero, so an extra star for the book.

I feel too badly for the hero. I get the heroine's wariness, I really do. What I don't like is the hero's treatment. She's talking about how he is going to profit from all her wealth as if he set out to ensnare her. The glaring truth is that he saved her from ruin and was forced to do so. He was the victim in the whole affair and she was making him out to be some schemer.

I didn't blame her early on because I thought she might be abused by her aunt. When it became apparent that she was treated well, my sympathy went out the window. She let someone else take the consequences of her running off. I just felt bad for Christian. He looked to her for support, expecting that she would return his noble action but she just looked on as the mob planned out his life for him. Later on, she reflects on this. Howver, she only mentions it to commiserate that she, too, had a terrible experience with mobs. It was all about how everything affects her. She doesn't even consider that it affects him too.

There was also an undercurrent of her needing to vilify him. First, he was a rake that was bound to cheat for sure. However, he didn't have sex with himself. She was there too. I'm glad he brought up the fact that she participated in their sexual activities. She was questioning him on whether she can expect fidelity pointing out the fact that he was married when they had sex. He, rightly, asked her the same question. She, too, was married.

She was just not likable. I get that she was wary of the money. She was justified to be so. However, her constant need to see him a bad light when all her suspicions could be cast on her too does not speak well of her character. Somehow, she excuses herself for actions that she vilifies him for.

I also noticed that the hero was damned either way. She has a poor view of him and tended to see him in a bad light no matter what he does. When he readily agreed to be separated from her, she felt hurt. Well, what did she expect. She pushes him away constantly, so it was just a natural reaction. He was going to be damned either way, she'll just find a way to view him poorly.

However, what cinched my poor opinion of her was when she was going to press false rape charges. That was unacceptable. Ithorne and Christian were talking about the ramifications of it. Christian would be discharged from the army. It would ruin his life. I just felt so bad for the guy. He was forced to marry at sixteen. Caro was the beneficiary of that forced marriage. She was able to save her reputation and live a respectable life. She had the temerity to accuse her husband of being money-grubbing and I think she went too far when she was willing to accuse him of forcing her. Christian was just saddled with so many troubles that he didn't ask for while the cause of that trouble just piled on as if she was the victim. It was just ridiculous and not in an amusing way.

I just wanted some reflection on her part that her troubles were caused by her. I wanted her to take some responsibility or just acknowledge it because she was acting like she had no part in what happened to her. Maybe then she could acknowledge her youthful follies and realize she wasn't the biggest victim in the whole marriage.

I like the hero. He just has a reputation that doesn't really correspond to his actions. I felt like she listened more about what people say about him rather than looking at his actions. He rescued her so many times and he did it because he just has that noble side to him. I felt like his label of rake was used to justify all the crap she flung at him. She could act like the innocent party because he had that label on him.

I actually like the pages near the end. I liked that it winded down to her meeting his family. The book could have easily ended when they agreed to give it a try. I liked that they took some days to get to know each other.

The heroine was just terrible. After finishing the book, the hero was just terribly treated. Taking away the words and just judging the characters by their actions, Caro was really terrible and Christian didn't deserve any of the troubles he was put through. Despite his raking reputation, he had a noble spirit. Despite Caro's paranoia about her money being taken away because of her perception that her husband was out to get everything for himself, he really wasn't. I think she was really projecting, because throughout the book, she was the one who was really self-interested. Self-interest isn't a damning trait, just own up to it and don't damn others because of unfounded suspicions. It was just not a good look to simultaneously be the bully and act like the victim.

The story revolves around Caro and Christian. They were forced to marry a decade ago when he was sixteen and she at fifteen. Christian overheard a fellow soldier scheming to marry an heiress. He came to her rescue but it was too late. She was compromised and he ended up killing the other soldier. Her strong aunt came to fetch her and the whole debacle was witnessed by many people. Her reputation could only be saved by a marriage and Christian was at hand. He was strong-armed in the affair. He gave a common name and put the whole business behind him.

Ten years later, someone came to ask about him. Caro was investigating her husband's fate. She was told that he died but her aunt's words asking her to never marry had her worried. She actually wanted to get married because she wanted children. She had a husband picked out and was only putting him off to make sure she wouldn't commit bigamy. She also wanted to set her financial affairs straight. Her investigations only alerted Christian and their past came to the surface. He, too, was worried about the legal ramifications of their marriage.

What followed was their investigations while unknowingly spending time with their spouse. They started an affair, under false guises. Their journey to York was eventful. They encountered people that wanted to kill them and a mob who wanted reward money.

Anyways, their identity gets revealed. They were caught in a compromising situation, which was defused when it was announced that the incident was between a husband and his wife. This came as a shock to everyone, including the said husband and wife.

After that, they fought. They separated and came to terms. There was an assassination attempt stoked by her old governess, the sister of the man Christian killed. She was seeking revenge and influenced a fellow member to poison Christian. Caro stopped him from eating the poisoned cake and the whole story came out.

They met and talked. He was going to abide by hr wish. They could try for a proper marriage or separate. They went to see his family and she decided to try the marriage. She allocated money and it was apparent that the Hills family needed her as their financial advisor.

[Roneice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the Hero, Christian, and Heroine,Caro; the clothes, the food, the travel modes, the homes in town and in the country, the secrets, the conflict.
I do like books about this era. It also references people from other books and gives a peek into their updated lives.

I do skim over the more intimate scenes (maybe because I am older..or more interested in what the Inn Keeper's wife has cooking in the kitchen!..maybe both!).

The foster brother of the Hero, Ithorn, was mentioned enough that when I finished this book, I immediately returned it to the library and got the one about him, The Secret Duke.

I do recall reading them both a couple years ago. I am happy to be rereading them now.

Jo Beverley's books are more complicated, longer, than some easier to read, but go deeper into the moment or the setting. I like coming away having lived moments during the Ball, near the stables, on the dirt road, in a carriage, with a seamstress, at a long dinner table. And recalling the Secret Wedding.

[Ms_prue · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, on one hand, I finished it in two days and never once had to indulge in therapeutic wailing to my husband or the internet about how awful it was. So it beats Marie Donovan I read all to hell, at least (not a fair comparison, Regency romance v contemporary romance, but still). On the other hand, it was very much Catering To Modern Mores, which annoyed me for some reason.
Heyer does it for me better. There's more world in her novels than this one. I think I like the world most of all. Being so tied to one couple in a story reminds me too much of playing The Sims or something. Perhaps that means romance is not my genre. :(

[Lake County Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

#9 in the series. Not the best in the series, but a very very funny continuing joke about the Hessian rabbit-cat and the fanged rabbits it hunts. My sides hurt from laughing. Too bad it wasn't more of a story...

-- Karen, Merrillville Branch

[Leggi&Sogna By · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torno nuovamente a leggere con piacere questa autrice che come al solito riesce a strapparmi un sorriso, con i suoi personaggi a cui è difficile non affezionarsi.

✍️ Christian Hill, ufficiale in partenza per il Canada, è un ragazzo pieno di ideali che non esita un istante a salvare una fanciulla dalle grinfie di Moore, peccato però che arrivi tardi, ma riesce lo stesso a vendicarla uccidendolo.
Ma l'arrivo inaspettato della zia della ragazza, Abigail Forgatt, obbliga il giovane, seduta stante, a sposare Dorcass, per proteggerla dal disonore.

✍️Le loro vie si separano ore dopo, Christian forse troppo giovane, appena sedicenne, dimentica l'accaduto, finché non viene raggiunto, anni dopo, dalla notizia della morte della ragazza.

Tornato dalla guerra, dopo dieci anni, Christian viene a conoscenza che qualcuno chiede in giro notizie di Jack Hill, nome che aveva usato in presenza della zia di Dorcass.

✍️Christian decide di scoprire come mai cercano "Jack" e si reca nel paese dove vive la famiglia di Dorcass e inizia a fare domande.

Un dubbio si instilla nella mente di Christian, è davvero morta Dorcass o la zia gli ha mentito in quella lettera?

Durante le sue ricerche Christian si imbatte in Katherine Hunter, una donna sposata e in difficoltà, che lui non esita ad aiutare rimanendo nuovamente coinvolto.

✍️ Sembra proprio che Kat, porti guai ma Christian non intende lasciarla al suo destino.
Destino che a quanto pare ha già tracciato una via.
Si ritrovano così coinvolti in una rocambolesca avventura che li avvicina sempre più, facendo nascere in loro sentimenti inaspettati.
L'attrazione è palpabile e cedere alla passione è inevitabile, ma entrambi custodiscono nel cuore un segreto, che potrebbe allontanarli oppure....

Lascio a voi il piacere di scoprire come si svilupperà il percorso e le vicissitudini che vedranno coinvolti Christian e Dorcass ops Kat; a me non resta che spiegarvi invece perché questa storia mi è piaciuta.

✍️ Se pur alcune scene sembrano inverosimili, la capacità dell'autrice di intrecciare le vicende tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine fino all'epilogo.

Bella l'evoluzione dei due protagonisti.
Il ragazzino incontrato nella locanda malfamata ora è un uomo, con un titolo sulle spalle, una contea da guidare e in procinto di sposarsi, sotto consiglio della sua famiglia, ma sempre pronto a difendere una donzella in pericolo.

Della ragazza esile e spaventata salvata da "Jack" non c'è più traccia, al suo posto una donna che per anni ha creduto di essere vedova e che dopo alcune vicende inizia a dubitare.

Una fuga a cavallo, un viaggio in carrozza, una notte in locanda piena di passione, un ballo in maschera che ho adorato, amici speciali, Diana, contessa di Arradale, il Marchese di Rothgar e il Duca di Ithorne e tanto altro vi aspettano tra le pagine della storia.

Se conoscete l'autrice e questa serie non potete non leggere 𝑵𝒐𝒛𝒛𝒆 ��𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆.

Consigliatissimo!!

[Diane Shearer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book infuriates me. I will not go into detail (read Sheila’s review below, she nailed it). Christian is a wonderful character, noble, selfless, and honorable from the moment we meet him (age 16 and already a soldier) attempting to save the most selfish, wishy washy, undeserving, ungrateful, heartless heroine ever put on paper from rape. RAPE. At 14! A situation of her own making which she walked into with eyes wide open. He sacrificed his entire life for a stranger and she threw it back in his face for ten years. She didn’t deserve him at age 14 and didn’t deserve him in the end. I despise her. If you are reading through the series I recommend you skip this one. If you choose to read it you’ll have to excuse some reprehensible behavior from Cato. Her only redeeming quality is that Christian Hill loves her. Christian’s loving family of 12 siblings is the highlight of the story. Too bad we won’t see more of them.

[Travelisfers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah - I do love this Malloren series and this story did not disappoint. As teenagers, young Dorcas is attacked by a soldier named Moore - Christian Hill arrives to save your Dorcas and kills Moore..:and so begins this story! Christian is forced to marry Dorcas to save her honor (and gives a false name) but the two are separated (she rushed off by her aunt and he back to war). They don’t know each other and life goes on.

Years later they each wonder of the other is alive based on their current moments in life and they both try to find out.

It’s fun, adventurous and there’s a mystery. The right combination to keep me interested. Really fun. And an appearance by Rothgar - yay!

Read this whole series as a great escape of romance, steam and historical romance fun.

[Zaxs Yacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sensational NEW historical romance from the New York Times bestselling author of a lady's secret He had never intended to marry, but at the age of seventeen Christian Hill impulsively defended a maid's honor only to be blamed for defaming it, and was coerced into marrying Dorcas Froggatt. But then he left to pursue his military career, putting the surreal event out of his mind. Until someone begins making inquiries about a man named Christopher Hill?the alias he used when he wed Dorcas years before...

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright 2009 this is a reread for me. 2nd book in the Georgian Secrets series, 9th in the Malloren series. This book can be read standalone. Some of the characters from other books (including Bey & Diana) make appearances. Tropes are : separated for many years (10 to be exact. The hero is 16, the heroine 14), miscommunication, THE BIG MISUNDERSTANDING!

Love Christian & Caro! I really enjoyed this Georgian story from JB. Action & adventure hound them from Yorkshire to London.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi puntuación se basa en haber sido el primer libro terminado después de un gran parón lector.
Hasta el momento Jo Beverley es una autora que no me ha defraudado.
Dos adolescentes casados en extrañas circunstancias (el chico militar salva a la chica de su agresor), creen que el otro ha muerto pero diez años después cruzarán sus caminos sin conocer la auténtica identidad del otro, vivirán aventuras muy divertidas, y más allá de la desconfianza y la incertidumbre... Se enamoran.

[Yoglaxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que Jo Beverley es una de mis pocas favoritas teniendo en cuenta todos los géneros.

Menos mal que di con esta saga porque me están gustando todos los libros. Y este no es la excepción.

Historia bonita, con sus más y sus menos entre los protagonistas pero siempre queda claro que los dos se quieren y se respetan. Hay una complicidad palpable desde el minuto uno.

¡A por la historia de Ithorne!

[Sanjukta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the plot, the banter and other aspects (discussion of pregnancy risks before sex, the FMC making sure her finances are set before getting into anything).

It's the writing that makes me give it fewer stars. Could have been shorter and tighter. But I still really liked it even though most have given it negative reviews. Further proof that my tastes just differ from the popular!

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I need to read a different author before I finish this series.
It started interestingly; however, the plot is rather same same, but different. It went on and on and on. One scenario after the other, not all of them necessary for the story - rather more like page-fillers.

2 1/2 stars

[Theresa Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! Loved the interaction with Christian and Dorcas!

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

el marques sigue siendo mi favorito. me encanta la forma de comportarse y hacer encajar las cosas.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Whimsical, funny, romantic with an engrossing plot. Very likable people too.

[Sussy_lwp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanto. Es muy entretenida, perfecta para estas fechas de Navidad.
Los protagonistas son geniales, sobre todo la familia de el, son un choclon que no puedes querer saber mas de ellos