Then Comes Marriage

London Friends #3

by Kasey Michaels

Kipp Rutland found Regina Bliss begging and introduced her to the hero of this love story. Investigating her past finds him trussed like a turkey and floating in the Thames. This is no way to start a love affair, but this is no normal love affair.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 31, 2002

About the author

Kasey Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books (she doesn't count them). Kasey has received three coveted Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, two for the historical romances, THE SECRETS OF THE HEART and THE BUTLER DID IT, and a third for contemporary romance LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (that shows diversity, you see). She is a recipient of the RITA, a Waldenbooks and Bookrak Bestseller award, and many awards from Romantic Times magazine, including a Career Achievement award for her Regency era historical romances. She is an Honor Roll author in Romance Writers of America, Inc. (RWA)

Kasey has appeared on the TODAY show, and was the subject of a Lifetime Cable TV show "A Better Way," in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine, a program devoted to women and how they have achieved career success in the midst of motherhood (short version: "with great difficulty").

A highly praised nonfiction book, written as Kathryn Seidick, "...OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO," details the story of Kasey and her family during the time of her eldest son's first kidney transplant.

Kasey has written Regency romances, Regency historicals, category books including novellas and continuities and a few series "launch" books, and single title contemporaries. She has coped with time travel, ghosts, trilogies, the dark side, the very light side, and just about everything in between. Hers is also the twisted mind behind her ongoing Maggie Kelly mystery series starring a former romance writer turned historical mystery writer whose gorgeous hunk of a fictional hero shows up, live and in color, in her Manhattan living room – to melt her knees, to help her solve murders, and to leave the top off her toothpaste. And, says Kasey, she's just getting started!

Series:
* His Chariot Awaits
* Lion On the Prowl
* Crown Family
* London Friends
* Chandlers Request
* The Trehan Brothers
* Maggie Kelly Mystery
* Romney Marsh
* Sunshine Girls

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read with memorable characters. Exactly what I expect from Kasey Michaels. A hero trying to solve his own attempted murder, a heroine who loves to tell anything but the truth and a troupe of secondary characters who both assist the couple and cause a great deal of comic relief create a quick read that kept me interested to the very end.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, but all opinions are mine.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brady James, Earl of Singleton, is accosted, thrown in the Thames, and left for dead. When he survives, he vows to find the trio of men responsible. Taking on a disguise as his fictional cousin, he asks Regina Bliss to help him. He’d been inquiring into her affairs and believes that led to his attack. He knows her story isn’t the truth but his attraction to her can’t be denied. Can the two of them elude his assassins long enough to expose their identities? And once that is done, can he convince Regina to stay? A charming historical romance with elements of mystery.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Brady James, Earl of Singleton, and Regina Bliss in the earlier book of the series, and now it's time for their romance. It starts out rough when Brady is beaten, put in a sack, and thrown in the Thames. He knows it has something to do with Regina, so the two concoct a plan to discover the murderers.
This is a fun romance, light like a Shakespearean farce with delightful supplementary characters to round out the cast. I didn't feel Brady and Regina as a couple as much as the couples in the first two books of the series, but it's still a good read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Then Comes Marriage is the final installment in the Love in the Regency trilogy (fourth in a quartet if you count Indiscreet.) While having read the others, gives the reader more background, Kasey Michaels does an excellent job setting up the characters and establishing the backstory so the newcomer can enter into the story without being cast out with questions of what happened before.
The first chapter action immediately draws in the reader, and being a Zorro fan from childhood, I had no trouble approving the ruse Brady decides upon to uncover the trio who think they have murdered him. There were plot twists, which were quite enjoyable. However, I found some of the scenes missed the mark, and I hated the undisclosed remark from Cosmos that caused Brady to re-think his end game.
It’s a fun read, but not my favorite.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[ShyAnn64 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kipp Rutland found Regina Bliss begging and introduced her to the hero of this love story. Investigating her past finds him trussed like a turkey and floating in the Thames. This is no way to start a love affair, but this is no normal love affair.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a very cute story that came with some unexpected twists and turns. I had fun reading it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute and funny

[Lu Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this book about 20 years ago and gave it two stars. I re-read it now and have given it three.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comic relief best friend plus a minor female character from Someone to Love get their own book. Unfortunately, while attempting to find out where the mysterious girl came from in the previous book, our intrepid hero poked his nose into places it didn't belong and suffers a murder attempt in this book because of it. Allowing society to believe he'd died, he transforms into a frivolous dandy, aided in his acting by the female lead with a convoluted past and some hilarious one-note traveling actors, to go undercover as his own heir and attempt to discover who'd wanted him dead and why. It was fun but lacking in some grounding in reality. It was a nice touch that the actress was genuinely an actress though and not the long lost daughter of nobility, as so often happens in these types of stories. I do wish the cheerful, gentle trickster types of characters would be allowed to stay more true to type when switching from a side character to a main character. This book did a better job maintaining some degree of his inherent hilarity than other books of this type, but it still seems to be a necessity that every romantic hero have an exaggeratedly angsty back-story, and that gets trite and tiresome.

[Samie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brady James, the Earl of Singleton, survives being beaten, tied in a sack and thrown into the Thames to drown. He decides to find out who the three gentlemen are and why they tried to drown hm.

Regina Bliss was rescued, from the London streets, by Brady’s friends. Brady plans to go back into Society as his own heir, Gawain Garadoc. Regina uses her acting skills to teach Brady how to be a London “fop”. Brady takes Regina to London as his ward. Together they work to find the men that tried to drown Brady.

Kasey Michaels has such a gift with words, that some of the scenes seem to come to life. I have read almost all (still working on this) of her books and have never been disappointed. I really enjoyed rereading this hilarious book.

I received a free copy of the e-book in exchange for giving an honest review.

[Bernadette Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brady James, Earl of Singleton, nearly dies after being beaten and thrown into the Thames River, but the experience changes him. He realizes that he has few good friends and no one who will really miss him, if he's gone. He vows to change that. He becomes involved in the life of Regina Bliss, a young woman who interests him and one filled with mystery. His involvement has him changing his physical appearance and mannerisms to one of a "fop" and fashion expert and to invent a distant cousin to fill the role. Regina encourages him because of personal reasons, but tells mostly fibs and lies as her story. Brady is never quite sure what is truth.

The story was entertaining with the descriptions of Brady or Gawain Caradoc in London' society and the reaction of the ton. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Norma Reasor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely five stars.

Very good . I love Kasey Michaels historical novels, and this, the third in the series, is every bit as good as the first two. If you like Regency novels, you'll love this one. Highly recommend. It is a stand alone book, but you will meet characters introduced in the last two novels, so probably should read them fast

[Jana Delli-Gatti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one

Kasey Michaels scores again. I remember characters from the other books in this series in spite of the time between books. I liked them before & enjoyed them again.

[Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappointed

In Kasey Michaels as she leads you on a journey; this journey has murder, mayhem, villains,heroes (several of them actually) and a wonderful ending you won't see coming!! Read this one and you'll be a Kasey Michaels fan for life--if you're not already!!

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

Then comes marriage

A highly unlikely or even possible plot. I could not like the hero because he was not likeable. The story was so convoluted with so many undeveloped characters that it really wasn't worth the money or the time to read it.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love regency books and Kasey Michaels has a great way of telling them. Her stories are funny and her plots are well developed. 'Then Comes Marriage' kept me engaged throughout. If you enjoy funny and mysterious in a regency setting then this book will not disappoint.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

train reading at its worst.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous one I read from this series, Someone to Love.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Kasey Michaels romance - great story, appealing hero and a smart heroine! Only wish her other novels were as good as this one - have been disappointed with the others I've picked up.

[C K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an author that I have read a lot of and have added her books to my 'keeper' book shelf. Most I have read at least twice and some even more than that.

[Chris Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yea! honor and Bram's story is terrific.

[Karen Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

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