Tainted Bride

Sophia is a woman in denial. About many things. Including her attraction to Daniel. Daniel has his sights set on the beautiful, yet fragile angel that has awakened his dormant emotions. All at once he feels protective and enamored. Daniel is the dashing knight that seeks to rescue the damsel in distress. That annoyed me some, but the way the author handled Sophia's painful reveal took some on the aggravation away. Tainted Bride is a story of empowerment, sacrifice and healing.

This book was contradictory and dull. I couldn't connect with either main character and their emotions were tiresome. There was too much going on with the story. The only reason I finished the book was because I had to $5 for it. This is my first and last read from this author.

After a disheartening voyage of six weeks at sea, Miss Sophia Braighton of Philadelphia sets foot on English soil. Her great-aunt Lady Daphne Collington is to chaperone her in her London season, in hopes of Sophia securing a husband. However, because of a scandal in America, Sophia doesn’t want a husband. Ever. Not even when Daniel Fallon, the earl of Marlton sends her heart aflutter. Daniel is immediately smitten by the beautiful American, but can he overcome the betrayal of a former fiancée? TAINTED BRIDE is the first book in the promising Forever Bride series, and Ms. Fenichel’s eloquent prose make the Regency era come to life with great clarity. The author’s understanding of the mores of the era adds much depth to the story, and the dialogues also ring especially true. Sophia went through a heartbreaking ordeal in America, which Ms. Fenichel conveys so well that I have seldom felt so much pain and compassion for a character. While Sophia is charming and has a sunny disposition, melancholy is never far from the surface. TAINTED BRIDE is very beautifully written, very moving, and the characters are particularly well rounded. Lady Daphne is superb, full of surprises, and while Daniel is lovely, it is the irresistible Thomas Wheeler who captured my heart. And what to say about the positively revolting villain? I really loved TAINTED BRIDE, the first half is splendid however, I felt the second half dragged on a bit. I found a certain situation involving Sophia excruciatingly hard to read. The credit goes to the author because I can’t recall profound distress ever being described so accurately; I really hurt for Sophia, but it would have been just as effective, in my opinion, had it not lasted so long. The same goes for what brought about this situation and how it is dealt with, which could have been trimmed down; I felt that too many somewhat superfluous details bogged down the story, and slowed the pace, and somehow distracted from the romance, in a way. TAINTED BRIDE is a compelling story of love, trust, loyalty and friendship, and Ms. Fenichel is not afraid to show the ugliness beneath the glittering veneer of polite society in a way that is seldom found in historical romance, and in most elegant fashion. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.