The Bride and the Brute

by Laurel O'Donnell

ebook, 93 pages

Published: December 13th 2011

Publisher: Laurel O'Donnell, via Smashwords

Purchase: Amazon

*Received an ecopy from All Romance.

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Jayce Cullen has been fighting her fear of thunder and lightning ever since she was a child, but nothing could have prepared her for the fury of her new husband. Feeling deceived and betrayed into a loveless marriage, Lord Reese Harrington wants nothing to do with his new wife. Trapped in a marriage with no escape, the beautiful young bride must battle the demons of her husband's past and hope that she can weather the storm his brutish behavior unleashes.

~My Review~

This was a sweet novella. I'm a big lover of anything historical or romantic and this book served up both deliciously well. I wasn't familiar with the author's prior works so I was unsure of what to expect from her writing style. Turns out she's quite good. Laurel delivered a riveting story-line depicting the path of a man with a concealed heart who eventually falls in love with his wife. There's humor, sorrow, and plenty of emotional tension between the lead characters. Believe me when I say you'll never get bored.

I enjoyed the conspiracy that brought the two together, mapped out by such caring hearts. Jayce is a strong-willed, innocent, and witty girl. Her personality is most suitable to unlock the heart of the headstrong, aggressive, and brutish Lord Reese. The fact that Jayce never weakened to his sting far exceeded Reese's expectations as well as my own. I wasn't expecting a lady of such to be quite outspoken and challenging. I loved her character and all she stood for. Jayce is what you'd call an admirable woman.

Reese scared me. At one point I thought he would hit his wife for speaking out but he's far from the animal everyone feared him to be. Behind the coldness lies a man shielding himself from hurt. He didn't want a marriage of convenience because of what such an arrangement did to his family. And that's definitely understandable. But the moment Jayce stepped into his life by forced hands, I knew his walls would crumble, and I enjoyed the journey to watching the last stone fall.

Again, the writing was wonderful. The story's beautifully captured, and the characters were almost jumping out the pages at me. I loved it, and Laurel has certainly made a fan out of me. I'm going to start reading more of her romance novellas now. Please, pick this one up if you're into historical romance, because without hesitation I can attest to the fact that this was great!

About the Author

Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.

http://www.laurel-odonnell.com