The Groom Says Yes
By Cathy Maxwell
Publisher: Avon
Cormac Enright, Earl of Bellin, the
“Irish Murderer,” is waiting to be hanged for a murder he did not commit when a
visiting clergyman offers to help him escape. Not knowing whether the offer is
genuine or a trap, Mac decides he has nothing to lose and follows the cleric.
When the Reverend Kinnion is shot, Mac escapes. The clergyman identified
Richard Davidson as the man whose guilty conscience had pushed him to help Mac
escape his unjust sentence. Mac is willing to risk everything to find out why
Davidson gave the false eye-witness testimony that led to Mac’s arrest and
conviction. He ignores the instructions he has been given to leave Scotland and
instead heads for Kenmore, Kinnion’s village in search of information on
Davidson.
Sabrina Davidson, daughter of Magistrate
Richard Davidson, niece of the Earl of Tay, and cousin to Lady Aileen Davidson
(The Bride Says No) and Lady Tara
Davidson (The Bride Says Maybe), is a
twenty-nine-year-old spinster and dutiful daughter with a reputation for
seriousness, sagacity, and charitable works. Confident that her father is too
devoted to the memory of her late mother to remarry, she expects to serve as
his hostess and secretary and maintain her respected place in village society. Her
confidence is shaken when she learns that her father plans to marry the Widow
Bossley, a “robust woman of relatively good looks and lax morals.” Sabrina will
soon discover that the Widow Bossley is only one of the secrets her father has
been keeping.
Angry and wounded by the news of her
father’s plans, she retreats to an abandoned shepherd’s hut that had served as
a refuge when she needed to escape the pressures of caring for her dying mother.
Inside, she finds a critically ill man whom she manages to maneuver into her
pony cart and take home so that she can treat his fever. The man is Cormac
Enright. She saves his life, and, in a different sense, he saves hers.
Cathy Maxwell gives readers another
hero and heroine with significant flaws and places them in circumstances that
foster their growth. Sabrina begins as a proud and essentially passive woman,
quick to judge others and frustrated by a limited life in which no one values
her intelligence and common sense. Mac has inherited an Irish title that holds
little value for him. Weary of war and deeply grieved by the loss of all his
family to typhus before he could reconcile with them after a decade of
estrangement, he is reaping the fruit of pride, temper, and foolish choices. When
Sabrina’s father disappears, they must work together to find him and the
answers they need. In the process, they discover far more than they expected
about one another and about themselves.
The third book of Maxwell’s Brides of
Wishmore series blends mystery and romance with flashes of humor. Like
the two earlier books in the series, this one is a memorable book with engaging
protagonists who are distinctly different from the usual. I suspect some
readers will take the author to task for the first passionate scene between
Sabrina and Mac, but I thought Maxwell made it work by revealing Sabrina’s
character early on and by showing afterwards her comprehension of all she had
risked. My only complaint concerns the last part of the book. I would like for
the conclusion to have been a bit longer. I wanted to see more of the
transformation of Sabrina and Mac’s lives.
Although the thematic connections in this series are strong,
this third book is connected only loosely to the earlier two in terms of plot.
Thus, The Groom Says Yes can be read
easily as a standalone. However, I recommend all three
books. I have found the series refreshing to a somewhat jaded palate, and I am
eager to see what Cathy Maxwell has next for her readers.
~Janga
~Janga
I really enjoyed "The Bride Says No" and "The Bride Says Maybe" and have eagerly awaited "The Groom Says Yes." The first two books were very cleverly written and humorous so I'm betting the last one will be fabulous! Cathy Maxwell has certainly proven herself to be a terrific author.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Connie. She is a terrific author. I've been reading her for years. Really looking forward to this one!
DeleteThis looks like a great read. I love Cathy Maxwell's books. Thanks for the recommendation. I absolutely LOVE the cover!
ReplyDeleteI love Cathy Maxwell and her books. Going out today to get my copy and will be busy reading it this weekend. Ruth Atkinson
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading this one!! I loved the other two books and was curious how this one would be connected, but see that it's not really (though clearly a ripping good yarn as usual.)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy her books and this one sounds like another wonderful read!
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting for this 3rd book to come out, so I can read all 3 together. This sounds a little intense! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeletelove her book looking forward to reading this series
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy her books, but haven't read one in a while. This series sounds like one I will enjoy. It is always refreshing to see characters who realize they and life aren't what they thought it was. Whether this destroys them or makes them transform into something stronger is what makes for an interesting story. I prefer to read a series in order, but it is tempting to read this one first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review.