After eight long years of war, Captain Hugo Penhallow is happy
to return home to his loving family, even though he'd rather
not think about their financial situation. But at least, Hugo
possesses two assets which he intends to use to improve their
circumstances: their exalted surname and his God-given supreme
good looks. He has more or less made his mind up to ask his
childhood friend Katherine Brooke to marry him. He knows she is
filthy rich and he remembers her as a nice girl, even if he
can't quite recall what she looks like. Alas, Katherine is not
that pleasant girl anymore: she cannot stand her parents, and
longs for freedom. She has always had a rebellious streak,
spends her pin money on novels, and stuffs herself with
secretly acquired sweets. Because her family's money comes from
trade, aristocrats have not been beating down the door to court
her, which is Katherine's parents' fondest dream. So when Hugo
drops by to say "Hullo" (thank you, Ms. Berne!), Katherine's
nefarious plans crystallize: her parents will be delirious to
have him as a son-in-law, and Katherine will be free from her
tyrants. But Katherine's lustful nature is put to the test when
all she can think of is Hugo's impossibly gorgeous person, and
that she wants him, almost as much as her independence. But she
must curtail her wild attraction: this is a business deal, and
Katherine can drive a hard bargain, now that her freedom is in
her sights.
By the end of chapter one of THE BRIDE TAKES A GROOM, I was
head over heels in love with
Hugo, Katherine, and Lisa Berne's writing! The joy of being
shown that Katherine has a wild streak, the ecstasy of having a
heroine who is consumed with lust, and a hero who is so
honorable that he will respect her wishes of a passionless
marriage, and the absolute bliss of Ms. Berne's luminous,
graceful, eloquent, dazzling prose! The dialogues are no less
spectacular with the author's choice of period -- and typically
English -- vernacular, by Jove, I nearly swooned! I could sense
Hugo's easy confidence, his joie de vivre even when his
situation was dire; Katherine's rage felt like a punch to the
stomach: her parents are truly horrid, tactless and snobbish;
and her visceral reaction to Hugo was nearly palpable. The
secondary characters are simply stupendous: Hugo's mother,
sister, and brothers; Céleste, Katherine's condescending and
sly maid, and the extraordinary Gwendolynn, Hugo's young
sister. And what to say of the descriptions of the garish,
gaudy opulence of Katherine's dreadful gowns! I cannot say how
much I appreciated that, for once, it was the woman who was
nearly drooling at the idea of a man.
Some of us will gasp at Katherine's upbringing and behavior,
which seems at times slightly schizophrenic, but looking at it
closely, none of it is that different than a lot of what we see
today. A superfluous detail: yes, Katherine and Hugo look like
those cover models! There are some marvelous plot twists; many
endearing characters and I was never confused; such splendid
storytelling that I see in The Penhallow Dynasty the
makings of a grand saga that will be remembered for decades to
come.
Lisa Berne’s Penhallow Dynasty continues with a
pair of star-crossed childhood friends who meet again years
later—and find love where they least expect it . . .
Katherine Brooke may be a fabulously wealthy heiress, but
she’s trapped, a pawn in her parents’ ruthless game to marry
her into the nobility. Then Captain Hugo Penhallow—so
charming, as handsome as a Greek god—comes into her life
once more, and suddenly she sees a chance to be free.
As a Penhallow, his is one of the highest names in the land,
but still his family is facing ruin. So Katherine boldly
proposes an exchange: his name for her
money. But only if Hugo understands it’s merely a
practical arrangement, and that she’s not surrendering
herself entirely.
Back from eight years in America and determined to give his
younger siblings a better life, Hugo agrees. He’s never
fallen in love, so why not? Yet neither of them guesses that
this marriage will become far, far more than they ever
dreamed of . . .
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