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Gabriel's Bride: A Regency Romance Where an Arrogant Earl's Revenge Becomes Blistering Desire
A brooding Earl’s revenge leads to seduction with an American tavern wench in this scandalously sexy Regency romance.Trapped by duty—and by the demands of his cruel, unyielding father—Lord Gabriel Sinclair is being forced to find a bride. But the dark and moody Earl of Wakefield plans an exquisite revenge on his cold-hearted wedding the sultry, low-born Yankee who tried to steal his watch. Ragged and beautiful, Cassie McClellan is desperate to escape her life of poverty—and, therefore, willingly accepts the handsome, arrogant aristocrat’s offer of marriage in name only. But neither is prepared for the awakening passions that will bind their fragile, damaged hearts—or the blistering, sensual need that compels them both to surrender body and soul.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1994
37 people are currently reading
1809 people want to read
About the author
Samantha James
91 books504 followersGrowing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.
In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!
Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."
The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."
That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.
Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...
To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.
Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
January 14, 2010
This is a wonderful book, with the following caveat: Gabriel is a very cruel hero. He is a bitter man. So full of anger at his father that he often uses Cassie as a verbal punching bag. His father is after him to marry, so he picks a bride that he is absolutely sure will aggravate his father. Cassie is a poor, overworked tavern maid that he finds on the docks in America. He thinks she isn't virtuous, but it turns out that she is. He doesn't make her over or clean her up, but delivers her to his father in the condition he finds her. Then he abandons her.
At first, his father is pretty mean to Cassie. But Cassie's wonderful and kind heart wins his regard. He is also impressed with her determination to better herself by reading and learning how to be a wife of a noblemen. When Gabriel comes back, he realized what a gem he's married.
This is one of those books that I loved for the heroine, and for the beauty of the storytelling. Gabriel could use a hard knock upside his head with a shovel. That what I use as code for an uber-alpha hero who needs to be taken down a peg. The sensuality is steaming, although it seems whenever Gabriel makes love with his wife, he is driven by angry passion and rarely by tenderness. Gabriel does everything he can to drive his wife away, and finally he succeeds. It is then that realizes how much she means to him and goes to get her back. The ending of this book is so poignant that it is another reason I love it so much. I definitely recommend this book if you can handle a hero with a serious chip on his shoulder who has a tendency to be mean to the heroine. If so, it's worth reading, and I consider it a keeper.
At first, his father is pretty mean to Cassie. But Cassie's wonderful and kind heart wins his regard. He is also impressed with her determination to better herself by reading and learning how to be a wife of a noblemen. When Gabriel comes back, he realized what a gem he's married.
This is one of those books that I loved for the heroine, and for the beauty of the storytelling. Gabriel could use a hard knock upside his head with a shovel. That what I use as code for an uber-alpha hero who needs to be taken down a peg. The sensuality is steaming, although it seems whenever Gabriel makes love with his wife, he is driven by angry passion and rarely by tenderness. Gabriel does everything he can to drive his wife away, and finally he succeeds. It is then that realizes how much she means to him and goes to get her back. The ending of this book is so poignant that it is another reason I love it so much. I definitely recommend this book if you can handle a hero with a serious chip on his shoulder who has a tendency to be mean to the heroine. If so, it's worth reading, and I consider it a keeper.
May 23, 2025
read: 2014 -2 stars
reread: 4/29/25 - 3.5 stars
Setting: South Carolina and England
Regency era
notes:
TBH I forgot what an a**hole Gabriel was to the h. Yikes! Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem for me. I think it bothered me more because she was soo helpless. Funny thing is he is just like his hated father.
Luckily, the pacing picks up in the second half of the book and Gabriel gets his s**t together. Still, I wanted him to grovel more. She forgave him too easily.
Conclusion: I don't think SJ Regency books are for me. I prefer her medieval stories. Still, this was not a bad book and it's worth a try.
reread: 4/29/25 - 3.5 stars
Setting: South Carolina and England
Regency era
notes:
TBH I forgot what an a**hole Gabriel was to the h. Yikes! Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem for me. I think it bothered me more because she was soo helpless. Funny thing is he is just like his hated father.
Luckily, the pacing picks up in the second half of the book and Gabriel gets his s**t together. Still, I wanted him to grovel more. She forgave him too easily.
Conclusion: I don't think SJ Regency books are for me. I prefer her medieval stories. Still, this was not a bad book and it's worth a try.
October 8, 2018
This h/H are brought together in a moc by a very convoluted and highly far-fetched route!
So many thoroughly unbelievable and anachronistic things happen here.
Who can believe that an earl (and heir to a dukedom) will marry a tavern wench/very-likely-a-whore (well, he totally believes her to be one!) just to spite his father???
And she not only manages to retain her v-card but is a complete innocent in the ways of men/women? Born and raised in a tavern as she is - with a tavern whore as a mother, as are her ‘colleagues’? So men grab and fondle and pinch - but let her be? Sorry, very implausible!
And the marriage remains unconsummated during the six weeks voyage back to England! Even when these two snuggle together naked/semi-naked, in a bunk through this voyage?
I was ready to throw the book - as the inconsistencies far outweighed anything meaningful.
So what made it better/bearable?
Simple. If you like an unapologetically and unrelentingly mean and cruel H who uses and humiliates a h (like yours truly)…then this is the book for you.
Yes, and flashes of connection and chemistry.
A bit of an obvious whodunit mystery.
And a big dollop of sob-sob papa/mama issues.
So an entertaining and absorbing plot, with timely doses of angst thrown in for good measure. 3.5*
But please suspend all disbelief first!
So many thoroughly unbelievable and anachronistic things happen here.
Who can believe that an earl (and heir to a dukedom) will marry a tavern wench/very-likely-a-whore (well, he totally believes her to be one!) just to spite his father???
And she not only manages to retain her v-card but is a complete innocent in the ways of men/women? Born and raised in a tavern as she is - with a tavern whore as a mother, as are her ‘colleagues’? So men grab and fondle and pinch - but let her be? Sorry, very implausible!
And the marriage remains unconsummated during the six weeks voyage back to England! Even when these two snuggle together naked/semi-naked, in a bunk through this voyage?
I was ready to throw the book - as the inconsistencies far outweighed anything meaningful.
So what made it better/bearable?
Simple. If you like an unapologetically and unrelentingly mean and cruel H who uses and humiliates a h (like yours truly)…then this is the book for you.
Yes, and flashes of connection and chemistry.
A bit of an obvious whodunit mystery.
And a big dollop of sob-sob papa/mama issues.
So an entertaining and absorbing plot, with timely doses of angst thrown in for good measure. 3.5*
But please suspend all disbelief first!
April 21, 2017
The book was OK in the beginning. I understand why Gabriel hates his father. But, marrying a girl to take revenge against his father is not a good idea. Gabriel marries Cassandra, a lowborn Yankee wench and exactly those are the things Edmund, Gabriel's father hate.
At some point, I like Cassandra. She is brave and tries to accept her position as a countess and learn how to be a proper lady, even learn how to read and write. Gabriel was cruel and rude to her. He insulted her every time. When he found out that she was a virgin, he got angry because she didn't tell him earlier. But still, Cassandra try to understood Gabriel and support him in front of his father. For all of this reason, I respect Cassandra.
I didn't like Gabriel at first, he is arrogant, rude, cruel and mean. But Author explained why he is like that. While I was reading the book, I clearly saw that how confused and twisted his feeling was for Cassandra. Later he understands what kind of person Cassandra was. But one thing was very disappointing that he still insulted her without any valid reason and didn't trust her at all with another mans. When Cassandra confessed that she was pregnant again Gabriel got angry and this time Cassandra left. After he found her, they make amends and I truly felt that Gabriel was changed for good. The baby was born and everyone was happy.
Until that point, the book was ok but, It was the last three chapters that actually ruined the book for me. In the beginning of the book, someone tries to kill Cassandra, but without any valid reason, she accused Gabriel. She thought Gabriel dislike her and that's why he tries to kill her. I mean seriously, disliking a person is one thing and killing a person is entirely a different thing. Another thing is, at that time of the book Gabriel already told her that "please don't leave me again" while they were making love. So how Cassandra thought that it was Gabriel who is the killer. I know he was not good to her, but that doesn't mean he will kill her. After solving this mess, Cassandra said sorry to Gabriel and they both confessed they loved each other and live happily ever after. Bullshit, If you love someone then without thinking further you don't accused him as your killer.
Without that last drama, I would have given this book three stars.
At some point, I like Cassandra. She is brave and tries to accept her position as a countess and learn how to be a proper lady, even learn how to read and write. Gabriel was cruel and rude to her. He insulted her every time. When he found out that she was a virgin, he got angry because she didn't tell him earlier. But still, Cassandra try to understood Gabriel and support him in front of his father. For all of this reason, I respect Cassandra.
I didn't like Gabriel at first, he is arrogant, rude, cruel and mean. But Author explained why he is like that. While I was reading the book, I clearly saw that how confused and twisted his feeling was for Cassandra. Later he understands what kind of person Cassandra was. But one thing was very disappointing that he still insulted her without any valid reason and didn't trust her at all with another mans. When Cassandra confessed that she was pregnant again Gabriel got angry and this time Cassandra left. After he found her, they make amends and I truly felt that Gabriel was changed for good. The baby was born and everyone was happy.
Until that point, the book was ok but, It was the last three chapters that actually ruined the book for me. In the beginning of the book, someone tries to kill Cassandra, but without any valid reason, she accused Gabriel. She thought Gabriel dislike her and that's why he tries to kill her. I mean seriously, disliking a person is one thing and killing a person is entirely a different thing. Another thing is, at that time of the book Gabriel already told her that "please don't leave me again" while they were making love. So how Cassandra thought that it was Gabriel who is the killer. I know he was not good to her, but that doesn't mean he will kill her. After solving this mess, Cassandra said sorry to Gabriel and they both confessed they loved each other and live happily ever after. Bullshit, If you love someone then without thinking further you don't accused him as your killer.
Without that last drama, I would have given this book three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2025
My soul shall rise again from fire and angst
Asshole heroes, which do you prefer?
─•─•➻ Read for the angst, the cruel words and the broken heroine.
─•─•➻ Read for the redemption arc, to see them on their knees, crying and bleeding.
﹐ᐢ..ᐢ﹐ ‹꒰But, Izzah, why can't I choose both? ꒱
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Asshole heroes, which do you prefer?
─•─•➻ Read for the angst, the cruel words and the broken heroine.
─•─•➻ Read for the redemption arc, to see them on their knees, crying and bleeding.
﹐ᐢ..ᐢ﹐ ‹꒰But, Izzah, why can't I choose both? ꒱
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
May 25, 2020
My favorite kind of bodice-ripper with a totally besotted H.
November 21, 2017
This book was pretty horrible. It wasn't well-written, yet it was still readable, which explains how I managed to finish it.
At first I was intrigued. It was kind of an unusual setup with an English earl picking an American tavern wench as a wife to spite his father. Okay, I can go with that. Gabriel offers Cassie a pretty sweet deal: she'll be his wife, never want for anything for the rest of her life, and as a bonus, he agrees that she won't even have to sleep with him.
Yet for some reason Cassie isn't looking at this situation the right way. In Charleston she had resorted to theft and formed a tentative plan to work as a seamstress, but now she's going to live an easy life, wanting for NOTHING. She'll be so comfortable and secure. It was either marry Gabriel or be turned in for her theft. But all she does is rail at him for no reason, constantly. So annoying.
I knew Gabriel was going to be a cruel hero, and that wasn't something that bothered me. He eventually decides to consummate the marriage, of course, and ends up raping Cassie because he thought she'd slept with a lot of men in her life as a tavern wench. Only when he finds out she was a virgin is he sorry... and then he immediately turns the whole thing into her fault. Naturally. His desires are uncontrollable, you see.
Even that would have been fine if he learned from the situation (he didn't, and went on to rape her again). But he was stupidly jealous, always suspecting Cassie of infidelity on the basis of nothing. In her defense she speaks up for herself and even leaves him (twice). But of my god, these characters were so stupid. Their behavior was in line with familiar tropes (spirited heroine, bitter hero, fighting with each other because they're dissatisfied in some way), but their motivations and feelings weren't explained as well as in some other romances. It just made the whole book bizarre and annoying. Like, WHY are you people acting like this? GET IT TOGETHER. Gabriel turned everything back around on Cassie to make it her fault (EVERY SINGLE THING). Cassie randomly falls in love with Gabriel even though he's never once shown her a moment's tenderness.
This was in the style of older bodice rippers but without the give-no-fucks panache, uninspiring writing, and the merest sliver of historical detail.
At first I was intrigued. It was kind of an unusual setup with an English earl picking an American tavern wench as a wife to spite his father. Okay, I can go with that. Gabriel offers Cassie a pretty sweet deal: she'll be his wife, never want for anything for the rest of her life, and as a bonus, he agrees that she won't even have to sleep with him.
Yet for some reason Cassie isn't looking at this situation the right way. In Charleston she had resorted to theft and formed a tentative plan to work as a seamstress, but now she's going to live an easy life, wanting for NOTHING. She'll be so comfortable and secure. It was either marry Gabriel or be turned in for her theft. But all she does is rail at him for no reason, constantly. So annoying.
I knew Gabriel was going to be a cruel hero, and that wasn't something that bothered me. He eventually decides to consummate the marriage, of course, and ends up raping Cassie because he thought she'd slept with a lot of men in her life as a tavern wench. Only when he finds out she was a virgin is he sorry... and then he immediately turns the whole thing into her fault. Naturally. His desires are uncontrollable, you see.
Even that would have been fine if he learned from the situation (he didn't, and went on to rape her again). But he was stupidly jealous, always suspecting Cassie of infidelity on the basis of nothing. In her defense she speaks up for herself and even leaves him (twice). But of my god, these characters were so stupid. Their behavior was in line with familiar tropes (spirited heroine, bitter hero, fighting with each other because they're dissatisfied in some way), but their motivations and feelings weren't explained as well as in some other romances. It just made the whole book bizarre and annoying. Like, WHY are you people acting like this? GET IT TOGETHER. Gabriel turned everything back around on Cassie to make it her fault (EVERY SINGLE THING). Cassie randomly falls in love with Gabriel even though he's never once shown her a moment's tenderness.
This was in the style of older bodice rippers but without the give-no-fucks panache, uninspiring writing, and the merest sliver of historical detail.
December 18, 2014
Gabriel, who stands to inherit a dukedom, marries a barmaid in order to frustrate his father whom he hates. The barmaid knows that his reason for marrying her is revenge but not quite the extent of his hatred for his father. In order to make her agree with his plans, Gabriel tells her he will make sure she will want for nothing AND their marriage is to be in name only. Cassie agrees and together they leave with his ship for England. Of course nothing goes as promised neither for Cassie nor for Gabriel.
I came to care a lot for both of them pretty soon. Gabriel and Cassie as well, were well drawn characters with flaws and strengths and both very alone. They also had some skeletons in their closets, some pretty serious ones and not just something silly that will make the reader roll her eyes when revealed. But, it seems from early on that Cassie might be sweet and caring enough to offer Gabriel that which he's missing all his life: love. Of course he's too stubborn to see it and admit that what he feels for her is more than lust.
The story is very intense, angsty and deeply emotional. My heart was aching the whole time from the struggles those two had to go through. However, Gabriel became a jerk after a while, saying things he never should have to her, but Cassie's reaction at a later point was exactly the same. And then, she said them again. And instead of clearing their misunderstandings, both of them chose to stick to their pride and risk loosing each other. More than once. That fact (the more than once, not that there was a misunderstanding) along with Cassie's difficulty at the end to actually trust the man she loved, are the sole reason this didn't get a 5 stars rating for me.
Highly recommended but for romance readers not looking for a PC story.
I came to care a lot for both of them pretty soon. Gabriel and Cassie as well, were well drawn characters with flaws and strengths and both very alone. They also had some skeletons in their closets, some pretty serious ones and not just something silly that will make the reader roll her eyes when revealed. But, it seems from early on that Cassie might be sweet and caring enough to offer Gabriel that which he's missing all his life: love. Of course he's too stubborn to see it and admit that what he feels for her is more than lust.
The story is very intense, angsty and deeply emotional. My heart was aching the whole time from the struggles those two had to go through. However, Gabriel became a jerk after a while, saying things he never should have to her, but Cassie's reaction at a later point was exactly the same. And then, she said them again. And instead of clearing their misunderstandings, both of them chose to stick to their pride and risk loosing each other. More than once. That fact (the more than once, not that there was a misunderstanding) along with Cassie's difficulty at the end to actually trust the man she loved, are the sole reason this didn't get a 5 stars rating for me.
Highly recommended but for romance readers not looking for a PC story.
December 22, 2021
"Gabriels Bride" is the story of Cassie and Gabriel.
Too forgiving!
So if I had to rate this book purely on angst, it would be a 5 star. But alas..
The hero is the second son to a wicked earl, who gave him no love growing up. This leads to him becoming extremely resentful and cold, especially after his mother dies. When his older half sibling passes away, and he is forced to marry, he instead chooses a barmaid who tried to steal from him.
Now, when it comes to cruel heroes, Gabriel would be the one on the top. Right from the beginning, he takes pleasure in shaming her, calling her a thieving slut. Then, after marriage, his sharp tongue continues to annihilate her, their first night is semi-con, despite multiple reconciliations he threatens her and accuses her of cheating and generally a cad. She goes through SO MUCH torture with him and with her circumstances, but I thought her forgiveness was given too easily. I mean after suffering homeless for 4 months and going into premature labor, the next thing is him ignoring her, then accusing her of cheating and then threatening to take the child away? Im sorry, f off. He barely groveled and blamed his daddy for everything.
Anyways, he also considers cheating on her but doesn't cross the line. But I had already had enough of him 30% into the book, and he did not redeem himself.
Rant over.
SWE
3/5
Too forgiving!
So if I had to rate this book purely on angst, it would be a 5 star. But alas..
The hero is the second son to a wicked earl, who gave him no love growing up. This leads to him becoming extremely resentful and cold, especially after his mother dies. When his older half sibling passes away, and he is forced to marry, he instead chooses a barmaid who tried to steal from him.
Now, when it comes to cruel heroes, Gabriel would be the one on the top. Right from the beginning, he takes pleasure in shaming her, calling her a thieving slut. Then, after marriage, his sharp tongue continues to annihilate her, their first night is semi-con, despite multiple reconciliations he threatens her and accuses her of cheating and generally a cad. She goes through SO MUCH torture with him and with her circumstances, but I thought her forgiveness was given too easily. I mean after suffering homeless for 4 months and going into premature labor, the next thing is him ignoring her, then accusing her of cheating and then threatening to take the child away? Im sorry, f off. He barely groveled and blamed his daddy for everything.
Anyways, he also considers cheating on her but doesn't cross the line. But I had already had enough of him 30% into the book, and he did not redeem himself.
Rant over.
SWE
3/5
September 23, 2024
Loved it! Had a sweet, but courageous heroine that reluctantly catches the eye of an OTT jealous, possessive Hero. Lots of heartbreaking, troubled past elements for both MC's. Their marriage of convenience quickly becomes a serious affair that neither of them were prepared for. Amidst all the pining, the fighting of wills, and the snaps of judgement, this turned out to be a very sweet romance that checked all my boxes of why I love old school romance novels so much! Recommend to anyone that also shares that affinity for old school romances that doesn't mind a very masculine hero that isn't above taking what he wants from the heroine on their journey to an all-consuming love!
October 28, 2020
4 stars
sooo ... i was not expecting to like this book so much? while gabriel and cassandra (the mc's) are pretty likeable and have lots of chemistry the real strength of this book lies in the supporting characters and supporting relationships. the author takes a lot of typical tropes in the genre and subverts them:
- the poised, perfect ex-betrothed (he was going to have to marry his deceased brother's fiancée) is cassie's first friend and ally in england instead of the typical ow that she would have been endlessly compared to.
- gabriel's best friend christopher is very fond of cassandra, but he genuinely wants them both to be happy together and he's not turned into an om.
- the stuffy cold duke aka gabriel's father. so instead of going the typical route of unmendable parent-child relationships, a lot of this book focuses on gabriel and his father's relationship and what went wrong so many years ago and how decades of neglect leads to resentment in children. the duke's relationship with cassie was really well built up too.
- the parallels between how the duke treated his second wife (gabriel's mother) and how gabriel treated cassie in fits of anger were great too and acknowledged by the characters.
plot twist at the end becomes kind of predictable as the book goes on, but i really enjoyed the family and friendship dynamic of this.
sooo ... i was not expecting to like this book so much? while gabriel and cassandra (the mc's) are pretty likeable and have lots of chemistry the real strength of this book lies in the supporting characters and supporting relationships. the author takes a lot of typical tropes in the genre and subverts them:
- the poised, perfect ex-betrothed (he was going to have to marry his deceased brother's fiancée) is cassie's first friend and ally in england instead of the typical ow that she would have been endlessly compared to.
- gabriel's best friend christopher is very fond of cassandra, but he genuinely wants them both to be happy together and he's not turned into an om.
- the stuffy cold duke aka gabriel's father. so instead of going the typical route of unmendable parent-child relationships, a lot of this book focuses on gabriel and his father's relationship and what went wrong so many years ago and how decades of neglect leads to resentment in children. the duke's relationship with cassie was really well built up too.
- the parallels between how the duke treated his second wife (gabriel's mother) and how gabriel treated cassie in fits of anger were great too and acknowledged by the characters.
plot twist at the end becomes kind of predictable as the book goes on, but i really enjoyed the family and friendship dynamic of this.
September 20, 2013
I loved everything about this book. Gabriel is the ultimate alpha hero. Hard and brooding and bitter and yes even cruel! The emotional roller coaster journey between Gabriel and Cassie is just thrilling!
Gabriel, a duke has to marry not because he wants to but because his hateful father orders him so. In America he meets Cassie, a poor uneducated tavern maid and decides to marry her as an act of defiance and revenge against his father. Cassie accepts cause she is miserable and desperate to escape the tavern/brothel she works in. She begs him to be a marriage in name only and he agrees. But when they arrive in England things get a bit complicated.
I have such a soft spot for a marriage of convenience story and the baby theme! I liked how both Cassie and Gabriel were tormented sad souls. They both suffered, they both had bad childhoods, they both feel unwanted and insecure. Hero having the impression that Cassie is a whore is super possessive and jealous of Cassie's friendship with his best friend. Cassie is strong and fiesty but she is also vulnerable and starved for love and attention. She hates how Gabriel sees her as a weapon to use against his father. His anger and indifference hurt her badly.
"Why why do you hate me?" she cried brokenly. "Will you always hate me?"
His reaction to her pregnancy was beyond cruel and Cassie's fear and tears broke my heart.
"If I had to be burdened with a wife, why did I have to choose you? Why couldn't you have been barren?"
Towards the end though it was Cassie who became a paranoid and her lack of trust, her belief that Gabriel wanted to kill her and the mean things she said to him are the reasons I gave 4 stars.
Still SJ definitely kept me on the edge of my seat with this one, the angst, the drama, the sexiness, my emotions were all over the place!
Gabriel, a duke has to marry not because he wants to but because his hateful father orders him so. In America he meets Cassie, a poor uneducated tavern maid and decides to marry her as an act of defiance and revenge against his father. Cassie accepts cause she is miserable and desperate to escape the tavern/brothel she works in. She begs him to be a marriage in name only and he agrees. But when they arrive in England things get a bit complicated.
I have such a soft spot for a marriage of convenience story and the baby theme! I liked how both Cassie and Gabriel were tormented sad souls. They both suffered, they both had bad childhoods, they both feel unwanted and insecure. Hero having the impression that Cassie is a whore is super possessive and jealous of Cassie's friendship with his best friend. Cassie is strong and fiesty but she is also vulnerable and starved for love and attention. She hates how Gabriel sees her as a weapon to use against his father. His anger and indifference hurt her badly.
"Why why do you hate me?" she cried brokenly. "Will you always hate me?"
His reaction to her pregnancy was beyond cruel and Cassie's fear and tears broke my heart.
"If I had to be burdened with a wife, why did I have to choose you? Why couldn't you have been barren?"
Towards the end though it was Cassie who became a paranoid and her lack of trust, her belief that Gabriel wanted to kill her and the mean things she said to him are the reasons I gave 4 stars.
Still SJ definitely kept me on the edge of my seat with this one, the angst, the drama, the sexiness, my emotions were all over the place!
February 25, 2010
This is actually a 3.5 star for me. This was a good read and found myself on an emotional rollercoaster along with Cassie. Yes, Gabriel was a cruel hero and said very hurtful things to Cassie. However, his anguish over her disappearance certainly tugged at my heartstrings.
One of the reasons I didn't give this a full 4 stars is even though Gabriel did redeem himself over his treatment of Cassie I wanted him to be a little nicer to her after she returned and the baby was born. Another reason is Cassie's belief that Gabriel was the one trying to kill her. It just didn't fit with me. Up until the last attempt she never had a thought Gabriel might be the guilty party. I don't know. I just felt if she loved Gabriel as we were told then she wouldn't have believed him capable of something like that.
Unlike His Wicked Ways, I didn't get the warm and fuzzies about this romance. Oh, it was romantic but I liked the romance of His Wicked Ways more than Gabriel's Bride. It seemed the love story was more intense in HWW. Maybe it was because of the cruelty of the hero.
I do plan to read more of Samantha James's books. I think she's a great writer and tells a wonderful story.
This was still a good read.
One of the reasons I didn't give this a full 4 stars is even though Gabriel did redeem himself over his treatment of Cassie I wanted him to be a little nicer to her after she returned and the baby was born. Another reason is Cassie's belief that Gabriel was the one trying to kill her. It just didn't fit with me. Up until the last attempt she never had a thought Gabriel might be the guilty party. I don't know. I just felt if she loved Gabriel as we were told then she wouldn't have believed him capable of something like that.
Unlike His Wicked Ways, I didn't get the warm and fuzzies about this romance. Oh, it was romantic but I liked the romance of His Wicked Ways more than Gabriel's Bride. It seemed the love story was more intense in HWW. Maybe it was because of the cruelty of the hero.
I do plan to read more of Samantha James's books. I think she's a great writer and tells a wonderful story.
This was still a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2022
istg review to come
May 19, 2020
This book was a mess. Very unrealistic. We have Gabriel, the H who has a slew of daddy issues which causes him to be a selfish a$$. He finds Cassie in a tavern in Charleston. He doesn’t want to marry his betrothed, so he hastily decides to take the pathetic Cassie as his bride. She is a tavern wench but she acts like a high-born lady for some reason so she isn’t popular. Also she’s somehow still a virgin, which doesn’t seem very likely IRL.
Cassie: beautiful, tiny, red haired, amber-eyed, impulsive, hot headed, presumptuous, annoying, TSTL
Gabriel: handsome, huge, gray eyes, dark hair, daddy issues galore...
He abandons his bride with his father. It’s a long time before the marriage is consummated. His former betrothed, Evelyn takes pity on Cassie and teachers her etiquette and how to run a household. There’s weird attempts on Cassie’s life. This mystery is resolved at the end.
Gabriel holds Cassie at arms length throughout the whole book. She pines for his love. When Gabriel gets Cassie pregnant, he is horrible to her and she leaves and goes to a tavern, not caring a wit that she is needlessly endangering herself and her unborn child. Gabriel locates her 4 months later. She is an emaciated prego, which isn’t good.
I just didn’t connect to these characters. Cassie announced me to no end. Gabriel is very cruel. It just didn’t give me the resolution I felt it needed. The book was very unbelievable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cassie: beautiful, tiny, red haired, amber-eyed, impulsive, hot headed, presumptuous, annoying, TSTL
Gabriel: handsome, huge, gray eyes, dark hair, daddy issues galore...
He abandons his bride with his father. It’s a long time before the marriage is consummated. His former betrothed, Evelyn takes pity on Cassie and teachers her etiquette and how to run a household. There’s weird attempts on Cassie’s life. This mystery is resolved at the end.
Gabriel holds Cassie at arms length throughout the whole book. She pines for his love. When Gabriel gets Cassie pregnant, he is horrible to her and she leaves and goes to a tavern, not caring a wit that she is needlessly endangering herself and her unborn child. Gabriel locates her 4 months later. She is an emaciated prego, which isn’t good.
I just didn’t connect to these characters. Cassie announced me to no end. Gabriel is very cruel. It just didn’t give me the resolution I felt it needed. The book was very unbelievable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2014
Why do so many authors shove words down the throats of readers?
The whole book can be summed up with the following words:
Casey: "I had never been so angered..."
"I have never been so insulted..."
"I have never been so ashamed..."
"I have never been so frustrated..."
Repeat, reuse, recycle. This was pretty much her mantra for the whole book.
Gabriel: "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank"
He said it enough times that I was thoroughly exhausted by reading the words and offended in place of the female lead. There was a page in which he says it after every sentence, at least 7 times.
Sheer endurance kept me reading this book since it's almost impossible for me to stop reading a book once I start. Plus a bit of bullheadedness as well.
The whole book can be summed up with the following words:
Casey: "I had never been so angered..."
"I have never been so insulted..."
"I have never been so ashamed..."
"I have never been so frustrated..."
Repeat, reuse, recycle. This was pretty much her mantra for the whole book.
Gabriel: "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank" "Yank"
He said it enough times that I was thoroughly exhausted by reading the words and offended in place of the female lead. There was a page in which he says it after every sentence, at least 7 times.
Sheer endurance kept me reading this book since it's almost impossible for me to stop reading a book once I start. Plus a bit of bullheadedness as well.
March 23, 2011
3.5-4 points
Lord Gabriel Sinclair , Earl of Wakefield, is heir to the Duke of Farleigh. He was the duke's second son by a second wife and the duke unfortunately makes it clear to both his new wife and Gabriel that he does not love them but is committed to the memory of his dead first wife and his first son, Stuart. In the end the situation becomes too much for lady Caroline to bear and she drowns herself. Gabriel is aware of this but his father is totally oblivious. When Stuart dies, the duke can not forgive Gabriel for being alive and they have a very destructive relationship.
Gabriel is visiting Charleston in South Carolina with his friend christopher. Stuart had died in the battle of New Orleans and his father was insisting that he marry stuart's betrothed instead when he returned to England. They are at in inn, when Gabriel spots one of the bar maids, cassie, who is trying her best to avoid male attention. cassie is intimidated by Gabriel and is frightened of him from the outset. She she spills a drink on him, the inn keeper forces her to go to his room, making it clear that he expects her to sleep with him in order to make it up. Cassie has managed to hang on to her virtue and is desperate not to end up as a whore. She goes to his room under duress. Gabriel is simply obnoxious to her, referring to her a yank and offering her a hand full of silver to bed with him. She makes it clear that she is unwilling but he forcefully kisses her. Eventually he lets her leave but she steals his watch on the way out. Cassie leaves the inn hoping to sell to watch and escape from her current circumstances. Gabriel realises it is missing and catches her. There is a confrontation with the inn keeper and in the end Gabriel indicates that he will marry her as he wants to get back at his father. After some reluctance Cassie agrees, but on the basis that she will not have to share his bed.
They marry and sail that day for England. He continues to refer to her throughout as Yank, and it grates not only on the heroine but also on the reader. Cassie finds the journey traumatic as her mother had once tried to kill her by pushing her into the sea. After a bad storm, Gabriel realises that the marriage was not binding useless consummated and he holds Cassie down with the intention of doing the deed but is stopped when she refers to the possibility of pregnancy.
When they get to England, he brings her to the family estate, where he confronts his father, indicating that Cassie is a tavern doxy and also a thief. His father hates Americans in particular as they killed his first wife and later stuart died in battle. Cassie is upset at being used as a pawn between father and son. Gabriel then effectively abandons her and returns to London.
Cassie speaks to the duke and informs him that whilst she worked in an ale house she was never a whore. Initially the duke also rejects her. Evelyn ( stuart's betrothed) makes friends with her and teaches her how to act as a lady. Christopher also helps out, teaching her to dance and how to ride.
When Gabriel returns he is jealous of Christopher and demands to know whether she has lain with him. He kisses Cassie but releases her only for her to be shot. He takes her back to London to introduce her to the ton. Gabriel again abandons her at a function but Cassie is a hit and does well. The duke is pleased at cassie's conduct and decides to hold a ball. When he speaks to her about the arrangements he discovers that she is illiterate and undertakes to teach her.
Gabriel presents her with a diamond necklace for the ball but spoils things by suggesting that as she was a whore she should thank him in the obvious way. When he asks her whether she would rather whore for one man rather than all men, she slaps him. On the dance floor, he again casts aspersions on her relationshipbwith Christopher. When they get back from the ball, Gabriel makes it clear he intends to bed cassie. She is frightened and resists. He becomes angry and forces himself on her. He realises that she was a virgin but can not stop. He remonstrates with her but she points out that he would believe what he wanted and do want he wanted anyway and she tells him she hates him.
The next day cassie's carriage is attacked and she is assaulted. She returns home in a state of shock. Gabriel had already been feeling guilty about what had happened and looks after her. He is worried that the attack is not a coincidence and they return to farnleigh. Their relationship developes and on occasions Gabriel is charming and she starts to feel attracted to him. Gabriel and his father have words and the duke tells him he wished that g was dead instead of Stuart. She asks gabriel about the reasons for his estrangement with his father. She goes to him that night and although initially frightened, they make love and this time G makes good on his talk about being a decent lover. Cassie later confronts the duke about his actions and he finally starts to consider that his conduct towards Gabriel has been shameful.
Cassie falls pregnant and when he finds out, Gabriel is furious and again abandons her to return to London, blaming her for the situation and making cruel and despicable comments. After a short time in London he comes to grip with himself and realises he has behaved as a cad. But when he returns to farnleigh it is to find that Cassie has disappeared. Gabriel is devastated at the consequences of his actions, especially when he realises that she took hardly anything with her and had little or no money. For months they can not find her, but he accidentally comes across her working as a waitress in an inn. He takes her home and the baby is born somewhat prematurely but is all right.
After the birth the baby does well but Gabriel is cold towards Cassie and she starts to feel rejected. He sees her kiss christopher on the cheek in friendship and becomes jealous again. He is cold and angry and pushes her onto the bed where he then forces himself into her painfully. She tells him that Christopher loves Evelyn. He expresses remorse( again) and then she asks him to love her and the sex becomes consensual.
Someone tries to poison Cassie and she fears for her safety and she goes to stay with Evelyn. Gabriel begs her to stay and tells her that he loves her but out of guilt he offers her a separation but tells her that their child must be raised as his son. Evelyn's father suggests that she flee and says he will make arrangements to get her to Ireland.on the carriage ride away she realises that she does trust Gabriel and believes that he loves her. The bad guy is revealed when he tries to kill her. Gabriel rescues Cassie and there are reconiliations between father and son and husband and wife. They all live hea....
Gabriel is a bit of selfish brute. He does what ever he wants with little consideration to others and in particular Cassie and seems to spend half the time then having to apologise for his actions. Cassie is too forgiving for her own good and the second stint as a waitress was somewhat incredible given her education and status at that stage.
The mystery part of the novel felt as if it had been a bit of an after thought and I felt was unnecessary for the wider book.
Nonetheless enjoyable.
Lord Gabriel Sinclair , Earl of Wakefield, is heir to the Duke of Farleigh. He was the duke's second son by a second wife and the duke unfortunately makes it clear to both his new wife and Gabriel that he does not love them but is committed to the memory of his dead first wife and his first son, Stuart. In the end the situation becomes too much for lady Caroline to bear and she drowns herself. Gabriel is aware of this but his father is totally oblivious. When Stuart dies, the duke can not forgive Gabriel for being alive and they have a very destructive relationship.
Gabriel is visiting Charleston in South Carolina with his friend christopher. Stuart had died in the battle of New Orleans and his father was insisting that he marry stuart's betrothed instead when he returned to England. They are at in inn, when Gabriel spots one of the bar maids, cassie, who is trying her best to avoid male attention. cassie is intimidated by Gabriel and is frightened of him from the outset. She she spills a drink on him, the inn keeper forces her to go to his room, making it clear that he expects her to sleep with him in order to make it up. Cassie has managed to hang on to her virtue and is desperate not to end up as a whore. She goes to his room under duress. Gabriel is simply obnoxious to her, referring to her a yank and offering her a hand full of silver to bed with him. She makes it clear that she is unwilling but he forcefully kisses her. Eventually he lets her leave but she steals his watch on the way out. Cassie leaves the inn hoping to sell to watch and escape from her current circumstances. Gabriel realises it is missing and catches her. There is a confrontation with the inn keeper and in the end Gabriel indicates that he will marry her as he wants to get back at his father. After some reluctance Cassie agrees, but on the basis that she will not have to share his bed.
They marry and sail that day for England. He continues to refer to her throughout as Yank, and it grates not only on the heroine but also on the reader. Cassie finds the journey traumatic as her mother had once tried to kill her by pushing her into the sea. After a bad storm, Gabriel realises that the marriage was not binding useless consummated and he holds Cassie down with the intention of doing the deed but is stopped when she refers to the possibility of pregnancy.
When they get to England, he brings her to the family estate, where he confronts his father, indicating that Cassie is a tavern doxy and also a thief. His father hates Americans in particular as they killed his first wife and later stuart died in battle. Cassie is upset at being used as a pawn between father and son. Gabriel then effectively abandons her and returns to London.
Cassie speaks to the duke and informs him that whilst she worked in an ale house she was never a whore. Initially the duke also rejects her. Evelyn ( stuart's betrothed) makes friends with her and teaches her how to act as a lady. Christopher also helps out, teaching her to dance and how to ride.
When Gabriel returns he is jealous of Christopher and demands to know whether she has lain with him. He kisses Cassie but releases her only for her to be shot. He takes her back to London to introduce her to the ton. Gabriel again abandons her at a function but Cassie is a hit and does well. The duke is pleased at cassie's conduct and decides to hold a ball. When he speaks to her about the arrangements he discovers that she is illiterate and undertakes to teach her.
Gabriel presents her with a diamond necklace for the ball but spoils things by suggesting that as she was a whore she should thank him in the obvious way. When he asks her whether she would rather whore for one man rather than all men, she slaps him. On the dance floor, he again casts aspersions on her relationshipbwith Christopher. When they get back from the ball, Gabriel makes it clear he intends to bed cassie. She is frightened and resists. He becomes angry and forces himself on her. He realises that she was a virgin but can not stop. He remonstrates with her but she points out that he would believe what he wanted and do want he wanted anyway and she tells him she hates him.
The next day cassie's carriage is attacked and she is assaulted. She returns home in a state of shock. Gabriel had already been feeling guilty about what had happened and looks after her. He is worried that the attack is not a coincidence and they return to farnleigh. Their relationship developes and on occasions Gabriel is charming and she starts to feel attracted to him. Gabriel and his father have words and the duke tells him he wished that g was dead instead of Stuart. She asks gabriel about the reasons for his estrangement with his father. She goes to him that night and although initially frightened, they make love and this time G makes good on his talk about being a decent lover. Cassie later confronts the duke about his actions and he finally starts to consider that his conduct towards Gabriel has been shameful.
Cassie falls pregnant and when he finds out, Gabriel is furious and again abandons her to return to London, blaming her for the situation and making cruel and despicable comments. After a short time in London he comes to grip with himself and realises he has behaved as a cad. But when he returns to farnleigh it is to find that Cassie has disappeared. Gabriel is devastated at the consequences of his actions, especially when he realises that she took hardly anything with her and had little or no money. For months they can not find her, but he accidentally comes across her working as a waitress in an inn. He takes her home and the baby is born somewhat prematurely but is all right.
After the birth the baby does well but Gabriel is cold towards Cassie and she starts to feel rejected. He sees her kiss christopher on the cheek in friendship and becomes jealous again. He is cold and angry and pushes her onto the bed where he then forces himself into her painfully. She tells him that Christopher loves Evelyn. He expresses remorse( again) and then she asks him to love her and the sex becomes consensual.
Someone tries to poison Cassie and she fears for her safety and she goes to stay with Evelyn. Gabriel begs her to stay and tells her that he loves her but out of guilt he offers her a separation but tells her that their child must be raised as his son. Evelyn's father suggests that she flee and says he will make arrangements to get her to Ireland.on the carriage ride away she realises that she does trust Gabriel and believes that he loves her. The bad guy is revealed when he tries to kill her. Gabriel rescues Cassie and there are reconiliations between father and son and husband and wife. They all live hea....
Gabriel is a bit of selfish brute. He does what ever he wants with little consideration to others and in particular Cassie and seems to spend half the time then having to apologise for his actions. Cassie is too forgiving for her own good and the second stint as a waitress was somewhat incredible given her education and status at that stage.
The mystery part of the novel felt as if it had been a bit of an after thought and I felt was unnecessary for the wider book.
Nonetheless enjoyable.
May 5, 2023
This book was so dumb it offended me into a one star rating. I think it was written at a 5th grade reading level, although there is the word “fortuitous” which the author uses enthusiastically as though she just learned it yesterday. Unfortunately this belongs in the “90s attempts at bodice rippers are garbage” pile. I’m gonna trauma dump and you might think these are spoilers but they’re not, like the premise and the theme, sigh.
Working as a barmaid, Cassie meets the earl and decide she hates him (no reason given). Despite thinking she’s a doxy and catching her trying to steal from him, he doesn’t do anything to harm her. He decides to make her his wife.
Stay working in drudgery for her keep with a man who beats her and will pimp her out or go to England and marry a future Duke. Seriously, this is treated as a hard choice. She agrees but doesn’t want to be bedded. Interesting because the earl thinks she’s sex worker already, has stated that routinely, she was even sent to his room for that purpose…but Cassie never corrects him. She does, however, take extreme offense every time he talks to her as though is a lady of experience.
There’s zero characterization in this book. We know Gabriel is cold because his voice and eyes are icy. Cassie is supposed to be brave because of her crazy ranting against the guy who saved her from certain death but she’s also perpetually terrified of everything.
He recognizes the Cassie is unnerved by his presence so stays away from him. She repeatedly says how much she despises him (still no reason for this) and wishes she had stayed where she was (insane).
NATURALLY, he continues to be cold to her but he doesn’t abuse her in any way and sees she’s taken care of. She refuses to have sex with him to consummate the marriage, which probably comes off as pretty spiteful considering he thinks she’s a prostitute and she never clarifies she’s not. So he keeps his distance. They never interact in a real way the whole book, besides the same old fight.
He makes jokes about wanting to sleep with her and she flips out but it’s like, how is he supposed to know you’re so uptight on the issue? Nothing about Cassie’s behavior is consistent or makes sense.
She slaps him, says she hates him, then is despondent when he’s not paying enough attention to her. Gabriel used Cassie to make his dad mad, that does suck but anyone who had the hard life that she’s had, now living in luxury and still complaining that she wishes she was back in her old situation… that’s wild.
And then she keeps thinking how all she wants is to please him, whaaaa ??
It’s also weird because Gabriel was ignored and unloved his whole life by his dad, and now this girl also hates him for no reason. I felt bad for the “cruel” hero.
Oh and despite, Gabriel’s grand revenge plan, it meets no social consequences!
This whole book, she’s like pining for him? Why do you refer to yourself as unwanted and unloved? She’s always telling him, I hate you, leave me alone! Then getting mad he doesn’t hang out, it’s bizarre.
She is like maybe the one woman who would’ve been correctly diagnosed with hysteria. Anyway, I was promised a cruel hero and I was more told he’s cruel, he literally said one awful thing to her the whole book (which she naturally went bonkers over risking her life and her baby’s life).
I mean towards the end of the book, she becomes SO unhinged, the plot stopped making sense.
There’s no romance in this at all, they spend zero time together, as Cassie wishes and then complains about, there’s no sweet moments. The hero rapes her after months of staying away from her after they’re marriage, because one night out he gets jealous and confronts her thinking she’s starting affairs - another great opportunity to tell him you’re a virgin. The non-con scene is annoying because she’s saying no but moaning the whole time - like I hate that depiction, it makes women look like liars in a book written for women.
Working as a barmaid, Cassie meets the earl and decide she hates him (no reason given). Despite thinking she’s a doxy and catching her trying to steal from him, he doesn’t do anything to harm her. He decides to make her his wife.
Stay working in drudgery for her keep with a man who beats her and will pimp her out or go to England and marry a future Duke. Seriously, this is treated as a hard choice. She agrees but doesn’t want to be bedded. Interesting because the earl thinks she’s sex worker already, has stated that routinely, she was even sent to his room for that purpose…but Cassie never corrects him. She does, however, take extreme offense every time he talks to her as though is a lady of experience.
There’s zero characterization in this book. We know Gabriel is cold because his voice and eyes are icy. Cassie is supposed to be brave because of her crazy ranting against the guy who saved her from certain death but she’s also perpetually terrified of everything.
He recognizes the Cassie is unnerved by his presence so stays away from him. She repeatedly says how much she despises him (still no reason for this) and wishes she had stayed where she was (insane).
NATURALLY, he continues to be cold to her but he doesn’t abuse her in any way and sees she’s taken care of. She refuses to have sex with him to consummate the marriage, which probably comes off as pretty spiteful considering he thinks she’s a prostitute and she never clarifies she’s not. So he keeps his distance. They never interact in a real way the whole book, besides the same old fight.
He makes jokes about wanting to sleep with her and she flips out but it’s like, how is he supposed to know you’re so uptight on the issue? Nothing about Cassie’s behavior is consistent or makes sense.
She slaps him, says she hates him, then is despondent when he’s not paying enough attention to her. Gabriel used Cassie to make his dad mad, that does suck but anyone who had the hard life that she’s had, now living in luxury and still complaining that she wishes she was back in her old situation… that’s wild.
And then she keeps thinking how all she wants is to please him, whaaaa ??
It’s also weird because Gabriel was ignored and unloved his whole life by his dad, and now this girl also hates him for no reason. I felt bad for the “cruel” hero.
Oh and despite, Gabriel’s grand revenge plan, it meets no social consequences!
This whole book, she’s like pining for him? Why do you refer to yourself as unwanted and unloved? She’s always telling him, I hate you, leave me alone! Then getting mad he doesn’t hang out, it’s bizarre.
She is like maybe the one woman who would’ve been correctly diagnosed with hysteria. Anyway, I was promised a cruel hero and I was more told he’s cruel, he literally said one awful thing to her the whole book (which she naturally went bonkers over risking her life and her baby’s life).
I mean towards the end of the book, she becomes SO unhinged, the plot stopped making sense.
There’s no romance in this at all, they spend zero time together, as Cassie wishes and then complains about, there’s no sweet moments. The hero rapes her after months of staying away from her after they’re marriage, because one night out he gets jealous and confronts her thinking she’s starting affairs - another great opportunity to tell him you’re a virgin. The non-con scene is annoying because she’s saying no but moaning the whole time - like I hate that depiction, it makes women look like liars in a book written for women.
August 9, 2010
The way I came upon this book is by reading a post regarding pregnant heroines. I first read Annie’s Song and was fascinated by the story and the characters in it, so I decided to give this book a try.
Cassie is a barmaid in Charleston, her mom is dead and she doesn’t know who her father is, regardless of her situation she is very bright girl and a hard worker and is looking for a way out though none is forthcoming, until the night her boss sends her to the room of Gabriel. Gabriel is captivated by her beauty and her spirit and he wants her in his bed, he thinks her one of the bar harlots, however Cassie manages to evade him and snatches his golden watch. Early next morning the Earl finds out she stole her watch chases her down and retrieves it. Gabriel’s father wants to marry him off and secure the dukedom by getting a heir since his eldest son passed away, however Gabriel has had a troublesome childhood with a father who did not love him and marries Cassie to spite him.
He gets her to her father in the same dirty and disheveled state he finds her in. Cassie however manages to win everybody and even her husbands affections despite her lowly birth.
I loved Cassie, she won me from the start, however Gabriel is a hero that to me was unredeemable. He was spiteful and mean to the very end. I honestly wanted someone to come and rescue her from him because he was utterly undeserving. I believe that Gabriel’s character is the reason the book is not receiving 5star ratings. If he had any human emotions in him he would have been different.
Despite the main hero’s character this book’s pages flew. I applaud books that make me want to read them in one sitting and this was one of them.
Cassie is a barmaid in Charleston, her mom is dead and she doesn’t know who her father is, regardless of her situation she is very bright girl and a hard worker and is looking for a way out though none is forthcoming, until the night her boss sends her to the room of Gabriel. Gabriel is captivated by her beauty and her spirit and he wants her in his bed, he thinks her one of the bar harlots, however Cassie manages to evade him and snatches his golden watch. Early next morning the Earl finds out she stole her watch chases her down and retrieves it. Gabriel’s father wants to marry him off and secure the dukedom by getting a heir since his eldest son passed away, however Gabriel has had a troublesome childhood with a father who did not love him and marries Cassie to spite him.
He gets her to her father in the same dirty and disheveled state he finds her in. Cassie however manages to win everybody and even her husbands affections despite her lowly birth.
I loved Cassie, she won me from the start, however Gabriel is a hero that to me was unredeemable. He was spiteful and mean to the very end. I honestly wanted someone to come and rescue her from him because he was utterly undeserving. I believe that Gabriel’s character is the reason the book is not receiving 5star ratings. If he had any human emotions in him he would have been different.
Despite the main hero’s character this book’s pages flew. I applaud books that make me want to read them in one sitting and this was one of them.
May 15, 2017
I hated Gabriel, the "hero". Let me be clear that I love a alpha male, rogue, dark hero. But this guy was cruel to Cassie on a very regular basis, seemed to have no interest in her other than sexually and he was never made to grovel or truly atone for his atrocious behavior. He said vicious things, "raped" his wife twice. Of course the heroine barely blinked twice about that. Even when the hero was upset that she left, he was STILL mean when she was back home with him. I liked the heroine ok but what on earth did she see in this asshole??
May 25, 2021
An all-time favorite of mine. I love the characters and the angst.
November 25, 2020
What an angsty intense read!!!! God it kept me on my nerves from page 1 to the last one, the author's writing style is superb and flawless, simply I loved everything❤ great job SJ👍
July 1, 2015
I'd have liked this book much more if I can stomach the hero's bullshit like everybody else. My heart broke for the little boy in the prologue and I thought no matter how hard he turns out later in life I'm gong to love this boy. How mistaken I was! I couldn't find a single reason to justify his behavior towards the heroine and even after they had their HEA at the end of the book I couldn't help it but hate him still.
The book started of very well and I was really hooked for a while. Then it started to go on a downfall and kept on falling until the point at which I just didn't care anymore. I finished the book just because I had nothing better to do last night.
This is my first book by this author and I liked her writing style if not the story line. I'm definitely going to look through her other works.
The book started of very well and I was really hooked for a while. Then it started to go on a downfall and kept on falling until the point at which I just didn't care anymore. I finished the book just because I had nothing better to do last night.
This is my first book by this author and I liked her writing style if not the story line. I'm definitely going to look through her other works.
did-not-finish
June 27, 2017I can't get into this one. DNF on pg 100.
January 17, 2020
I don’t go out of my way to read American-English pairings. That being said, the few that I have read are fun (Judith McNaught’s Until You, Lisa Kleypas’ It Happened One Autumn) and Gabriel’s Wife is no exception. The woman is typically the American in the equation, and she can be a lower class to the titled English lord to set up a rags-to-riches storyline. The American heroine can be a useful shorthand for signaling to the reader that they can expect a female lead that is more independent and outspoken, without any guile or the putting on of airs, compared to that of the cultured/proper/frozen/routine English Miss.
In Gabriel’s Wife, Cassie is the daughter of a barmaid and one of her customers. When Cassie serves two English gentlemen in the bar, she happens to catch Gabriel’s eye. After he stops her from running away with his watch, he decides to marry her in order to get back at his dad. Here we have a unique set-up for a Pygmalion/Cinderella story, although I don’t know if it’s accurate to call it that since the main conflict is not the class gap but daddy issues. Gabriel’s daddy issues, that is.
Samantha James does a bang-up job in making the reader buy that jump from Point A to Point B. I was very skeptical when I read the blurb. I didn’t want to read it but all the reviews and GoodReads lists the book was on made me curious. Even then, I left it to the bottom of my reading pile. With all that doubt going in, I was so entertained I accepted that moment when Gabriel thinks, this is a totally logical and great idea to stick it to my old man! without a fuss, and I was so entertained that I even ended up staying up past my bedtime to nearly finish the story.
This is a fast-paced, lean read. It was very entertaining for Cassie to be introduced to English society, and the budding relationship between Christopher and Lady Evelyn - I need to know more!
I did lose interest halfway through. Gabriel’s a-hole antics lacked the necessary dramatic tension to make the moment come alive. Gabriel’s jealousy with his friend Christopher’s easy rapport with Cassie had some meat to the bone, to start. You understood why Gabriel felt jealous and even sad that his friend could talk so familiarly with Cassie and open her up in a way that he could not do with her. Yet, right after she pops out the baby, he sees Cassie and Christopher together and immediately thinking k-i-s-s-i-n-g. That’s dumb for an a-hole hero because the man was literally scouring London for any trace of her. It didn’t do anything for me. Cassie does leave him, I'll give her that. But she doesn't have enough bite to her so she ends up overshadowed by Gabriel. She could have given him a bit more attitude.
I also found something lacking in the mystery of who was behind all of Cassie’s “accidents.” I was curious to see if anyone would find out about Cassie’s origins but once Cassie becomes a lady, it’s a done deal. I also wonder whether the novel would have been more interesting if Gabriel’s father, Edmund was more of an antagonist because he wasn’t.
Overall, worth the read but I found the ending boring.
In Gabriel’s Wife, Cassie is the daughter of a barmaid and one of her customers. When Cassie serves two English gentlemen in the bar, she happens to catch Gabriel’s eye. After he stops her from running away with his watch, he decides to marry her in order to get back at his dad. Here we have a unique set-up for a Pygmalion/Cinderella story, although I don’t know if it’s accurate to call it that since the main conflict is not the class gap but daddy issues. Gabriel’s daddy issues, that is.
Samantha James does a bang-up job in making the reader buy that jump from Point A to Point B. I was very skeptical when I read the blurb. I didn’t want to read it but all the reviews and GoodReads lists the book was on made me curious. Even then, I left it to the bottom of my reading pile. With all that doubt going in, I was so entertained I accepted that moment when Gabriel thinks, this is a totally logical and great idea to stick it to my old man! without a fuss, and I was so entertained that I even ended up staying up past my bedtime to nearly finish the story.
This is a fast-paced, lean read. It was very entertaining for Cassie to be introduced to English society, and the budding relationship between Christopher and Lady Evelyn - I need to know more!
I did lose interest halfway through. Gabriel’s a-hole antics lacked the necessary dramatic tension to make the moment come alive. Gabriel’s jealousy with his friend Christopher’s easy rapport with Cassie had some meat to the bone, to start. You understood why Gabriel felt jealous and even sad that his friend could talk so familiarly with Cassie and open her up in a way that he could not do with her. Yet, right after she pops out the baby, he sees Cassie and Christopher together and immediately thinking k-i-s-s-i-n-g. That’s dumb for an a-hole hero because the man was literally scouring London for any trace of her. It didn’t do anything for me. Cassie does leave him, I'll give her that. But she doesn't have enough bite to her so she ends up overshadowed by Gabriel. She could have given him a bit more attitude.
I also found something lacking in the mystery of who was behind all of Cassie’s “accidents.” I was curious to see if anyone would find out about Cassie’s origins but once Cassie becomes a lady, it’s a done deal. I also wonder whether the novel would have been more interesting if Gabriel’s father, Edmund was more of an antagonist because he wasn’t.
Overall, worth the read but I found the ending boring.
January 10, 2024
Even I, lover of bonkers romance, had to scratch my head at these two barnacle brains and their journey to an HEA.
Gabriel’s Bride is a ‘94 release, but it reads much older. Throw in a bit more obvious sexual assault and it’d have fit in with the 80’s romances that came before it. Even though I didn’t enjoy it like I hoped I would, mostly due to how truly frustrating these two characters are, it had some real moments that made it worth the read.
Gabriel is one of those old heroes that scratches my itch for a cruel male lead in just the right way. He’s endlessly trying to humiliate Cassie to get back at his father, a la “I’ll stick it to the old man by embarrassing him in public”. And those heroes are really a dime a dozen in these oldies, but what made this stand out as a bit different for me is that Cassie pretty much undermines Gabriel at every turn. She does become a lady, despite her American tavern origins. She does make a splash in society and win the approval of the matrons that sway the ton’s opinion. And she does work her way into the hearts of Gabriel, resident jerk, and his father, Edmund, also a jerk but he hates Americans for *reasons*. Love a girl that thwarts her spouses revenge plans by just being a sweetheart no one can hate.
It’s ridiculous in the way I enjoy these stories to be. Probably because if it WAS more realistic, I’d shove Gabriel off a cliff. But it’s like….balls to the wall for 400 pages and everyone of those balls are outlandish. A duke’s heir marrying a random American tavern wench and making her his countess, the amount of attempts on Cassie’s life in increasingly outlandish ways (shooting, to carriage kidnapping, to forced drowning), and the fact that this barnacle head goes on the run after Gabriel finds out she’s pregnant and is displeased about it? Bonkers. Bananas. Bonkers banana pants.
And it has that bodice ripper aspect I love: the moment where the power the MMC has held the whole time is completely shifted because one small powerless woman holds his world in her hands now.
Barnacle for brains. Bananas for a plot. Weirdly recommend if you like your MMCs to be especially cruel and stupid.
Gabriel’s Bride is a ‘94 release, but it reads much older. Throw in a bit more obvious sexual assault and it’d have fit in with the 80’s romances that came before it. Even though I didn’t enjoy it like I hoped I would, mostly due to how truly frustrating these two characters are, it had some real moments that made it worth the read.
Gabriel is one of those old heroes that scratches my itch for a cruel male lead in just the right way. He’s endlessly trying to humiliate Cassie to get back at his father, a la “I’ll stick it to the old man by embarrassing him in public”. And those heroes are really a dime a dozen in these oldies, but what made this stand out as a bit different for me is that Cassie pretty much undermines Gabriel at every turn. She does become a lady, despite her American tavern origins. She does make a splash in society and win the approval of the matrons that sway the ton’s opinion. And she does work her way into the hearts of Gabriel, resident jerk, and his father, Edmund, also a jerk but he hates Americans for *reasons*. Love a girl that thwarts her spouses revenge plans by just being a sweetheart no one can hate.
It’s ridiculous in the way I enjoy these stories to be. Probably because if it WAS more realistic, I’d shove Gabriel off a cliff. But it’s like….balls to the wall for 400 pages and everyone of those balls are outlandish. A duke’s heir marrying a random American tavern wench and making her his countess, the amount of attempts on Cassie’s life in increasingly outlandish ways (shooting, to carriage kidnapping, to forced drowning), and the fact that this barnacle head goes on the run after Gabriel finds out she’s pregnant and is displeased about it? Bonkers. Bananas. Bonkers banana pants.
And it has that bodice ripper aspect I love: the moment where the power the MMC has held the whole time is completely shifted because one small powerless woman holds his world in her hands now.
Barnacle for brains. Bananas for a plot. Weirdly recommend if you like your MMCs to be especially cruel and stupid.
June 12, 2021
This book wasn’t as bad as the reviews mention. Though a typical bodice-ripper written in the 90s, I did enjoy the plot and angst in the book. The problem I did have with it was a few points - the minuscule amount of time for her to change from a barmaid to a lady, that only a change of clothing made her suddenly appear beautiful and the assassin plot which had several loopholes to name a few.
H was definitely an alpha male so this book was right up my alley. 3.5 stars rounded up.
H was definitely an alpha male so this book was right up my alley. 3.5 stars rounded up.
November 25, 2025
Gabriel should be shot for asking if his newly postpartum wife who ran away for several months while pregnant to escape him is having an affair with his best friend. Gabriel is a fucking loser and piece of shit and Cassie is also incredibly stupid too yayyyyy 🤗
January 22, 2015
It's been many years since I read this, and I only had to see the title to remember the childish viciousness of this particular rapist " hero." I was a lot less judgemental back then, when dubious consent was common in the bodice rippers I happily devoured, but this one stood out as particularly ugly. Gabriel is consistently cruel and hateful, using the powerless heroine as a constant scapegoat for every wrong, real or imagined, in his nasty little life. I wanted him to grow the hell up. By the time he did, the book was pretty much over. The heroine adored him throughout, of course. Doormat!
November 28, 2012
There were times i really wanted to love Gabriel and Cassie. They both had moments but then their actions ruined it for me. I love the tortured hero who is brash but hides a sensitive side but Gabriel was too harsh for my liking. And Cassie had real potential to be a character i admired, but in the second half of the book, i really did not like her.
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