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Samuel Firth returns
to England after an absence of four years and is stunned to discover
that his painfully shy, gawky young wife had transformed into an elegant
beauty with a spine of steel. Cassandra’s temerity in asking him for a
legal separation leaves Samuel stunned, as well as wrathfully determined
to tempt her back into his bed, by hook or crook. Meanwhile Cassandra
too had never been able to forget the husband who’d cruelly abandoned
her on their disastrous wedding night.
Cassandra has no
choice but to reluctantly agree when Samuel’s proposes that she, a
duke’s daughter, make Samuel, the illegitimate son of a nobleman,
acceptable to hauté London society, in return for an uncontested legal
deed of separation. Despite realizing Samuel’s devious, wicked plans,
can Cassandra truly resist her handsome husband as he brings her most
secret fantasies to life? And will Cassandra be successful in her
attempts to make her husband reconcile with the legitimate side of his
family? In the meantime, trouble looms in the form of an embezzler for
Samuel and a stalker for Cassandra, and soon this daring couple has to
fight love, lust and danger in a battle of survival.
As always, author
Barbara Dawson Smith proves her mettle as an accomplished author and
masterful storyteller with yet another stunning tale brimming with
history, romance and suspense with her entrancing and ongoing tales
about the Rosebuds and their extended family. This time it’s Samuel
Firth, the illegitimate sibling with a massive chip on his shoulders,
who gets his comeuppance in the form of his beauteous, headstrong wife,
Cassandra. The characters have all been lovingly crafted in detail, thus
rendering them human with faults and flaws. The tale has plenty of
suspense not just from the provoking and fiery relationship struggles
between the lead characters but also from various other outside
provocations - familial, societal and villains-wise. Romance is
obviously an integral part of the story as is passion and historical
ambiance. The limited legal rights of a woman in that era, particularly
a married one and that too in abusive situations, is sensitively
highlighted and integrated into the story. Stunning, passionate and
charming, “The Wedding Night” is a memorable story.
Reviewed By
Rashmi Srinivas for The Road to Romance
March 11, 2004 |
