The Bride of Time

an entertaining paranormal historical ¿bridal¿ romance

In 1903, London scullery maid Tessa La Prelle lives a hard life as her job is not an easy one. However, adding to her drudgery is the shock that everyone recognizes her as the model who posed in Giles Longworth's portrait, THE BRIDE OF TIME. The only problem with the assumption that she sat for the artist is that the painting is a century old.---------- While walking in a pea soup thick fog in London, Tessa suddenly finds herself at the Longworth's home in Cornwall with no idea how she got there and quickly hired as governess to his nephew as no one except desperate people accept employment there. Almost everyone fears Longworth, who is rumored to be a shapeshifter who mutilates humans. Tessa knows Giles would never kill anyone she is not quite as sure about his strange behaving nephew. As Tessa falls in love, she wonders if her heart is coloring her mind from evil.------------- As she has consistently done over the years, the late great Dawn Thompson provides an entertaining paranormal historical ¿bridal¿ romance in which she combines elements she has used before into an exciting tale. The author employs time travel (see THE FALCON'S BRIDE) with a werewolf saga (see THE RAVENCLIFF BRIDE) to provide her fans with a delightful gothic romance in which the suspense and the comparative historical eras enhance a fitting tribute.------- Harriet Klausner

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

This may be the author's best story!

The story begins in London, the year 1903. Tessa LaPrelle is a scullery maid. When framed for stealing, Tessa flees with pursuit hot on her heels. Somehow, via Lay Lines, she travels almost one hundred years into the past. Tessa finds her morning has suddenly become dusk. Instead of London, she is in Cornwall. It is now 1811. ----------------- Tessa is mistaken for someone applying for a governess position at Longhollow Abbey on Bodmin Moor. With nowhere to go and only the clothes on her back, Tessa accepts the governess job. Her charge is named Montclair 'Monty' Albert Montague the third. He is the nine-years-old ward of Giles Longworth. (Monty had been the stepson of Giles's sister until she died the year prior, leaving Monty in the care of Giles.) The tension between the child and the surrogate uncle is palpable and Tessa finds herself in the middle of it all. She realizes from the start that Monty is not quite normal, though she is unsure as to why. Monty often seems dangerous and sends chills down her spine. As for Giles, he is an artist with a fondness for brandy. He just happens to be the artist of a painting Tessa had enjoyed viewing in a London gallery during her own time period. In fact, Giles is currently working on the painting Tessa enjoyed the most, The Bride of Time. ------------------------ Giles is not sure where Tessa came from since he never bothers to ask for references. She is a lady of mystery, an enigma. She came to him out of the night like an answer to a prayer. Though Tessa takes the job of governess, Giles hopes to persuade her to pose for him. Giles needs her to care for Monty, and for him to use her likeness in his current painting, but at the same time Giles must protect her. Monty is one of the lycanthrope, werewolf, and last month the child bit his hand. Giles knows that there is a very good chance that, come the full moon, he will change. The bite of a werewolf is contagious. ----------------------- Tessa has never been superstitious, but after traveling through time (more than once) she must admit that some supernatural things cannot be explained away they just ARE. Tessa and Giles find love in the arms of each other however, Tessa is pursued for a crime she did not commit in her time and Giles is accused of multiple deaths during his. Only together can they hope to find eventual happiness, but how and where seem to have impossible answers. --------------------- ***** Author Dawn Thompson left our own time period February 8, 2008, but she has left behind a few wonderful stories for her fans. This book, The Bride of Time, is the first published story since the author's death. In my opinion, this is also Dawn Thompson's best work to date! --------------------- The idea of beginning a story in the past, then having one of the main characters travel through time deeper into the past, is not new however, few are as well written as this. There are similarities between the two chosen time periods and the author uses these to actually enhance the tale, making it all believable. As for the secondary characters, I found myself caring for a faithful butler and admiring an elder Gypsy woman. The story pulled in, not only my interest from the first, but my emotions as well. I almost felt as though I stood beside Tessa during her ordeals, peering through the foggy mists for the unknown dangers therein. Fans of reading time travels, historicals, supernaturals, and gothics will adore this book. A thrilling run through some of England's dangerous times, with love as their only escape! I cannot recommend this story highly enough. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

one of her best!

The Bride of Time is a time-travel, as one might infer from the title, and it's another of author Dawn Thompson's tour de force books that continually amazed me with just how talented she was. Tessa LaPrelle is a scullery maid in Poole House. She speaks proper English, has manners of a lady, but she is nothing more than a maid in the year 1903. On her day off, she stumbles across the self-portrait of Giles Longworth and is drawn to the image of the handsome artist, as well as another of his paintings called `The Bride of Time'. The painting was done in 1811 at the commission of the Prince of England, and Tessa and patrons of the small gallery are surprised to see that it's her face on the painting. She is continually called back to the Longworth paintings, which seem to embody everything her life is not. Later, she is accused of stealing a pearl brooch from the owner of Poole House. She escapes the Bobbies by accidently stumbling over a ley line that carries her back to Longhallow Abbey, and face-to-face with its mysterious owner Giles Longworth. In the year of 1811, Tessa is mistaken for the new governess for Giles's ward, Monty, who sends governesses running in terror¯and no small wonder, as this child is more than a brat, he is evil incarnate, cursed from his Gypsy mother's blood. Rumors abound that Longworth killed his wife and her lover, maybe even killed Monty's step-mother, Giles's sister, and her unborn child. Then there are the dead animals, and sometimes dead people, in the small hamlet near the Abbey in the wilds of Cornwall, all left with their throats ripped out. Tessa soon sees her charge is troubled, but wonders if his guardian isn't partly to blame. The man is nearly brutal with the child, spends his time sloshed with Brandy, and locked up in his garret studio painting like mad. Or is he really mad? Mad or tormented, Tessa cannot resist the man. Time-traveling ley lines, werewolves, Gypsy curses, and more fill this wonderful novel that keeps the reader turning pages. Thompson was a beautiful writer, a true storyteller, and this is just another marvelous book in the long line of titles spanning her `shooting star' career. Giles and Tessa's love that spans the years is one that touched my heart, and will linger long in memory after the book is put down. Another Dawn Thompson novel for my Keeper Shelf and possibly her best book yet. Bittersweet for this is the first book published after her death.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Loved It!!!

I've been a fan of Dawn Thompson's for years and eagerly awaited reading her newest time travel romance. I love the time travel genre and Ms. Thompson has such a unique take on it. Instead of a modern day heroine traveling back to the past, this story starts out in 1901 London and the heroine, who's a scullery maid, travels back to the time of the Regency where she meets a wealthy artist who happens to be a werewolf. Like a typical Dawn Thompson romance, this story has so many twists and turns and tons of excitment and romance.

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