The Bad Luck Bride

March 20, 2017
Debut author MacGregor brings England’s Regency era to life in this sparkling launch for the Cavensham Heiresses romance series. Lady Claire, the daughter of a duke, was orphaned at a young age when a carriage accident claimed the lives of her parents. When her fourth attempt at an engagement, this time with unlikable Lord Paul, ends in disaster like the previous three, London’s gossips compound her survivor’s guilt by declaring her cursed. She’s saved from the worst of them by the timely intervention of Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke, one of Lord Paul’s childhood friends. The pair seems to get on well, despite their inauspicious beginning, but they are both struggling with secrets: Alex’s thirst for revenge against Paul, who mistreated his sister, and Claire’s nightmares of her parents’ deaths. This charming tale features a refreshing array of happy families, solid relationships, and candid portrayals of realistic reactions to adverse events. The lack of trust and communication between the principal characters sometimes feels contrived, but the book’s promise of a delicious story is well realized, building anticipation for future installments. Agent: Pam Ahearn, Ahearn Agency.

March 15, 2017
Fifth time's the charm.The Lady Claire Curse has left Claire Cavensham, an otherwise very marriageable young woman, 24 and on the verge of spinsterhood. After her fourth fiance breaks their engagement, her tattered reputation is barely saved when Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke, offers for her hand even though they barely know each other. Surprisingly, they find that their marriage of convenience is a better match than either had anticipated, leading two unhappy nobles to begin to hope they might have a happy ending after all. Though Claire's lifetime of grief over being the only survivor of an accident that killed her parents seems as though it may interrupt their happiness, the real danger to their marriage is the secret Alex is keeping. He didn't propose to Claire to save her--he proposed as part of a larger plan to ruin her previous fiance. And the passion between them, strong as it is, may not survive that revelation. MacGregor's debut, and the first in the planned Cavensham Heiresses series, is an enjoyably complex treat. Though Alex's characterization is somewhat uneven, the obstacles of the plot lead to an ultimately satisfying resolution. Winningly, although there's plenty of sizzle between the newlyweds in multiple passionate scenes, their efforts to build a meaningful partnership outside the bedroom make this a mature addition to any Regency shelf. An impressive debut.

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Starred review from April 15, 2017
Claire Cavensham has already lost three fiances: one to death, one to disease, and one to dismemberment. Now Claire is stunned when she receives a note from Lord Paul Barstowe, fiance number four, informing her that he has no intention of showing up at the altar. So when Alexander Hallworth, the Marquess of Pembrooke, offers to marry her instead, what can Claire do but say yes? Alexander has his own reasons for proposing to Claire; the primary one is the settling of an old score with his former best friend and now mortal enemy Paul. After all, it isn't as though Alexander has to be in love with Claire in order for him to use their marriage to secure what he most desperately craves. But the more time Alexander spends with Claire, the more he begins thinking about love and the less he focuses on revenge. With its beautifully defined, exceptionally appealing protagonists, intriguing secondary characters, and graceful writing deftly leavened with wry wit, this classic romantic story line becomes something marvelously fresh and new, thus making MacGregor's stellar debut a must-read for any fan of Regency historicals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)