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Devil Riders #4
The Accidental Wedding
After an accident, a dashing rogue awakens in a country cottage, where he is being nursed back to health by one innocent beauty and five not-so-innocent orphaned children...
When Nash Renfrew wakes in the bed of lovely Maddy Woodford, he thinks he's dreaming. Then he learns of his accident and the loss of his memory. But when it returns, Nash has no desire to leave Maddy's side and he pretends he still has amnesia. With each passing day, Nash's attraction to Maddy grows. But he's a diplomat and she's just a country girl. How can he even entertain thoughts of seducing her?
With five orphaned half siblings in her charge, Maddy needs the money Nash offers and accepts it even though she, knows his stay will stir gossip. She can't deny his presence makes her feel safe. Nor can she deny the passion promised with each soft caress. But their love is also igniting a danger neither of them realizes -- and a threat to a newfound love. neither Maddy nor Nash can live without...
When Nash Renfrew wakes in the bed of lovely Maddy Woodford, he thinks he's dreaming. Then he learns of his accident and the loss of his memory. But when it returns, Nash has no desire to leave Maddy's side and he pretends he still has amnesia. With each passing day, Nash's attraction to Maddy grows. But he's a diplomat and she's just a country girl. How can he even entertain thoughts of seducing her?
With five orphaned half siblings in her charge, Maddy needs the money Nash offers and accepts it even though she, knows his stay will stir gossip. She can't deny his presence makes her feel safe. Nor can she deny the passion promised with each soft caress. But their love is also igniting a danger neither of them realizes -- and a threat to a newfound love. neither Maddy nor Nash can live without...
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
132 people are currently reading
1518 people want to read
About the author
Anne Gracie
95 books1,536 followersI've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
January 25, 2024
The Accidental Wedding was a slow burn, character and relationship focused, more lighthearted read. The book begins with Nash (H) telling his aunt that he wants her to find him a wife. He's a diplomat and currently assigned to Russia. He does not want a love match because his parents had a love match that was painful for everyone else. Maddy (h) is the sole caregiver of her five half-siblings after her father's death. Even though she's young, she's resourceful and is providing them with a decent living in a village. Maddy's family came from nicer circumstances but she's been left with very little. These two unlikely characters are forced into proximity when Nash is injured in front of Maddy's cottage and she rescues him. There's forced proximity as he heals, class difference concerns, insta-attraction, and push/pull as Nash has a rake feel to him but Maddy knows that a relationship will go nowhere. A side plot line also develops over forces attempting to run Maddy out of her cottage. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow drama, small om drama related to a gentleman who wished to marry h in the past. H is not a virgin and h is (H did come across as a bit of a manwhore and there were more references to his romantic liaisons, though they were usually brief, than I preferred).
I loved Maddy and how self-assured she was, but how she was also willing to ask for help and to adjust to changes. She took such excellent care of her younger siblings and the scenes with the children were adorable, esp as they won Nash over too. Lots of humor and sweetness in the moments while they're all ensconced in the cottage. Nash was a harder nut for me to crack. I liked him, but he kept information from Maddy and he was so hung up initially on having a loveless marriage and the class difference between them that he made some stupid errors. Thankfully, he also makes adjustments and he did seem to try to change when Maddy would confront him. I felt that even when he was being stupid, he appreciated how wonderful Maddy was. I did think that her feelings for him didn't have as strong of a basis at first, other than attraction, but she has a moment where she defends how she views him and what their relationship will be and it was great. The start of their time together is over just a few days while he's healing, but I felt they had a good foundation that would continue to grow. I did wish that how they ended up engaged was different though, just because I wanted Nash to have deeper realizations earlier in the book.
This book is steamy and there are a few scenes that are explicit. They do come together before marriage, or even talk of marriage, so for historical readers that dislike that, just FYI. They discuss the risks and Maddy mentally weighs the concerns over her choosing to do that, given that she lives in a small village with children. I appreciated that it wasn't just "he's hot and stuck in my bed, let's go". The tension over their attraction and how they explore it a bit was well written too.
Nash's family was so sad with the drama that he'd lived through as a child and the fissures in his relationships with his brothers that were still being repaired. His family is very taken aback when he presents them with Maddy and the children, but they also adjust. I loved Nash's sister-in-law, she was a sweetheart. Maddy has one scene with two of his family members that was spectacular, the scene I also mentioned above. Some of their interactions are funny too, like when Maddy first meets Nash's brother. Other side characters are important to the couple, like a few of the villagers and friends of Nash's.
I did guess what the mystery was of why Maddy was being pressured at her cottage. It still added an interesting wrinkle into the book and a point for them to navigate over how concerns would be handled. It was crushing how some of the actions that were taken against her played out though. Esp given how she was raised and the hardships that she'd already gone through. Maddy's character had such depth and she deserved for good things to happen and for her to get that sense of family and love.
The ending is HEA of them married and embarking on their new life. The children are excited, Maddy is more prepared than anyone gave her credit for, and Nash is in love with her. It was a cute and satisfying way to end the book. I do want to try more by this author too since I enjoyed this read. There were just some elements that I liked a little less that kept it from being a five star for me.
I loved Maddy and how self-assured she was, but how she was also willing to ask for help and to adjust to changes. She took such excellent care of her younger siblings and the scenes with the children were adorable, esp as they won Nash over too. Lots of humor and sweetness in the moments while they're all ensconced in the cottage. Nash was a harder nut for me to crack. I liked him, but he kept information from Maddy and he was so hung up initially on having a loveless marriage and the class difference between them that he made some stupid errors. Thankfully, he also makes adjustments and he did seem to try to change when Maddy would confront him. I felt that even when he was being stupid, he appreciated how wonderful Maddy was. I did think that her feelings for him didn't have as strong of a basis at first, other than attraction, but she has a moment where she defends how she views him and what their relationship will be and it was great. The start of their time together is over just a few days while he's healing, but I felt they had a good foundation that would continue to grow. I did wish that how they ended up engaged was different though, just because I wanted Nash to have deeper realizations earlier in the book.
This book is steamy and there are a few scenes that are explicit. They do come together before marriage, or even talk of marriage, so for historical readers that dislike that, just FYI. They discuss the risks and Maddy mentally weighs the concerns over her choosing to do that, given that she lives in a small village with children. I appreciated that it wasn't just "he's hot and stuck in my bed, let's go". The tension over their attraction and how they explore it a bit was well written too.
Nash's family was so sad with the drama that he'd lived through as a child and the fissures in his relationships with his brothers that were still being repaired. His family is very taken aback when he presents them with Maddy and the children, but they also adjust. I loved Nash's sister-in-law, she was a sweetheart. Maddy has one scene with two of his family members that was spectacular, the scene I also mentioned above. Some of their interactions are funny too, like when Maddy first meets Nash's brother. Other side characters are important to the couple, like a few of the villagers and friends of Nash's.
I did guess what the mystery was of why Maddy was being pressured at her cottage. It still added an interesting wrinkle into the book and a point for them to navigate over how concerns would be handled. It was crushing how some of the actions that were taken against her played out though. Esp given how she was raised and the hardships that she'd already gone through. Maddy's character had such depth and she deserved for good things to happen and for her to get that sense of family and love.
The ending is HEA of them married and embarking on their new life. The children are excited, Maddy is more prepared than anyone gave her credit for, and Nash is in love with her. It was a cute and satisfying way to end the book. I do want to try more by this author too since I enjoyed this read. There were just some elements that I liked a little less that kept it from being a five star for me.
May 20, 2011
A nice satisfying historical. The plot was familiar. Nobleman falls off horse in front of impoverished gentlewoman's cottage and she nurses him back to health. It was easy to figure out all of the mysteries and there were not unexpected plot twists. This was a fairly light hearted story. There was no angst.
There were several areas however, where the author did a better than average job and lifted this book above its competition. The writing was light and fluid. For the most part the actions of the characters were not wildly anachronistic and there was a fairly good sense the time period. There was some sex but there was more justification for it, at least the first time than most regencies today which seem to entirely ignore social mores of the time. The children were well written but did not overtake the story. The heroine stood up for herself without seeming to be just a modern woman in a long dress. There was one time in particular where the author set up a familiar situation and then totally had her heroine do something not normally done in romances.
There were several areas however, where the author did a better than average job and lifted this book above its competition. The writing was light and fluid. For the most part the actions of the characters were not wildly anachronistic and there was a fairly good sense the time period. There was some sex but there was more justification for it, at least the first time than most regencies today which seem to entirely ignore social mores of the time. The children were well written but did not overtake the story. The heroine stood up for herself without seeming to be just a modern woman in a long dress. There was one time in particular where the author set up a familiar situation and then totally had her heroine do something not normally done in romances.
December 29, 2015
Nash falls off a horse with his head. Maddy picks him up and heals him in the cradle of her bosoms (quite literally). When he finally regains his memory, he's eager to stay in the cradle of her bosoms. Except then boners get in the way, and then a proposal, and then like feelings, ugh.
1. So Nash is allegedly a diplomat?? But no one's going to miss him for a month?? And if he's a diplomat, WHY THE HELL DID I NOT GET A PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS SCENE WITH HIM AND THE HALF-FRENCH MADDY? It would have been GREAT is what I am YELLING.
2. The biggest conflict once our intrepid hero and heroine end up engaged is the fact that Nash doesn't ever talk to Maddy about anything. Which is a completely viable conflict, don't get me wrong! That shit's obnoxious! THAT SAID, there was no actual resolution?? Like, Nash hates marriage because his parents were "~in love~" so much that they cycled between humping and fighting like someone trying to find I Dream of Jeannie reruns on basic cable. Maddy, meanwhile, got to watch her parents marriage fall apart due to indifference.
But they have one Intense Conversation about it--that gets interrupted, might I add--and everything is FINE. Nash is over his shit; he's going to talk to Maddy about life choices; time to get MARRIED; also I LOVE YOU, BABE and then here's me: "???? WHAT JUST HAPPENED IS THIS A DRILL? AM I DRINKING? ARE YOU DRUNK? IS GRACIE DRUNK? WHO'S DRIVING THIS THING???"
It don't make sense, is what I'm saying. It looks good, and it sounds good, but it don't smell good.
3. I love/hated Nash's response when Maddy speaks of her Grandmother, the Countess of the Bees, to the Russian duchess. He's like "Oh, yeah, she told me she was the daughter of French nobility BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVER HER. HILARIOUS, RIGHT????" Meanwhile, his family is like "SHE'S THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF A COUNTESS WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO YOU FUCKHEAD???" I wanted to shake everyone.
1. So Nash is allegedly a diplomat?? But no one's going to miss him for a month?? And if he's a diplomat, WHY THE HELL DID I NOT GET A PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS SCENE WITH HIM AND THE HALF-FRENCH MADDY? It would have been GREAT is what I am YELLING.
2. The biggest conflict once our intrepid hero and heroine end up engaged is the fact that Nash doesn't ever talk to Maddy about anything. Which is a completely viable conflict, don't get me wrong! That shit's obnoxious! THAT SAID, there was no actual resolution?? Like, Nash hates marriage because his parents were "~in love~" so much that they cycled between humping and fighting like someone trying to find I Dream of Jeannie reruns on basic cable. Maddy, meanwhile, got to watch her parents marriage fall apart due to indifference.
But they have one Intense Conversation about it--that gets interrupted, might I add--and everything is FINE. Nash is over his shit; he's going to talk to Maddy about life choices; time to get MARRIED; also I LOVE YOU, BABE and then here's me: "???? WHAT JUST HAPPENED IS THIS A DRILL? AM I DRINKING? ARE YOU DRUNK? IS GRACIE DRUNK? WHO'S DRIVING THIS THING???"
It don't make sense, is what I'm saying. It looks good, and it sounds good, but it don't smell good.
3. I love/hated Nash's response when Maddy speaks of her Grandmother, the Countess of the Bees, to the Russian duchess. He's like "Oh, yeah, she told me she was the daughter of French nobility BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVER HER. HILARIOUS, RIGHT????" Meanwhile, his family is like "SHE'S THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF A COUNTESS WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO YOU FUCKHEAD???" I wanted to shake everyone.
April 23, 2013
3.5 stars for The Accidental Wedding -- fast paced, smexy, and a little suspenseful. Quite enjoyable. Loved the impoverished but valiant, self-sufficient, strong-willed and proud heroine, Maddy. Loved her relationship with her deceased French grandmere, and her relationship with her bees, and with her five younger siblings (loved the children). I enjoyed the ghostly attacks from the Bloody Abbott. Also, it was great to see characters from prior books, especially Harry and Nell from His Captive Lady (a slightly better story, IMO). The ending scene was great, with the Grand Duchess of Russia.
The Honourable Nash Renfew is a diplomat. I don't much care for diplomats as heroes, but Nash grew on me. However, at first I did not like him. I needed more time to get to know him, but the smexy overtones immediately drowned out the relationship development. From the first night, when Maddy brings the unconscious and amnesiac Nash into her tiny cottage, the tone becomes sexual, with little dialogue at first, but caressing and kissing nonetheless. I didn't buy it. I needed to first know and love Nash, and the only thing I had known of him before his accident is that he had told his Aunt Gussie to find him a highly suitable bride, but he had no interest in love.
Not exactly endearing. So I wasn't ready to sleep with him yet (so neither should Maddy, haha!). Plus, in general this book had more sex than I wanted. It's not what I love about Gracie.
Anne Gracie writes beautiful historical romances with wonderful relationship development. Among my favorites are The Perfect Waltz and The Perfect Rake. I also totally loved some of her older publications (less steamy, but better plot and relationship development, in some cases).Gallant Waif is an oldie but goodie.
Good book! Since I have now read it twice with the same response (and had forgotten about the first reading) I can only give it 3.5 stars.
The Honourable Nash Renfew is a diplomat. I don't much care for diplomats as heroes, but Nash grew on me. However, at first I did not like him. I needed more time to get to know him, but the smexy overtones immediately drowned out the relationship development. From the first night, when Maddy brings the unconscious and amnesiac Nash into her tiny cottage, the tone becomes sexual, with little dialogue at first, but caressing and kissing nonetheless. I didn't buy it. I needed to first know and love Nash, and the only thing I had known of him before his accident is that he had told his Aunt Gussie to find him a highly suitable bride, but he had no interest in love.
Not exactly endearing. So I wasn't ready to sleep with him yet (so neither should Maddy, haha!). Plus, in general this book had more sex than I wanted. It's not what I love about Gracie.
Anne Gracie writes beautiful historical romances with wonderful relationship development. Among my favorites are The Perfect Waltz and The Perfect Rake. I also totally loved some of her older publications (less steamy, but better plot and relationship development, in some cases).Gallant Waif is an oldie but goodie.
Good book! Since I have now read it twice with the same response (and had forgotten about the first reading) I can only give it 3.5 stars.
September 22, 2021
Lovely, sexy, wonderful story. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy Anne Gracie's writing. She is easily Loretta Chase's equal in creating heroes and heroines who live and breathe on the page. I've been waiting for Nash Renfrew's story since the beginning of this series, since he's just my favorite type of hero. Suave, sophisticated, charming. And what must Anne Gracie do, but take him completely out of his element and plop him down with amnesia in a country cottage with a lonely, gently-bred, spinster and her five brothers and sisters. And it works! My god does it work. The amnesia story doesn't take up too much of the story. Nash recovers his memory long before he tells Maddie, and the way they dance around one another before succumbing to their attraction is as banter-filled as I could have hoped. Though their path to HEA is littered with a fake monster, a crooked landlord, and a meddlesome great aunt, it is an enjoyable one. And Nash is battling it out with Gideon from THE PERFECT RAKE for the the first place spot in my All Time Favorite Gracie Heroes list.
December 2, 2025
HR Letter vs Sci-Fi Letter Fun Read
For my own entertainment (because I never know what to choose from my TBR) I've chosen a book starting with the same letter from two genres: Historical Romance and Sci-Fi Romance.
This the HR for the letter A
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
★★★★☆
As a story, as a romance and as an HR, this book was fantastic.
The hero was charming to the point of cheeky and the heroine was practical with a dreamy side.
The little brothers and sister were a bit of a prop but some did have enough personality to be seen as their own character.
・
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
For my own entertainment (because I never know what to choose from my TBR) I've chosen a book starting with the same letter from two genres: Historical Romance and Sci-Fi Romance.
This the HR for the letter A
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
★★★★☆
As a story, as a romance and as an HR, this book was fantastic.
The hero was charming to the point of cheeky and the heroine was practical with a dreamy side.
The little brothers and sister were a bit of a prop but some did have enough personality to be seen as their own character.
・
・
・
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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April 5, 2018
Why does Anne Gracie feel the need to inform us of how much a ladies' man the H is? It is literally mentioned on the first page of this book. Le sigh. Let's just hope it isn't mentioned often...or that the H doesn't pull a "Don't worry, babe. I'm good in bed. Lots of other women have told me so." To which the h doesn't hypothetically reply, "Lucky me!"
Page 96- "There was no question of marriage. Castle didn't marry cottage." And yet he couldn't help himself in wanting to seduce the h. He couldn't even remember if he was married or not, but he just didn't care." What a winner, right? And the h made things all the worse with her "he's so beautiful, I just can't help myself" attitude.
Upon finishing, one star for the writing, half a star for an h who had many redeeming qualities.
I wish Anne Gracie wasn't such a great storyteller since this one was nothing new. And beyond that it made me mad.
What I didn't like:
1) The H. He was a jerk. He was also willing to have sex with the h before he remembered who he was. He could've been married for all he knew, but it didn't matter to him.
2) All the mentions of the H's sexual past.
3) The h still couldn't help loving the H and wanting his body, because he was kind and well, his body. She decided to seduce the H even after he told her he wouldn't marry her, she was beneath his class, and she lacked the polish to be a diplomat's wife. Sometimes I wondered if she had any pride against him.
4) Almost no romance, if you don't count libidinous thoughts. The H, who was admittedly Mr. Frosty because he couldn't stand Emotion, defrosted too late in the story for this to qualify as romantic. Unnamed feelings of possessiveness and jealousy don't count as romance either.
5) How hopeless the h's situation was before the H fell in and saved the day.
What I liked:
1) The family dynamic of the Woodford family. They were loud, loving, and rambunctious and reminded me a lot of my own crew.
2) No OP drama. Now that they're going back to Russia, who knows how many paramours of the H they'll run into.
3) The h was a dear. I loved how loyal, patient and kind she was to her siblings. She deserved better than the H.
There are probably a couple more things that I didn't like, but those are what immediately come to mind. I need to gird myself against Anne Gracie's writing. It's just so fun, but I did not enjoy this story.
Page 96- "There was no question of marriage. Castle didn't marry cottage." And yet he couldn't help himself in wanting to seduce the h. He couldn't even remember if he was married or not, but he just didn't care." What a winner, right? And the h made things all the worse with her "he's so beautiful, I just can't help myself" attitude.
Upon finishing, one star for the writing, half a star for an h who had many redeeming qualities.
I wish Anne Gracie wasn't such a great storyteller since this one was nothing new. And beyond that it made me mad.
What I didn't like:
1) The H. He was a jerk. He was also willing to have sex with the h before he remembered who he was. He could've been married for all he knew, but it didn't matter to him.
2) All the mentions of the H's sexual past.
3) The h still couldn't help loving the H and wanting his body, because he was kind and well, his body. She decided to seduce the H even after he told her he wouldn't marry her, she was beneath his class, and she lacked the polish to be a diplomat's wife. Sometimes I wondered if she had any pride against him.
4) Almost no romance, if you don't count libidinous thoughts. The H, who was admittedly Mr. Frosty because he couldn't stand Emotion, defrosted too late in the story for this to qualify as romantic. Unnamed feelings of possessiveness and jealousy don't count as romance either.
5) How hopeless the h's situation was before the H fell in and saved the day.
What I liked:
1) The family dynamic of the Woodford family. They were loud, loving, and rambunctious and reminded me a lot of my own crew.
2) No OP drama. Now that they're going back to Russia, who knows how many paramours of the H they'll run into.
3) The h was a dear. I loved how loyal, patient and kind she was to her siblings. She deserved better than the H.
There are probably a couple more things that I didn't like, but those are what immediately come to mind. I need to gird myself against Anne Gracie's writing. It's just so fun, but I did not enjoy this story.
February 1, 2012
I've come to the understanding that I'm a total sucker for stories where the rake/rogue falls in love with the heroine AND her adorable children (or in this case, young siblings). Georgette Heyer's Frederica is a classic example.
In The Accidental Wedding, Anne Gracie takes a familiar scenario -- handsome injured stranger with amnesia nursed by poor but proud and of course beautiful young woman in a cottage leading to a marriage of convenience -- and creates a whole new story. All of the characters, but especially the hero, are charming, even the old dragon great aunt. Nothing is entirely predictable, except the guaranteed HEA.
A delightful read.
In The Accidental Wedding, Anne Gracie takes a familiar scenario -- handsome injured stranger with amnesia nursed by poor but proud and of course beautiful young woman in a cottage leading to a marriage of convenience -- and creates a whole new story. All of the characters, but especially the hero, are charming, even the old dragon great aunt. Nothing is entirely predictable, except the guaranteed HEA.
A delightful read.
March 14, 2025
4.2 stars
⏳ [Re-read project #13 of 2025, 1st proper review, rating maintained]
A solid read. This re-read enabled me to discover anew how AG mastered well the art of storytelling, by creating cute dilemmas and successfully having her characters rationalise their actions to them, all while keeping the interest into this original plot going on. And she did her characterisation so well, making even the interactions between the main characters and the children feel real natural.
On the romance side, it was very sweet with even some bursts of sweet angst. All in all, a classic HR book that deserves to be read by any enthusiast of the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2010
This is my favorite Anne Gracie book to date. What's unusual for me is that Nash is (1) a diplomat and (2) not titled. He's the brother of an earl, but his fortune is his own. And this isn't a story that I'd normally grab. That said, I loved the gradual relationship between Nash and Maddy; her fierce love for her siblings, the care she shows for a stranger, and her strength when faced with some difficult doings all made her one of my favorite heroines. Nash respects that, and he keeps swearing it isn't love, but the reader knows what he doesn't want to know, which is that with every lovely thing she does, he falls more in love with her. Maddy forces him to respect that she is his equal; all he wants is to protect her, and all she wants is for him to understand that she doesn't need him to make decisions for her, that she's been making decisions for her family for years and that she deserves to have a choice and to be fully informed. And she lets him have it, and he loves it. There was an interesting villain and some other unusual plot pieces (she's a beekeeper), and I couldn't put this book down. I don't think that this is a series you have to read in order, I've read 2/4 and they're very much self-contained. Characters do appear, but there really isn't any hinting about previous plots, just the hint that they already had their story. Definitely worth reading.
January 15, 2015
Overall rating: 4 stars!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
HEA:
My review:
This was a very cute and sweet romance. I liked this story because the focus was on the romance and not so much silly pre-made drama. There were no other women coming along for the hero or anything in this book. The hero wasn't innocent by any means, but the way he fell in love with Maddy was so beautiful to watch, even though he didn't want to admit it to himself.
Maddy is a beautiful and kind hearted yet feisty young woman who is currently caring for her 5 young step siblings ranging from ages 4-12. She is absolutely amazing with these kids. I just loved her and then. Her father passed away and left her and her family with loads of debt and she is just trying her best to make due. Along comes Nash into town. He ends up having an accident that leaves him with no memory. Maddy immediately starts taking care of him and does whatever it takes to get this stranger better. I loved Nash with the children as well. He was wonderful. And I also loved how he stepped up to the plate when he was needed. I won't give any other details away because that would spoil the story for you, but it was very low angst and low drama. Just a truly nice romance :)
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
HEA:
My review:
This was a very cute and sweet romance. I liked this story because the focus was on the romance and not so much silly pre-made drama. There were no other women coming along for the hero or anything in this book. The hero wasn't innocent by any means, but the way he fell in love with Maddy was so beautiful to watch, even though he didn't want to admit it to himself.
Maddy is a beautiful and kind hearted yet feisty young woman who is currently caring for her 5 young step siblings ranging from ages 4-12. She is absolutely amazing with these kids. I just loved her and then. Her father passed away and left her and her family with loads of debt and she is just trying her best to make due. Along comes Nash into town. He ends up having an accident that leaves him with no memory. Maddy immediately starts taking care of him and does whatever it takes to get this stranger better. I loved Nash with the children as well. He was wonderful. And I also loved how he stepped up to the plate when he was needed. I won't give any other details away because that would spoil the story for you, but it was very low angst and low drama. Just a truly nice romance :)
January 1, 2016
I was a bit surprised to find Nash feature in a book of the Devil Riders series. After all, he wasn't a Devil Rider and his only connection is as the older, legitimate brother to two of the others. He's been as present as the others (and more than, say, Luke), so it's no big deal. Just surprising.
Even better, Nash turns out to be a very attractive protagonist. He's a bit damaged from his upbringing (as much as his half-brothers, really), but he's still fundamentally kind and willing to put himself out there for the things he thinks is right. He's a bit too tempted by the expedient but that's not too terrible.
Maddy is not quite as compelling, but I liked her as much in the end. Her situation is a bit unlikely and her background even more so. Still, Gracie does a great job not only depicting her character but her half-siblings as well and that gave enough believability to get by on. Better, I particularly liked how she worked against stereotype when . So I warmed to her quite a bit over time.
The plot was okay, but a bit too pat, I think. It was pretty easy to figure out the bad guy, frankly, though I can't really fault Maddy for not figuring it out sooner. It was also pretty clear how Maddy would fit into Nash's career and I can fault Nash for not figuring that out sooner. He needed to show a bit more interest in Maddy's past anyway, and that would have given him the needed clue.
So this was a mixed win, but a win nonetheless. My only real dilemma is whether to bump the 3.5 up or down...
A note about Steamy: A bit more than normal for the series, but still rather light for my tolerance. There are two explicit sex scenes, but they're tied tightly to the story and key to the growth of Maddy and Nash.
Even better, Nash turns out to be a very attractive protagonist. He's a bit damaged from his upbringing (as much as his half-brothers, really), but he's still fundamentally kind and willing to put himself out there for the things he thinks is right. He's a bit too tempted by the expedient but that's not too terrible.
Maddy is not quite as compelling, but I liked her as much in the end. Her situation is a bit unlikely and her background even more so. Still, Gracie does a great job not only depicting her character but her half-siblings as well and that gave enough believability to get by on. Better, I particularly liked how she worked against stereotype when . So I warmed to her quite a bit over time.
The plot was okay, but a bit too pat, I think. It was pretty easy to figure out the bad guy, frankly, though I can't really fault Maddy for not figuring it out sooner. It was also pretty clear how Maddy would fit into Nash's career and I can fault Nash for not figuring that out sooner. He needed to show a bit more interest in Maddy's past anyway, and that would have given him the needed clue.
So this was a mixed win, but a win nonetheless. My only real dilemma is whether to bump the 3.5 up or down...
A note about Steamy: A bit more than normal for the series, but still rather light for my tolerance. There are two explicit sex scenes, but they're tied tightly to the story and key to the growth of Maddy and Nash.
January 13, 2011
Nash Renfrew returned to England to take possession of his inheritance and to find a wife. So he asked his aunt to find him “the right sort of wife” for “an excellent marriage”; well-born, well-connected, well-trained in managing large social occasions, someone who can help him in his diplomatic career. The last thing he wants is a love match – he saw what ‘the passion of a lifetime’ did to his parents’ marriage, so he want nothing to do with love, thank you very much.
Maddy meets none of his requirements – well, maybe one of them, but she’s keeping that a secret. She lives in a rundown cottage, supporting her 5 brothers and sisters by raising bees, renovating the hats of the women in the village, and doing all the cost-cutting things that poor people do. But on his way to claiming his inheritance, Nash arrives literally at her feet when his horse slips and throws him into a wall, and Maddy saves his life and nurses him back to health. And since he also lost his memory from the blow to his head, he’s still in her cottage when others think he should be long gone. It’s a small village, and reputations can be easily ruined, but Nash discovers to his surprise that he enjoys spending time with the children. Perhaps it’s time to rethink his plans – as soon as they find out who is trying to force Maddy out of the cottage, and why.
a very strong 4*
Maddy meets none of his requirements – well, maybe one of them, but she’s keeping that a secret. She lives in a rundown cottage, supporting her 5 brothers and sisters by raising bees, renovating the hats of the women in the village, and doing all the cost-cutting things that poor people do. But on his way to claiming his inheritance, Nash arrives literally at her feet when his horse slips and throws him into a wall, and Maddy saves his life and nurses him back to health. And since he also lost his memory from the blow to his head, he’s still in her cottage when others think he should be long gone. It’s a small village, and reputations can be easily ruined, but Nash discovers to his surprise that he enjoys spending time with the children. Perhaps it’s time to rethink his plans – as soon as they find out who is trying to force Maddy out of the cottage, and why.
a very strong 4*
March 20, 2018
I'm torn about how to rate this book. Anne Gracie is an strange author for me-- typically enjoy her books while I'm reading them, but I don't typically revisit them, and I feel she has a strong writing style but I don't manage to keep up with her series. I have no idea why this is.
The Accidental Wedding had been sitting on my shelf forever and so I decided to finally give it a try. It takes a pretty commonly used trope of forced proximity due to injury, but adds in several orphan children, bee keeping, and a forgotten French heritage and it makes the story a bit more interesting.
I would consider this a "cozy" read. Yes, there are villains and there is some angst, but on the whole it is a very light read that focuses almost solely on the interactions of the main couple with cameos from other characters in the series adding some depth. I found both characters to be likable though not particularly memorable and I was relieved that there wasn't any drawn out misunderstandings or unnecessary angst to prolong with the story. With that said, I will say that there were times I didn't understand how the problems of the main characters were worked out--it sounded all pretty, but I had this nagging feeling that I didn't know why things had happened the way they did. As a fellow reviewer kris (her review) said, WHO'S DRIVING THIS THING?
There were parts that just didn't feel complete. While I enjoyed the flow and I easily read it, the story isn't one I will read again. I plan to read the last book in the series and then try a few more books. Perhaps then I can figure out why I don't gush over this author even though she clearly has talent.
Side note--I thought the sex scenes were boring in this one and I skipped them. The story was strong enough without them. I just didn't feel the sexual tension between the two. As I said, it's a "cozy" read.
The Accidental Wedding had been sitting on my shelf forever and so I decided to finally give it a try. It takes a pretty commonly used trope of forced proximity due to injury, but adds in several orphan children, bee keeping, and a forgotten French heritage and it makes the story a bit more interesting.
I would consider this a "cozy" read. Yes, there are villains and there is some angst, but on the whole it is a very light read that focuses almost solely on the interactions of the main couple with cameos from other characters in the series adding some depth. I found both characters to be likable though not particularly memorable and I was relieved that there wasn't any drawn out misunderstandings or unnecessary angst to prolong with the story. With that said, I will say that there were times I didn't understand how the problems of the main characters were worked out--it sounded all pretty, but I had this nagging feeling that I didn't know why things had happened the way they did. As a fellow reviewer kris (her review) said, WHO'S DRIVING THIS THING?
There were parts that just didn't feel complete. While I enjoyed the flow and I easily read it, the story isn't one I will read again. I plan to read the last book in the series and then try a few more books. Perhaps then I can figure out why I don't gush over this author even though she clearly has talent.
Side note--I thought the sex scenes were boring in this one and I skipped them. The story was strong enough without them. I just didn't feel the sexual tension between the two. As I said, it's a "cozy" read.
January 18, 2016
A joy from the first to the last page, this book tells a story about Nash, a rich silver-tongued diplomat, and Maddy, an impoverished young woman taking care of her five orphaned half-siblings. When Nash has an accident – his horse stumbles and throws him near Maddy’s cottage – Maddy drags the unconscious man to her tiny house to save his life. Unfortunately, even when he wakes up, his memory is elusive. He doesn’t remember who he is, and Maddy can’t write to his family to come and get him. So she nurses him, while the village buzzes with gossip: a young man in Maddy’s home without a chaperon. A shame for sure.
As Nash recuperates in Maddy’s bed, their mutual attraction blooms. Even after Nash regains his wits, he is unwilling to let Maddy know. He wants to prolong his stay with her. He is falling in love, so he lies to her and pretends he still remembers squat. Actually, he lies and prevaricates a lot in the novel. He is a diplomat after all: that’s what they do.
The five young siblings of Maddy’s infuse this romantic tale with humor and charm, while Maddy and Nash learn to love and understand each other. There is also a villain trying to scare Maddy away from her home, and Nash is determined to discover who the culprit is and punish him.
I liked Maddy. She is brave and resourceful and dedicated to her younger brothers and sisters. She would do anything, sacrifice her own happiness, to protect them from hunger and from malicious gossip. Nash, who never suffered either in his life, has a lot to learn from the woman he falls in love with, as well as from the children. The youngest sister, four-year-old Lucy, considers him a prince, and he strives mightily not to disappoint her. It’s hard to live up to a fairy tale hero, but Nash just manages it. For Maddy, he is going to try damn well to be the prince she needs and slay all her dragons for her.
Delightful.
As Nash recuperates in Maddy’s bed, their mutual attraction blooms. Even after Nash regains his wits, he is unwilling to let Maddy know. He wants to prolong his stay with her. He is falling in love, so he lies to her and pretends he still remembers squat. Actually, he lies and prevaricates a lot in the novel. He is a diplomat after all: that’s what they do.
The five young siblings of Maddy’s infuse this romantic tale with humor and charm, while Maddy and Nash learn to love and understand each other. There is also a villain trying to scare Maddy away from her home, and Nash is determined to discover who the culprit is and punish him.
I liked Maddy. She is brave and resourceful and dedicated to her younger brothers and sisters. She would do anything, sacrifice her own happiness, to protect them from hunger and from malicious gossip. Nash, who never suffered either in his life, has a lot to learn from the woman he falls in love with, as well as from the children. The youngest sister, four-year-old Lucy, considers him a prince, and he strives mightily not to disappoint her. It’s hard to live up to a fairy tale hero, but Nash just manages it. For Maddy, he is going to try damn well to be the prince she needs and slay all her dragons for her.
Delightful.
August 8, 2022
Very much enjoyed this story by Anne Gracie. I love her writing style and here she has two great characters come together to create a bit of a Cinderella story with some amnesia tossed in. The story was delightful. The amnesia part didn't overpower and the five children didn't get annoying, surprisingly. (I'm not really of fan of children front and center in romances but here I thought the balance was perfect.)
Nash and Maddy make a fine couple and it was fun watching them come together. I loved how Nash really became a supportive hero, even when Maddy wasn't sure she needed one. Oh, and I loved the bees.
Steam level is a 3/5. The love scenes were justified, and not just tossed in to make for a steamy read. 👍🏻
Nash and Maddy make a fine couple and it was fun watching them come together. I loved how Nash really became a supportive hero, even when Maddy wasn't sure she needed one. Oh, and I loved the bees.
Steam level is a 3/5. The love scenes were justified, and not just tossed in to make for a steamy read. 👍🏻
August 6, 2020
It was a solidly “meh” kind of book. I’ve seen the injured diplomat trope, amnesia noble trope, hidden noble trope all in separate novels. This is a mash of all of them with children thrown in for convenient cuteness.
I dont understand how a book with so much going on could be so boring. In a novel about an amnesiac diplomat, I would have expected more intrigue. Instead, we spend half the novel in a bed and not even in the fun way.
I dont understand how a book with so much going on could be so boring. In a novel about an amnesiac diplomat, I would have expected more intrigue. Instead, we spend half the novel in a bed and not even in the fun way.
September 30, 2023
Hooray! Hooray! A book I could not put down (seriously, I had a lot to do yesterday and blew it all off to finish reading this) featuring one of the best heroines ever—Maddy is strong and determined and loving and courageous and forthright and I want to be her when I grow up. I was slower to appreciate Nash but he won me over with that second return to Maddy’s cottage the day he so-called left for good. This book is delightful!
July 25, 2021
"Una scatola chiusa, ecco cos'è il matrimonio. Non sai mai cos'hai comprato finchè non è troppo tardi. Gli uomini significano guai, d'accordo, ma se si tratta di guai ricchi, è più facile conviverci."
4,5 - La Gracie è una di quelle autrici che cerco di leggere sempre e questa serie, in particolare, si sta confermando molto bella. Dopo Gabriel, Harry Morant (il fratello illegittimo) e Rafe Renfrew è ora la volta del quarto fratello, il diplomatico della famiglia, di ritorno da una missione in terra russa.
Nash vorrebbe solo fare una toccata e fuga, ovvero prendere possesso di un titolo ereditato da un lontano parente, con relativa tenuta agricola, individuare e sposare una sposa adatta a lui e alla sua carriera particolare, infine ritornarsene al lavoro il prima possibile.
Ma, dopo aver "commissionato" alla temibile zia l'incombenza nuziale, incappa in un incidente, picchia la capoccia e si ritrova salvato e accudito dalla dolce Maddy.
Peraltro Maddy è dolce in superficie, ma anche coriacea, caparbia e operosa come le sue amate api, e ha ben cinque fratellastri (piccoletti e adorabili) al seguito.
Insomma, nel momento in cui carica Nash svenuto su una carriola e lo porta al riparo, noi lettrici romantiche sappiamo già che l'eroe snob e non-ho-tempo-per-l'amore è spacciato, e che il suo destino si compirà in una navata, con velo, lacrime di commozione, fiori d'arancio e tanti auguri.
Nel mezzo, però, accade davvero di tutto, da fantasmi assassini in giro per la campagna a barriere di lenzuola che non vogliono stare al loro posto, da diari ritrovati a stivali danneggiati, da lezioni di valzer per principianti a cavalli Popper che hanno comunque il loro ruolo.
Ed è un romanzo che mi è piaciuto molto, divertente, romantico, con un po' d'azione e un gran ritorno corale di tutti i fratelloni, nonché della burbera ma simpatica lady Gosforth (che, sotto certi aspetti, mi è parso un omaggio alla austeniana lady de Bourgh).
Quando l'anziana nobildonna esprime il suo apprezzamento sulla "magnifica collezione di maschi", noi siamo tutte con lei. Ugualmente compiaciute.
Una serie che CONSIGLIO. In attesa del libro di Luke :)
La vita senza risate era come un mese senza sole: potevi sopravvivere, ma non c'era alcuna gioia in esso.
4,5 - La Gracie è una di quelle autrici che cerco di leggere sempre e questa serie, in particolare, si sta confermando molto bella. Dopo Gabriel, Harry Morant (il fratello illegittimo) e Rafe Renfrew è ora la volta del quarto fratello, il diplomatico della famiglia, di ritorno da una missione in terra russa.
Nash vorrebbe solo fare una toccata e fuga, ovvero prendere possesso di un titolo ereditato da un lontano parente, con relativa tenuta agricola, individuare e sposare una sposa adatta a lui e alla sua carriera particolare, infine ritornarsene al lavoro il prima possibile.
Ma, dopo aver "commissionato" alla temibile zia l'incombenza nuziale, incappa in un incidente, picchia la capoccia e si ritrova salvato e accudito dalla dolce Maddy.
Peraltro Maddy è dolce in superficie, ma anche coriacea, caparbia e operosa come le sue amate api, e ha ben cinque fratellastri (piccoletti e adorabili) al seguito.
Insomma, nel momento in cui carica Nash svenuto su una carriola e lo porta al riparo, noi lettrici romantiche sappiamo già che l'eroe snob e non-ho-tempo-per-l'amore è spacciato, e che il suo destino si compirà in una navata, con velo, lacrime di commozione, fiori d'arancio e tanti auguri.
Nel mezzo, però, accade davvero di tutto, da fantasmi assassini in giro per la campagna a barriere di lenzuola che non vogliono stare al loro posto, da diari ritrovati a stivali danneggiati, da lezioni di valzer per principianti a cavalli Popper che hanno comunque il loro ruolo.
Ed è un romanzo che mi è piaciuto molto, divertente, romantico, con un po' d'azione e un gran ritorno corale di tutti i fratelloni, nonché della burbera ma simpatica lady Gosforth (che, sotto certi aspetti, mi è parso un omaggio alla austeniana lady de Bourgh).
Quando l'anziana nobildonna esprime il suo apprezzamento sulla "magnifica collezione di maschi", noi siamo tutte con lei. Ugualmente compiaciute.
Una serie che CONSIGLIO. In attesa del libro di Luke :)
La vita senza risate era come un mese senza sole: potevi sopravvivere, ma non c'era alcuna gioia in esso.
February 5, 2020
This book reminds me how I've come to love Ms Anne novel in the first place. I'm waiting patiently for her next book Marry in Scarlet release. I thought this series would be a boring one, but no. That's why I started from book 4. Now i can't wait to read Harry, Rafe and Gab.
February 22, 2024
Easy going H, hard working h & very little drama. Nice read.
January 10, 2016
Maddy along with her five young siblings, are all orphans since their father passed away. She has been living in a small cottage making it by on honey and the garden. When she finds a stranger slipping from his horse and falling on his head. Knowing that she just can't leave him out, she beings him inside her cottage, and stays by his bedside. When he wakes up, he has no idea who he is, and is injured and recovering from a fever. Maddy knows how dangerous it is to have this man in her home, but there is something intriguing about the man that only draws her closer to him. When Nash Renfrew finds himself in the care of a young woman and five children, he is fascinated by her caring nature. When his memory does return, he doesn't at first tell Maddy, wanting to kindle the desire that is growing between them. Maddy is not at all what he would wish for in a wife, but he wants her in his life even though he knows he could never give her love...but he can give her a life of passion and desire and tenderness.As the fourth in the series, I have truly enjoyed seeing these five friends, who are rakes, but to see love prove them wrong. There is a certain way about that way Anne Gracie puts together her stories. I won't say she is my ultimate favorite author...but I have truly enjoyed reading her works. The Fourth book is Nash's story. I do love a good amnesia story, and this one was well done. Sometimes they aren't always done very good, but this one had a bit more to the plot and I loved the witty humor that comes out of the story. There is also a fun lightheartedness about it that captivated me from the beginning. The five young children were absolutely delightful and they were a ROMP!! There is a instant attraction, but their relationship is more gradual too. We see how much they like each other, but the love side of things isn't instataneous. The level of sensuality was warm, not too strong in the story, but not light either. I felt like it was perfectly balanced along with the story line. The Accidental Wedding proved to be a memorable story that captured my heart from the first page. Definitely worth your time and you will not be disappointed. The only con I could see in this story is it takes a little bit to get into the story, but once you do...you will be hooked! :)
Favorite Quote
He slanted a wicked grin at her. "And am I all right? Nothing broken? In need of attention?"
His head and his ankle were injured: she'd been looking right smack bang in between. Where she had no business to be looking. She squirmed with mortification.
"It doesn't matter," she mumbled
"Actually I'm feeling a bit hot. And I'm sure there's a swelling. And it's aching. Are you sure you wouldn't like to check me?" His expression was pure, laughing devil.
"No, I--"
"Little liar." He reached out a lazy hand, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her.
It was a slow, soft kiss, warm as the morning sun, laced with the dark mystery of the night. Rich with promise.
Favorite Quote
He slanted a wicked grin at her. "And am I all right? Nothing broken? In need of attention?"
His head and his ankle were injured: she'd been looking right smack bang in between. Where she had no business to be looking. She squirmed with mortification.
"It doesn't matter," she mumbled
"Actually I'm feeling a bit hot. And I'm sure there's a swelling. And it's aching. Are you sure you wouldn't like to check me?" His expression was pure, laughing devil.
"No, I--"
"Little liar." He reached out a lazy hand, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her.
It was a slow, soft kiss, warm as the morning sun, laced with the dark mystery of the night. Rich with promise.
May 4, 2018
3.5 stars. This was a great romance. Nash is thrown from his horse right in front of Maddy's house and injured. She nurses him for days only to discover he has no memory of who he is after his head injury.
This book was a bit predictable along the lines of the amnesia story, as well as the two MCs who are forced to be in each other's company for days. Maddy's younger half-siblings (all 5 of them!) are a great addition to the story. Maddy has a mysterious past and a few secrets.
Nash has been a womanizer and a rake. This made it hard to like him at times because of his internal dialogue. He thinks like a man of his day, and he also has a difficult childhood to overcome. There is no OW drama in the book, but there are a few mentions made of his womanizing, although it's not rubbed in your face endlessly. Because of his experience spending time with Maddy and the children, Nash learns a few things about himself and about love.
Not sure why I stopped at 3.5 stars. Maybe because I figured out who the bad guy was pretty early on, and Nash was a stubborn jerk for a while before he came to his senses. There were also a lot of things done right in the story.
Despite its flaws, I did enjoy this HR. It's worth the read.
This book was a bit predictable along the lines of the amnesia story, as well as the two MCs who are forced to be in each other's company for days. Maddy's younger half-siblings (all 5 of them!) are a great addition to the story. Maddy has a mysterious past and a few secrets.
Nash has been a womanizer and a rake. This made it hard to like him at times because of his internal dialogue. He thinks like a man of his day, and he also has a difficult childhood to overcome. There is no OW drama in the book, but there are a few mentions made of his womanizing, although it's not rubbed in your face endlessly. Because of his experience spending time with Maddy and the children, Nash learns a few things about himself and about love.
Not sure why I stopped at 3.5 stars. Maybe because I figured out who the bad guy was pretty early on, and Nash was a stubborn jerk for a while before he came to his senses. There were also a lot of things done right in the story.
Despite its flaws, I did enjoy this HR. It's worth the read.
May 30, 2017
3.5 Stars
November 24, 2021
3 e 1/2
Molto carino per tutta la prima metà, poi si "affloscia", diventa scontato, poco originale, banale...blah!
Peccato
Molto carino per tutta la prima metà, poi si "affloscia", diventa scontato, poco originale, banale...blah!
Peccato
November 8, 2010
Review originally featured at Fiction Vixen Book Reviews.
What girl with a flair for style and romance doesn't love gazing at wedding dresses, whether in magazines or store windows? So naturally with a beautiful, white dress on the cover, my curiosity to read The Accidental Wedding by Anne Gracie was piqued.
Madeline “Maddy” Woodford lives a simple life in a one bedroom cottage with her five young half-siblings. They may struggle to make ends meet, tending honey bees and maintaining a small garden, but they have the support of their village and do not lack in love. Things change when Nash Renfrew falls, quite literally, into their lives. In a freak accident, Nash falls off his horse, injuring his leg and knocking himself unconscious. Determined to save his life, Maddy rescues Nash and tends his wounds. When he finally awakens, they discover he has complete amnesia.
Nash is intrigued by Maddy whose strength, love and happiness with her provincial life are at odds with his aloof, yet pampered existence. Interested in getting to know Maddy better and concerned about a cloaked stranger who has been vandalizing Maddy’s cottage, Nash asks to stay one more night after his strength (and memory) return. When word of Nash’s latest overnight visit reaches the town folk and Maddy’s reputation is called into question, Nash must choose between his desire to do right by Maddy and his plans to marry a woman of proper breeding and pedigree. And Maddy must decide if she could ever consider being in a loveless marriage when her heart so desperately wants Nash.
The Accidental Wedding was a true pleasure to read. Ms. Gracie crafted a well-written storyline, engaging characters and interesting dialogue. The fact that the story had elements of my all-time favorite Disney movie Cinderella was like a layer of fondant on a wedding cake. While I loved Nash, who followed his heart and sincerely wanted to make Maddy and the children happy, Maddy stole the show a bit in my book. Through her devotion to her family and can-do attitude, Maddy had a great balance of strength and tenderness. Feisty yet feminine, Maddy was quick to stand up for herself and not allow anyone to disrespect or control her. A well-defined supporting cast rounded out the story, providing a nice mix of bravado, sincerity, naïveté and snobbery. Likewise, the added drama of the vandal sub-plot created another dimension and level of uncertainty to the canvas, but didn’t distract from Maddy and Nash’s love story.
The Accidental Wedding is the fourth book in the Dark Riders series, but this classically romantic story stood alone well and has me quite interested to read the first three books.
Favorite Quote:
“Are you cold?” she whispered into the darkness.
“A bit, why?” The question hung in the air.
You can sleep here if you like. With me.” There, she’d said it.
There was a long pause. She wondered if he’d heard. Then the deep voice came out of the darkness. “If I sleep there with you, I won’t be able to resist.”
Maddy swallowed. “I don’t want you to resist.”
What girl with a flair for style and romance doesn't love gazing at wedding dresses, whether in magazines or store windows? So naturally with a beautiful, white dress on the cover, my curiosity to read The Accidental Wedding by Anne Gracie was piqued.
Madeline “Maddy” Woodford lives a simple life in a one bedroom cottage with her five young half-siblings. They may struggle to make ends meet, tending honey bees and maintaining a small garden, but they have the support of their village and do not lack in love. Things change when Nash Renfrew falls, quite literally, into their lives. In a freak accident, Nash falls off his horse, injuring his leg and knocking himself unconscious. Determined to save his life, Maddy rescues Nash and tends his wounds. When he finally awakens, they discover he has complete amnesia.
Nash is intrigued by Maddy whose strength, love and happiness with her provincial life are at odds with his aloof, yet pampered existence. Interested in getting to know Maddy better and concerned about a cloaked stranger who has been vandalizing Maddy’s cottage, Nash asks to stay one more night after his strength (and memory) return. When word of Nash’s latest overnight visit reaches the town folk and Maddy’s reputation is called into question, Nash must choose between his desire to do right by Maddy and his plans to marry a woman of proper breeding and pedigree. And Maddy must decide if she could ever consider being in a loveless marriage when her heart so desperately wants Nash.
The Accidental Wedding was a true pleasure to read. Ms. Gracie crafted a well-written storyline, engaging characters and interesting dialogue. The fact that the story had elements of my all-time favorite Disney movie Cinderella was like a layer of fondant on a wedding cake. While I loved Nash, who followed his heart and sincerely wanted to make Maddy and the children happy, Maddy stole the show a bit in my book. Through her devotion to her family and can-do attitude, Maddy had a great balance of strength and tenderness. Feisty yet feminine, Maddy was quick to stand up for herself and not allow anyone to disrespect or control her. A well-defined supporting cast rounded out the story, providing a nice mix of bravado, sincerity, naïveté and snobbery. Likewise, the added drama of the vandal sub-plot created another dimension and level of uncertainty to the canvas, but didn’t distract from Maddy and Nash’s love story.
The Accidental Wedding is the fourth book in the Dark Riders series, but this classically romantic story stood alone well and has me quite interested to read the first three books.
Favorite Quote:
“Are you cold?” she whispered into the darkness.
“A bit, why?” The question hung in the air.
You can sleep here if you like. With me.” There, she’d said it.
There was a long pause. She wondered if he’d heard. Then the deep voice came out of the darkness. “If I sleep there with you, I won’t be able to resist.”
Maddy swallowed. “I don’t want you to resist.”
August 2, 2016
At the beginning I thought the story a bit predictable s I wasn't that much excited about it, but I liked being slapped in the face with a great book. XD
In this book I loved Maddy more than Nash, here Nash messed plenty of opportunities with the wrong words. And Maddy had really proved herself as someone who wont take charity from anyone if it was solely for her, all her decision were based on the kids.
The scenes I loved in this book were the one's Nash had with the children, specially Lucy, because it was heartwarming at all the time I was "aah and ooh". I loved the parts were Maddy showed everyone what she though, first Nash, then Marcus, then Aunt Maude. And did I mention before how much I loved Aunt Maude, every time she appearance she bring a lightheartedness to the scene, like at the church, when she kept complimenting Maddy and backing her up, and specially at the wedding party when she told Nash "you can thank me later" that whole conversation was hilarious.
Now since I finished this book, I finished the Devil Riders series, cause I read the fifth book before the other. And can I say again and again overall I just love it and *thumps up*
In this book I loved Maddy more than Nash, here Nash messed plenty of opportunities with the wrong words. And Maddy had really proved herself as someone who wont take charity from anyone if it was solely for her, all her decision were based on the kids.
The scenes I loved in this book were the one's Nash had with the children, specially Lucy, because it was heartwarming at all the time I was "aah and ooh". I loved the parts were Maddy showed everyone what she though, first Nash, then Marcus, then Aunt Maude. And did I mention before how much I loved Aunt Maude, every time she appearance she bring a lightheartedness to the scene, like at the church, when she kept complimenting Maddy and backing her up, and specially at the wedding party when she told Nash "you can thank me later" that whole conversation was hilarious.
Now since I finished this book, I finished the Devil Riders series, cause I read the fifth book before the other. And can I say again and again overall I just love it and *thumps up*
April 26, 2011
2011 TBR Challenge- This book has been on my TBR list since November 2010.
The Accidental Wedding is a decently written historical romance with likable characters. No big misunderstandings or other dreaded plot devices to mar what is essentially a fairy tale-- injured rich man gets nursed back to health by impoverished beautiful woman and falls in love.
While the book is nice way to pas a few hours, the plot isn't very deep or complex. The author never lets the suspense build too far and the mysteries in the book are easily figured out early on, including the small mystery of Lizzie's husband.
What the author does best is build the relationship between Maddie and Nash. It was sweet and ultimately enjoyable. I did cringe at how neatly the author chose to wrap of everyone's lives, and how utterly "perfect" Maddie is all the time, but overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it for lovers of historical romances written with a light touch.
The Accidental Wedding is a decently written historical romance with likable characters. No big misunderstandings or other dreaded plot devices to mar what is essentially a fairy tale-- injured rich man gets nursed back to health by impoverished beautiful woman and falls in love.
While the book is nice way to pas a few hours, the plot isn't very deep or complex. The author never lets the suspense build too far and the mysteries in the book are easily figured out early on, including the small mystery of Lizzie's husband.
What the author does best is build the relationship between Maddie and Nash. It was sweet and ultimately enjoyable. I did cringe at how neatly the author chose to wrap of everyone's lives, and how utterly "perfect" Maddie is all the time, but overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it for lovers of historical romances written with a light touch.
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