The Luck of the Bride (The Cavensham Heiresses, #3)

by Janna MacGregor

[stacey_is_sassy]

Her luck was running a bit late…

I can’t believe my boys don’t love reading…where did I go wrong? I think my oldest is a lost cause, but I have a little hope that I can lead my youngest to the light. He’s eleven and his teacher has just set him the challenge of reading Harry Potter #5. If I had mentioned it, he would have scoffed, because Mr Teacher mentioned it, he’s all, *sure, Sir, whatever you say Sir*. Bloody kids.

Anyways, this afternoon I was reading The Luck of the Bride and in true Janna MacGregor fashion, she had me blubbering like a baby. In a house full of boys, I try to have my emotional book breakdowns in private. My hubby usually smirks at my tears but offers me hugs to feel better. My boys, they’re horrified, uncomfortable and completely confused. So, my little guy decided to come into my room to read his Harry Potter book. He’s sitting beside me, and I’m sniffling, wiping tears and blowing my nose. He's not sure what to think and decides to pretend ignorance. But, he’s also trying to distract me from my sadness with inane chatter and descriptions of what he’s reading.

Any other time, I would be encouraging this…BUT I’M A BLOODY MESS!!

I’m trying to be subtle and give hints that he should read somewhere else, but he just isn’t getting it. Luckily, hubby saved the day. He could see I was close to breaking point and sent him on a wild goose chase to distract him. The tears were coming faster, my nose was running, and I was sucking in deep breaths trying to compose myself before he comes back.

WHY DO I KEEP GOING BACK FOR MORE??? JANNA MACGREGOR ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY!!!

Well, obviously, I keep going back because she writes a bloody good historical romance. Sure, she makes me cry bucket loads, but, she also makes me smile, sigh, squirm, shake, shiver and sneer. All of my emotions are involved.

I really liked The Luck of the Bride. We meet March and her younger siblings who she has raised after her parents died when she was sixteen. Not more than a child herself, she takes on the responsibility of caring for them and pushes aside her own dreams. Luckily, her parents provided in case of an emergency and set up trusts for each of the children. The only problem is, after eight years, the nominated guardians and lawyers seem to have just stopped. With a wee bit of embezzlement, March takes it upon herself to save them all from financial ruin.

…and she nearly got away with it.

What follows was an interesting story that kept my attention from start to end. I loved March’s character and Michael, while afraid to show his vulnerabilities, was a hero I came to admire. The additional characters we meet brought the story to life. Some I loved and some I wanted to kick in the ding-ding and make them sing. There were the usual balls with scandals, waltzes and gentleman callers. Shopping trips for pretty dresses mixed with nasty chatter and gossip. Servings of brandy amid talks over estates and politics. These are all parts that come together and give me a historical romance that I enjoy.

Maybe, if I was going to pick on anything, I would say that it was just a bit too much. Goh blimey, March had the opposite of luck. For a while there, EVERYTHING went wrong. Her cousin is a douchewaffle, Michael's brother was a nincompoop and bombs kept dropping and exploding in March's face. I kept trying to remind myself that it was just a book but another bomb would drop and my tears would flow AGAIN.

I believed in March and Michael’s love story. Their battles were many but in most cases, they fought them together. There was one time where Michael drops the bundle and I thought March forgave him too quickly. I would have given him a good two weeks of silent treatment for his lack of trust. But, this is March’s love story, if she wants to forgive him, and let his kisses and sweet words soothe the pain, well, good for her.

If you’re a fan of historical romance and don’t mind shedding a tear or two (or three, or four), I highly recommend The Luck of the Bride.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.