Margaret Moore, The Unwilling Bride

The Unwilling Bride

Margaret Moore

Harlequin HQN, Oct 2005, $5.99

ISBN: 0373770650

After fifteen years on the road as a knight, following the death of his odious estranged father, Merrick returns home to Tregellas as its lord and expecting to marry Constance, his intended since he was ten and she five. Upon arrival at his manor, he finds the people do not trust him as they assume he is a chip off the old evil block, his fianc e is scared of him, and Uncle Algernon and Constance's Uncle Carrell seem to be plotting something.

Merrick knows he has his work cut out to overcome his nasty father reputation and demonstrate he is not a chip off the old block who raped women and begat at least one child out of wedlock. He begins courting Constance, but refuses to tell her he has loved her since he was a little boy and dreamed that she loved him back. Expecting Merrick to behave like his sire, Constance tries to hide how she feels about him, but knows she wants him. Though he behaves exemplary towards his people and her, she still has doubts. Soon their respective uncles begin the plot to kill Merrick and Constance so that Algernon becomes the lord married to Carrell's daughter.

THE UNWILLING BRIDE is an entertaining medieval romance starring a wonderful male protagonist who keeps learning first hand how the child inherits the sins of the father. The story line is at its vivid best as Merrick tries to persuade his villagers he is nothing like his father and his beloved should not expect abuses from him. Though the treacherous subplot seems unneeded as Merrick has a full plate and more to deal with, fans will enjoy this mid thirteenth century tale that has a fantastic final twist that will surprise everyone though the clues are there.

Harriet Klausner