Just Between Us - - Marry in Haste

Many years ago, Janga encouraged me to read a book by an author who was unknown to me at the time. The book was The Perfect Rake, the author, Anne Gracie, and that one story was all it took to launch my love affair with this author’s stories. If she writes it, I buy it, and more times than not, fall in love right along with her superbly crafted characters. Considering our mutual love of all things Gracie, it made sense to select the author's newest novel, Marry in Haste, for our next Just Between Us chat.

PJ: Speaking of superbly crafted characters, Marry in Haste, a marriage-of-convenience story that begins a new series, features a wonderful collection of characters that have already won my heart. What do you think of the Marry in Haste characters, Janga? Any particular favorite(s)?

Janga: PJ, you know I have a long history of falling in love with Gracie characters, and I must admit the characters in Marry in Haste rank high among my favorites. I have an abiding affection for schoolteacher heroines, and Emm totally captured my interest and my heart. I laughed at her handling of the flirtatious student who tries to fake an injury so Cal can carry her but, like Cal, I was impressed that she treats her student firmly “but with humor and a light touch.” She reveals the same qualities when she deals with Georgiana’s refusal to wear a riding habit and ride sidesaddle. That’s my kind of teacher. I also loved that Emm is practical. She knows the grim future that awaits a woman with no fortune or family, and, despite some understandable reservations, she accepts her marriage of convenience, which offers her not only security but also prestige and a family of her own, as an advantage no reasonable woman would refuse. And I thought it was perfect that some of her former students were among her defenders at the Braxton party. What a delight that scene was! I adored Emm, but I thought Cal was wonderful too. I know you share that impression.

PJ: I do! Cal is an exceptional hero and ranks among my Gracie favorites. He’s a good man - honorable, patriotic, and loyal – yet totally clueless when it comes to the fairer sex; what I’d call a “relationship virgin.” Sent away to school at age 7, then immediately joining the army afterward, Cal has spent most of his life among men. He’s a soldier to the core and used to not having his orders questioned. He sees things in black and white with no shades of gray intruding upon his unquestionable sense of right and wrong. Imagine his confusion, and frustration, when he returns home from the continent to discover he’s now head of his family and responsible for young women who have no intention of following his orders or, worse yet, turn on the tears when he lectures them. Poor Cal. He’s been set adrift in a feminine sea of befuddlement and the only oars in sight belong to our intrepid schoolteacher, Emm. Initially, Cal views Emm as the neat solution to a very big problem: how to insure the safety of his left-behind family while he completes a dangerous mission then returns to the continent and his life as a soldier. It’s all he knows; all he thinks he’s good at, but Gracie has more in store for Cal than he could have imagined. She flawlessly chronicles his journey of growth and self-awareness from a one-dimensional soldier, determined to fulfill his duty but completely out of touch with “finer feelings,” to a fully dimensional man who has learned the value, and joy, of compassion, family, understanding, and love. He’s a sigh-worthy hero and I hope we’ll see more of him in future books in the series.

Janga: Beautifully said. And I totally agree. Anne Gracie’s characterization skills are superb. We see this not only in her protagonists, but also in her secondary characters. She even makes Cal’s friend Bentley, who is killed before the story opens, a real person rather than just a motivator of Cal’s need for revenge. I thought all three of Cal’s charges were wonderful—the intrepid Rose, the soft-hearted Lily, and the unconventional Georgiana. I think I could write a full essay on their names. I especially thought that the flower names of Cal’s sisters served as a pointed contrast to their niece George with her unladylike upbringing. I can’t wait to see what Gracie does with each of them as they become the heroines of their own books. And the aunts! One of my greatest delights in an Anne Gracie book is meeting her older woman character and in Marry in Haste, we get two. Aunt Dottie is a darling. She is much less dotty (and I don’t think the word play is a coincidence) than she appears. I do hope we learn more about her relationship with Logan, the butler. :) Even starchy Aunt Agatha won my heart in the end, and I loved the “dowager with a lorgnette” line. It was the perfect touch after the numerous references to Agatha’s lorgnette. That’s another Gracie trademark—moving her readers to laughter and to tears.

PJ: Oh, I agree! Anne Gracie’s ability to move me to both laughter and tears certainly contributes to her position on my most beloved authors list (And I still find myself humming the lorgnette line - so clever!). Her stories have such a feel-good quality to them and Marry in Haste is no exception. An unexpected treat while reading this book is the appearance of Daisy, heroine of The Summer Bride (Chance Sisters Book #4), in a pivotal scene for Rose, George, and, especially, Lily. Seeing Daisy again reminded me of how much I adore her and (here comes that feel-good factor again) her reaction to Lily when Emm and the girls visit Daisy’s dress shop had me once again wiping away tears. Gracie sure knows how to delve into a reader’s emotions and pluck at those heartstrings. Like you, Janga, I’m eagerly anticipating future stories in this series and I also am looking forward to discovering more about Aunt Dottie and her butler. I wonder if other Chance sisters will make cameos in future books? I sure hope so!

Readers, if you enjoy well-crafted historical romances with engaging characters, lively banter, heart-tugging emotion, scenes that will move you to both laughter and tears, and a happy ending that will have you sighing with satisfaction, we enthusiastically recommend Anne Gracie’s Marry in Haste.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Anne Gracie's novels yet?
Do you have a favorite?
What's the last book that moved you to both laughter and tears?

When I notified Anne Gracie of this post, she graciously offered two print copies of Marry in Haste for a giveaway. So, two randomly chosen people who leave a comment before 11:00 PM (EST), May 27th will each receive a print copy of the book.
(Open internationally)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marry in Haste

By Anne Gracie

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Major Calbourne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he’s become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest of men, but his wild half-sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing.

When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls’ former teacher, guides them with ease, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience. But strong-minded and independent Emm is neither as compliant nor as proper as he expected, and Cal finds himself most inconveniently seduced by his convenient wife.

Emm knows they didn’t marry for love, yet beneath her husband’s austere facade, she catches glimpses of a man who takes her breath away. As pride, duty and passion clash, will these two stubborn hearts find more than they ever dreamed of?