The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband (The Rokesbys, #2)

by Julia Quinn

"While you were sleeping... With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie... I told everyone I was your wife When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out three months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is--even if he does not recall her face--and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England. If only it were true... Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself--completely--to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby."--provided by publisher.

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie. When Edward comes to he finds the blow to his head knocked out three months of his memory-- but surely he would recall getting married!

Reviewed by Cocktails and Books on

4 of 5 stars

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3.5 Cocktails

Cecilia Harcourt loved her brother Thomas. They were all each other had. They had a father but he wasn’t there for them in the way they were there for each other. Cecilia wrote to her brother who was in the army constantly. In writing to her brother she got to know her brother’s best friend and roommate Edward Rokesby.
So when she finds herself in Manhattan Island looking for her brother, she doesn’t hesitate to come to the aid of Edward. Cecilia learns Edward is in the hospital and poses as his wife. When Edward wakes up and can’t remember anything from the last four months Cecilia lets him believe they are married. Cecilia and Edward both are trying to find out what happened to Thomas who is missing. Edward is also trying to recover his memories.
Although the book is a bit predictable, it is a good story that is thoroughly entertaining. Cecilia has a great personality and courage that is sometimes lacking in some classic heroines. Edward is predictably overprotective. He is immediately upset when he learns of the housing arrangements for Cecilia and demands she be placed somewhere better. I love how they both love each other despite having never met in person before. I really enjoyed it and the slight plot twists made the story different and kept me engaged. Cecilia and Edward fall in love and inevitably Edward regains his memory and the mystery is solved. However this brings about new challenges for them both.

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  • 15 May, 2017: Reviewed