The Wedding Night
Arrogant, alpha-male heroes with hearts of gold are a dime a dozen in romance novels, and the hero of Smith's (One Wild Night, etc.) formulaic Regency does little to distinguish himself from the pack. Samuel Firth, the illegitimate son of the former Marquess of Stokeford, married 14-year-old Cassandra Grey, the daughter of a Duke, to raise his social stature and build a dynasty that would rival that of his aristocratic relations. But when he realizes his bride is too young to start a dynasty, he abandons her on their wedding night and travels the globe, returning four years later when she petitions him for a separation. Although Samuel agrees to give Cassie what she wants provided that she helps him reenter society, he has no intention of letting her go. At 19, Cassie is now a beauty, and Samuel is prepared to use every tool in his arsenal, including manipulation, to get her into bed. Samuel comes across as little more than a bully wrapped in a handsome package, but his flinty encounters with the independent-minded Cassie will keep readers turning the pages, many in the hopes that she'll give him the dressing-down he deserves. Inevitably, the novel ends on a bittersweet note, with Cassie succumbing to her husband's sensual coercion, which will make some readers sigh with satisfaction and others with exasperation.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.