The Bridal Season

Unexpected fun

Even though I am a fan of Connie Brockway's writing, I was a little unsure about a book with a heroine who is a con artist posing as someone else through most of the book. I am glad I gave it a chance because it turned out to be totally delightful and extremely romantic. Letty is charming, witty, intelligent and very kind-hearted. So is the hero, Elliott, and you can add handsome and incredibly honorable, too. It was nice to have a hero who had no problem telling the heroine he loved her once he realized it. Letty and Elliott brought out the best in each other. There always has to be some problem in a romance novel keeping the hero and heroine apart but at least this time it wasn't just a stupid misunderstanding that could have been cleared up in a few words. Elliott is a magistrate with hopes of getting into Parliament and making a change for good in the country. How can he let this con artist/thief off the hook and keep his integrity? I ached for them to be together and although I think Ms. Brockway overestimated the tolerance of some of the villagers and other characters, I was happy to suspend my disbelief. This book is definitely a keeper and I highly recommend it.

HERO FLOPS

This-of course-is an opinion not a synopsis. Male characters are supposed to be handsome-strong-protective and all the good things we female readers want in a man. Elliot is none of these. Not that he isn't a good man-just comes across as almost a non entity. Letty is a charlatan who is ready to run at first light and leave the family in need. On a sensual scale of 1-10 it's a 3. Seems there has to be a nasty ex lover in the picture and catherine is her name. None of the characters had any depth to them so it is difficult to say any jumped out and made an impression. The saving grace are the little missives at the top of each chapter such as: 'some days you're the cockroach, some days you're the boot' are interesting and apropos in this day and age.

gregarious look at a bygone era

At the London train station, Henri Arnoux asks Lady Agatha Whyte to marry him. She agrees dropping her train ticket on the floor of the station. Watching the romantic drama play out is music hall performer Letty Potts, who picks up the ticket destination Little Bidewell. She is desperate to escape her boyfriend Nick, who has insured she remains unemployed and burns down the lodging house she calls home destroying all of her possessions. Nick simply plans to force Letty to crawl back on her hands and knees to him, but she takes the train instead.

Letty arrives at Little Bidewell pretending to be Agatha of Whyte¿s Wedding Celebrations. Everyone welcomes the newcomer except local war hero Sir Elliot March. He suspects Letty is hiding something, but perhaps this is a reaction formation on his part to evade his own unwanted passion for the visitor. Soon his suspicions will prove true as London catches up with her, but by then Letty and Elliot love each other.

Readers will skip past the opening gimmick that enables Letty to escape because THE BRIDAL SEASON is a vivid historical romance that depicts life in an English country village near the end of the nineteenth century. The story line moves the reader because of how much the locals care about one another and the newcomer. The romance between Elliot and Letty is filled with guilt, recriminations, demons, and a deep love. Fans of Connie Brockway will thoroughly appreciate this gregarious look at a bygone era mostly through the eyes of a charming, caring, and compassionate charlatan.

Harriet Klausner

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