The opening line of Garwood's ( Saving Grace ) latest novel, ``The vultures were gathering in the vestibule,'' aptly sets the tone for the machinations to follow. These ``vultures'' (of 1868 vintage) are the greedy relatives of Lady Esther Stapleton awaiting the death of their wealthy kin. Worst of the lot is Esther's son, Malcolm, a devious and demented gentleman who is unaware that his vigil is useless: his mother has already transferred her wealth from England to a Boston bank in the name of her favorite granddaughter, Taylor. To shield Taylor from Malcolm's wrath, Esther arranges for the girl to marry Lucas Ross, a Montana rancher itching to end his visit to England. The couple readily agree to the plan: Lucas needs the money to bring his younger brother to America, and Taylor knows Lucas's protection is the only way she can safeguard her tiny orphaned nieces from Malcolm, whose sexual appetite runs to the very young. The marriage is to be annulled as soon as they reach the States, but love has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans. Garwood pads her story with pages of intricate detail (bathing, shopping, decor, traveling, etc.) that ultimately slow the pace to a crawl. Readers can enjoy this book for the humor, the sweetness and the sensuality. (June)
Prince Charming
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Julie GarwoodUnabridged — 16 hours, 2 minutes
Prince Charming
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Julie GarwoodUnabridged — 16 hours, 2 minutes
Overview
Editorial Reviews
Compelled to action by the death of her adored grandmother, unconventional Lady Taylor Stapleton agrees to marry Lucas Ross, a man she has never met, and accompany him to America temporarily, all in an effort to save her two young nieces from their greedy and lecherous uncle. But all does not go as planned, and when the girls are kidnapped, Taylor and Lucas are forced to continue their matrimonial charade. Despite the thread of child abuse, sexual and otherwise, woven throughout the story, Garwood's latest offering (following Saving Grace, Pocket Bks., 1993) is light and funny, featuring lively dialog, swift-moving action, and a wonderfully outspoken heroine. Garwood readers might also enjoy books by Amanda Quick and Judith McNaught.
Booklist Memorable....Guaranteed to keep the pages turning.
Rendezvous The power of Garwood's storytelling will enthrall and enchant you.
Rosalyn Landor’s full-toned voice and British accent immediately set the scene for Taylor’s story. Bidding farewell to her dying grandmother in England, Taylor travels to America to marry rancher Lucas Ross in order to protect her inheritance from greedy uncles. Landor assumes a husky American accent to bring out Lucas’s rugged nature as he finds himself quite smitten with his naïve but independent wife, whom Landor portrays with spunk. Landor’s natural delivery and deft handling of the secondary characters conveys the sense of the social mores and gender roles of the times and provides a rich listening experience. M.F. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172637117 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Brilliance Audio |
| Publication date: | 12/04/2012 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
From Chapter One
The clapping was suddenly, inexplicably cut off. Couples still lingering on the dance floor turned to the entrance. A hush fell over the guests. Lucas was intrigued by the behavior of the crowd. He turned to see what attraction held eve
"Not everything in England is tainted," Morris announced. "Have a look, Lucas. The proof of England's superiority stands at the entrance."
From the enthusiasm in his voice, Lucas didn't think he would be surprised to find the queen of England standing there.
"Hampton, get out of his way so he can see," Morris ordered.
"Lucas is a good head taller than every other man here," Hampton muttered. "He can see well enough. Besides, I can't take my gaze off the vision long enough to even consider moving anywhere. God love her, she showed up," he added in a whisper, the adoration in his voice unmistakable. "She's got courage, I'd say. Oh, yes, courage, indeed."
"There's your maverick, Lucas," Morris announced in a voice thick with pride.
The young lady under discussion stood on the top of the steps leading down into the ballroom. The Englishmen hadn't exaggerated. She really was an incredibly beautiful woman. She wore a royal blue evening gown with a scooped neck that was neither overly revealing nor overly concealing. The dress wasn't molded to her figure, yet it was impossible not to notice her softly rounded curves and her creamy white skin.
She was all alone, and from the faint smile on her face, she didn't seem to be the least bothered by the stir she was causing. She didn't seem to care that her clothing wasn't considered fashionable either. Her skirt wasn't all poofed out at odd angles, and it was apparent she wasn't wearing one of those wire contraptions underneath. Her hair wasn't bound up tight in a braid. The long, goldencolored curls fell in soft waves around her slender shoulders.
No, she wasn't dressed in the uniform of the other women at the ball, and perhaps that was one reason she held every man's rapt attention. She was a refreshing diversion in perfection.
Lucas was certainly affected by the sight of such loveliness. He instinctively blinked. She didn't disappear. He couldn't see the color of her eyes, but he already knew they were blue...candlelight blue. They had to be.
He was suddenly having difficulty drawing a breath. A tightness settled inside his chest, and his heart started slamming a wild beat. Hell, he was acting like a schoolboy. It was humiliating.
"She really is a maverick," Hampton agreed. "Will you look at the marquess? He's standing directly across the ballroom. I declare I can see the lust in his eyes even from this considerable distance. I imagine his new wife sees it, too. Look how she's glaring at him. Lord, this really is quite delightful. I do believe justice is finally being served to the blackheart. He's getting his due now. God, I'm sorry, Lucas. I shouldn't be talking about your half brother with such disrespect."
"I don't consider him family," Lucas replied in a hard, unbending voice. "He disowned the rest of us years ago. And you're right, Hampton," he added. "Justice has been served in more ways than even you realize."
Hampton gave him a quizzical look. "You've made me mighty curious, Lucas. What is it you know that we don't?"
"He probably heard all about the humiliation," Morris speculated. He didn't wait for Lucas to confirm or deny his statement but hurried on to give the full report just in case he hadn't heard every single little detail.
"The beautiful vision in blue smiling so sweetly was engaged to your half brother, but I'm certain you already knew that much of the story," he began. "William could have had it all. He was quite smooth while he courted her, and she, so young and innocent, surely found him attractive. Then, just two weeks before the wedding was scheduled to take place, William eloped with his fiancee's cousin, Jane. Over five hundred people had been invited to the celebration, and of course, all had to be notified of the cancellation. It was going to be the bash of the season all right. Can you imagine the disgrace of having to call the thing off at such a late hour?"
Hampton nodded. "Do you see how Jane is clinging to William now? Oh, this is priceless. It really is. William isn't even trying to hide his lustful thoughts. I wouldn't be surprised if he started drooling. Jane's a pale shadow next to what he gave up, isn't she?"
Lucas wasn't amused. "He's a fool," he muttered.
Hampton agreed with a nod. "I despise William Merritt. He's a crook and a manipulator. He duped my father, then publicly boasted of his cleverness. My father was humiliated."
"Look what William did to his own brothers," Morris said.
"He almost destroyed Jordan and Douglas, didn't he?" Hampton asked.
"He did," Morris answered. "William's getting his just reward, all right. He's going to be miserable the rest of his life. Jane's every bit as vile as he is. They make a frightening couple, don't they? Rumor has it she's carrying his child. I pity the babe if that gossip is true."
"She could be carrying," Hampton agreed. "The two were blatantly carrying on while he was engaged. Jane's going to be sorry, too. She thinks William has quite an inheritance left."
"Doesn't he?" Lucas asked the question.
Hampton shook his head. "It will soon come out with the wash. He's as destitute as a beggar. The fool speculated and lost every pound he had. The bankers own his land now. He's probably counting on Jane getting a fat inheritance when old Lady Stapleton dies. She was ailing, but I understand she made another miraculous recovery."
Copyright © 1994 by Julie Garwood
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