Tempting the Bride by Sherry ThomasHelena Fitzhugh has a secret love affair. When she is almost caught at a rendezvous she accepts help from David Hillsborough, Viscount Hastings. Helena despises Hastings, but to salvage her reputation elopes with him.David loves Helena, but was too proud to declare his feelings. A carriage accident leaves Helena without her memory. Will this be the chance for David to win her over by showing his love? What will happen when he tells her his great secret?And what will happen if her memory returns? Of the 3 books in the Fitzhugh Trilogy, this was my favorite. Although one of my favorite tropes is the long-lasting unrequited crush (which Ravishing the Heiress (Berkley Sensation)certainly was), it was the tension between David and Helena that edged them out over Millie and Fitz. David had a crush on Helena since he was a young boy and acted out by tormenting her as boys are known to do. Helena, oblivious to the fact that he was acting out of puppy love, barely paid him any mind unless she was responding with cutting remarks or turning the tables on him. Helena's older sister was so beautiful that it never even occurred to her that she could be the object of his or any man's affection at the time as she was often overlooked in favor of her sister. Helena was very thin, did not possess the "womanly curves" of the time and didn't hit puberty until her mid-teens. It was interesting to watch David and Helena circle each other for the first 2 books in the trilogy and it was even better to get more of their back story in this book. As adults, David had the hardest time approaching her with anything but sarcastic taunts and crude overtures meant to shock her(ahem...the Bride of Larkspear) because of their past. We see him struggle to break out of the persona he'd crafted to show Helena a different side of himself. Through a series of events that I don't want to spoil, Helena is affected by amnesia for a short time. This affords David the opportunity to be the man he's always wanted to be for Helena, even knowing that once she recovers her memory, the true feelings that he's revealed to her still may not be enough for her to get over their rocky past. David is not the rakish, crude rogue he'd presented all these years. He's a loving, patient father and his scenes with his daughter, Bea, won me over to his side. Thomas' writing leaves no doubt that he'd loved Helena all this time. Helena was stubborn, prickly and I loved the fact that she always gave as good as she got and managed to be one step ahead of David much of the time. And Thomas' handling of Bea's character, a little girl with high-functioning asperger's (not called out by name in the book, but confirmed after a query to the author), was just so moving. I found myself just captivated by this little make-shift family that they appeared to be creating, if only David and Helena could learn to trust one another. This is the story that made Sherry Thomas a 'Must-Read' author for me and I highly recommend it.
What do You think about Par Orgueil (2013)?
I just really like her style, unique and speaks to me.
—vgffb
