Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Four Weddings and a Duke

I'm a little late in raving about it, but as you know, that wild and wicked trio of bestselling authors: Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway, did it again. They collaborated another book, THE LADY MOST WILLING, every bit as delightful as the last. To make it even more delicious, it's set at Christmas time, and if that's not enough to up the stakes for you, they even threw in a kidnapped duke to amuse you.

And you will be amused, my good friends. You. Will. Be. Amused.

Because kidnapped dukes are horribly cranky.

There are four delightful potential brides: Miss Marilla Chisholm (the BONNIEST lass in Scotland and rich); her sister, Miss Fiona Chisholm (also rich but with a slightly dubious reputation); Lady Cecily Tarleton (English, but you can't have everything); and Miss Catriona Burns (neither rich or famous and they apologize profusely for inconveniencing her). Okay, confession time: three of the women are delightful--one of them is so irksome that I as the reader was seriously hoping she'd marry a butcher for her behavior--think Lydia from Pride & Prejudice only more irksome. Yes, that bad. Four guesses which one she is.

So the first third of the book, the duke goes from being horribly cranky to wonderfully in love. And it couldn't have happened to a better girl. And then the second third, one of the grooms: Lord Oakley meets the girl who sweeps him off his feet; and in the last, the younger brother, but half-French (so hottie!) picks a girl from the remaining two. Don't worry, the fourth girl also gets a groom. You'll never guess.

It is a comedy and a romance...so there is always plenty of weddings to go around.

So if you haven't read it yet, and you need some romance novels to take with you for Christmas with the family (which I always do), put this one in your tote bag! I hope I didn't ruin it for all of you by revealing all the girls end up with a husband--believe me, there is enough entertainment seeing it unfold that you'll enjoy it just the same.

What's your favorite Christmas set story you've read or read this year?

8 comments:

Quantum said...

This book sounds great fun and I am intrigued to see how the gang of three authors manage to seamlessly write this story!

Alas my TBB list is now closed for this year, so it will have to wait, unless its on special offer! LOL

I am about to start my Christmas story read. All the cards have been sent and the tree is decorated so I can start to relax.

After I finish my letter to Santa I'm going to choose between:
a) Robyn Carr - My Kind of Christmas
b) Muriel Jensen - A Carol Christmas
c) Grace Burrowes - Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (currently on special offer)
d) Whatever Janga seduces me with in her best ten books on Fri.
e) One of Ballogh's Christmas stories ... a standard fall back!

Any advice gratefully received! LOL

Terri Osburn said...

I went to get this for my Kindle and found out a) it's not out until next Wednesday and b) it's not available on Kindle. WTH??

I didn't read the last collaboration by these authors (I know!) so I have some catching up today. This sounds hysterical.

I read very few Christmas stories because I read so slow and don't like to read them outside of the season. Which makes no sense. I'm aware of this. But I have a few waiting on the Kindle at the moment and if I ever get this flippin' WIP done I will be diving in to some Christmas romance. In January most likely.

Hellie Sinclair said...

Q, maybe Janga will seduce you with this book as well on Friday and you'll HAVE to get it. *LOL* A girl can hope!

Hellie Sinclair said...

Terri, I could swear it was available for kindle. Hmm. (And I didn't doublecheck when it was coming out. Oops. I just knew it was Christmasy and I'd had the book awhile and better talk about it. *LOL*)

I don't like to read Christmas stories outside of the season either. *LOL*

Terri Osburn said...

When I read this blog and clicked over 2 hours ago the book wasn't available for Kindle. Now it is. Wha....?

Janga said...

I loved this book! I think it's rare for a book to have so many kinds of humor from the broad to the subtle. I usually favor cerebral humor, but I laughed out loud at the kidnapping, at Catriona's reaction to Marilla's woman-handling the duke, at a tipsy Fiona, and so much more. And I smiled with delight at the banter and the word play. It's just a great fun read. In the First Look I wrote on it for H & H, I compared it to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, one of my favorite movies.

I was also amazed at how seamless the story was, even though the individual stories don't need authors' names to identify who wrote which.

Marnee Bailey said...

I am definitely going to pick this one up.

I must admit, I'm super jealous of you ladies who get these books early. Like, green-eyed jealous.

This sounds wonderful. I didn't read the first collaboration, but this one sounds just up my alley.

Maureen said...

Favorite Christmas story? Uh, well, it involves a skeleton who tries to take over the holiday...

;-)

Actually, this book sounds like a romp. If only my NOOK battery was up and I could just go download it... I swear, I think leaving it in the glove compartment of my car drained it's poor little battery. It was too cold out there...