The Bridal Quest

The Bridal Quest
Candace Camp

In a Nutshell
Lady Irene Wyngate is a one-woman army. After witnessing her own parent’s marriage, and the melancholy her father inflicted on the entire family, she has always sworn to anyone who will listen that she has no intention of marrying. To her, marrying a man would be just the same as signing her life over to them, for them to use as they please. Now at twenty-five and near-spinster, things still aren’t any different. She keeps the men at bay with her blunt speech and disregard for pleasantries—and it was working, quite well, until Gideon, the Earl of Radbourne, stepped into the picture.

Gideon, who was kidnapped from his family as a child, grew up in the dangerous streets of London. Even though he’s now been restored to his family, and regained his rightful title, he’s still rough around the edges—far too rough for any real lady to consider him a decent husband. He’s assigned to famous matchmaker Lady Francesca Haughston, who enlists the help of Irene, in order to pull him into line. They’re teaching him to be a proper gentleman, so he can marry and appease his new family.

Too bad that both Irene and Gideon both seem to be each other’s kryptonite. As they perform their own demented version of courting each other, circumstances surrounding Gideon’s kidnapping begin to unravel, pulling them both into a search to find the truth.

What’s right with it?
Camp has a flair for managing to mix decent plot and realistic detail from a time period with romance. With every flick of a lady’s fan, secrets are unveiled, plots thicken and reputations are damaged. She is also expert at creating the intense sexual chemistry between the two lead characters. I admire the character of Irene—even though such a woman was quite scandalous back in the day, she is a refreshing one to read about. She’s strong-willed, and her belief in marriage is actually quite understandable for the era in which the book is set, when women were married off as trophies and possessions.

The plot, though slow to get moving at the beginning, constantly expands. It allows you jump to conclusions, before quickly reeling you back in with new information that keeps you guessing. And you never quite know what is going to happen until the last few pages of the novel—quite good if you like suspense.

What’s wrong with it?
Despite being firmly entrenched in the romance category, the romantic aspect itself isn’t explored as much as it probably should have been. Irene and Gideon’s relationship is a rocky one that takes quite a lot of time to develop—more details on the development were needed in order to see the change more effectively. Even though there are a few steamy moments—and quite a big one towards the end—interspersed throughout the novel, you are constantly wishing Camp would deviate from plot and throw the readers a bone.

Last word
It is clear throughout the entire novel that Camp has done her homework—you can immerse yourself into Irene’s world without having to suspend too much disbelief. Brief but powerful moments of sexual tension is broken up by an intricate plot that has both substance and realism and keeps you guessing until the end.

Scale-of-awesomeness
Not too shabby