~The Independent Bride~

by Sophie Weston

      Heroine: average/pleasingly plump

         To the world redheaded Penelope Anne Calhoun, aka "the tiger cub", is the epitome of the moneyed heiress.  She is used to getting whatever she wants, has all the right connections, and has a fiery temper to match her hair.  She's also known to be passionate when it comes to business, yet said to have ice in her veins where the opposite sex is concerned.

        But college Master Stephen Konig thought he knew differently, having glimpsed an open, wary, and vulnerable woman when the two bumped into each other on an airline flight.  An opinion he quickly revised upon their second meeting, when he saw the business woman the rest of the world saw.

         Bitterly disillusioned by the loss of his imagined "goddess" and annoyed by the termagant who supplanted her, Stephen sets out to make the pedigreed "Pepper" Calhoun very miserable indeed.

          And if he can just douse the sparks of sexual energy that ignite whenever he gets near her, he just might succeed!

      What worked for me:

        Pepper was a bit prickly at times, but both she and Stephen were likable. And the villainesses were so easy to hate.  The two of them really should get together for tea, crumpets, and backstabbing sometime.

          I loved the setting for "The Independent Bride".  Ancient buildings like castles and universities automatically bring out the romantic in me.

          Size-wise Pepper was a softly-padded average, but rather unhappy with her appearance through most of the story, poor thing.

What didn't work for me:

           Perhaps it was a case of too many shades from my own past, but Pepper's low self-esteem really was discomforting for me.

           I don't know if it was a question of having had an English mother or that she was just picking up the local lingo, but sometimes Pepper didn't sound American.        

Overall:

          A sweet and enjoyable read, especially for folks who like a British flavor to their romances.

Warning: there was one sexy scene, but it was very tastefully done.

If you liked "The Independent Bride" you might also enjoy "Love at Large", "Baby at His Convenience", "Midsummer Lightning", "Suite Seduction", "The Bridesmaid's Reward", "The Librarian's Passionate Knight", "The Course of True Love", "Born to be Wild", "More to Love",  "Runaway Bay", "His Seductive Revenge", "Carried Away", "His E-mail Order Wife", "Dear Cupid", "Spellbound", "It Had to be You", or  "This Heart of Mine".

Have you read this book and have a comment to make on it? Join a discussion about the book at the Dangerous Curves forum or submit a review to this website.