In 1815, Devon St. James walks home alone at night from her job on the mean streets of St. Giles. Two thugs accost her, but she manages to kill one of them before the other knocks her out. Lord Sebastian Sterling enters the London slum looking for his younger brother when he sees the unconscious woman. Out of character for the normally prim Sebastian, he takes her to his home.
As Sebastian nurses Devon, he initially believes she is a thief and a strumpet. When he sees where she lives and works, he becomes outraged. As he worries about her returning to the slums especially with the other criminal waiting to enact vengeance on her, he also falls in love with her. She reciprocates, but believes he would never want her beyond being his mistress. Sebastian, who observed the unhappiness and fights between his parents, had never wanted passion, but now he needs to persuade Devon with her that is exactly what he needs for a lifetime.
This is an interesting Regency romance because of the courage of the heroine and the changing reactions of the lead male towards his “guest”. The secondary characters add depth whether they are a street thug or Sebastian's brother. Fans will enjoy this fine look at a couple whose childhoods were wanting for different reasons as both realizes money cannot buy happiness, but it does help eliminate stress inducers.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of A Perfect Bride
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- Regency era
Forbidden/mismatched love?
Yes
How mismatched?
- poor loving rich
Action/suspense subplot?
Yes
Action:
- chased by/chasing kidnapper/killer
Caretaker, in love with
Yes
Falling in love with
- Homecaring friend
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- nurse
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
What % of story is romance related?
- 70%
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
