4.5 stars

This book made me remember why I started reading books by this author. In too many of her recent books—particularly the first two Sutherland Sisters books—the author seemed hellbent on punishing her heroines for no reason (other than misogyny, that is). I am so glad Ms. Bradley has stopped with the revenge plots!

I loved that this book had two strong romances. The A plot was written more tragically, and the B plot gave readers moments of humor and fun to lighten the mood. I am so glad both couples had their happy ending. These. characters were people I could root for.

I will say that the B plot—specifically the acceptance of the characters’ relationship—strains credulity at times. I wanted the characters to end up together, but some acknowledgement of the realities of the time would have been appreciated.

4.5 stars - I’ve become a fast fan of Ms. Anna Bradley’s. The Wayward Bride is Lady Isla and Lord Hugh’s story. If you read the previous book you’re ready to jump right into this one. Even if you didn’t, you can still enjoy this read, you’ll just need a moment to connect the dots. The story is filled with commitments made, regretted, and broken and a host of brothers, sisters-in-law, and friends who add depth and texture to the story and our understanding of the characters. It’s a great read and leaves us with two HEAs.

Note: There is a M/M relationship that I didn’t see coming, but wasn’t bothered by. It’s not the dominate storyline. However, the two storylines are woven together and dependent upon one another. So, if reading an M/M love story isn’t your cuppa, you may want to give this one a pass.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Isla Ramsey hasn't had a great love life. After a bad experience she thought her feelings would not get involved in her next relationship. Then she meets Hugh, Lord PIerce and falls in love. Due to a misunderstanding, she becomes betrothed to Lord Sydney,a dear friend of hers. She rides by Lord Pierce's house everyday in hopes she will fall out of love with him. She rides by one day and is caught in a blizzard and saved by Hugh. While at his house, they admit to their love, but she is betrothed. When guests arrive, there is another shock. Will they be able to resolve their problems and get their happily ever after? I loved this book. This is the start of a new series, but we first meet Isla in More of Less a Temptress. I loved Lord Sydney and hope there's a story about him. I received this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received an advanced review copy of this book.

There is so much more story-wise to this novel than the book blurb implies which presents a bit of a challenge for writing a review without spoilers.

Isla Ramsey is a character that was introduced to readers in earlier books. She is intriguing and I looked forward to reading her story. She always came across as a strong character. I was a bit surprised she would pine so strongly for Hugh Courtney that she would ride past his estate every day, even when bad weather threatened. I would think she would tire of doing this and eventually move on. I would like to imagine that given enough time she would.

Hugh rescues her from a snowstorm that hit while she was out on her daily ride by his estate. He takes her to his home because it’s closer than riding out in the storm to her home. They’re forced to spend time in each other’s company while they grapple with their feelings and the fact that they can’t be together.

I enjoyed the primary story between Isla and Hugh, but I loved the secondary storyline and the characters. The secondary story line drew my attention more. I feel the secondary story could have gotten more page time but that would have taken even more away from the primary story.

The novel is well-written and I enjoyed it very much. I am looking forward to her next book in the series.

After a failed season and heartbreak after Hugh Courtney, Marquess Pierce, spoke to her of forever and then told her never to contact him again, Isla Ramsey is nursing a broken heart. Now betrothed to her dear friend Lord Sydney, she has taken to riding out each day to exorcise her inner demons with a hard gallop and torture herself by riding past the gates of Lord Pierce's estate, which happens to be right next to her brother Finn's country estate. When Isla rides out in a burgeoning storm, she becomes lost and her spooked horse throws her, and she is rescued by Lord Pierce. They are both frozen by the time they emerge from the woods and he takes her to his estate for shelter since it's closer than her brother's home.

Hugh still can't seem to rid himself of his desire for Isla, despite the fact that she chose another man over him and is now betrothed. Hugh vows to keep his heart safe from her this time and return her to Huntington lodge as soon as possible and go back to carving out the space in his heart that's still occupied by her. One day turns into several when the storm leaves ice behind, preventing Isla's safe travels home, leaving them both snowed in with the one person each is trying to forget. At first Hugh determines to simply ignore her presence, but when he still can't stop thinking of her, he determines to spend as much time with her as possible, thinking she'll surely annoy him the more he gets to know her and he'll be able to fall out of love with her. Naturally, this plan backfires on Hugh as he only falls more in love with Isla the more he's around her. Other outside elements of Hugh's family are also working against him and Isla and they may have to settle for only a brief taste of a love that can never truly be theirs.

Meanwhile, Isla's betrothed, Henry Northrup, the Earl of Sydney, has been injured in a carriage accident caused by the same storm on his way to visit Isla. He is rescued by the very gruff Lucas, a man who wholly disdains the aristocracy and sparks fly.

Hugh is delightfully awkward and surprisingly vulnerable beneath his stiff and proper gentleman's exterior. Isla is headstrong and vibrant, but under the surface she's also scared and vulnerable and scarred by her past. There were so many secrets and misunderstandings between these two it honestly was nerve racking to read as I tore through the pages to find out how all the obstacles would be removed. I surprised myself with how much I wound up rooting for Lucas and Sydney to work out as well; their slightly less tense situation wound up being a nice respite from the bleakness of Hugh's and Isla's situation. Ms. Bradley also leaves us with a loose thread for one of her secondary characters that leaves me eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

This was a great effort and I would highly recommend it. I received a complimentary ARC via NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been trying to decide how to write my review for this for about a week and I’m just gonna nite the bullet. I loved this couple as secondary characters in AB’s last book but I just wasn’t feeling them in this one quite as much. I’m not sure why, I just felt more connection between them when they were the secondary characters than when they were the main characters.
On the other hand, I loved Sydney & Lucas!! I loved them as individuals, I loved how the connection between them grew and how they were together.
The only thing that bothered me about their relationship is how it ended all hunky dory despite the fact that homosexuality was illegal in their time. I obviously don’t want them to have an unhappy ending but there didn’t seem to be much worrying done by anybody that then being together was a very large issue in that era.
Not my favourite but I’ll still was the next AB.
3 stars.

I received a free copy of The Wayward Bride from Netgalley and the author. I have read all the books by this author, Anna Bradley and have loved all her books and enjoyed this one as well.. The Wayward Bride is slightly different than the others in that there are two love stories going on in the novel rife with misunderstandings but romance nonetheless. There are some beautiful scenes that made me teary and reminded me just how wonderful love is.

Two romances in one!
I was thoroughly looking forward to read Isla Ramsey's story since she was introduced in More or Less a Temptress. I loved her boldness in some situations with a clear vulnerability in others. I was not expecting for Henry Northrup, the sixth Earl of Sydney to also have a story of his own. Both were wonderful but I loved that Sydney knew what was in his heart and took action. While I rooted for Isla and Hugh Courtney, the Marquess Pierce, I wish he could have been as bold as Sydney ended up being. While I am excited to read Juliana's story, I felt Lord Pierce would not have fought for Isla without Juliana's actions. Both were great romances but one hero won me over more than the other.

4.5 stars

Love is many things, but easy isn't one of them

This was a lovely continuation of the story of three siblings that started in More or less a temptress. I guess it could stand on it's on, but I would definitely say it makes more sense if you know where the siblings, and Isla in particular, are coming from. I do think if you'd read this without having met Isla, she would make less sense.

And speaking of, I still can't decide whether or not I really like her. That's what it always came back to while I was figuring out my rating. One the one hand, she made some impulsive, stupid, and reckless decisions, often risking her life without a second thought. When you know more about her, though, it does make sense. A scandal forcer her and her family out of Scotland, and once in England, the first scandal catches up with them and Isla is forced, once more, to flee and start over. It made her weary and she still carries the scars with her, and it does explain her irrational behavior to a point. It still annoyed me here and there, but on the whole, I definitely liked that she knew what she wanted and fought for it. Trying to forget the fiancé she thought abandoned her in the middle of a big scandal, she is determined to find happiness in a marriage of convenience with a good friend and move on with her life. But when a stupid decision has her almost dying outside her first fiancé's estate, she is forced to spend time with him again. And the feelings she thought were buried keep bubbling up until the truth finally comes out...

"Today would be the day she'd forget about about him."

Meanwhile, Isla's second fiancé also has a serious accident and is rescued by a handsome stranger with strangely captivating grey eyes….

"Everyone likes you, it seems. Does the sun also break through the clouds every time you go outdoors?" There was a brief, surprised silence, but then Lord Sidney let out a hearty laugh. "See, Dean? I knew you could be entertaining if you tried. But you're quite right, you know. The sun does shine through the clouds when I appear, and flowers burst into full bloom in my wake. Birds sing, virgins swoon, and angels weep. It's all rather tedious, really." Lucas shook his head at this, but there was no smothering his smile.

But I digress.

This book had a lot going for it. It had not one, but two romances, one of which was a m/m romance. I would have loved it even more if the two guys had gotten the same page time for their romance as the heterosexual couple. As it was, their romance was all heated glances and kisses, but things faded to black before they landed on the bed. Both romances were strong and well-developed, and I don't know for which couple I cheered harder or cried more over. All four leads know what they want and fight for it, without there being too much drama to keep them apart. And I LOVED this. It's so rare these days to find a historical romance where I love (almost) all the leads! Here, we had three adorable, nice, kind, Good Guys, whose main characteristic was their kindness! I loved that. They deserved their happy ending! But there was a LOT going on, and I do feel like the ending wrapped things up a little too neatly. But still. There was very little irrational drama, likeable people, and two very good romances, all in one. I could have kept reading for a good while without complaining (or lived without a few subplots). I highly enjoyed spending time with these people!

While this book states it is the first book in a new series, this continues some of the secondary characters in the Sommerset Sisters series. The beginning of this book is rather like reading two separate books Isla and Hugh's story and Syndey and Luke's story. I had read the previous two books that included this family so it wasn't hard for me to pick up from where this book had started. I liked this book however there were some aspects to it that I was not expecting. It was different from Ms. Bradley's typical books of which I usually love.

ARC from Netgalley
2.5

This is my first book by Anna Bradley, and although it is billed at the first in a new series, it was clear that it was drawing on previous books (discovered that sibling characters here are the protagonists in books #1 & 3 of the Somerset sisters series). Which might account for why it was difficult for me to feel invested in its two main protagonists, not having met them in earlier books.

The story opens with a TSTL move by our heroine, headstrong Scot Isla Ramsey: riding her horse out in an ice storm, despite promising her sister-in-law not to. And Isla doesn't have much of a reason for so-doing, beyond trying to stem her anxiety about her impending nuptials to the wrong man. Of course she ends up being tossed by her horse and needing to be rescued by the neighboring landowner, stuffily correct Marquess Pierce. Turns out that Isla and Pierce had fallen for each other during the earlier London season, but due to a big misunderstanding, they have each ended up betrothed to another. Will the familiarity of being snowbound together at Pierce's country house lead to contempt? Or to the rebirth of their romantic feelings?

The book improved with the introduction of a second storyline, this one focused on Isla's best friend and current fiancé, the Earl of Sydney, who also gets waylaid by the storm. He's rescued from a pretty terrible carriage accident by an attractive, stoic, redheaded farmer and his bear-like dog. Unsurprisingly, the three all fall for each other. But Sydney is promised to Isla, who really wants Pierce, who is promised to his dead sister's sister-in-law, who really wants to marry someone else entirely...

Bradley weaves info and facts about the period into her story unobtrusively, and her prose is clear and crisp. I was drawn in by the Sydney/Lucas relationship, but not as much by the Isla/Pierce one; I'm rarely a fan of lovers who could have spared themselves the pain of parting if they'd just had an honest conversation. Or of heroines who are forced by plot needs to act TSTL. Perhaps I'll give an earlier Bradley book a try, if I can find one with a more promising heroine.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have tried a few books by this author had to say like all the others I have enjoyed this one. The Wayward bride has misunderstanding love and romance. They're actually to love stories in this story are main couple and isla's fiancees romance with another man.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Very likable characters, good humor, warmth, and chemistry. Very enjoyable read.

The Wayward Bride by Anna Bradley. Wow. I really enjoyed this book. I have read many Anna Bradley books and a lot of historical romance fiction, but this was the first book I’ve read in a long time where I truly had no idea how it going to end; how the author was going to resolve all the couples with the wrong betrothals. Would true love prevail in the end for all?

Isla Ramsey was forced to accept a betrothal from Lord Sydney after a scandal that occurred at the end of Bradley’s More or Less a Temptress. Yet she’s in love with Hugh Courtney, Lord Pierce. Lord Pierce believing Isla is lost to him, moves on with a betrothal of convenience of his own. As the book progresses and circumstances keep Isla and Sydney apart, Lord Sydney finds himself a love match that is quite unconventional.

Characters from the previous series, Somerset Sisters, appear in this book. Isla brothers, Lachlan and Ciaran, along with Lord Huntington, Iris and Hyacinth appear in The Wayward Bride and bring their unwavering support to Isla.

I’m hoping the next book of this new series, Besotted Scots, finds a love match for Isla’s brother Ciaran. He’s a fun character with a great sense of humor who hides the fact that he needs to believe in love again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC