Sunday, September 6, 2015

review || THE BRIGADIER'S RUNAWAY BRIDE { blog tour } by Erica Ridley


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Intrepid Reads | September 1, 2015 | Historical Romance
The Dukes of War, book 5
★★★★★

SOURCE: PUBLISHER

Miss Sarah Fairfax is having a wretched year. Her intended perished at war. His child is in her belly. To secure her future, she resigns herself to a loveless marriage. Just as she’s about to say “I do,” her fiancĂ©e returns from the grave to crash the wedding... but he’s no longer the charming, carefree man she remembers.

After being left for dead on the battlefield, Brigadier Edmund Blackpool is scarred inside and out. He fights his way home only to discover his intended before the altar with his best friend. He'll be the one to marry her, no matter what she wants! But when his new bride disappears with his child, he must reopen his wounds to win the most important battle of his life.

The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride is a standalone story in the Dukes of War regency romance series, featuring roguish peers and dashing war heroes who return from battle only to be thrust into the splendor and madness of Regency England.

{ about erica ridley } .


Erica Ridley is a USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels. Her latest series, The Dukes of War, features roguish peers and dashing war heroes who return from battle only to be thrust into the splendor and madness of Regency England.

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

{ review } .

I'm super picky when it comes to historicals -- something that I'm sure I've said in every historical romance review I've done. I either get into the story, or I don't.

When I first read Erica Ridley, it was for book 4 in this series, THE MAJOR'S FAUX FIANCE, and I knew that I found a historical author that I could enjoy. When I started this book, I can say I wasn't sure how it was connected to TMFF -- like I said, I don't read many historical romances so I tend to forget about the ones I read. Right away though, when Sarah is walking toward Ravenwood and the man who was supposed to be her eventual brother-in-law was shifting in the back, I remembered...

Where I enjoyed Bartholemew and Daphne's story, I found myself completely engrossed in Sarah and Edmund's story. One of the big parts I enjoyed so much of theirs was Erica Ridley's use of PTSD and post-partum depression, things that are often times taboo in today's society, let alone one hundreds of years ago. Again and agian, Sarah's thoughts and fears of her pregnant (and then not pregnant) body and how she was repulsed, and how she couldn't possibly be a woman for Edmund -- these were all very true reminders of the fears and issues women go through today (in that day, the term 'pregnant' was the taboo word). In those times, women simply didn't talk to their men about these problems, and I found that most of Edmund's and Sarah's hang-ups could have been easily fixed with a conversation.

There was only truly one part that had me questioning everything and how quickly Sarah and Edmund seemed to have forgotten the night before's disagreement, but altogether...

I think it's important for readers to understand that Sarah and Edmund's story started well before this book. No, they don't have a previous book. No, it's not necessary to read other books to read this book. Edmund and Sarah's was a relationship that started in childhood and almost ended with a day off from war. They both had committed to marrying one another eight months prior, and due to Sarah's pregnancy and the desire for her child to not be labeled a bastard, they must wed quickly -- something that both still want, but are afraid of how the other will respond to them. This story was about overcoming grief and depression, and rekindling a love one thought she lost to death, and the other thought he lost to time.

While this story wasn't as deep as I'd like, I felt that the content as it was, was great -- I felt it was a great portrayal of the issues that happen today, that did happen then but weren't talked about.

So... who's next? The last friend is that Ravenwood.... And I have to say, he's shown up to be a really great man and friend.

{ previous reviews in series } . 

THE MAJOR'S FAUX FIANCE 4.5 { review } .

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