Rule's Bride by Kat Martin - Sugarbeat's Books

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It’s Sunday and that means we are celebrating series of books. As you all must know by now, I love historical romances that occur in series. I love joining a family, and spending some time with them as the various members interact and let’s face it, they are romance novels, people get married! Kat Martin’s Bride Trilogy is one set that I read a bit ago and enjoyed. I think I liked this last one more than the others, but they made up a good set overall!

Rule’s Bride by Kat Martin

ISBN: 0778327744
Publisher: Mira
Release: April 27, 2010
Source: I purchased this book to read and review

Unrepentant rake Rule Dewar is living the good life when a most surprising event occurs—he falls in love with his wife.
After their strategic “marriage of commerce” three years ago, Rule quite forgot about Violet Griffin, the teenage heiress to a Boston manufacturing fortune. He simply spoke his vows, took over her father’s business and returned to England to resume his usual pursuits: high-priced wine, high-stakes gambling and highborn women.
Yet when Violet, now a sophisticated woman, unexpectedly appears at Rule’s London town house, husbandly duties no longer seem so odious—he can’t wait to take his stunning bride to their marriage bed. Violet, however, is not so easily led: she has her own ideas and is seeking an annulment to marry another. But as Rule attempts to win her over, someone else is determined to frame him for murder and keep him out of the way for good….

Rule Dewar promised his father who was on his deathbed, to expand the Dewar holdings into America. To forge trade connections with American companies. Rule’s father felt that the future of English survival was in partnerships with America.

Years after his father died, Rule is in Boston visiting Howard Griffin, the owner of Griffin Manufacturing. When he finds out that Howard, a man who he respects, is dying and wants to secure his daughter’s future, he agrees to marry her. The marriage will be in name only until Violet, who is currently 16, reaches her majority, and Rule gets half ownership of a gun manufacturing firm that has two plants, one in Boston and one in London.

After the wedding, Rule returns to London and tells no one. He returns to his life of debauchery. Three years later, Rule is at loose ends having ended his affair with his latest mistress, and is considering going to Boston to claim his bride. What he doesn’t realize is that Violet is on her way to England with her cousin and the intent to get an annulment so that she can marry another man.

One of the funniest parts of the story is when Violet arrives at Rule’s London house and announces herself as his wife to the butler. Talk about busted!! She realizes quickly that he has told no one that he has been married for the past 3 years and decides that getting an annulment should be easy. The remainder of this book I’ll leave for you to read. I found this book to be heart warming, touching, and unbelievably romantic. Finally an example of what Kat Martin is capable of when she puts her mind to it!

One of the most beautiful passages describing what love is can be found in this book. Royal is trying to help Rule understand what love is by saying:

“Love is when you think of someone no matter how far away they are. It’s when you would rather be with that person than anyone else. It’s when the sound of their laughter makes you smile. When you admire them for standing up to you, instead of getting angry. It’s when you look at another woman and think how beautiful she is but there isn’t a chance you would rather make love to her than the woman in your bed….Love is when you can’t sleep at night unless the person you love is beside you. When you can’t imagine a future without her in your life. It’s when you secretly thank God that He gave her to you. Love is when you feel sick to your stomach because you have hurt her.” Royal looked into Rule’s haggard face, felt the tension in his shoulders. “Which I have a strong suspicion is the way you are feeling right now.”

I felt that this book was a wonderful closure to Kat Martin’s latest trilogy. This book will be added to my list of most romantic books!

Thanks for sharing your Sunday with me! Drop by next week when we start a new series. What will it be??
Amazon purchase link for Rule’s Bride (Bride Trilogy)