Sunday Love Affair #10:A Bride by Moonlight by Liz Carlyle

Sunday Love Affair is a new feature here at Books of Love which spotlights Romance and Urban Fantasy titles. I like reading them. I was inspired by Parajunkee and Book Addict Patti by their Romancing the Weekends and realize I miss reading Romances and Urban Fantasy. I've been wanting to spotlight them as well, so decided to start a feature. 

Oh Button was made by me and Jennifer The Book Nympho did the text.

This Week's Selection is:

A Bride's Moonlight by Liz Carlyle

Title: Bride by Moonlight
Author: Liz Carlyle
Series: Fratenitas Aureae Crucis #4
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical Romance
Pub Date: February 26, 2013
Pages: 384
My Copy: Courtesy of Avon and Edelweiss

Book Synopsis:

Royden Napier, Baron Saint-Bryce, is tall, dark and ruthless-and on the hunt for a dangerous beauty…

On the eve of her escape to the Continent, bold, beautiful Lisette Colburne, accepts a proposal she dare not refuse: masquerade as the future bride of the steely-eyed Royden Napier and help him solve his most dangerous case.  Soon Lisette is in even greater danger-of losing her heart to the one man with the power to destroy her…

Estranged from his aristocratic family, the enigmatic Napier has forged a reputation as Scotland Yard’s most relentless police commissioner. He’s vowed to bring Lisette to justice-but with every forbidden kiss and every tantalizing touch, he finds himself becoming less convinced of her guilt and more certain he must have her. But when danger touches Lisette, can he save her?

Book Review:

This book was like a richly decorated Russian doll. This historical had lots of layers to it and there were some mysteries in this book. We get a lot of interesting characters in this book. The heroine and hero are very different, yet there is an attraction that neither of them can ignore.

The hero, Royden Napier starts off as a bit of a douche-bag because he has a very clear vision of what’s right and wrong to the extreme. There is no room for shades of gray or middle ground. Plus we learn that there are some unresolved things that he has to take care of regarding a certain man named Lazonby and what he has done or thought that Lazonby has done.

Lazonby is not very nice, but he has some great one liners in this book. He gets caught up in a murder along with Lisette, Lady Anisha being involved in this death. Yet they are all found innocent of this murder. This is a complicated thing indeed and I thought it interesting, but it dragged a little bit longer than I would have liked it too, but it explained a lot about the dynamics of Lisette and Anisha being wronged in some way by the man who got shot.

Second part of this book was much better when Royden has go to his estranged family’s estate and we get to meet his rather unusual family. Something happens that neither him or Lisette come to expect. They start to fall for one another and begin a rather intense relationship. What happens is that there is another mystery regarding his family and this was done much better.

Both Lisette and Royden learn things about the family that is important plus Royden starts to find things about the past that he didn’t know thanks to his grandfather educating him about certain things. Royden’s grandfather wants Royden to take his rightful place as his heir. Plus he needs to learn things like compassion.

Compassion and forgiveness are big parts of this book. Royden has always been one that has been very rigid. Yet Royden learns things are not always black and white. Plus once we learn what has happened to Lisette in her past, Royden starts to soften and embrace Lisette as a lover would. Lisette starts to believe that Royden and her can have a future. 

Yet what happens near the end is a big twist as it was one that came as a surprise and we learn that one of the members of Royden’s family members is a little unhinged. Plus we find out that this member was related to someone else that we didn’t know. It was a big “OH NO” moment. Plus this person’s insanity puts a lot of people’s lives in danger. I really like this as it’s the moment that Royden realizes that he loves Lisette despite her past.

What I really love about Lisette and Royden is that they fell in love despite pretending things. I also love that they got a happily ever after ending. Also Anisha and Lazonby got a happy ending as well. I read romance novels because I look forward to the happy ending and this was good.

Rating: