≡ Read Gratis Bride by Arrangement Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo Mary Jo Putney Merline Lovelace Gayle Wilson 9780373834372 Books

Bride by Arrangement Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo Mary Jo Putney Merline Lovelace Gayle Wilson 9780373834372 Books

Download As PDF : Bride by Arrangement Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo Mary Jo Putney Merline Lovelace Gayle Wilson 9780373834372 Books

Bride by Arrangement Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo Mary Jo Putney Merline Lovelace Gayle Wilson 9780373834372 Books

The 3 novels are short but well-written and with just enough romance in it to please the Reader. The H. and h. are well described and developing warm feelings for each other. All in all, even being short stories they are easy to ready and pleasurable. Maria Rennard


Tags : Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo [Mary Jo Putney, Merline Lovelace, Gayle Wilson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bride By Arrangement by Mary Jo Putney\Merline Lovelace\Gayle Wilson released on Jul 25, 2000 is available now for purchase.,Mary Jo Putney, Merline Lovelace, Gayle Wilson,Bride by Arrangement: Wedding of the Century Mismatched Hearts My Darling Echo,Harlequin,0373834373,Romance - Contemporary,0373834373,115026X,20000801,707220,FICTION Romance Contemporary,FICTION Romance Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction-Romance,MASS MARKET,Romance - Historical,RomanceModern,Romance: Modern

Bride by Arrangement Wedding of the Century/ Mismatched Hearts/ My Darling Echo Mary Jo Putney Merline Lovelace Gayle Wilson 9780373834372 Books Reviews

Putney's novella, which is re-issued in this collection (it was originally written in 1994) is the longest story, and a very enjoyable re-working of the marriage between the 9th Duke of Marlborough and Consuelo Vanderbuilt. I loved all the little historically accurate details that Putney put into this tale, which really helped to build up the characters and make them true-to-life. I LOVED the Gayle Wilson story "My Darling Echo" -- really a beautiful, tender tale. It could have been a full length novel, for my money...I would have loved that even more! I didn't like the Merlaine Lovelace story very much at all. But both of the other stories are well worth the price of this book, and they make it a keeper.
I really enjoyed all the separate stories in this anthology, not surprisingly since they're written by great authors including Mary Jo Putney. But they suffer from the flaw attached to all such stories, which is that they are insufficiently well developed.
I loved Wilson's 'My Darling Echo,' but it felt to me as if at least fifty pages had been cut out towards the end. When both characters had been so determined to maintain their business relationship regardless of their marriage, what made her decide to go to him? The motivation simply was not established. We had the beginnings of motivation, but given the characterisation Wilson had established, that wasn't enough. She needed to flesh out the story more, which would have taken more than the 100 pages in total which she had.
Putney's story, as always, was well crafted and very enjoyable; it was interesting to see a story set in the late 1800s as opposed to some years earlier. Again, though, I felt that she ended it too abruptly; despite her story being the longest of the three, she seemed to run out of time.
Anthology editors, please make these stories longer in future!!
Right - straight up front - I adore Gayle Wilson's books so that was reason enough to buy and read this book! Mary Jo Putney is also a favourite whose work I greatly admire. Merline Lovelace's contribution was OK but not particularly memorable. It is really Gayle Wilson's story which was for me, my raison d'etre for writing this review.
Gayle Wilson unashamedly specialises in imperfect heros and, for those of us who prefer this type of man, she has given us one to die for in the Earl of Huntington. It is interesting that in her story "My Darling Echo" the hero has been blind for ten years and, on the whole, has learnt to cope with this disability which in the 1820s must have been incredibly difficult. Therefore there is none of the usual "nursing" scenario of the heroine giving the hero a reason to live; Huntington has a full, rich and vigorous life well established when we first meet him. The heroine, Mrs Arabella Simmons, is delightful, intelligent and responsible and how she and her little son, Kit, spread some light, love and laughter into the Earl's life is wonderful to read. The valet, Ingalls, is another Wilson speciality - the devoted and convincingly loving manservant - another of her well drawn deus ex machinae!
I think that I know of only one other novel which portrays a blind hero in this time frame so well Marjorie Farrell's "Miss Ware's Refusal". In this novel, as well as this novella by Ms Wilson, the utter lack of sentimentality gives real honesty and forthrightness in the character portrayals.
My only complaint, as another reader has said, is that "My Darling Echo" was too short and so much deserved a full length novel; I could see so many paths for development. Or, perhaps, if I am honest, the very briefness of this story added to its poignancy anc charm.
This is an above average group of stories.

WEDDING OF THE CENTURY (Mary Jo Putney) While at a party in England, the very rich and beautiful Sarah/Sunny Vangelder meets two men. One is Lord Justin, the second son of a dukedom (Duke of Thornborough) and the other is Paul Curzon, an aristocrat with political ambitions. Sunny falls in love with Paul and Justin is devastated.

When Justin's older brother dies suddenly, Justin acquires the role of duke. He immediately starts negotiations with Sunny's mother for a marriage between the families. Sunny is unhappy with the turn of events because Paul has just asked her to marry him. Sunny's mother refuses the 'gold-digger;' before long Sunny realizes that Paul wants her to help his political career -- not because Sunny is loved.

Stunned by Paul's betrayal, Sunny adjusts to the unhappy fact that she will marry Justin. Thus, two strangers must learn how to marry and create a life together.

MISMATCHED HEARTS (Merline Lovelace) Giles Moore, a wealthy baron will marry Chrysanthe, a beautiful woman whose father is in serious financial difficulty due to his disastrous gambling. Giles will absorb the debts when he marries Chrysanthe. Harry warns Giles that he will be bored to tears with the lovely Chrysanthe in a week.

Before Giles can get an announcement of his pending wedding in the newspaper, Isabella Chessington arrives and tells Giles that she and his younger brother are to marry. Harry seems to have forgotten to mention this when he arrived from the Middle East. Giles is surprised by his own interest in and admiration of Isabella.

Isabella takes Chrysanthe's measure and realizes that Giles and Chrysanthe suited each other no better than she and Harry. Isabella looks for a way to rearrange the hearts into matches pairs, not mismatched, as they are now.

MY DARLING ECHO (Gayle Wilson) This is an incredible story about a blind man (Alexander Coltrain) who has a secretary (Mrs. Arabella Simmons) who reads his important mail and newspapers to him daily. He offers Arabella a marriage of convenience. Arabella is a widow of one of Alexander's former schoolmates. He has fallen in love with Arabella but only asks for a marriage of convenience because he is afraid that Arabella could not love a blind man.

This entire story is told with no hint of pity or sentimentality. Alexander has been blind for eight years by the time he hires Arabella (two years ago). Ingalls, Alexander's devoted manservant is an important character; he pushes Alexander to make the offer and encourages Arabella to agree to the marriage.

Merline Lovelace's story was merely OK. Mary Jo Putney's short story was more interesting. But Gayle Wilson's was exceptionally beautiful.
The 3 novels are short but well-written and with just enough romance in it to please the Reader. The H. and h. are well described and developing warm feelings for each other. All in all, even being short stories they are easy to ready and pleasurable. Maria Rennard